Learning to set goals and having the confidence to achieve them is an important part of the university experience. While many of those goals are academic such as getting good grades and practicing effective study habits, others are wellness related such as getting more sleep or spending less time on a screen. Learning how to turn these goals into lasting habits is a skill that serves students well throughout their personal and professional lives. That's the thinking behind a newly integrated Peer Wellness Coaching initiative in HLTH 102 (Personal Health and Wellness), a course that more than 600 students took this year.

The initiative, the result of a decade-long collaboration between the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies (SKHS) and Health Promotion in Student Wellness Services (SWS), embedded wellness coaching directly into the curriculum, giving students the opportunity to apply evidence-based behaviour change strategies in a practical, personalized way while demonstrating how partnerships between academic programs and student services can support student success.

The sessions were built into the course’s Health Behaviour Self-Analysis assignment, in which students set personal health goals, then developed action and coping plans to address potential barriers. Most students chose to focus on sleep, physical activity, recreational screen time, or nutrition. Through the process, students gained a deeper understanding of the importance of setting realistic, personalized goals and learned strategies they can continue applying long after the course ends.

Eight trained volunteer Peer Wellness Coaches (PWCs) used a model based on the principles of Motivational Interviewing called Brief Action Planning. This student-centered approach helps build self-efficacy and gives the chance to set concrete goals that often lead to positive health behaviour changes.  Students were given feedback as they developed their goals to help ensure they were realistic and tailored to them.  

“This course was interesting, and I like how hands-on and applicable it is, giving us opportunities to improve health habits,” said one HLTH 102 student. Students then went on to reflect on their progress during the course and determine what they would apply to future behaviour changes.

Group coaching sessions were offered in person at Health Promotion in the JDUC, with virtual sessions available to ensure barrier-free access to this integrated learning opportunity. Offering both formats also enabled Peer Wellness Coach volunteers to develop their facilitation, leadership, and mentorship skills in both in-person and online environments.

"Helping run HLTH 102 has been a rewarding experience. This program allowed me to hear perspectives from a diverse group of students as they discussed challenges and strategies they can use when building healthy habits,” said Azalee Lambert, a fourth-year Bachelor of Health Sciences student. “The group coaching format allows students to learn from and build off of each other’s ideas.”

Peer Wellness Coaching has been a resource in HLTH 102 since 2022 but this year’s formal integration into the curriculum strengthened the connection between academic learning and student wellness while deepening the experience for both students and PWC volunteers.

“In reading their assignments, I was struck by how often students described feeling empowered by having ownership over their goal and by receiving support to refine their approach,” said Kelechi Kemnele, a PhD candidate who instructed the course in Winter 2026. “Their reflections showed that the experience made behaviour change feel more personal, practical, and achievable.”

Building on this success, SKHS and SWS plan to expand the program to a larger cohort of HLTH 102 students in Winter 2027. Undergraduate students who are interested in hands-on experiential learning with personal health behaviour change are encouraged to enroll in the course.

Health Promotion is also exploring new opportunities to integrate student wellness into academic experiences , including the use of an EEG-based neurofeedback tool called MUSE to help students improve focus, sleep, and manage stress. Course instructors interested in integrating optional or required wellness components into their courses can email bewell@queensu.ca to explore partnership opportunities.