Thrive Week
Celebrated at McMaster since 2018, Thrive Week is a time when we come together as a community to learn about, talk about, and explore ways to support our mental health. Each year, groups across campus host a week-long series of events focused on promoting the mental well-being of students, faculty, staff and alumni.
Some of Our Past Events
Guided Walk in the McMaster Forest
The McMaster community went on a guided walk in the McMaster Forest, hosted by Nature at McMaster.
Triple C Farm Visit
Hosted by the Student Wellness Centre, students, faculty and staff came together to meet Triple C Farm’s goats, sheep, alpacas, donkeys, pigs, horses and more!
Kind Thoughts Box
A ‘take one leave one’ note system! The McMaster community wrote notes with a positive message and placed them into the box for someone else to read. This event was hosted by the Student Wellness Centre.
Therapy Dog Visit
Hosted by the Student Wellness Centre, students gathered to visit the therapy dog, Biscuit!
Mini Golf In Mills
The McMaster University Library hosted a fun game of mini golf in Mills Library.
Refresh Your Shelf
McMaster community members donated books to Mills Library’s ‘Open Shelf’ event, which allows anyone to take a book of their choice for free.
Mini Zine Making Workshop
Hosted by the McMaster Museum of Art, students came together to explore their creativity through the art of making zines.
Friendship Bracelet Workshop
Hosted by the Faculty of Health Sciences, Taylor Swift fans came together to make friendship bracelets.
2025 Events
Do you have an event you want included during the 2025 Thrive Week? Are you interested in coordinating an event?
Contact us at okanagan@mcmaster.ca to see how we can help.
Event details may be subject to change. Any changes to events will be updated on this page.
Pre-Thrive Week Mental Health Events
RSDD Lunch and Learn Zoom Webinar Learn more
Date: Tuesday January 14th, 2025
12:30-1:30 pm
Virtual session – zoom link will be sent out after registration
Registration required.
Soul Searching Among the Stars: A Planetarium Show and Reflection Register Here
Date: Thursday Jan 16th
Time: 5:20pm-7:30pm or 6:20pm-8:30pm
Registration required. Space is limited.
Becoming Yourself Series 1.0 – Embracing the Real Me Register Here
Date: Recurring event starting Friday Jan 17th – March 17th
Time: 1:30-2:20pm
Registration required.
Pet Therapy Visit With Biscuit
Date: Tuesday Jan 21st
More information coming soon.
Beyond the Blues: Embracing Winter Wellness Register Here
Date: Monday January 20th
Time: 12pm-1pm
Location: Virtual
Registration required. Please reach out to mivanco@cmhahamilton.ca if you have any questions.
Workshop: Haudenosaunee Teachings on Wellness Register Here
Date: Friday January 24th
Time: 1pm-3pm
Location: The Indigenous Health Learning Lodge, in MDCL 3510.
Registration required. Limited spots available.
Mindful Living: Yoga and Healthy Habits Retreat Register Here
Date: Friday January 24th
Time: 4:30pm-9pm
More information coming soon.
Monday, January 27th
X-Box Gaming Session Register Here
Time: 11:00am to 3:00pm
Location: Student Success Centre (Gilmour Hall Room 110)
Audience: McMaster Students (Undergrad and Grad).
Registration required. Limited spots available.
Tuesday, January 28th
Seed Library Learn More
Time: 1pm-3pm
Location: Wong e-Classroom, Mills Library
Audience: Everyone’s welcome
*Drop in Event
Pet Therapy Visit With Biscuit
Time: 1pm
Location: Health Sciences Library, HSC 2B
Audience: Everyone’s welcome.
*Drop-in event
Mental Health Benefits Presentation Register Here
Time: 1pm-2pm
Location: Virtual
Audience: Staff and Faculty
Wednesday, January 29th
Seed Library Learn More
Time: 11am-1pm
Location: Wong e-Classroom, Mills Library
Audience: Everyone’s welcome
*Drop in Event
Collage Button Making Workshop Register Here
Time: 12pm-1:30pm
Location: McMaster Museum of Art
Audience: Open to everyone.
Registration required.
Moon Madness Register Here
Time: 7pm-8pm
Location: W.J. McCallion Planetarium, Burke Science Building B149
Registration required.
Moon Madness Register Here
Time: 8:15pm-9:15pm
Location: W.J. McCallion Planetarium, Burke Science Building B149
Registration required.
Thursday, January 30th
Drop-In Lounge Event
Drop-in lounge event with fidget toys and other destress activities hosted by Student Accessibility Services and the Student Success Centre.
More information coming soon.
Walk in Nature
Hosted by the SWC.
More information coming soon.
Friday, January 31st
MSSS Wellness fair
Time: 11am-2pm
Location: Student Centre Atrium
Audience: Open to all
More information coming soon
Week-long Events
Virtual Gratitude Wall - link coming soon Learn More
Date and time: Week-long event
Location: Thrive Week webpage
Hosted by: McMaster Okanagan Office of Health and Well-being
Audience: Students, Staff, Faculty and Alumni
Virtual Gratitude Wall
Thrive Resources
On-Campus Resources
Student Wellness Centre (SWC) Visit SWC Website
The Student Wellness Centre provides a range of services, such as counselling and medical care, and offers wellness programming across a wide variety of health and well-being dimensions.
Human Resources Services Visit HR Website
Human Resources Services are focused on promoting an inclusive workplace that aims to improve the way our staff and faculty interact with our diverse programs, services, and processes.
Additional Resources
Mental Health Resources Find Resources
Find mental health resources for students, faculty and staff at McMaster and beyond.
Box Breathing Exercise Watch Video
Follow along to this box breathing exercise video.
Mindfulness Matters Find Exercises
Take a mindfulness break. Try some guided relaxation exercises.
Body Break Watch Video
Try this 4-minute movement activity with Heidi O’Brien!
Thrive Week Template Presentation Slides Download Slides
Download these Thrive Week slides you can add to meetings, lectures and presentations.
Thrive Week Zoom Background Download Background
Download this Thrive Week Zoom background to help spread the word about Thrive Week.
Thrive History
Background
Thrive began as an idea between two colleagues at UBC in the spring of 2009. Patty Hambler was working primarily in student health promotion at the time and Suzanne Jolly in a similar role that focused on staff and faculty. They shared common goals in wanting to help create a campus environment that better understood the importance of mental health and well-being as well as one that was supportive of individuals to make choices that promoted not only healthy bodies but healthy minds.
Creating this type of cultural shift was not going to be an easy task but they decided to try a new approach: combining well-being programming to include student, staff and faculty audiences. The first annual Thrive Week launched that same year at UBC Vancouver with 20 different events and the tagline ‘Health, Community, Commitment’.
By 2014, Thrive had over 65 partners and 100 events and activities marked a highly successful initiative that reached over 35,000 campus community members. Thrive events were hosted on two UBC Campuses and in 7 different locations.
In 2018, McMaster Human Resources Services joined up with the Student Wellness Centre to host the first campuswide Thrive Week at McMaster University.
