1. Lounge: The SWC boasts a comfy and convenient lounge space, and anyone is welcome to use it! Sometimes you just need a spot on campus to study, eat lunch, or just decompress, and the lounge is available for any of those purposes and more.
2. Wellness resource library: Come check out the text resources that the SWC has made available for students. You’ll find a variety of books and pamphlets on subjects related to health, wellbeing, safety, and more. Maybe you’ll find the answer to a question, or maybe you’ll discover a new strategy for maintaining your mental health.
3. Harm reduction and health/hygiene supplies: The SWC views wellness from a holistic perspective, so sexual and physical health is an important part of the whole picture of wellness. That’s why they stock safer sex supplies – such as various forms of contraception and HIV self-test kits and menstrual supplies. These materials are available for free to all UM students and can be found in the wellness resource library. If you or someone you know could benefit from these materials, the SWC is a non-judgmental, safe place to source them.
4. Consultations: Interpersonal support is also available. The SWC is staffed with Healthy U Peer Health Educators who are trained to listen to or talk through your wellness needs. If you’re seeking out a higher level of professional care, the SWC is still a great place to start. Peer Health Educators are equipped with a knowledge of further supports at the university and in the wider community, and they can help point you in the right direction.
5. Events: Keep an eye out for the wellness events that the SWC hosts throughout the year! The goal of the events is to help students de-stress, whether by offering fun activities and snacks or by distributing helpful resources. Past activities have included pet therapy, crafts, and movie nights. To stay in the loop on upcoming events, follow @healthyuofm on Instagram or visit healthyuofm.com.
6. No reason at all: You don’t need a reason to visit the SWC! If you’re just curious to check out the space, come poke your head in. The SWC was created to be a comfortable and inclusive place where students can relax; no one will interrogate you about why you’re there. The space operates on a drop-in basis – no need for an appointment, just stop by!

Why not take a minute to check out the SWC this fall? You can find them at 162 Extended Education Complex (Fort Garry Campus) Monday through Friday. Check out @healthyuofm on Instagram for the  most up-to-date open hours. Questions? Reach out to healthandwellness[at]umanitoba[dot]ca.

The SISF provides support for initiatives from faculty and staff that align with UM’s strategic goals – creating knowledge that matters, empowering learners, and reimagining engagement – while also advancing UM’s core commitments to fostering a vibrant community, advancing Reconciliation, and building a sustainable future. For the 2025-2026 year, projects focused on advancing unit-level priorities that moved forward our shared institutional goals.

A MomentUM Implementation Plan will be shared this summer to guide faculties and units in aligning their planning efforts with university-wide goals. In the meantime, recent SISF projects illustrate the kind of transformative work already underway.

A new hub for digital and media literacies in the Faculty of Education

With SISF support, the Faculty of Education has transformed its traditional computer lab into the new Digital Literacies Lab – a digital media production space designed to advance novel and inclusive teaching, learning, and research, and foster creative, transformative knowledge mobilization and community engagement through digital media. The new lab includes audio and video production and editing equipment and software, GenAI tools, and a podcast production room.

Officially opened in January of this year, the Digital Literacies Lab is already enabling faculty innovation and enriching student learning experiences, involving forms of media such as video and audio podcasts, video essays, sound postcards, digital stories, and documentaries. The lab has facilitated digital and media literacies education, media-integrated research, computer-assisted qualitative data analysis and Generative AI workshops, and knowledge mobilization initiatives.

The Digital Literacies Lab is also fostering cross-faculty collaborations and engaging the wider community. Several classes of newcomers from the River East Transcona School Division have already visited the lab, and upcoming visits are anticipated by Grade 7-9 students in the Faculty of Education’s CanU afterschool program. The lab has supported several UM student podcast initiatives, and through additional funding from the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Seed Fund, Amir Michalovich, SISF Project Lead and Faculty of Education Assistant Professor, will use the technologies to explore live podcasting in class for student engagement, dialogic learning, and communicative skills development.

Michalovich notes, “Digital and multimodal literacies are essential in today’s world, particularly for critically and equitably thinking, meaning, relating, doing, and becoming through digital media. We are very excited about the ways the new Digital Literacies Lab will strengthen innovative and inclusive teaching and research, while also providing a valuable service to K-12, post-secondary, and adult learners across Manitoba.”

Students and staff recording a podcast in the Digital Literacies Lab.

Engineering students witness the realities of hydro development in Northern Manitoba

A collaboration between Jillian Seniuk Cicek (Department of Engineering Education, Price Faculty of Engineering) and Peter Kulchyski (Department of Indigenous Studies, Faculty of Arts) resulted in a week-long immersive learning experience that brought classroom teachings on decolonizing and Indigenizing engineering into the field.

Last summer, eleven undergraduate and graduate students, along with an engineer, an architect, four faculty members, and one community guide, visited six Cree Nations in northern Manitoba – Misipawistik (Grand Rapids), Nisichawayasihk (Nelson House), Pimicikamak (Cross Lake), Makso Sakahigan (Fox Lake), Tataskweyak (Split Lake), O-Pipon-Na-Piwin (South Indian Lake), and Kinoa Sipi (Norway House) – to learn directly from community members about the social, environmental, and cultural effects of hydroelectric development. Indigenous community members spoke of environmental destruction, experiences of racism, broken promises, and internal community division over proposed and implemented projects. Participants also heard powerful accounts of strength and resilience shown by local leaders in the face of these challenges. Their stories left a lasting and profound impact on the participants.

“The trip changed the way we understand the experiences of these Cree communities, and the devastating impact of engineering projects on community members’ lives and ways of being, knowing, doing, and relating,” says project co-lead and tour participant, Seniuk Cicek. “This understanding is crucial for engineering students and faculty as we work to learn the Truth and walk the path of Reconciliation in both engineering education and the profession.”

Grand Rapids Generating Station, visited by a group of engineering students and faculty members to learn about the impact of hydroelectric development on Northern Indigenous communities.

Ernest Turner (left) from Misipawistik Cree Nation (Grand Rapids) speaks with Peter Kulchyski and the group. They stand on the dry riverbed where the Grand Rapids once flowed, a place of deep cultural, spiritual, and economic significance to the community.

Enhancing student wellness through improved private spaces

The Student Wellness Centre (SWC) is an important resource hub for student health and mental well-being, offering drop-in and appointment services with health and wellness professionals and trained peer educators. It also hosts a variety of preventive and promotional health initiatives.

Since opening in 2023, the SWC has seen steady growth in both programming and student engagement. As awareness of these resources grows, students are increasingly seeking one-on-one health-focused support from Healthy U peer volunteers, highlighting the need for a private space for these important and confidential conversations. To meet this need, the SWC received funding from the Strategic Initiatives Support Fund and the Bell Let’s Talk Implementation Grant to install a four-person privacy pod. Since its installation, the pod has significantly enhanced the Centre’s ability to offer confidential, student-centered care, helping students feel supported and empowered to thrive.

Arlana Vadnais, Associate Director, Wellness and Prevention, Student Support, says, “The pod allows us to offer students seeking peer support a comfortable, welcoming, and much more private space than before. It also greatly enhances the multi-purpose use of the Student Wellness Centre, as it is used for team meetings, planning sessions and trainings.”

The newly installed privacy pod room in the Student Wellness Centre.

Learn more about projects funded

These projects are just three examples of how the Strategic Initiatives Support Fund is helping the University of Manitoba move from strategic planning to meaningful action. As the new funding cycle begins, the university community looks forward to seeing how this year’s recipients will continue to advance shared priorities through creative and impactful initiatives.

Visit the Strategic Initiatives Support Fund intranet page for a list of 2025-2026 fund recipients.

The Student Wellness Centre is looking for motivated and compassionate students to become peer health educators with UM’s Healthy U program starting September 2025. Applications (Apply to become a Healthy U volunteer 2025-2026) open March 17 and close March 31, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

Founded in 2015, Healthy U (HU) is an opportunity for students to gain valuable training in the health and wellness field while promoting education on numerous topics including mental health, physical health, sexual health and substance use. Healthy U engages in online health promotion through social media and develops and facilitates numerous outreach events and initiatives such as sex pub trivia, stress management, and self compassion. In addition to health promotion, Healthy U volunteers are trained to provide one-to-one peer support using an empathetic, non-judgemental lens, meeting students where they’re at and helping them feel empowered in taking control of their own health.

“I have learnt so much about the importance of health and wellness in our university’s community and I have enjoyed learning more about diverse populations here at UofM while fostering community and making friendships. I look forward to volunteering next year and continuing to advocate for wellness” – Jodh Ghuman, former Healthy U volunteer and current Student Wellness Centre staff member.

“Being a HealthyU member has enabled me to become a more culturally competent individual. The community that the HealthyU team builds not only offers a safe and welcoming space for others but also for yourself. Overall, being a member can be a very rewarding and self-fulfilling experience!” – Bowen C., former Healthy U volunteer.

For those with an interest in health and wellness, looking to connect with their peers, or strive to creating a healthy campus, Healthy U may be the rewarding experience you are looking for.

To learn more and apply to be a Healthy U volunteer, visit the Healthy U website.

For any additional questions or application information please contact healthyu[at]umanitoba[dot]ca.

“Our role is to provide support to students in whatever capacity they desire, whether it be a listening ear, an educated recommendation, or guiding you to the right resources!” – Theo Hart

Healthy U peer educators can provide a space to talk through many of the challenges that students face.  One of the peer educators, Jayanti Monga, identified that “Some main concerns that students can discuss with [us] are academic stress (e.g., overwhelmed by coursework, work/life balance), resource management (i.e., where to go and what to do for certain concerns), overall wellbeing needs (e.g., academic guilt, burnout, balance, physical/mental health). For the most part, our HU program offers listening ears to those who need to speak with someone – sometimes, all someone needs to resolve something is to talk it out with an impartial person.” Further, peer educator Nicole Alcasid explained that “Healthy U volunteers provide peer support to students about a wide range of health topics—this can look like a lot of things! I’ve talked to students about how to cope with exam stress, how to navigate relationships (familial and romantic), and ultimately, how to balance your “student” identity with all the other roles and responsibilities you may have.”

Alcasid also shared that, “In our one-one meetings, I’d love to emphasize that, while Healthy U volunteers do our best to offer students informational strategies and resources to help them with their current situation, we are also here to listen—simple as that! If you need a listening ear or need some help reflecting upon a wellness-related topic, Healthy U volunteers are here for you.”

Among the many topics that Healthy U peer educators are available to discuss, they are trained to provide support relating to sexual health including answering any questions students might have about STI’s and safer sex supplies. Don’t hesitate to reach out regarding these or other questions you have.

Whether you would like to learn more about wellness, would like to know more about the resources available or are perhaps currently struggling and need support, Healthy U is here to help. Peer educator, Theo Hart, wants all students to know: “Our role is to provide support to students in whatever capacity they desire, whether it be a listening ear, an educated recommendation, or guiding you to the right resources! Our extensive training allows us to assist students through problems and provide them with the tools to better support themselves.  An appointment with a Healthy U volunteer is a convenient balance between speaking to a friend and seeing a mental health professional. We provide care for less severe issues than a mental health professional, with far more education and resources than your friend! If we’re unable to provide care for an issue, we’ll help you find someone who can; you’ll never be expected to simply figure it out on your own!”

Though the Healthy U peer educators are highly trained and ready to help, it is important to note that they do not handle cases of crisis, post-traumatic stress, attention deficit disorder, depression, trauma, suicide, or self harm. If any student is in need of support in these areas, they can consult directly with the Student Counselling Centre. Staff and volunteers at the Student Wellness Centre and Healthy U can also provide further information about the Student Counselling Centre and other similar resources. 

For any students looking to get in touch or learn more, Healthy U peer educators can be found at the Student Wellness Centre in 162 Extended Education Complex on the Fort Garry Campus or through the Healthy U website or email healthandwellness[at]umanitoba[dot]ca.

The SWC at its core is designed to be an inclusive, no expectations space for students to learn about and foster wellness. Its creation was in response to requests from students for a space for learning, connection and growth around mental health and wellbeing. There is a quiet lounge space, a wellness resource library, in-person support and opportunities to connect with other students both through formal programming and informally in the space. Through a generous donation by Shoppers Drug Mart on 2211 Pembina HWY, there are also free menstrual products available at the centre for anyone who might need them. Peer volunteer, Nicole Alcasid, stated, “I’d love for students to know that us volunteers and staff at the Student Wellness Centre try our best to make it a safe, relaxing space! … It’s a lounge space—you can eat lunch, chat with your friends, or study. Or you can pop by, just for a couple minutes, to check out our informational pamphlets or pick up some safer sex supplies!”

For students wondering what the SWC is or whether they should plan to visit, several of the centre’s volunteers shared how the centre can help. As summed up by one of the peer volunteers at the SWC, Theo Hart, “The student wellness centre will meet you wherever you’re most comfortable, whether you’d like to talk it through with a Healthy U volunteer or if you’d simply like to take a resource silently and go! There is no expectation for you to explain why you’ve come!” Keep and eye out for upcoming articles or visit the Healthy U website to learn more about the program.

To provide a bit more detail, Ashley Anderson, the Student Wellness Program Assistant, explained that “At the Student Wellness Centre, we take a holistic approach to student well-being, supporting academic, personal, and professional goals. Students often come to us with concerns like academic stress, time management, or relationship challenges—whether with friends, family, or romantic partners. We also provide a safe space to discuss sexual health topics like STI prevention and condom use. It’s not just about seeking support; you can also drop by our shared space to relax, meet other students, and build connections. You don’t need to be at your lowest to reach out. Whether you’re looking for advice, a sense of community, or just someone to talk to, we’re here to help you thrive.”

Along with being available for drop-in, the SWC also hosts numerous events throughout the term aimed at helping students recharge. Some of these include monthly Pet Therapy, Exam De-stress events – where they give out free snacks and resources to students related to managing stress going into exams, aromatherapy slime making, and movie nights. Follow @healthyuofm on Instagram to find out when these events are happening.

If you are feeling in need of support or just a place to take a breath, keep these words from peer educator, Jayanti Monga, in mind: “the Centre is a really great space to be in. It is comforting and relaxing – totally worth the walk to the extended education building. In addition, our peer educators are really knowledgeable and care so deeply for their work that the centre is always filled with ideas and good energy.”

The volunteers at the SWC can also help connect students with other campus resources such as the Student Counselling Centre. The SWC is here to support your wellness in whatever form that takes – so, in answer to the question of where to start with wellness, start at the SWC.

Location: 162 Extended Education Complex Fort Garry Campus (with the expectation to open up pop up locations at our Bannatyne and William Norrie campuses)

Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

Stay up to date @healthyuofm or Student Wellness

Questions: email healthandwellness[at]umanitoba[dot]ca

Health and wellness play a critical role in academic success; the following resources are free, available year-round, and open to UM students:

The Student Wellness Centre (SWC): A drop-in lounge space located at 162 Extended Education on the Fort Garry Campus. Stop by to rest, recharge, connect, and learn. Health and wellness professionals and trained student staff are available for consultation and support on a drop in and appointment basis. The space also hosts health and wellness preventive and promotional initiatives, and offers free safer sex supplies. Follow @healthyuofm for upcoming wellness events and initiatives to take part in!

Spring/Summer Hours – Monday to Friday, 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Student Counselling Centre (SCC):  In addition to one to one counselling, the SCC offers a variety of groups and workshops such as Communication and Conflict, Stress and Wellness 101, and Loss and Grief Supports. Make sure you check the Student Counselling Cenre webpage for current group and workshop offerings. The SCC is located in room 474 UMSU University Centre.

Student Accessibility Services (SAS): Available to provide supports for students with disabilities and to encourage academic success. If you require academic accommodations or accessibility supports, they are available to help. The SAS office is located in room 520 UMSU University Centre. 

Student Support Case Management: Here to help students connect to and navigate multiple supports in order to address complex obstacles and barriers in support of overall health and wellbeing. They understand that it can be hard to find the right resources when you are facing a crisis or emergency in your life and will help you get connected.

University Health Services (UHS): Health care providers such as doctors and nurses on campus who can provide health care to students. They also have a consulting psychiatrist should a student need or be interested in connecting. UHS offers a full range of medical supports and services and both campuses offer virtual and in person appointments.

Spiritual Care and Multi-Faith Centre: They provide spiritual support for students who are looking for cultural support as well as services to those experiencing loss, grief or exploring purpose in one’s life. The Spiritual Care team includes chaplains and other spiritual care providers representing a variety of faith traditions. Spiritual health services are available to all; they recognize, affirm and work with your existing values and beliefs. They also offer workshops and events throughout the year like smudging and drumming circles.

Student Services at Bannatyne Campus: A service hub for students and residents in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. Staff provide supports and referrals for personal and academic success.

Sexual Violence Resource Centre (SVRC): The SVRC team can help support and provide information to folks who want to talk about a personal incident of sexual violence or if they are supporting a loved one who has experienced this. Their office is in a private space and services are confidential. They also offer a Healthy Relationships course that can teach you more about topics such as consent and communication.

University can be both exciting and overwhelming. Connecting with resources can help create a sense of community and make you feel supported throughout your academic journey while considering your health and wellbeing. Whether you consider connecting now, or at some point throughout your journey, just know that there are many supports available at UM who want to help you succeed!

Upon walking into the space, take a deep breath and have a look around. You will see a variety of cozy and calm spaces to explore. If you aren’t sure how to occupy the space, don’t worry. There is no right way. This space is designed to meet you where you are at, with what you need, that day. A staff person or volunteer sits at our front desk ready to help you, should you need any support.

Here are five things you can do while you’re here:

1. Meet with a Healthy U peer health educator to discuss health and wellness concerns.

To meet with a Healthy U volunteer, you can walk in during office hours or make an appointment on our website. Our volunteer will provide you with a screening form to ensure Healthy U is right for you. From there, you will be asked to complete a brief intake form, outlining your presenting concern and what you are hoping to get from the session. Our volunteers can meet with students for up to 45 minutes. They can provide a listening ear, a supportive and non-judgemental environment, coping tips and strategies, and direction to resources should that be helpful.

Some reasons students have seen a Healthy U volunteer:

· challenges with a relationship breakup (friend, romantic partner(s))

· stress or overwhelm about balancing the student life

· questions about health and wellness resources on campus

· tips for a better sleep

2. Rest, relax, and recharge in the lounge space.

We invite you to sit on the couch, use our rocking chair or regulate with our wheeled stool. You will often hear calming music playing within the centre, but we also have noise cancelling headphones should you wish to disconnect or connect to something specific to your mood. The SWC offers dim lighting, primarily illuminated by fairy lights, salt lamps, and SAD lamps. We have blankets and pillows available for those who are looking for a little extra comfort.

3. Explore and learn something new from resources in the wellness library, curated to meet the diverse needs of our student population.

Find out about Student Support units on campus, discover health and wellness supports available through the Active Living Centre or Family Resource Centre or pick up safer sex supplies and educational material. Read self-development and wellness books while you’re within the space and learn more about safer substance use materials including information from the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba.

4. Connect with others and build community with other students who share similar interests.

Connection can be challenging on such a large campus. At the Student Wellness Centre, we strive to cultivate a culture of acceptance and belonging. You are invited to use the SWC to meet like-minded students with an interest in various health and wellness facets. You can connect informally through sitting together and having a cup of tea or through our ongoing programming like “Unwind and Thrive – Making Stress Balls” “Student Group Mix and Mingles and Q+As” or “Pause for Paws – Pet Therapy”.

5. Use our calm space to find time to regulate on your own, in a safe environment – whatever way that looks like for you.

If this private “room” is unoccupied, you can simply set up on our rocking chair, leave the sliding door open or closed and begin to regulate into your own space. We offer a weighted blanket, dim lighting, and noise cancelling headphones for you to make the space what you need.

Come and find a restorative oasis on campus! Hours change based on staffing, so check out UM’s Health and Wellness page for more information and the latest updates. Connect with us on the Healthy U website, on Instagram or via email.

Taking care of your mental health is not new. In 1964, UM was hosting lectures on student mental health in its Libraries. Since then, dedicated experts at UM have developed a series of roadmaps that have brought us to today, where Maclean’s magazine ranked UM second in mental health services among Canadian medical-doctoral universities in 2022.

Here’s a quick list of what we offer and do.

1. Opened in September 2023, the Student Wellness Centre on the Fort Garry campus is a new hub for students looking for mental health and wellness services, including professional consultation and peer support to help students learn skills to actively maintain their wellbeing throughout their time in university.                 
2. Open all year, the Student Counselling Centre provides free workshops and counselling (for individuals or groups) and mental health support to University of Manitoba, English Language Centre, and International College of Manitoba students.
3. Maybe you want a less formal approach. We’ll meet you where you are. Healthy U is a peer support group of highly-trained student health educators. You could even sign-up to become one.
4. There is also all the support and cultural programming available through Migizii Agamik—Bald Eagle Lodge, including weekly sharing circles with Elders in Residence. 
5. The Spiritual Care and Multi-Faith Centre supports students as they navigate through the highs and lows of academic life, helping to piece together and make sense of the troubling, confusing, and exciting parts that make up their lives. Spiritual health services are available to all, whether you identify as spiritual, atheist, religious or agnostic.
6. The Spiritual Care and Multi-Faith Centre and the Student Counselling Centre have collaborated to offer a new group this fall: Understanding and Healing from the Soul Wounds of Racialized Trauma.
7. Love needs to be nurtured. UM offers couples counselling, even if the partner is outside of the UM community. UM wants you to love your studies, and your partner.
8. Probably everyone at some point dreams about being a famed musician, but in reality, performing is tough. That’s why Desautels Faculty of Music pioneered the “Wellness in Music” series specifically for these students and their needs. The faculty embeds a mental health counsellor and every year, offers workshops like this one on food, and another one on finding balance. It’s just one story from one Faculty, but it shows how this university is meeting students where they need to be met.
9. Just because you’ve graduated, doesn’t mean we stop caring about your wellbeing. Take the Faculty of Law: not only does it have in-house mental health counsellors, but it also runs alumni supports. And it has recently developed this innovative course looking at mental health issues and the law.
10. In 2014, UM launched its mental health strategy, which in the following years impacted our community immensely. Read about current initiatives and priorities.
11. The Learning Disability Service Clinic provides assessments for learning disabilities related to reading, writing, and math as well as attention related problems to University of Manitoba students.
12. Researchers at UM are looking at mental health issues from a variety of angles too, from the mental health of First Nations children to Adult Manitobans and children, in general.
13. Other UM researchers have looked at where resources are needed and used to understand how poverty impacts mental health and care, and how we can help adults connect.
14. UM is also where our researchers were some of the first to study mental health effects of COVID-19 later going on to call for a mental health vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
15. Every year UM takes part in Bell Let’s Talk Day to encourage discussion, reflection, and well-being.

This is just a quick list of 15 ways UM supports students and Manitobans’ mental health because as President and Vice-Chancellor Michael Benarroch reminds us, “UM is a community that exists to help one another thrive.”