Dundalk IT launches healthy campus plan to promote student and staff wellbeing

Dundalk Institute of Technology’s Healthy Campus Working Group recently launched the DkIT Healthy Campus Plan for 2025 -2028. 

This plan identifies a number of critical actions across five themes Mental Health, Healthy Environment, Physical Activity, Nutrition and Sexual Health. These actions are designed to result in beneficial outcomes for staff and student health and wellbeing.

A DkIT spokesperson said: "DkIT is committed to promoting a holistic approach to health through its Healthy Campus initiative, which aims to embed wellbeing into all aspects of campus life. In 2023, the Institute established a Healthy Campus Steering Committee to implement the national Charter and Framework. This group has representation from across the campus community and input from a number of relevant stakeholders, including the HSE and Healthy Louth and has been taking a proactive and strategic stance on health and wellbeing across campus since then through a variety of initiatives. 

"There are many examples of positive health and wellbeing initiatives already active on campus, and the Healthy Campus Plan seeks to enhance and complement these activities by further promoting what DkIT already does well; through collaboration and consultation developing additional initiatives and most importantly ongoing communication with our staff and students about DkIT Healthy Campus. 

"Partnership and collaboration are key to the success of DkIT’s Healthy Campus. Just some of the beneficial initiatives across schools and working groups to-date include; DkIT’s Annual Health Fair, which included a range of different stands and activities such as health checks, sexual health demonstrations, basic CPR training and fitness challenges, “DkIT’s Fittest” STEPS Challenge, where 26 teams of staff and students logged over 10.5 million steps, and Mental Health and Wellbeing Week, which included a variety of holistic and fitness challenges to foster positive mental health. "

The Healthy Campus Plan for 2025-2028 will build on previous initiatives and also include; the development of walking trails on campus,  the development of a healthy eating policy, provision of increased training for staff, launch of the Healthy Campus website to celebrate and promote all the DkIT Healthy Campus Initiatives with staff and students, increased opportunities for physical activities for staff and students on campus and increased support for the Campus Health Fair and Consolidation of sexual health supports.

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Speaking following the launch of the plan, Dr. Edel Healy, Chair of DkIT Healthy Campus Steering Committee said: “By enabling a healthy campus culture, we are aligning with the Healthy Ireland Framework in addition to having a positive impact on the lives of all of our staff and students in the DkIT community.

"I want to acknowledge the fantastic work of the Healthy Campus Group past and present, whose commitment to this project has been invaluable in enhancing the health and wellbeing of our campus community. We look forward to continuing our evolving journey and continuing to improve the health and wellbeing of all at DkIT.”