John Carroll University is adopting the Okanagan Charter as a member of the United States Health Promoting Campuses Network (USHPCN). A signing ceremony and Celebration of Wellness will take place on Friday, April 17, at 2 p.m. at John Carroll University in the Dolan Center for Science & Technology, Muldoon Atrium.
Community members are invited to attend as President Al Miciak, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Bonnie Gunzenhauser, and Vice President for Student Experience and Campus Belonging, Naomi Sigg sign the Okanagan Charter. A brief reception will follow remarks from university leadership.
The Celebration of Wellness will recognize key initiatives that exemplify the spirit of the Okanagan Charter and John Carroll’s Jesuit mission. These include the Exercise Science program’s long-standing collaboration with University Heights Fire Department and other area first responders to support fitness; the university’s partnership with the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center to support connection and learning; and the upcoming launch of the Nourish Net digital app, designed to help community members locate food banks and other essential services. Together, these initiatives demonstrate how each person’s wellbeing is connected to the wellbeing of the broader community.
John Carroll joins a cohort of nearly 50 campuses in the United States, and an additional 15 international networks in countries including the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Germany, Canada, and Ibero-America, that have adopted the Okanagan Charter. The Charter calls on higher education institutions to embed health across all aspects of campus culture and to lead health promotion locally and globally.
Health Promoting Campuses are an international community that aspires to transform the health and sustainability of current and future societies, strengthen communities, and contribute to the wellbeing of people, places, and the planet. Evidence shows that people who are well are more productive, are better able to engage in deeper learning, have a greater sense of belonging, and have a stronger sense of community.
“Recently, the vision for the U.S. Health Promoting Campuses Network was updated to create a higher education system that is health promoting,” said Dr. Julie Edwards, chair of the USHPCN and Assistant Vice President for Student Health and Wellbeing at Cornell University. “It is inspiring to see more colleges and universities formally adopt the Okanagan Charter, demonstrating their commitment to the wellbeing of planet, place, and people. This marks an important step as institutions work to implement systems- and settings-based approaches that more holistically support wellbeing.”
“Educating the whole person in mind, body, and spirit has always been a central tenet of John Carroll’s Jesuit mission,” said Al Miciak, President of John Carroll University. “By adopting the Okanagan Charter, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering a culture of wellbeing for our students, faculty, and staff while strengthening partnerships not only with our local Cleveland community but with institutions around the world.”
The Charter adoption coincides with the launch of John Carroll’s new health and wellbeing initiative, “Whole Person, Whole Life.” From April 13 through April 17, faculty, staff, and students will participate in a Week of Wellness with activities and programs focused on different areas of wellbeing, aligning wellness programming, academic efforts, and policies to strengthen and support John Carroll’s thriving campus community.
“We are excited to celebrate the good work of John Carroll students, faculty, and staff around wellbeing,” said Dr. Katharine Hahn Oh, Executive Director of Wellness and Wellbeing at John Carroll University. “We are celebrating some impressive projects that benefit both JCU and the community around us, and we also know that even small actions help. All of our actions add up to how our community supports wellbeing, creating the conditions for each of us to be at our best and ultimately to thrive together.”
