Health and Wellness Promotion

Fresh Check Day

Friday, September 19, 2025

12pm - 3pm
Great Lawn, Shapiro Campus Center (SCC)
Rain: SCC Atrium

About This Event

Fresh Check Day, the signature program of the Jordan Porco Foundation, is an uplifting mental health promotion and suicide prevention event for colleges that includes interactive expo booths, peer-to-peer messaging, support of multiple campus departments and groups, free food, entertainment, prizes and giveaways.

Fresh Check Day aims to create an approachable and hopeful atmosphere where students are encouraged to engage in dialogue about mental health. It helps to build a bridge between students and the mental health resources available on campus, in the community and nationally.

How It Works

Upon arrival, students will visit the check-in table to receive their passport, or stamp card. They will receive a stamp for each booth they visit. When they are done, students will go to the check-out table to turn in their passport and complete a quick feedback survey.

• Students who visit at least 2 booths will be eligible to receive free Lizzy's ice cream and other to-go treats, and visit the baby farm animal petting zoo!
• Students who visit at least 5 booths will be eligible to win one of the following raffle prizes: Nintendo Switch Lite, 40" Vizio TV, $50 gift cards to the Brandeis Bookstore, JBL bluetooth speaker, Owalla 40oz Tumbler, and a memory foam mattress topper. 
• Students who complete the quick feedback survey on their way out will receive a free gift.

2025 Booths and Entertainment

• Be Yourself promotes self-acceptance and acceptance of others for who they are, and provides information on risk and protective factors within the LGBTQ+ community.
• Boost focuses on physical activity, which has positive mental health benefits and encourages students to find physical activities to engage in that they enjoy.
• Empower  is all about shining a light on the unique mental health disparities students of color experience and empowering all students to be more informed and responsible allies to better elevate and celebrate BIPOC communities.
• Follow Your Art promotes creative arts of all types that are fun and relaxing and have positive effects on mental health. By finding different ways to cope with stress that work for you, you can better manage uncomfortable feelings and stay ahead of a crisis.
• It Takes a Village builds social networks and a sense of connection, acknowledging that getting involved in your community can be a protective factor against suicide.
• Mood Matters raises awareness, educates, and decreases stigma about anxiety and mood disorders, including bipolar disorder and depression. It provides information about symptoms and treatment options for mood and anxiety disorders.
• Nine Out of 10 focuses on suicide prevention directly, empowering students to act as gatekeepers for their peers and teaching them how to recognize and respond to the warning signs of suicide.
• Rise Up brings awareness to the mental health effects that often follow sexual assault. It empowers bystanders and addresses the impact of victim-blaming and language.
• UBelong raises awareness of the unique experiences of international, BIPOC, and non-traditional students and the ways their peers can best support them, while providing resources for those students themselves. 
• YOUnique promotes positive body image, brings awareness to the prevalence of disordered eating on college campuses, and educates students on how to help themselves or a friend who may be struggling. 
• Animal Craze, a baby farm animal petting zoo!

Get Involved

Would you like to volunteer at Fresh Check Day? Individual students and student orgs/groups are encouraged to sign up. Volunteers will receive a free T-shirt and lunch. Both graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to volunteer.

Sign up to volunteer

If you have any questions about volunteering, please contact hawp@brandeis.edu.

Campus Partners

Campus partners supporting this event include: