A ‘Fresh’ Approach to Student Mental Health: Claremont College’s Campuses Combine Fresh Check Day
2019 Fresh Check Day, Keck Graduate Institute & Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California—It’s a powerful catalyst for change when a community comes together in solidarity to support an important cause. Today, for Claremont Colleges, that cause is student mental health, approached in a “fresh” way. This year, Claremont Colleges are embracing a unique, collective campus-wide approach to hosting Fresh Check Day. Fresh Check Day is a national program of the Jordan Porco Foundation, where students actively engage in vital mental health and suicide prevention messaging.
All five undergraduate Claremont College campuses—Pomona College, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, and Pitzer College—will host their Fresh Check Day today, as a combined campus effort, for the first time in school history. They are hoping to raise even greater awareness, inviting more student participation, increasing the positive impact for students. Their Fresh Check Day is from 11AM – 2PM (PST), Bowling Green Lawn, at Scripps College.
Claremont’s two graduate schools—Keck Graduate Institute and Claremont Graduate University—also joined-in the collective effort, hosting their Fresh Check Day on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 on the Keck Graduate Institute’s campus.
Here’s what one student who participated in Claremont Graduate University’s 2018 Fresh Check Day had to say, “Great event! Really creative and informative, but also interactive and engaging!” And, there are multiple other student testimonials echoing this same sentiment.
“With 85% of young adults saying they feel more prepared to help a friend in need and 84% reporting they are more likely to ask for help for their mental health after participating in Fresh Check Day, it speaks to the importance of Fresh Check Day as part of a continued, campus-wide strategy to address the mental health needs of college students. We never anticipated the need for peer-centered lifesaving programs would only grow in demand; sadly, the need is greater than ever. It’s a creative approach like this that fosters on-campus connectedness in a space that promotes compassion, help-seeking, and support,” said Marisa Giarnella-Porco, Co-Founder & CEO of the Jordan Porco Foundation.
The Claremont Colleges are a consortium of seven colleges, 5 undergraduate and 2 graduate, located in Claremont, California—about 35 miles outside of Los Angeles. The campuses are adjoining and within walking distance of one another. The purpose of the consortium is to provide the specialization, flexibility, and personal attention commonly found in a small college, with the resources of a larger university.
