Community

Brian Gray and Juan Jeffrey sharing information with fellow CWRU employees at the Garden@Case community garden site on campus

 

Participating in a university-based community effort (multi-week program, attending at least 85% of sessions over a minimum of 8 weeks) is necessary to be eligible for this incentive. You must complete an attestation form in HCM by Nov. 30 to earn the incentive. 

Why is this Important?

Having close relationships at work has been found to positively affect employee retention, safety, work quality and engagement. Research indicates that people feel better emotionally when they do kind things for and with other people. Building community within the university is an important part of building well-being for faculty, staff and the university.

Options include:

  • Discuss books with friends at Reflection Point 
  • Participate in Crafters@Case
  • Join a Sustained Dialogue group 
  • Or, consider developing and participating in a new university-based community initiative to build bonds with others on campus. Contact Elizabeth Click, Medical Director, at erc10@case.edu to determine if your group meets the criteria.

Connection 101

Research shows that "the quality of our lives is largely determined by the quality of our relationships."

Join Connection Labs and members of our CWRU community to learn about, explore, and discuss how relationships impact our lives and what we can do to strengthen them. In this 8-session virtual, facilitated series, you will learn essential skills and a strengths-based approach to boost communication and connection with the people in your professional and personal lives.

This virtual series is highly interactive, and includes required prep work (micro videos, individual reflections, Miro board tasks) for each session. In sessions, participants will work in pairs and small groups and be asked to contribute to whole-group discussions. 30 minutes of pre-workshop set-up tasks to be completed independently 8 x 60” virtual facilitated sessions on Zoom 60-90” of preparation tasks to be completed independently before each session (Completion of this work is essential for meaningful participation in synchronous sessions.).

Tuesdays January 27 - March 18 from 12:30-1:30 pm via Zoom

Register for Connection 101

Session 1 - Orientation:  The Why & How of Connection

Session 2 - Ann Introduction to Character Strengths

Session 3 - Leadership

Session 4 - The Nuances of Character Strengths

Session 5 - Psychological Safety

Session 6 - Trust

Session 7 - Communication

Session 8 - Me, 101

This will be a small group experience - only 18-20 participants. Please sign up only if you are interested in, and willing to, do the necessary work over the eight-week series.

The research is clear that when people have strong relationships, they lead healthier, happier, more meaningful lives - in all contexts.

Learn More About Connection 101


Small Acts, Big Impact: Be Healthier, Happier, and More Successful Through Kindness 

In today’s fast-paced, tech-driven world, essential dynamics like collaboration, cohesion, and validation are often overlooked - if not outright dismissed. This is a missed opportunity, as scientific evidence shows that these positive interactions boost productivity, enhance problem-solving, spark innovation, and strengthen team spirit, leading to significantly improved overall performance. Moreover, research reveals that the benefits of kindness extend beyond the workplace - promoting physical health, longevity, and reducing stress and discomfort in ways that modern medicine can’t fully explain. Join MJ Shaar, MAPP, to explore the transformative power of kindness in the workplace and learn how to turn “have a good day” from polite lip service into reality. Together, let’s create the culture we want to thrive and grow in.

Key Take-Aways for Participants will Include:

  • How kindness contributes to physical and mental health improvements
  • How being kind provides competitive advantages that lead to higher success levels at work
  • How to make kindness an uplifting and sustainable part of our daily lives

Tuesdays, October 1 - November 19, from 12:30-1:30 pm via Zoom

Session 1 Recording

Session 2 Recording

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Session 8 Recording


Coping with Current Events: Cultivating Attentional Agency 

Join Daron Larson, BA, originator of the term "Attentional Fitness", for a mindful approach to coping with events this fall. Topics of this 4-week mini-series include:

More Than Calm: Mindful Habits for Thriving in an Attention Economy (Listen to the recording)
Your attention is a scarce resource. The most valuable companies in the world are competing for it. Reflect on your current attention budget, use your values to help you revise it, and learn how mindful habits equip you to pull it off.

Inside Out for Grown-Ups: How Becoming a Connoisseur of Feelings Prepares You to Respond More Effectively (Listen to the recording)
Regulating emotions is one of the most empowering skills a person can develop. Instead of instructions on how to do this, we get a steady stream of stories about conflict and escalation. Learning how to relate to our real-time emotional reactions helps us get better at feeling them without making them worse or blaming them on other people.

Setting Limits: Navigating News, Technology, and Social Media-Related Stress (Listen to the recording)
The problem isn’t information overload. It’s social and emotional overwhelm. Profitable companies design their content and marketing to grab and hold onto your attention. Explore ways you can start to decide what to pay attention to instead of defaulting to what demands it.

Less Dramatic Holidays and a More Mindful New Year (Listen to the recording)
Learn ways to sneak a mindful awareness into the holiday season to savor the pleasant moments more and avoid making the unpleasant moments worse. Discover how small, doable mindful habits help equip you to navigate work pressures, family dramas, and the challenges of ordinary life—throughout the year.

Mondays, October 14 - November 4, from 12:30-1:30 pm via Zoom

*Participants can earn a Wellness Program Incentive in the Community Well-being category for participating in two of the fall coping mini-series (Coping with Current Events: Cultivating Attentional Agency, Improve Your Well-Being Through Meaningful Connections at Work, Building Blocks of Civil Discourse, and Everyday Antiracism)


Improve Your Well-Being Through Meaningful Connections at Work

Full-time employees spend more than half of their waking hours engaged in the workplace environment, including meetings and communications with coworkers. It’s no surprise that our interactions with coworkers have a significant influence on our mental, emotional, and social well-being. This interactive mini-series will offer a unique opportunity to explore the science behind meaningful workplace relationships and how they contribute to overall job satisfaction and well-being.

Over four sessions, Jessica Grossmeier, PhD, MPH, will delve into a science-based framework designed to help you cultivate authentic and impactful interpersonal relationships in your professional life, as well as emphasize the importance of finding a balance between personal and professional aspects of your life - enhancing both your workplace performance and overall happiness. Guided by a skilled instructor, you will participate in breakout rooms and large group discussions to apply the concepts learned and practice integrating them into your daily conversations. Each session will focus on a specific approach to enhancing your social connections with coworkers. You will have the opportunity to implement these strategies during your workweek, allowing you to seek feedback and support from your peers in the subsequent class. 

Wednesdays, October 30 - November 20, from 12-1 pm via Zoom

Week 1 Recording

Week 2 Recording

Week 3 Recording

Week 4 Recording

*Participants can earn a Wellness Program Incentive in the Community Well-being category for participating in two of the fall coping mini-series (Coping with Current Events: Cultivating Attentional Agency, Improve Your Well-Being Through Meaningful Connections at Work, Building Blocks of Civil Discourse, and Everyday Antiracism)


Building Blocks of Civil Discourse

Fall 2024 brings the U.S. election and ongoing world affairs which may present challenges in regard to interactions with others. Being familiar with the critical skills and tools to manage healthy dialogue and conflict, give hope, and empower individuals to engage in civil discourse will be the focus of this new mini-series. Learn more about key interactive skills that build consensus through a civil discourse approach in this skills-based series led by Rhonda Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the Sustained Dialogue Institute. Each session will provide an in-depth overview of the specific topic as well as time for reflection and large group discussion. Session topics include:

Tuesdays, October 1 - October 22, from 1-2 pm via Zoom

If you are feeling a bit anxious about upcoming events and want to engage in a proactive learning opportunity to gain skills to help you manage over the next few months, then please register today.

*Participants can earn a Wellness Program Incentive in the Community Well-being category for participating in two of the fall coping mini-series (Coping with Current Events: Cultivating Attentional Agency, Improve Your Well-Being Through Meaningful Connections at Work, Building Blocks of Civil Discourse, and Everyday Antiracism)


Graphic of concepts related to antiracism

Everyday Antiracism

Love fiction and looking to spark your thinking and action on antiracism? Join us for one or more informal discussions with CWRU Professor Mark Joseph to discuss stories from his recently completed volume, Changing the Narrative: Short Stories to Advance Everyday Antiracism. Recordings of the sessions will be made available to those who register. Please register for each individual session you would like to attend. 

Curiosity: The Passenger
A routine plane flight has an unnecessarily tragic conclusion 
Tuesday, September 17, from 1-2 pm via Zoom

Structure: The Dark Chocolate Boys of the Class of 2003
Five successful African-American classmates gather for their reunion 
Monday, October 7, from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm via Zoom

Perception: A Mother’s Awakening
A mother-daughter reckoning during a return home from college
Friday, October 18, from 12-1 pm via Zoom

Belonging: Doing It Our Way
A Shaker Heights high schooler disrupts the exclusionary status quo
Tuesday, November 19, from 12:30-1:30 pm via Zoom

*Participants can earn a Wellness Program Incentive in the Community Well-being category for participating in two of the fall coping mini-series (Coping with Current Events: Cultivating Attentional Agency, Improve Your Well-Being Through Meaningful Connections at Work, Building Blocks of Civil Discourse, and Everyday Antiracism)


Reflection Point

Reflection Point brings professor-led literature seminars to workplaces and community settings to build confidence, critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. Over the course of 12 weeks, the group will discuss three different books. Through shared narratives, Reflection Point encourages and nurtures work cultures rooted in trust, open dialogue and strong social connection – all critical elements of wellbeing.

Learn more on the Reflection Point website.

Get a feel for the program by watching this short video:

Two groups will be available during Spring 2025:

"Short Stories" Version- Wednesdays January 22 - April 9, 2025, from 12-1 pm, via Zoom

"Classic Book" Version - Thursdays January 23  - April 10, 2025, from 12-1 pm, via Zoom

Please contact Elizabeth Click (erc10) to register for either group.

Healthy Conversations in Polarizing Times: A Special Edition Reflection Point Experience

As we enter the final months of the 2024 election, we find ourselves face to face with polarizing issues and challenging topics. We have decided to devote an additional Reflection Point group this Fall to discussing themes and topics pertinent to issues related to the election. For this group, the books will be chosen ahead of time and will feature a mix of fiction and non-fiction designed to facilitate generative discussion on the multiplicity of viewpoints in our contemporary political climate.

Those who have not yet participated in previous Reflection Point groups will have priority. Please email erc10@case.edu if you are interested in participating.


Building Community, Connections & Personal Healing Through Storytelling

Storytelling fosters individual and collective well-being and has the power to change lives. Not only is using strategic storytelling skills a powerful communication tactic, but it also enhances belonging within groups and strengthens the ties that bind individuals together. Join Matthew Dicks, author of "Storyworthy", "Someday is Today", and "Stories Sell", master storyteller and multiple Moth GrandSLAM champion, in improving your ability to tell great stories while exploring your life more deeply and forming interesting new relationships with your workshop colleagues. Attend this series to learn how to be a good storyteller and to experience the many ways in which storytelling can improve your life.

Thursdays, September 19 - November 14, 2024 (no class on Sept. 26), from 4-5:30 pm (last half hour each week will be an optional Q & A session) via Zoom

Session 1 Recording

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Session 7 Recording


Wellness Walk & Talk Series

Get some fresh air, connect with fellow faculty and staff, and expand your awareness of the innovative and creative activities occurring at CWRU with the Wellness Walk & Talk Series! Walk & Talk sessions will be offered weekly during the months of June, July, and August. All sessions will take place from 12:30-1:30 pm and will occur on Tuesdays and Mondays. Attend at least 7 sessions to qualify for a Community Well-being program incentive. 

Look for this program again in 2025!


Crafters@Case

Crafters@Case brings together a diverse group of staff, students and faculty from the Schools of Nursing, Engineering, MSASS, Research Administration, and multiple departments in the School of Medicine to create handmade donations in support of local community organizations. Groups currently meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays via Zoom. Everyone is welcome regardless of skill level.

crafter donations

Learn more about Crafters@Case‌. With questions, email Tanya Smith (tdc9@case.edu) or Sheila Campbell (smc26@case.edu).

Join Crafters Today


Sustained Dialogue

For almost 10 years, the CWRU Sustained Dialogue program brings together individuals from various backgrounds to discuss campus, local and national issues of concern, including diversity and inclusion matters. Dialogue groups are formed each year. No experience or special skills needed -- just attend and engage with others.

Learn more about Sustained Dialogue

Groups meet weekly to share their experiences and perspectives and work collectively to suggest ways to make the campus more welcoming and inclusive. Be part of the conversation and help make a positive change on campus! 

Benefits of Sustained Dialogue:

  • Meet individuals from across the campus
  • Develop new friendships
  • Enhance your communication and listening skills
  • Learn how to effectively engage in critical conversations 
  • Gain tools for and comfort in engaging with individuals from various backgrounds 
  • Develop proposals for positive change at CWRU

R.I.S.E. Together

Human beings were created to flourish in social groups. Although the past four years led to increased isolation for many people, 2024 brings new opportunities for us to connect and thrive together. Join Patty deVries, Founder of Living WELL USA, as she leads us to explore our strengths, select our mindset, create psychological safety, and share our gifts as we enhance our community well-being.

2024 series has ended.