Graduate students put wellness at the centre of the conversation

vinish — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 20:30:26 +0000

Graduate Wellness Day brought students together to explore resources, build community and prioritize well-being.

For graduate students, the demands of academic life can extend far beyond the classroom. On Aug. 6, 91��ɫ graduate students came together to make space for something that can easily be overlooked: their well-being.

Graduate Wellness Day brought students together for a morning of walking, workshops, conversation and community-building, with activities designed around the realities of graduate student life.

_{Photo of Tareq Al Khalaf, Charity Mwebaze, and Khandker Ahmedul Haque}

The student-led initiative was proposed by Tareq Al Khalaf, a PhD student in Health, whose project received funding through the Graduate Student Wellness Initiative Fund for Winter 2026 from the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Alongside fellow graduate students Khandker Ahmedul Haque and Charity Mwebaze, Al Khalaf worked with Student Counselling, Health & Well-being (SCHW) and the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) to organize the event.

_{Photo of Prof. Larkin Lamarche}

The morning began with a campus walk led by the LA&PS team from 91��ɫ Station, introducing incoming and current master's and doctoral students to locations, services and resources relevant to their studies.

Marco Sestito, Student Engagement Coordinator, said the event reflected the student engagement initiatives led by the LA&PS Graduate Experience Team at New College.

“Graduate Wellness Day is a great representation of the types of student engagement initiatives that the LA&PS Graduate Experience Team at New College is responsible for. Working alongside current graduate students, we were able to introduce new LA&PS graduate students to the Keele campus and to key health and wellness resources that will aid them throughout their studies.”

The walk was followed by wellness sessions that began with opening remarks from Professor Elicia Clements, interim head of New College, and a health promotion workshop led by SCHW's Holly Stacey. Students reflected on the realities of stress in graduate school, shared experiences and explored practical strategies for navigating academic pressures.

Professor Larkin Lamarche of Kinesiology & Health Science then invited students to consider mental health from an uncolonized perspective. The interactive session encouraged participants to reflect, connect with nature and exchange ideas with peers while examining how systems built around productivity, perfection and individualism can disconnect people from themselves, one another, their communities and the land.

For Mwebaze, a PhD student in Social Work and member of the organizing committee, the sessions sparked meaningful conversations as students openly shared experiences from their studies.

The day also connected participants with campus and community resources, including Riipen, Ontario Shores, Student Accessibility Services, SCHW, public health nurses and Athletics & Recreation.

A highlight was the launch of the Graduate Wellness Toolkit, a collaborative project involving counsellors, graduate students and work-study student Ishita Deep, who designed the resource. The toolkit was distributed to attendees and will be available through SCHW.

_{Photo of Graduate Wellness Day participants and organizers}

Student feedback included calls for additional wellness programming throughout the academic year, reflecting interest in continued initiatives that support student well-being.

Files from Tareq Khalaf

Graduate Student Wellness Initiative Fund

anesaa — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 18:37:55 +0000

Overview

In recognition of the importance of graduate student mental health and wellness and the connection between well-being and academic achievement, the Faculty of Graduate Studies has developed the Graduate Student Wellness Initiative Fund to subsidize the costs to develop or implement initiatives related to the promotion, awareness, or enhancement of mental health and well-being for the graduate student community at 91��ɫ.

Students and student groups can apply for up to $1,500 to support the undertaking of projects, initiatives, resource development, events, or programs related to graduate student wellness. Allocation amounts may vary based upon the amount of applications in any given application cycle and the project/initiative type
Successful applications may be allocated a portion rather than the total amount of costs. Students are expected to use the most economical option available and are encouraged to seek additional sources of funding where necessary
The maximum number of allocations provided in a given year to any student or group of students (January to December) is generally one (1).

Submit a completed to the Graduate Student Wellness Services
Attach any relevant documentation
Applications are reviewed, and allocations determined, by the Faculty of Graduate Studies generally once per year.
After adjudication, allocated funds are distributed to the student, student group, or designate identified on the application
The initiative must run during the current academic year applied for
The applicant(s) agree to complete a post-initiative feedback questionnaire

Eligible Applicants

All registered 91��ɫ graduate students or student groups associated with graduate studies

Eligible Expenses

Supplies needed to support your initiative
Paying instructors/facilitators for a set number of hours
Cost associated with space rental
Promotional material
Cost of material development
Equipment rental
Training materials
- *Other costs will be considered. Please include a description in your application

Ineligible Expenses

Activities/events that have already taken place
Activities/events that are for the purposes of fundraising for individual or groups of students
Food and beverage

Examples of Activities/Initiatives

Workshop/activity/session
Panel discussion
Conference
Reception
Promotion campaign
Guest lecture
Resource development
Support group
Group activity centred around mental health and well-being

Graduate Student Wellness Initiative Fund Assessment Rubric (.pdf)

The selection committee will take into consideration the following:

Potential impact of initiative:
- Number of students or graduate community members that could benefit from the initiative
- Length or sustainability of initiative. Is the project a one-time event or does it have the potential to continue to impact the graduate student community? If it is a one-time event, what efforts will be undertaken to enhance the lasting impact of the initiative? (i.e., making a recording of a panel discussion available for future students to view)
Clear demonstration of positive messaging around mental health and wellness promotion, awareness, and/or enhancement for the graduate student community.
Innovation:
- Does the initiative demonstrate innovation and/or address a specific need around mental health and wellness in a new way?

The deadline is June 3, 2026. Applications that are submitted will be reviewed after this deadline, and applicants will be notified shortly after the review process is completed.

Please complete the .
Attach any relevant supporting documentation (must be submitted through the application form)
A confirmation email will be sent to the applicant to confirm the receipt of the application

Personal information including student number and graduate program.
Proposal outlining details for the initiative including a timeline, project plan, recruitment/advertising plan, and detailed budget.

QUICK LINKS

Book a Wellness Consultation

Student Wellness Initiative Fund | Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS)