Family Weekend

Strategies for Well-Being and Connection

How do we support and affirm our students as they process all that has happened this year – from racial injustice to a global pandemic? How do students find community in a COVID-19 environment, whether they live at home or on campus? Join our campus experts as they share guidance and strategies from a trauma-informed perspective.

Life on Purpose: Three Questions Only You Can Answer

Dr. Christine Whelan teaches class on Consuming Happiness, Belonging & Purpose and Finance & Families. She is the author of four applied research books, including The Big Picture: A Guide to Finding Your Purpose in Life (2016). Dr. Whelan has been published in the New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today, among many others, and is a frequent guest on national and local television and radio.

Insights from Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor

Join Vice Chancellor Reesor for conversation and community as she reflects on her roles as a college administrator and college parent. What does student support look like while living through multiple crises – COVID-19, an economic recession, and racial injustice? How can parents help their students navigate this semester and the year ahead? Hear her perspectives on guiding our students during this time.

Learn to Draw Bucky Badger with Wheelhouse Studios

Family Weekend Draw Together: Follow along with Taylor Franklin, Program Director of Wheelhouse Studios – UW’s Art Studio and learn how to draw Bucky Badger. All you need is a piece of paper, a drawing utensil, and a good attitude. Taylor will break down the drawing lesson into easy steps for the whole Badger family to enjoy.

Here are suggested supplies to draw your Bucky or Becky Badger:

Pencil
Eraser
Black and red markers preferred, but colored pencil and crayons could also work!

Attending College During a Pandemic: The Mental Health Impact and How We Can All Help

As the pandemic continues across the country, college students, like everyone, have had their lives disrupted in many ways. Stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness and other negative mental health outcomes are expected reactions to our current global events. UW-Madison has many resources to help students manage during this time, and we also know that families are a critical part of supporting students. In this session, the Director of Mental Health Services, Dr. Sarah Nolan, will discuss mental health trends on campus, resources at UW, and ways that family and friends can support students during this unique time.

HAMILTON: How a Musical About History is Making Musical History!

Hamilton: An American Musical tells the story of the founding of the country and the Revolution, while also commenting on contemporary issues in America today. With a soundtrack and script that fuses classical musical theatre and poetry with elements of popular music and hip hop, its storytelling both builds on the past and looks to the future. A cultural phenomenon that exemplifies the highest excellence in the genre, Hamilton appeals to a diverse audience far beyond the lights of Broadway and the success of the show is changing what theatre is being produced – what stories are being told and who is telling them.