A preview of the Well-Being Pillar webpage.

November 24

Steps to Leaps at its core is an effort at branding. The students who inspired Steps to Leaps were looking for a common language that aligned all the resources they were receiving across campus. They knew that resources were available, they just didn't know how they were connected or where to go. One outcome we've seen from this common language is that we more easily notice the way other department's programs connect to the work we're doing. Collaborations are made more easily.

One prime example of this type of collaboration on a large scale is the Student Life Well-Being Initiative. The Well-Being Initiative brings together campus leaders in wellness to align Purdue's many resources and services into a holistic, integrated and strategic approach to promoting well-being across the university. One of the first efforts by the initiative was to use the Steps to Leaps assessment to identify an area of need for our students. The assessment found that many of our students were not getting enough sleep. Therefore, Student Life is highlighting sleep education as a common focus. Additionally, the Well-Being Initiative is endeavoring to focus on five areas to increase the impact of their collective efforts. Those areas include signature programs, assessment and research, train-the-trainer programs, environmental mobilization and student engagement.

This is just one example of ways in which we can all partner to amplify the work we do. In the next few months, you will receive information about the Steps to Leaps Summit. The Summit features presentations that highlight collaborative projects that produce amazing experiences for students. We encourage you to work with your partners on a program description to submit for consideration when we call for presentation proposals. These presentations can help raise awareness for your programs and encourage others to collaborate on impactful programs for students.