Workshops and Programs

Join the 2024 Syracuse Workforce Run Team!

Syracuse University is a proud participant in the 2024 Syracuse Workforce Run – an annual 5K that brings people together to promote health and exercise while supporting a great charity. Employees of all abilities and fitness levels are welcome and encouraged to participate in an evening of fun, movement and socializing with colleagues! This year’s event will be held on Thursday, June 6. Registration closes Monday, May 6.

Be Your Healthiest, Best Self in March

Welcome March! With winter fading, the days becoming noticeably longer and spring on the horizon, March is a time for renewal and rejuvenation. From challenges to create better balance to celebrating National Craft Month to eating more mindfully, we have something for everyone!

May the early spring
Awaken your soul and
Remind you to
Celebrate the season with the
Hope and joy it brings!

Quiz Me! Monthly Quiz

Each month throughout the spring semester, test your knowledge while celebrating monthly observances. With each quiz you take, you’ll be entered to win the monthly prize! If you take all five quizzes, you’ll be entered to win the monthly quiz series grand prize!

This month: National Craft Month

  • Take this month’s quiz to be entered to win a DIY Scrabble coaster set!
  • The quiz must be completed by Friday, March 22 to be entered.

Coming up:

  • April: National Humor Month
  • May: National Barbeque Month

Previous:

  • National Oatmeal Month, overnight oat jar winners: TC (SU Libraries) and Christina Kinsey (Public Communications)
  • American Heart Month, heart-healthy cookbook winner: Chelsey Franza (Engineering)

April showers, bring May flowers! As spring blooms, allow yourself to reset and renew. From positive mindsets and breathing exercises to volunteering opportunities and trivia, we have something for everyone!

a green coffee cup on top of a napkin with the words focus on the positive written on it

Webinar: Practicing a Positive Mindset

People who practice a positive mindset tend to focus on the bright side, expect positive results and approach challenges with a positive outlook. They purposely make the most of potentially bad situations, trying to see the best in other people and viewing themselves and their abilities in a positive light. Participants will learn strategies to develop a positive mindset.

Monday, April 8
12-12:30 p.m.

Register for webinar


Yoga breathing INHALE EXHALE sign at fitness class on lightbox inspirational message with exercise mat, mala beads, meditation pillow. Just Breathe! Breathwork sessions for faculty and staff

How many times have you been told to just “take a deep breath and relax,” but in reality, you have trouble even managing a shallow breath? Finding the fullness of your breath isn’t a mystery, it’s a learned practice just like lifting weights and taking steps. In this class, we will learn and practice four important breathing techniques that will help you fill your lungs and bring more oxygen to your brain and vital organs.

Wednesdays, April 10, 17, 24 and May 1
308 Barnes Center at the Arch
12:30-1 p.m.

After a moment or two of standing stretches, we will spend most of the class lying on our backs. Practicing breathing will help you find the fullness of breath to guide you through challenging situations and all the times in between.

Register for Just Breathe! (Register for 1, 2, 3 or all 4!)

There is a maximum of 25 people for each session. 

Yoga mats will be provided. No experience is necessary. No special clothing; this is not a yoga class. Lying on the floor is preferable but you can also sit in a chair if you’d rather. 

Dara has been teaching yoga for 27 years, specializing in pose precision and body alignment. She has studied with many pivotal teachers including John Friend, the founder of Anusara Yoga, Douglas Brooks, Desirée Rumbaugh, Sianna Sherman, Doug Keller, and Tom Myers, a Rolfer and author of the book Anatomy Trains. Dara is also the communications manager at Hendricks Chapel and a current graduate student in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She taught for years around SU’s campus and is excited to offer campus classes again!


A sign attached to a fence reads "Pete's Giving Garden" and is decorated with drawings of vegetables and bees.

Volunteer in Pete’s Giving Garden

Embrace the spirit of Earth Month by lending a hand in Pete’s Giving Garden! Immerse yourself in the joy of getting your hands dirty while basking in the great outdoors. As we embark on the garden’s opening phase, bring your gardening shoes or boots as we engage in bed preparation, gardens tend to be muddy at this time of the year.

Wednesday, April 10 or 17
11 a.m.-Noon

We will be focusing on preparing the beds for the seeds and seedlings that will be planted in late May. Alongside readying the garden beds for future seeds and plants, we will introduce cold-weather seed favorites like broccoli and cauliflower for direct sowing too. Additionally, over the two weeks we will be working in the garden we will experiment with repurposed plexiglass sneezeguards to create a greenhouse effect this year. We are excited to plant other seeds, such as lettuce and carrots to contribute to an early vegetable harvest for the food pantry this summer.

I’m ready to volunteer!

There is a maximum of 10 participants for each date. 

For those with mobility concerns or a preference for standing while gardening, PGG provides ADA beds. Please note there is an access road for those with mobility issues only, but the vehicles must be relocated to the parking lot behind the Inn Complete once the passengers have entered the garden area.

All produce cultivated in Pete’s Giving Garden directly supports the two campus food pantries, managed by Hendricks Chapel. The South Campus Food Pantry is overseen by Sustainability Management which is located their building at 161 Farm Acre Road.

Pete’s Giving Garden stands as a collaborative effort between Sustainability Management, the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamic Food Studies and Nutrition Program, and the Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry. Join us in making a positive impact on our community and the environment this Earth Month!


Multiple colors of blocks spelling the word triviaVirtual Department Trivia: Entertainment Through the Decades

Take a mental health break and gather your co-workers for another round of virtual department trivia! This trivia battle will focus on entertainment through the decades. The decade from the 70s to the 2010s will be represented in each round with questions about music, movies and TV.

Monday, April 15
Noon-12:45 p.m. (questions begin at 12:15 p.m.)

  1. Assemble your team members that will be playing (there is no team size limit) and coordinate a way you can all communicate the day of:
    • Come up with a team name (can be your department name, if you’d like).
    • Though the trivia game will be hosted virtually, you can enjoy some social connections and plan to get your team together in person.  Book and room and have a luncheon!
    • If you aren’t able to get everyone together in person, you can set up a team Zoom meeting to stay connected and discuss answers.
  2. Choose a team captain to register you (please ensure only one person is registering your department). After clicking submit to register, the team captain will receive an email with:
    •  a link to a Google sheet and instructions on how to add your team and team members to it.
    • the link needed to participate in the event—please share it with your team.

Sign my team up for trivia!

Questions

  • All questions are multiple-choice and the faster a player answers the more points they will receive if they get it right.
  • There will be five questions per round, and then the standings will be updated

Scoring

  • Team scores are an average of their players’ scores (everyone who signs in to answer).
    • Note: Having more players doesn’t award more points.
  • The faster a correct answer is submitted, the more available points the player earns. The more points a player earns, the higher their team’s average score will be.
    • Note: Not answering questions or getting questions wrong equals zero points.
  • Questions in round 1 are worth a maximum of 100 points if answered correctly in the first second, but as the 20 seconds to answer goes by, correct answers are worth less, 95 points, then 90, then 85 etc. until the time is up and there are 0 points available.
    • Note: getting it right in the last second will only earn you 5 points.
  • Every round we kick up the maximum points available for correct answers. Example: questions in round 2 are worth 200 points (still with 20 seconds to answer).
  • Everyone who signs in to answer questions will have an individual score which is used to create an average team score.

Clearing out “Life Clutter” – Spring Cleaning for the Self

Have you ever bought a new jacket, opened the hall closet to put it away, only to realize that it’s not going to fit? When your home gets too full or too messy, you sometimes commit to a day of “spring cleaning.” What happens, though, when your life gets too full? Do you review what is needed and what isn’t? Or, do you just squeeze a bit more in, even if it stresses you out?

This workshop is your chance to do a little spring cleaning of the self. A chance to examine what gives you energy as well as what saps you. You’ll see more clearly what puts a smile on your face, and what’s producing frown lines. And with awareness, you get the power to make choices and changes in how you spend your time.

Tuesday, April 23
12-1 p.m.

Register for clearing out life clutter workshop