On a Wednesday morning, the Cena Quad at EF Academy turned into the campus Wellness Fair, with several booths arranged around the edge of the grass. As the fair began, many students walked from booth to booth, trying new activities and talking with different teachers and student organizers. The whole space felt calm but lively, creating a welcoming start to the fair.
Ms. Amy, one of the teachers who helped plan the Wellness Fair, said the goal was to give students time to slow down and focus on their well-being. “We want to give students space and time to recharge and t
hink about all aspects of their lives,” she said. Teachers prepared the fair together, and they also worked with some off-campus groups to show that wellness includes many different areas. “Wellness isn’t just one thing; there are so many areas we can look at and focus on.” Ms. Amy said.
Some students also helped organize the booths. Liam Johnson, one of the student organizers, created a booth about worm composting with his group. Johnson said they had already been working on the project for years and wanted to share the process with the school. Their booth included an infographic about composting, real worms they raised, and a demonstration of how worm castings are sifted. “Nothing felt challenging. Sharing our passion was what we wanted to do,” Johnson said. He said one of the most enjoyable parts was seeing how people reacted when they saw the real worms.
Larry Miao, a student who joined the fair, said his favorite was the workout led by Mr. Duque. A group of students followed Mr. Duque through a series of short exercises. After completing the activities, Mr. Duque handed out homemade snacks as rewards. “I like how Mr. Duque used the snacks to motivate students to be active,” Miao said. He also mentioned that if he could run his own booth next year, he would create a booth named “Say No to Smoking.” He plans to use props to show two lungs, one healthy lung and one completely blackened from heavy smoking. Miao said, “By comparing two lungs, I hope to raise people’s awareness about the risks of smoking.”
The Wellness Fair provided students with a simple and enjoyable way to focus on their health. Although it lasted only one morning, it encouraged students to do different kinds of activities and talk with some people they normally don’t interact with at school. Different booths also showed that health has different meanings and aspects, such as being active, learning something new, and having a deeper understanding of well-being. The event helped students recognize the importance of health and build stronger connections within the school community.
