The Mind Matters initiative is offering new services and features to help students improve their well-being inside and outside of the classroom.
Cal State LA President William A. Covino and First Lady Debbie Covino created the Mind Matters initiative in 2014 to promote a welcoming and inclusive environment for learning, interaction and engagement. Mind Matters is a nationally recognized model for improving the inner and physical well-being of students by providing vital behavioral health services, resources and basic needs.
The Mind Matters Well-Being Classrooms opened for fall semester, providing a new space that integrates wellness into the classroom for students.
“We understand student well-being encompasses all aspects of their educational experience, including their learning environment,” Covino said.
Photo: The interior of the new Mind Matters Well-Being Classrooms. (Credit: JTyrone D. Washington/Cal State LA)
The classrooms in Salazar Hall feature a sleek design and include a living moss wall, ample natural light and features that contribute to well-being and comfort, including a variety of seating options, accessible design, sound-reducing acoustic features and air-cleaning light systems. The rooms can be divided for two classes of 30 students or used as one continuous space for a class of 60.
The classrooms are expected to be WELL-certified in the future. The WELL Building Standard is a certification based on medical research that aims to improve health and well-being through the built environment.
Students, faculty, staff and University visitors will soon have another physical space dedicated to improving wellness on campus.
The Mind Matters Garden of Well-Being has broken ground near the Career Development Center and Student Health Center at the University. It will provide a place for students, faculty and staff to relax and also offer space for class meetings and campus events.
The garden is being created in response to requests from students who have participated in Mind Matters Roundtables and offered suggestions for healthy campus practices and strategies for advancing effective learning.