Recharge and Refocus: Self-Care for Students, featuring MPF's In-Person Family Support Navigator Training
Balancing classes, assignments, and personal life can be exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. For many students, the pressure to keep up with deadlines and expectations can make it easy to forget about taking care of themselves. As we settle into the new school year, remember that self-care isn’t just about relaxation—it’s about making intentional choices to stay healthy, focused, and energized.
Self-Care and Wellness Vlog
When stress builds up, it can affect everything from your mood to your concentration. That’s why creating simple routines that support your well-being can make a big difference. Whether it’s setting aside time to recharge, practicing healthy habits, or finding ways to stay organized, self-care is about giving yourself the tools to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.
In the vlog "Self-Care and Wellness VLOG from Temple University", student Lauren shares practical tips for balancing academics with wellness, highlighting that success in college depends on both healthy habits and mental well-being. She emphasizes the importance of consistent sleep, balanced eating, and staying hydrated to maintain focus and energy. Lauren also stresses planning and organization through tools like calendars or to-do lists, as well as setting realistic goals that can be broken into manageable steps.
It’s also important to remember that self-care looks different for everyone. Some students may feel recharged by spending time with friends, while others may need quiet moments alone. What matters most is finding what works for you and making it a priority, even when life gets busy.
The Student Self-Care Toolkit from ClassroomMentalHealth.org offers reliable, student-friendly resources on topics like sleep, stress, nutrition, exercise, and goal setting, with practical tips, worksheets, and strategies to support healthy habits. It’s a credible, well-researched tool designed to promote wellness and prevention, though it’s not a substitute for professional care and may need adaptation to individual or cultural contexts.
Check out the Toolkit here: https://classroommentalhealth.org/self-care/student/
Featuring...
In-Person Family Support Navigator Training
From the Maine Parent Federation:
In-Person Family Support Navigator Training
Cohen Community Center, Hallowell, ME
Wednesday October 22nd, 2025
"Are you the parent of, or caregiver to, a child with a disability or special health care need?
Would you like to share your knowledge and provide peer-to-peer support to other Maine families?
If so, this virtual training opportunity may be for you!
Maine Parent Federation (MPF) is seeking parents, grandparents, and caregivers to children with disabilities and/or special health care needs who would like to attend this training to become a Family Support Navigator (FSN) and provide peer support to other Maine families. The FSN program matches experienced parents with other parents who need support while learning to navigate systems such as Special Education, Vocational Rehabilitation, MaineCare, Adult Services, etc., and assists them in locating local and statewide resources while helping parents learn to advocate for themselves.
During the Pandemic all support was provided through phone, text, email, and social media platforms such as Zoom. Now that restrictions are easing if both parent and Navigator agree, meetings can be held in-person.
As a parent who has been involved with MPF in the past, we are contacting you to see if you would like to use your skills and knowledge to support other families. A Family Support Navigator is a part-time independent consultant position. MPF contracts with you to provide up to 10 hours of support to each family you help. We pay $15.00 per hour for direct support to a family, provide a $40 monthly stipend for phone/internet when actively working with families, and .46 cents per mile travel reimbursement. This is a flexible opportunity where you set your own hours/schedule. MPF provides on-going supervision and technical assistance.
This in-person training will be held on Wednesday, October 22nd from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm. There will be five other pre-recorded segments to the training that you can complete at your convenience.
Once you have completed the training we will provide you with a $150 stipend.
Please contact Anne Bourque at (800) 870-7746 or email: abourque@mpf.org to receive the application and job description and/or to answer any questions."
The SPAN Youth Chat
On October 1st, from 4:15 to 5:00 PM, join the SPAN Youth Engagement Team and Donyae Shelton from NOPE, for a presentation on substance use prevention, with a focus on vaping, marijuana, and alcohol—topics that are especially relevant for youth today. The session will highlight the dangers and real-life consequences of substance misuse, combining facts, personal stories, and prevention strategies designed to empower young people to make informed, healthy choices.
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Resources...
Link to SPAN's website: www.spanadvocacy.org
Link to SPAN's Youth in the Know Resource Page: Youth in the Know
We're here for you! Call SPAN if you need assistance: 1-800-654-7726.
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