For the second time, the Professional Learning Team (PLT) planned Wellness Week, which was dedicated to celebrating and supporting LT staff members on May 9-13, PLT member Darragh Voy said. This week included a range of activities to encourage staff to focus on themselves.

“Each event throughout the week was designed to help people make connections and encourage self-care,” Voy said.

When planning the events, the main focus was for the committee to reach people with different interests, Voy said. Events included a clay workshop with Lorena Lagis on Monday for “Mindful Monday” and yoga with Cassie Niego on Wednesday for “Wellness Wednesday.”

“One aspect that was important to us was that not all events were based on fitness,” Voy said. “There are so many ways to focus on wellness, so we wanted to expand to activities like cooking to reach a wider audience.”

Culinary teachers Brianna Basic and Kate Mitchell baked cinnamon rolls on Tuesday for “Treat-Your-Self Tuesday.” The goal of the session was to be able to cook something with colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere, Basic said.

“The recipe we chose was relatively simple, so novice cooks could still feel comfortable and achieve success,” Basic said. “The experience was very positive; it was great to connect with each other in a unique way.”

The most popular event that had the greatest turnout was the morning coffee walk around Bennett Field, Voy said. This has been the third coffee walk that PLT has hosted.

“It was an amazing opportunity for staff to connect outside with a coffee and a brisk walk to start their day,” Voy said.

In addition to the events of the week, the PLT committee also sent a daily newsletter with self-care tips and additional wellness resources, Voy said. Every staff member received a chapstick with the Wellness Week logo on Monday as well.

“We plan to make this an annual week every year, and we hope it will only grow and evolve to include more staff members,” Voy said.