Middlesex Community College to Host Fresh Check Day Program

Expo-like Event Brings the Community Together to Check-in on College Students’ Mental Health

April 23, 2021 (Middletown, Conn.) — Middlesex Community College (MxCC) will host Fresh Check Day—a concept created by the Jordan Porco Foundation, of Wethersfield, Conn., and designed to bring the whole campus community together to “check-in” on the mental health and wellness of college students.

Fresh Check Day logoMxCC’s Fresh Check Day will take place on Thursday, April 29, 2021, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the Middletown campus. The Founders Hall outdoor patio will be transformed into an expo-like atmosphere to bring together interactive exhibits combined with food, prizes and giveaways. The booths feature peer-to peer messaging in a positive, community-focused setting.

By engaging the entire college community in this campus-wide movement, students are reminded that they are not alone and that their mental health is valued just as much as their physical health or their academic standing.

This year’s event will also include a drum circle at 12:30 p.m. conducted by music professor Robert Nasta, with guided meditation led by student interns. A virtual yoga session will also take place.

At 1:30 p.m., college leaders will plant a special dogwood tree, honoring those that have lost their life or have lost a loved one to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tree planting dedication will be located on the lawn to the left of the entrance to the lower parking lot across from Chapman Hall.

Food will be provided by Scoops and Sprinkles of Rocky Hill. Should it rain, the event will be held in the Founders Hall Pavilion and Cafeteria.

The event is free and has been organized by the Behavioral Intervention Team with collaborating campus departments at MxCC, student volunteers and representatives of the Jordan Porco Foundation. For more information, please visit the event website at https://mxcc.edu/events/fresh-check-day-2021.

About Middlesex Community College
Since 1966, Middlesex Community College has provided high-quality, affordable, and accessible education to a diverse population, enhancing the strengths of individuals through degree, certificate, and lifelong learning programs that lead to university transfer, employment, and an enriched awareness of our shared responsibilities as global citizens. A part of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, MxCC offers more than 70 degree or certificate programs at the 35-acre campus in Middletown, MxCC@Platt in Meriden, and online.

About the Jordan Porco Foundation
The Jordan Porco Foundation’s mission is to prevent suicide, promote mental health, and create a message of hope for young adults. They accomplish this by providing engaging and uplifting peer-run programs. Their programs raise mental health awareness while encouraging help-seeking and supportive behaviors. The Jordan Porco Foundation is named in memory of the co-founder’s son, Jordan. Jordan died by suicide in 2011 as a college freshman. What started as two grieving parents’ vision has grown into a nationally respected foundation that helps over 40,000 young adults across the country, each year.