It’s the beginning of a new school year and with that comes every range of emotions. From being away from home for the first time to making post-college career decisions, this time of year can be overwhelming. To combat this, Health Initiatives (HI) and the Counseling Center have partnered to bring Fresh Check Day to the Georgia Tech community for the first time.

Created by the Jordon Porco Foundation (JPF), Fresh Check Day is an event focused on uplifting mental health and well-being and advocating for suicide prevention through a carnival-themed atmosphere that helps connect students with mental health resources on campus. Georgia Tech is proud to bring this event to campus on Wednesday, September 12 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the Student Center Ballroom. The ballroom will be filled with booths run by student groups and campus departments hosting interactive experiences like mental health bingo and yoga. The event will also have entertainment, free food, and door prizes.

 “The goal of this event is to increase awareness of mental health resources for students in a fun and interactive carnival-like atmosphere,” shared HI Health Educator JaPeera Edmonds. “College can be difficult and it can feel like everyone and everything is against you.” Another HI Health Educator Elaine Miller continued, “our hope for this event is to break down barriers for students who feel like they don’t have somewhere to go or someone to talk to.” Fresh Check Day is different from a typical health resource fair because it is designed so students can engage in dialogue about mental health and to build a bridge between students and the mental health resources available on campus, in the community, and nationally for them.

This national event takes place at numerous universities across America each year. “We hope by hosting this event at the beginning of the year we are encouraging students, especially first-years, to check in on each other and ask for help when they need it,” said HI Director of Health Behavior, Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman. “Georgia Tech has so many programs and services to support student mental health and well-being, and this event is a great way to get the departments who offer them all in one place.”

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to connect with other students and campus departments. Mark your calendar for Wednesday, September 12^th 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM in the Student Center Ballroom.

For additional information about mental health and well-being resources on campus, go to healthinitiatives.gatech.edu or counseling.gatech.edu.