Cyberbullying Resources for Parents and Caregivers
As caring and supportive adults, we aspire to guide youth toward becoming compassionate, understanding, and resilient individuals. In a world where social and emotional challenges ...
JED and Chartwells Provide Back-to-School Resources to 300 College Campuses
By Jessica Hicks
The Jed Foundation (JED) and Chartwells Higher Education, a leader in contract food service management for colleges and universities, partnered this back-to-school season to foster connection and encourage help-seeking as students arrived on their campuses. The initiative took place at more than 300 colleges and universities across the country.
Heading to campus can be a stressful transition for both first-year and returning college students as they juggle social and academic demands, homesickness, and creating a new home. Many college students are also navigating mental health challenges. Recent research finds that more than 60% of college students had at least one mental health problem during the 2020–2021 school year, which is a 50% increase from 2013.
To support students with their emotional well-being during this transition, Chartwells collaborated with JED to expand Joy-Ful, Chartwells’ national campaign to foster belonging within campus communities. Together, they provided students with QR codes they could scan to access JED’s guide How to Make Yourself at Home on Campus, which includes tips on everything from practicing self-care and managing academic stress to establishing a routine, and JED’s Mental Health Resource Center, which houses hundreds of helpful articles and videos on specific mental health issues, feelings, identities, and more.
JED and Chartwells also sponsored a “Wall of Welcome” in dining halls across these campuses, where students could write down their ideas for creating connections at school and pick up Joy-Ful reusable water bottles, tote bags, and more. 
Campuses were also given the opportunity to:
- Distribute “Care Cards” designed with words of encouragement, mental health tips, and QR codes to resources
- Have therapy dogs at campus events
- Host “Eat and Greets” with campus chefs and dietitians
JED is grateful for its continued partnership with Chartwells and looks forward to meeting students where they gather and connect over meals, to offer ongoing support to college students throughout the academic year and beyond.