Happy Pride Month! Pride joyfully celebrates the contributions of LGBTQ+ communities and catalyzes continued advocacy work for equity, equality and belonging for all. Pride Month is also a time to remember and honor those whose lives have been lost to hate crimes and institutional homophobia.  During Pride Month and all year long, LGBTQ+ people and [...]

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For many Americans, the last Monday in May – Memorial Day – indicates the unofficial start of summer and a day off from school or work. Across the country, parades are held, grills are fired up and people get together in backyards to eat, drink and socialize. Enjoying the day off is great, of course, [...]

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Veterans can be a tight-knit group. Having spent years building a community on whom they could depend with their lives, many Veterans find retirement from the military—and the sudden loss of that community—unsettling, at best. This is one reason why Veterans recovering from behavioral health or addiction disorders often benefit from the support of a [...]

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Mental health awareness month offers the opportunity to refocus on self-care, acknowledge the importance of mental health and honor the courage of millions of people living with mental health conditions. Mental health month has been observed in the U.S. since 1949 to raise awareness about mental health, fight stigma and advocate for policies that support [...]

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Like all families, kids and families involved with the foster care system need support from their communities to thrive and succeed. Whether through fostering, advocating, volunteering or donating, everyone can help children who are experiencing foster care this awareness month.  When a foster care placement is made, children must adjust to new everything: home, caregivers, [...]

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May is recognized as National Asian American, Native Hawai’ian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, an opportunity to celebrate the diverse people, cultures and communities whose contributions have greatly enriched American life.   The United States first recognized AANHPI heritage in 1978. The weeklong recognition was extended to a monthlong celebration in 1992 commemorating the rich heritage [...]

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The shape and form of a city are like an essay–a composition that is constantly being rewritten and revised by the social and political activity of the people who live in and use it. And like an essay, a city expresses arguments about who deserves the amenities that urban life offers. If that sounds like [...]

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Each of the three UW campuses has a dedicated food pantry for students, staff and faculty experiencing food insecurity. In March, our UW community came together for a campus-wide food drive to raise $4,505 in monetary donations and 1,863 pounds of donated food and hygiene supplies.   UW food pantries provide food to UW community [...]

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April is Autism Acceptance Month, an opportunity to deepen our understanding of this complex developmental disability. According to The Autism Society of America, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD, or just Autism, capitalized) is a complex, lifelong developmental condition that typically appears during early childhood and can impact a person’s social skills, communication, relationships, and self-regulation. The [...]

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As we recognize Earth Month in April and look forward to Earth Day on April 22, now is a great time to start planning how you might want to invest in our planet and celebrate sustainability.  This year’s Earth Day theme is Invest in our Planet, highlighting the importance of dedicating our time, resources, and energy [...]

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Service to one’s community—in whatever form people choose to offer it—brings people together, bridging ideological, cultural, values-based, and economic differences for the common good. For LeAnne Wiles, Student Academic Services Executive Director for First Year Programs & Strategic Initiatives in Undergraduate Academic Affairs, serving her community has, from a young age, been a conscious choice [...]

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March 31 is the Transgender (Trans) Day of Visibility (TDOV), an annual worldwide event focusing on the lives of transgender people and their lived experiences—both the joys and the challenges—as well as working to create safe and affirming spaces in the workplace and in the public sphere for people to live their authentic lives. Begun in 2009, TDOV [...]

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