Past Events

As part of SMU’s commitment to sustainability, the university promotes a holistic approach to enhance the wellbeing and resilience of its community. Central to these efforts, the Mrs Wong Kwok Leong Student Wellness Centre (MWKLSWC) actively raises awareness and promotes mental wellbeing across campus.

In celebration of World Mental Health Day, the Centre partnered with various SMU offices, student clubs, and external agencies to organise an exciting lineup of activities, talks and workshops for students, faculty and staff. These initiatives focus on two key dimensions of wellness in the SMU Resilience Framework - social and emotional resilience.

This year’s theme, Creating Communities, Strengthening Ties, emphasised the importance of building connections and support networks to enhance mental health and well-being. A key feature of the month-long activity programme was the two-day roadshow, held from 17 to 18 October at the SMU T-Junction, which drew around 800 members of the SMU community.

(Left) A fun moment with the Smoo Smoo and Singa mascots, as they spread cheer during the roadshow. (Right) Our dynamic emcees kept spirits high and energy flowing throughout the two-day event.

Highlights included lively Café Conversations with SMU Students’ Association (SMUSA), a community-building activity that encouraged positive interactions, and Gaming Galore with Student Council of Discipline - a fun twist on Jenga where participants built a tower while sharing their stressors and self-care tips.

Andrea Rebareyo, a second-year student from the School of Social Sciences, shared:

“It was interesting to engage in deep conversations with strangers at the Café Conversations booth.”

(Left) Participants selected conversation prompts designed to deepen connections at the Café Conversations activity, organised in collaboration with SMU Students’ Association. (Right) Participants enjoyed free drinks after leaving encouraging messages via Padlet, which were displayed on the TV wall.

A thrilling Jenga challenge that not only tested skills but also raised awareness about mental health.

From Beyond Barriers organised by Student Accessibility Support, which offered hands-on experiences simulating visual and physical challenges for participants to better understand how assistive technology, inclusive design, and respectful interactions can foster a more inclusive environment to the exploration of the 5 Love Languages by Voices@SMU, which allowed participants to discover how they and their friends express affection — these experiences provided valuable opportunities for participants to learn more about themselves and discover creative ways to enrich their relationships.

(Left) At the Beyond Barriers activity, participants worked together to break down barriers and foster inclusivity. (Right) Participants discover how their friends and themselves express love - whether through words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, or physical touch.

Another standout moment of the roadshow was the heartfelt Gratitude Buzz, organised in collaboration with SMU Psychology Society. Participants expressed gratitude through writing notes and leaving these on the Gratitude Tree. The tree will be displayed at the Li Ka Shing Library until the end of this term and students can continue to contribute their messages of appreciation.

(Left) Participants penning down words of gratitude on leaf cards before leaving them on the Gratitude Tree (Right). This is currently on display at the Li Ka Shing Library until the end of the term.

The roadshow also boosted fun and meaningful ways to capture memories. At the Making Memories photo booth hosted by SMU Student Care and Support Services, participants took home personalised keepsakes, while The Ripple Effect, in collaboration with Singapore Kindness Movement, inspired creativity and kindness through activities that emphasised community and support. Meanwhile,  REACH Community Services Ltd hosted a series of mindfulness exercises at the Zen Oasis and shared grounding techniques that helped participants reconnect, relax, and improve their sleep.

First-year student, AI Neo, from Lee Kong Chian School of Business, reflected on her experience at the roadshow:

“During Mental Health Week, I gained valuable insights and useful tips that I can apply throughout my academic journey, helping me manage stress and enhance my overall well-being.”

Chang Zi Hui, a fourth-year student from the School of Computing and Information Systems, commented:

“It’s important to look out for others, as we may not always see the difficulties they’re facing. A simple act of kindness or a willingness to listen can make a significant difference in someone’s life.”

(Left) Temporary tattoos could be redeemed after completing activities at The Ripple Effect booth, hosted by Singapore Kindness Movement. (Right) Participants making memories at the fun photo booth with the Welbie giveaways from the Student Care Officers.

 
Participants engaged in a series of transformative mindfulness exercises at the Zen Oasis activity.

In addition to the roadshow’s activities, MWKLSWC collaborated with SMU’s Office of Human Resources to organise a series of rejuvenating activities for faculty and staff from 7 to 24 October. They included sound bath therapy, soothing back massage by the visually impaired, leathercraft and essential oil rollerball workshops and insightful talks for caregivers and parents. Like the previous year, these activity spots were quickly filled by enthusiastic participants. MWKLSWC also collaborated with SMU Libraries to curate a Book Display at Li Ka Shing Library from 14 October to 8 November, showcasing a selection of titles on mental health and well-being, including The Lonely Century by Noreena Hertz, The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown and Big Panda and Tiny Dragon by James Norbury.

A series of wellness activities for faculty and staff were organised by the Office of Human Resources, including sound bath therapy workshops (left) and an essential oil rollerball workshop (right).

Aligned with the theme of Creating Communities, Strengthening Ties, SMU strives to foster an environment where everyone feels supported and connected. By prioritising mental health, encouraging open dialogue, and nurturing a culture of care, the University seeks to strengthen resilience and build lasting bonds within the community.

Source from SMU news

Every semester, SMUSA (SMU Students’ Association) would organise a Welfare Drive for students.

The primary purpose will be to give students snacks in order to give them a tiny boost and motivation while they prepare for their projects and final examinations.

We are always very happy to support SMUSA in their initiatives so when they approached us, we immediately agreed to support their event. We also wanted to try to do something differently this year and not just buy the usual spread of snacks for the students.

For the snacks, we worked with Bizlink, a social enterprise to provide packs of cookies and healthy nuts for the students. We also partnered SAVH (Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped) to provide 15-minute shoulder massage for the students. As you can imagine, the massage was a huge favorite among the students and it was such a welcome treat.

Overall, we reached up to about 1,000 students over 3 days. That’s the last event which we are involved in for the semester and we will be focused on supporting the students in counselling for the rest of the semester as the examinations draw closer.

Do you know that 15 March 2024 is World Sleep Day? In collaboration with the SMU Peer Helpers, we organized “Maximise Zzz’s for Success” Roadshow, a Mental Wellness Welfare Drive for students.

More than 400 students joined us throughout the day outside Marmalade Pantry. The giveaways included Palm Pals, specially designed socks, ice cream, stickers and oat milk. During the event, students set a sleep goal and personalized their mini bottles of aromatherapy. Students were informed about tips and strategies to improve their sleep as well.

We also launched the 14-Day Sleep Challenge where almost 300 students pledged to participate and take steps to improve their sleep.

On 14 March 2024, we invited Dr Wong Sheau Hwa, a psychiatrist and sleep specialist, to conduct a workshop for the students. The students were thoroughly engaged during the workshop and asked a lot of questions.

The workshop provided an overview on the topic of sleep and insomnia, with the following objectives:

• What constitutes a normal night's sleep, and what do we expect as we age.
• lmportance of sleep
• What are the different types of insomnia, and the possible causes for insomnia, such as anxiety.
• What basic sleep hygiene measures one can take to help improve their sleep

*Here is sharing a short video featuring a chat between Dr Wong and Maximilian Chen, a clinical psychologist about sleep which you may find useful. Click here to view video.

Workshop sharing by our invited speaker

We started off the year with a workshop on “Cultivate your best possible self” by Simon Leow from Happiness Initiative. Our team is really glad to have an ongoing partnership with Happiness Initiative since last year when we brought “Let’s unpack this” game to Mental Health Week 2023 in Singapore Management University.

The participants of the workshop learnt the wellbeing goal of “Setting Daily Purposeful Goals” by exploring what truly matters and gaining insights on what is important to us, our interests and our strengths. The participants enjoyed engaging in the “What truly matters”, a conversational card game that explores what truly matters in the domains of career, love and personal growth. They reflected on their values, goals and aspirations through thought-provoking questions and prompts.

The participants enjoyed the session so much that they asked for more workshops like these and shared that they are looking forward to the next event that we organize.

SMU Peer Helpers Booth at World Kindness Day

A season of kindness

World Kindness Day is observed on 13 November every year, in dedication to promoting and celebrating acts of kindness. This year, Mrs Wong Kwok Leong Student Wellness Centre invited students to pledge their participation in the “22 Day Kindness Challenge” at a roadshow held on 10 November. The event has organised in collaboration with the SMU Peer Helpers and the Singapore Kindness Movement.

You may be wondering what kindness has to do with strengthening our emotional resilience and fostering resilient communities. Take time to recall how you felt when you were kind to another person or when someone showed your kindness when you did not expect it. Acts of kindness have been shown to increase empathy and compassion, self-esteem and mood. It can also lower your blood pressure and cortisol, which correlates with stress. Being kind benefits your relationships and makes you feel more connected with others, thus reducing feelings of loneliness.

Students will receive daily prompts as a reminder to be kind to themselves and to others as they enter the examination period of the term. Due to the stressors and pressures of assessments, we recognise that students may be a little more prone to being hard on themselves which can be detrimental to their wellbeing. Hence, we would like to remind students to extend those same kind intentions and behaviours to themselves.

During the event, students shared encouraging messages on the Kindness Wall and made bracelets and keychains for their friends. They also wrote letters to friends and family to express thoughts of kindness and appreciation. There were notepads, post-its pads, stickers and pouches  from the Singapore Kindness Movement. Students were excited to meet Singa the Kindness Lion and Smoo Smoo at the World Kindness Day roadshow as well

SMU students getting ready for the parade march.

Mental Health Week 2023, with its focus on building emotional resilience, left a lasting impact on both students and staff. The event was held from 9-13 Oct 2023 and featured an array of interactive booths, offering hands-on and reflective exercises designed to promote mental well-being.

In addition to the engaging booths, fringe activities, such as the "Human Library" event, were organised as well. The "Human Library" event captured the hearts and minds of participants, and provided a unique opportunity for students and staff to 'read' the stories of 'human books,' who shared their personal journeys and triumphs in overcoming life's challenges.

Another standout fringe activity during Mental Health Week 2023 was "Cafe Conversations." This innovative initiative encouraged students and staff to visit various partner cafes on and off campus, where specially curated MHW set offerings were available for purchase. To facilitate meaningful interactions, conversation starters were thoughtfully placed on the tables, inspiring patrons to engage in genuine and empathetic dialogues. 

Mental Health Week 2023 served as a vital platform for fostering mental health awareness and resilience within the university community, encouraging open dialogues and a deeper understanding of the human experience.

Even though Mental Health Week 2023 is over, do check out the Feelings Wheel along the concourse near the SOA B1 Lift Lobby to revisit learning more about emotions, as well as the SMU Newsroom article covering our event in greater detail!

Participants with their personalised art pieces.

World Suicide Prevention Day Roadshow on 8 Sep 2023.

In conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day (10 Sep), a roadshow was held along the concourse on 8 September 2023. This roadshow was a collaboration between the Wellness Centre and SMU Peer Helpers. They seek to raise awareness and equip students with knowledge and information to support peers in distress.

Counsellors from the Wellness Centre, alongside the Peer Helpers engaged students in informal quick chats on topics like goal setting and uncovering personal resources towards resilience.

The event generated meaningful conversations, with students taking away invaluable lessons both for themselves and their friends who might be in need.

Watch our roadshow in action:

Roadshow video

Look inside "My Coping Toolkit"

Participants with their personalised art pieces.

Gathered in The Hive on 31 Aug 2023, students engaged in a meaningful discussion with our wonderful panelists on the challenges in navigating change, learning to adapt and embracing these challenges as welcomed experiences. Our esteemed panel included Assistant Professor of Psychology Andree Hartanto, YPHSL Alumnus Josh Lee and SOSS Year 2 Student Erika Fam. The discussion was moderated by the Head of Mrs Wong Kwok Leong Student Wellness Centre Michelle Koay. 

Participants and Panelists reflected on the importance of asking the why question, and developing a personal narrative to anchor themselves in turbulent times. They also expressed appreciation for the support systems they have established and credited those as another key pillar in navigating changes.

SMU Purple Parade Contingency.

Inaugurated in November 2013, THE PURPLE PARADE is a unifying national platform to promote awareness and celebrate abilities of Persons with Disabilities. The core of The Purple Parade movement is to ensure that Persons with Disabilities are included in the main chapter of Singapore’s growth and have equal access to education, employment, transport and social networks. It is a ground-up movement spearheaded by various organizations from the People, Public and Private, and supported by the Central Singapore Community Development Council (CDC). 
 
SMU being the first inclusive university in Singapore had always shown its support towards Purple Parade. Annually SMU had participated actively  in various events such as Purple Parade Marching, submitting of pledges and disability related videos, purchasing of purple parade merchandise and supporting the various  other activities  which was held on the actual event day. 

29 October 2022, SMU Purple, some postgraduate students from Lee Kong Chian School of Business and Disability Support Services office staff  came together to form a marching contingent as one SMU and participated in the Purple Parade which was held at Suntec City  to support inclusion and celebrate abilities of persons with disabilities.

SMU students getting ready for the parade march.