By Isabella Cerveira
Cuyahoga Community College, affectionately known as Tri-C, isn’t just about helping students achieve academic success and prepare for the workforce. It’s also dedicated to ensuring that students, staff, and the community enjoy high-quality wellness and overall health. Tri-C offers a wide range of activities, facilities, classes, products, and services aimed at nurturing physical, mental, and emotional well-being, with both short-term and long-term benefits.
The college is home to fitness centers complete with gyms, pools, and dance rooms that are open on weekdays from morning till evening. What’s great is that students, staff members, and folks aged 60 and above can join these fitness centers for free. For Cuyahoga County community members, a membership costs just $100 a year. These fitness centers are conveniently located at the Metro, Eastern, and Western campuses and offer a variety of classes, along with access to pools, pilates, and yoga sessions. Friendly coaches are readily available to assist with your workouts and provide nutrition guidance. As shared by Liris Meschz, a student at Tri-C’s Eastern campus, the coaches have been instrumental in helping her design a nutritious diet plan.
Tri-C also cares about combating food insecurity and promoting healthy eating habits among students and staff. To address this, pantries stocked with essentials are accessible on all four campuses. Each student can obtain up to 10 items per week, ensuring that no one goes hungry. These services are available to all students, staff, and individuals in any program that requires a Tri-C card.
Moreover, Tri-C offers a variety of enriching programs, including summer camps for kids aged 4 to 14, as well as two wellness-focused clinics. The Eastern building houses a Student Massage Center where you can indulge in relaxing 50 to 90-minute massages. The Metro campus boasts a Dental Hygiene Clinic, providing essential dental care services at affordable rates. Appointments for these clinics can be conveniently scheduled via phone or in person.
Tri-C doesn’t stop there; it also hosts a range of events throughout the year, including a self-defense course known as Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.). Additionally, the college provides access to psychologists and coaches for both students and staff members, ensuring that mental and emotional wellness are prioritized.
In terms of mental and emotional wellness, Tri-C actively promotes inclusivity and diversity through designated spaces, councils, and projects. For instance, the Safe Zone initiative, established in 2004, creates welcoming spaces for individuals of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. Furthermore, the college established the Black Council, Hispanic Council, and the Women in Transition (WIT) program in 1978, empowering women through a cost-free noncredit course offered at Cuyahoga Community College. Tri-C is also committed to providing mental health resources and programs to address important issues such as suicide prevention and LGBT support services.
In summary, Tri-C’s dedication to promoting wellness in physical, emotional, and mental health areas is just one of the many reasons it stands out as the largest community college in Northeast Ohio. It’s a place where the journey towards a high-quality life begins for everyone fortunate enough to take advantage of the opportunities the college offers.
- Tags: Fitness, Mental Health, Wellness
