Andrew Hawthorne
Faculty and staff in the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy partook in a 90-day “Limitless League” challenge to improve health and make new connections, according to a press release.
The program gamifies physical, mental and spiritual wellness by creating pairs of faculty and staff members to complete a “BINGO” board of challenges in order to win prizes and help connect the different parts of the Bloustein School.
“The Limitless League” challenge is a collaboration between faculty and staff, as it was created by Anita Franzione, associate teaching professor in the Department of Public Health, Aakanksha Deoli, instructor of teaching in the Department of Health Administration, and Stephanie Kose-Crozier, event and program manager supervisor in the Bloustein School.
Challenges on the cards included ways to improve physical health, such as eating fruit or getting 8 hours of sleep, as well as mental and spiritual activities, like meditation or journaling for gratefulness. Some tasks focused on helping the pairs bond, such as asking participants to share a podcast or go for a walk with their faculty or staff counterpart.
Deoli said the practices promoted by the challenge are important for improving wellness in any work environment.
“Wellness is critical and something that each one of us should be thinking about every day, including in our workplace,” Deoli said. “Sometimes, it is a little push from a colleague and friend, a challenge with lovely goodies and prizes or a reminder of small things we can do in our offices, even on busy days.”
According to Franzione, participants would meet monthly and could win prizes such as University lanyards or pens for completing a column or row on the “BINGO” card. If participants completed every task, they could enter a raffle for Amazon gift cards.
Franzione said the connections made between faculty and staff were one of the program’s biggest priorities, as it was easy for people to keep to themselves when they came into work.
“We get siloed,” she said. “We never … look around us and see, for faculty, who maintains the copy machine? For staff, what do (the faculty) really teach?”
According to Franzione, the idea for the challenge came from a holiday party at the Bloustein School, where she noticed all of the people she had never met before and wondered how she could foster more connections.
She said the challenge is part of a wider effort to make the school more welcoming and connected as a community. Other initiatives include months themed around exercise and a table of snacks and coffee set up for anyone entering the building.
Franzione said the program may return to the Bloustein School in the next academic year after a survey showed success among participants and interest for the future.
“The Limitless League” challenge is a recipient of a ScarletWell Connection Grant, an initiative by Rutgers—New Brunswick to promote wellness among students, faculty and staff on campus, according to the press release.
Deoli said healthy practices like the ones promoted by the challenge should be a priority for individuals and for the workplace itself.
“Healthy and happy employees are a direct reflection of a positive company culture,” Deoli said. “They are more engaged and motivated, and feel a sense of belonging, which is critical for their productivity and ability to give their best.”