Welcome
Welcome to Pratt Institute’s Resilience, Wellness and Well-Being Project
We are dedicated to creating a culture where the entire Pratt community can flourish and thrive.
Together, students will gain the creative and life skills that build meaning and engagement during their time at Pratt and after graduation. We are Pratt for life! We are a campus of thriving students, relentlessly curious, civically engaged, academically and socially supported, and accountable to our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. All of which is inspired by our Institute Strategic Plan.
This project focuses on connection, engagement, support, and well-being. It highlights departmental programs and the cross institute leadership that provides the inspiration and support for existing and new initiatives, and serves as a resource for everyone seeking to improve individual and community resilience, wellness and well-being.
The curricular and co-curricular integration of these ideals are explored through an Institute wide Resilience, Wellness and Well-Being Council, Resilience and Positivity Certificate and Well-being workshop modules. The Institute offers Contemplative Practices For Credit, and self-guided learning resources both live and online, social media gatherings, and drop-in communities. The division of Student Affairs provides programs and activities that are centered on the whole student in Residential Life and Housing, Student Involvement, Athletics and Recreation, Center for Career & Professional Development, Health Promotion, Learning Access Center, the Counseling Center, and Health Services.
There are many touch points and ways to enhance and develop resilience, wellness and well-being across the Institute. And we are here to be a resource and provide a road map for these touch points along the way.
Resilience
The measurement of a person’s ability to cope with difficulties and recover from hard circumstances, to navigate adversity and grow through the challenges. Another similar term for this is emotional dexterity. Helping ourselves recognize strengths and providing tools to adapt in times of stress or upheaval are integral to resilience building. Resilience is about bouncing back, but also emphasizes failure as an opportunity for personal growth. This includes learned optimism, real time resilience, character strengths, and good relationships.
Programs include (click on the programs to know more): Starfish, Financial Services and Emergency Funding, Advocacy and Outreach, Learning and Time Management Support, Bias Education, Food Pantry, CSA, Creative Arts Therapy, Clean Cats, Holistic Career Advising, and Career action plans and Professional Development Explorations; Learning Optimism guides; Applying your strengths guides; and tips for building positive emotions and relationships.
Wellness
Describes the knowledge gained and actions taken in pursuit of optimal health (social, physical, emotional, spiritual, etc). Think of wellness as a journey of acquiring knowledge and shifting behaviors, and not as a state defined by the presence or absence of disease. This includes physical fitness, good sleep habits, healthy living and healthy eating. It also includes good interpersonal communication, deep listening, building compassion and empathy.
Programs include (click on the programs to know more): Connectors, Orientation programs, Learning Cohorts, Learning pods, Career Advocates, Career Events, Student Organizations, Counseling Groups, Recreation classes, Fitness classes, Well-being classes, Zoom discussions, Instagram Live, plus our Online tips and Guides.
Well-being
One’s perception of their life and their level of satisfaction and contentment with their circumstances. Programs and services on campus that focus on well-being hope to produce positive emotions and a sense of fulfillment. A simplified version of this from the CDC is “described as judging life positively and feeling good.” This includes positive emotions and engagement in school and in life, developing growth mindsets, practicing mindfulness and contemplative practices, developing meaningful relationships and accomplishments.
Programs include : Breath Breaks, Meditate With Me, and Breathe With Me; Meditation Incubator; What the Health; Mindful Pratt, Resilience in Uncertain Times modules; Life Coaching; Wellness/Well-being Coaching; Strengths Coaching; Mindfulness and well-being mentors.
Don’t know how to get started? Take a look at our suggested pathways and try these quick tips today:
- Engage in a Gratitude Practice and grow your capacity for compassion for yourself and others.
- Take The Science of Wellbeing, a free course from Yale University, offered on Coursera
- Prioritize self-understanding and identify your strengths.
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment. Schedule a career directions or strategy appointment with Carl Fengler or Mackenzie Adriance to discuss.
- Clifton Strengths. Schedule a career directions or strategy appointment with Mackenzie Adriance to discuss.
- VIA Character Strengths is a self-guided strengths assessment to help learners understand how their strengths can be harnessed to improve their wellbeing.
- Listen to On Being, a podcast about what it means to be human and our relationship to others.
- Redefine failure and find potential for growth.
- Consider Erin Morrow’s words in “What To Do When You Feel Like a Failure”, an episode of The Science of Happiness podcast.
- Register for the Meditation Incubator, a self guided exploration in meditation, creativity and life planning.
- Explore the Contemplative Practices available through Mindful Pratt
- Learn about the Resilience and Wellbeing Resources for faculty through the Center for Teaching and Learning
- Pratt Athletics and Recreation has a fitness program for you. Check out these great sessions on YouTube
- Enroll in a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Allies Training.
Suggested Pathways:
Connection – Build your community
Engagement – Become active and get involved
Support – You are not alone – explore your options
Well-being – Real time resilience and ways to flourish
Need help getting started? Contact us at healthpromotion@pratt.edu