June 29, 2016
Hayden Mitman/PhillyVoice
Jared Fenton, a Junior at the University of Pennsylvania, created Penn Reflect, a peer-support group, to give students an opportunity to talk about their stresses in a stigma-free environment.
The University of Pennsylvania has granted its student-led mental health organization an $8,000 annual budget, the Daily Pennsylvanian reports.
The campus group, Penn Wellness, maintains a website that provides Penn's students with a consolidated and collaborative place to find resources, services and programs available through Penn’s many wellness-geared campus groups, acting as an umbrella organization, as well as hosts its own meetings and events.
It was formed last year by recent graduate and then-senior Ben Bolnick as universities across the nation, including Penn, have been grappling with increased student suicide rates and working toward prevention.
Penn Wellness was also previous unfunded, but after hearing from students on the need for funding, the college’s Vice Provost for University Life reportedly agreed to provide it with an $8,000 annual budget – $3,000 more than was asked, the Daily Pennsylvanian reports.
There is no word yet on how the funds will be used.
Read more at The Daily Pennsylvanian.
