The holiday season is a time of joy, laughter, and togetherness. It's also a time of whirlwind activity and cheerful chaos! This makes it easy to forget about caring for ourselves. But just like this gingerbread family strolling hand-in-hand, you and your loved ones can embrace simple, meaningful habits that keep everyone healthy, happy, and thriving throughout the season. The Wellness Program is here to support you and your family during your Holiday Thrive Journey!
Monday, December 8, 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Holiday Mental Health Checklist
Learn how to set realistic holiday expectations and recognize the main sources of your holiday stress as you develop a plan for a stress-free holiday.
Register for 12/8 Holiday Mental Health Checklist
Monday, December 15, 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Holiday Sleep and Your Heart
The holiday season is a time of joy and togetherness, but it can also bring late nights and disrupted routines that impact both your sleep schedule and your heart health. With planning and awareness, you can maintain good sleep habits to enjoy this time of year to the fullest and keep your heart happy!
Register for 12/15 Holiday Sleep and Your Heart
Thursday, December 4, 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Chair Pilates
Holiday wellness is about supporting your body through a season that demands more from it than usual. Pilates enhances digestion, relaxes muscle tension due to stress, and provides a well-being boost just when it's needed. This class is a gift to your body!
Register for 12/4 Chair Pilates
Thursday, December 11, 11:00 am - 11:45 am: Healthy Holidays Tips
The holidays don’t have to derail your health. Moderation, movement, mindfulness, and smart planning keep you on track throughout the holidays!
Register for 12/11 Healthy Holiday Tips
Thursday, December 18, 11:00 am - 11:30 am: Chair Yoga
The holidays can feel like a priority juggling act, making it easy to put yourself last on your list. But neglecting self-care now can lead to burnout, leaving you too exhausted to enjoy the season. This class provides you with a moment to pause, breathe, and reconnect with yourself - just the mini-retreat you need!
Friday, December 5, 11:00 am - 11:15 am: The Power of Acceptance
Developing your capacity to accept the reality of the present moment may help to reduce stress and increase inner peace - perfect timing for the holidays!
Register for 12/5 The Power of Acceptance
Friday, December 12, 11:00 am - 11:15 am: Dropping the Suitcase of Worries and Regrets
Drop your heavy suitcase of worries and regrets to allow yourself to rest and feel a peace that will carry you through the holidays and beyond.
Register for 12/12 Dropping the Suitcase of Worries and Regrets
Friday, December 19, 11:00 am - 11:15 am: Connection Reflection
Technology promises connection with others yet can actually distance you from genuine human interaction - collecting digital friends like trading cards misses the comfort of being fully present with another human being. Reflecting on your connections and how to nurture them beyond the screen can restore depth, warmth, and authenticity that no algorithm can replicate.
Register for 12/19 Connection Reflection
Friday, December 5, 11:30 am - 11:45 am: Five Fundamentals of Financial Wellbeing
Finances can be more stressful during the holidays. Learn how to reduce this financial stress by practicing the five fundamentals of financial wellbeing.
Register for 12/5 Five Fundamentals of Financial Wellbeing
Friday, December 12, 11:30 am - 11:45 am: Cold Weather and Wintertime Safety
Brush up on ways to stay safe during the colder months as common weather challenges and wintertime health practices are discussed.
Register for 12/12 Cold Weather and Wintertime Safety
Friday, December 19, 11:30 am - 11:45 am: Healthier Ways for the Holidays
The holidays can be delightful but also can hinder your nutrition and fitness goals. Learn how to make healthier choices while enjoying holiday fun!
Dear UMBC Community,
As we shared earlier, the Division of Institutional Equity will host the inaugural Dialogue Symposium: Bringing Campuses and Communities Together on Wednesday, January 29, in the University Center Ballroom. This full-day, cross-USM initiative will bring together educators, students, staff, and community partners for interactive sessions and workshops dedicated to strengthening dialogue, belonging, and collaborative problem-solving across campuses and communities.
Our planning committee is now seeking proposals for sessions, workshops, and presentations. Submissions may focus on teaching and learning, community engagement, leadership development, trauma-informed facilitation, or other practices that support inclusion and meaningful connection. This initiative reflects UMBC's commitment to fostering shared understanding and community partnership across the region.
Proposal submissions are due by December 15.
Additional event details, including registration information, are available through the Center for Social Justice Dialogue website.
We hope you will consider contributing to this collaborative multi-campus event and helping to shape a day of learning, reflection, and connection.
Sincerely,
Jasmine A. Lee
Associate Vice President, Community and Culture
Co-Director, Center for Social Justice Dialogue
In a collaboration with The Mosaic: Center for Cultural Diversity and Campus Engagement, "The Multicultural Leadership Experience (MLE)" seeks to:
Engage participants in a multicultural development and leadership learning program.
Enhance participants' understanding of their social identities, leadership identity, as well as their capacity to lead while navigating systems of power, privilege, and oppression.
Enable participants' development through authenticity, self-awareness, relationships, and capitalizing on differences.
The sessions are as follows:
***All sessions will take place in The Commons (room location will be specified in a Google calendar invite)***
Participants will be exploring the concept of Authentic Leadership, Legacy Building, and Breaking Barriers of White Supremacy within Leadership. We will do this in a leadership learning cohort by:
Enhancing participants' leader identity and leadership capacity using an identity-conscious lens and student development theories;
Increasing participants' awareness of their personal abilities, identity development, and intersections that shape their story through authenticity, self-reflection, and cultural humility;
Exploring the role they play in developing relationships while building intra/intercultural connections;
And capitalizing on their differences, specifically in relation to their racial, ethnic, national, and other salient identity social groups
The purpose of all MLE programs is to provide a space for students and student leaders who identify within diverse or marginalized backgrounds to discover their own capacity to lead, while also promoting a better understanding of their experiences, issues, strengths, and outcomes in navigating their own collegiate careers. However, ALL students are welcome to apply!
Registration is due Friday, January 30th, 2026 at 12:00 pm (NOON). Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to participate. In order to be accepted into the program you must commit to all sessions. Please answer all of the questions before submitting your registration. Any questions can be sent to themosaic@umbc.edu
December 3 is the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, honoring the United Nation's commitment for promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities - more than 1 billion people worldwide are in this demographic, the world's largest minority. The day raises awareness of the political, economic, social and cultural aspects of disability that affects people around the world.
The theme for 2025 is: Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies for Advancing Social Progress, reaffirming the commitment to building a just, inclusive and equitable world. The theme the important role that persons with disabilities play in creating a more inclusive and accessible world for all. It also emphasizes the importance of the participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes that affect their lives. More information about the UN In-Person New York Commemoration event is from 10-11a. The event will be streamed online from 10:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. You can watch it live at the following link: https://zoom.us/j/91600322753.
We hope to see you next Tuesday at 4pm for this exhibition!
Come join the students of Dr. Sharon Tran's English 360 course to learn more about the rich and diverse landscape of Asian American children's literature!
Exhibition events include: