History of We Are Wake

How did We Are Wake come to be?

The We Are Wake initiative, a campaign designed to build capacity in relation to student care and wellbeing on campus, was launched under the leadership appointment of Dr. Shea Kidd Brown (pictured right). The initiative promotes behaviors associated with wellbeing, increased engagement in help-seeking, and other initiatives that elevate the consciousness of care on campus.

During the fall 2022 semester, a small working group was formed to consider how Wake Forest could strengthen approaches to caring for students before they are in distress and provide appropriate support when they experience crises. This group sought to identify mental health resources through more collaboration across the campus. This work includes Care 101 training focused on recognizing signs/symptoms/issues of distress, skill development related to response, awareness of campus support resources, and the identification and promotion of positive behaviors.

We are Wake is made possible thanks to a generous gift, addressing subjects such as understanding what distress looks like in our community, streamlining resources, knowing when and where to go for help, and learning effective responses and referral options when mental health concerns arise.