Education & Outreach
OwlWell provides educational workshops, trainings, and resources for the Bryn Mawr community. Learn more about our offerings below!
Alcohol & Substance Use Education
OwlWell provides confidential, one on one psychoeducation for students who have questions about their relationship to alcohol or substances or who are seeking additional on or off campus resources and would like to explore their options.
In addition to individual consultations, we also provide community training which includes Narcan administration as well as alcohol and substance use harm reduction.
Explore below to learn more about our current offerings!
All students are responsible for knowing and acting in accordance with the College’s Substance Use Policies as well as complying with state and local laws. The College Substance Use Policy can be found here.
The legal drinking age in Pennsylvania is 21. Drinking alcohol under the age of 21 or buying it for / serving it to those who are underage can result in serious legal risks.
If you have questions related to your own relationship to alcohol & other substances or supporting a friend, you can always reach out to OwlWell at owlwell@brynmawr.edu to schedule a 1 on 1 meeting. You can also connect with Bryn Mawr Counseling Services or Health Services. All of the Health & Wellness offices are confidential.
OwlWell staff offer ongoing or one-time workshops on alcohol and substance use education to campus partners. These workshops, rooted in a harm-reductionist philosophy, guide participants through interactive exercises in order to explore the following:
- how we build ideas about and relationships to substances
- foundations of harm reduction and safety tools
- recognizing the signs and symptoms of potential overdose and how to safely intervene
- BMC alcohol and substance use policies
- campus, local, and digital resources for harm reduction, prevention, and recovery
Our programs can be tailored to the specific campus community needs - whether students, faculty, or staff (or a combination of the three). For example, we have worked with Res Life, class deans, THRIVE, and more.
All of our alcohol and substance use workshops include the option for participants to receive Narcan training. Students, staff or faculty can also reach out to OwlWell staff individually, or as a group / class / department, to receive this training at any point during the year.
Utilizing the community training model developed at Columbia Health, we provide Narcan trainings to help teach critical life saving skills for responding to an opioid overdose. This training covers a brief overview of opioids, their effects on the body, xylazine or "tranq" and its relationship to opioids, potential overdose signs, and how to administer Narcan. We also share campus and community resources for support. Participants receive a free Narcan kit at the conclusion of this program.
Pacing yourself and setting a drink limit that you feel comfortable with are important tools in staying safer if you choose to drink alcohol. But how do you do that and what information do you need to pay attention to? Two really helpful things to know are standard drink sizes and Alcohol by Volume (ABV). Each kind of alcohol has a standard serving size from 1.5 oz for liquor up to 12 oz for beer. Why the different sizes? That is related to ABV. ABV is the measurement used to determine how much pure alcohol is in a single serving. The higher the ABV, the more quickly a person's Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) rises, thus, higher ABV drinks have smaller serving sizes. Read more below to learn about drink sizes and ABV of some standard drinks.
- Beer - 1 serving: 12 oz, ABV: 4% +
- Craft Beer - 1 serving: 9 oz, ABV: 6% +
- Hard Seltzer - 1 serving: 12 oz, ABV 4% +
- White Wine - 1 serving: 5 oz, ABV: 11% +
- Red Wine - 1 serving: 4 oz, ABV: 14% +
- Liquor (80 proof) - 1 serving: 1.5 oz, ABV: 40%
It's important to note that ABV can vary from brand to brand. For example, most hard seltzer has an ABV of 4% to 6% but some brands have an ABV of almost 12%! We've given averages in these examples but it's always best to check the ABV of the particular type and brand of alcohol you may be drinking.
If you choose to drink alcohol, it's important to do some self assessment to see what you are hoping to get out of your experience, make a plan, and implement some harm reduction strategies. While not an exhaustive list, we have added some tips here that can help you make informed choices that feel good to you and can help support your overall health and wellbeing.
- Check in with yourself: Before drinking, do some self assessment. How are you feeling that day? What kind of experience are you hoping to have? Is there anything that you are currently experiencing (positive or negative) that may impact how you approach your alcohol consumption? Doing a check in with yourself can help inform your decision to drink (or not to drink).
- Eat!: Seriously! Consuming alcohol on an empty stomach can increase your chances for dehydration, irritate your stomach, and increase your risk of alcohol poisoning, among other potential health impacts. Plan on a well balanced meal with a good source of protein before you drink and plan to have some food during and after as well!
- Make a plan: Making a plan as to how much you will drink and sticking to it can help you stay within your limit. Also make a plan for how you are going to get home. Do you have a designated driver, public transit pass, or an Uber set up? If you are walking, plan a walking buddy ahead of time.
- Take it slowly: Begin with one standard drink and wait. It can sometimes take up to 45 minutes to feel the full effects of alcohol.
- Hydrate: Drink water before, during, and after you consume alcohol. Drinking a glass of water in between alcoholic drinks can also help you pace yourself. Replenishing yourself with electrolytes after drinking can also help with your hydration!
- Check in with yourself, again!: After drinking, check back in with yourself. How are you feeling now? Did you have the experience you were hoping to have? Is there something you may want to change or add for the future? If concerns come up for you, or even if you just have questions, you can always reach out Counseling Services, Health Services, OwlWell, or Bryn Mawr's Interfaith Chaplain to check in with a confidential staff member.
- When in doubt, call: If you are concerned about your own or another's over-consumption, contact Campus Safety at 610-526-7911
- Gentle Reminder: The legal drinking age in the US is 21. Students are expected to adhere to college policy & local / national law regarding alcohol and substance use.
Bystander Intervention
Bystander Intervention is an important skill that helps empower individuals and communities to step in when they witness events such as bias, harassment, interpersonal conflict, and much more.
At Bryn Mawr, we utilize the Step UP! model of bystander intervention which was created at the University of Arizona. Step UP! is a nationally recognized, evidence based program that has received a NASPA Gold award and is identified as a ‘Best Practice’ by the NCAA Sports Science Institute of national and international scholars (Step UP! - About Us)
Below you can find more information about training as well as quick reference guides to bystander intervention.
Bystander Intervention is an important skill that helps empower individuals and communities to step in when they witness events such as bias, harassment, interpersonal conflict, and much more. At Bryn Mawr, we utilize the Step UP! model of bystander intervention which was created at the University of Arizona. Step UP! is a nationally recognized, evidence based program that has received a NASPA Gold award and is identified as a ‘Best Practice’ by the NCAA Sports Science Institute of national and international scholars (Step UP! - About Us). Through this training, participants will explore the following learning objectives:
- the history of community safety and community care
- barriers to intervention including socio-political dynamics and safety concerns
- a foundation of bystander intervention skills that include various levels of intervention and situational severity
- hands-on practice
In addition, if you are interested in becoming at Step UP! facilitator, we offer a Train the Trainer workshop which covers all of the content in Bystander 101 as well as facilitation skills, commonly asked questions, and support for implementation.
To request a Step UP! Train the Trainer workshop, reach out to OwlWell at OwlWell@brynmawr.edu. Prior attendance at a Bystander 101 workshop is preferred and recommended.
Bystander intervention works best when communities are engaged in utilizing these practices together. Being able to introduce these skills to others can help build safer and more equitable spaces in classrooms, work environments, and much more.
If you are interested in becoming at Step UP! facilitator, we offer a Train the Trainer workshop which covers all of the content in Bystander 101 as well as facilitation skills, commonly asked questions, and support for implementation.
To request a Step UP! Train the Trainer workshop, reach out to OwlWell at OwlWell@brynmawr.edu. Prior attendance at a Bystander 101 workshop is preferred and recommended.
Bystander intervention is one tool that we can use to help create and maintain safer communities. The following is a brief summary of the steps of the Step UP! Bystander Intervention model. If you'd like to learn more, contact OwlWell for a training!
- Notice The Event: The first step in Bystander Intervention is noticing that something is happening that might not be quite right. We engage in this step by being aware of our surroundings, noticing red flags and things that seem off, and observing the reactions of others. Do other people see what you are seeing? Are they also concerned? Take a moment to observe what is going on.
- Interpret it as a Problem: Now that you have noticed an event, it's time to determine if what is happening is a problem. We do this by doing perspective taking - how do the people involved seem to be feeling or reacting. We also take time to investigate ambiguity - is there something about the situation that we don't quite understand yet or are unsure of? We also want to be aware of our biases and how they may impact how we interpret an event and how / if we decide to intervene.
- Assume Personal Responsibility: Assuming personal responsibility doesn't mean that you have to be the person to intervene (you may not be the right person to do so or it may not be safe). What this step does mean is that you are taking responsibility for ensuring that someone helps.
- Know how to Help: There are many ways to help intervene when witnessing a concerning event. Step UP! uses the "5 D's" - Direct, Delegate, Distract, Delay, Document. Knowing local resources and emergency numbers also helps us in an intervention situation. More information about the 5 D's and how to use them is shared in our Bystander Intervention training!
- Step UP!: The last step in bystander intervention is implementing the help. Whether you are intervening yourself or you have contacted a trusted party to do so, always be sure to lead with safety, care, and awareness!
Additional Programs & Trainings
Here is a sampling of some of our educational offerings. This page is a work in progress as we continue to develop our offerings. We will continue to update as we add more workshops, trainings, and resources.
Our professional staff members provide one on one, confidential consultations for students interested in learning more about health and wellness topics.
Areas of focus that we provide consultation on include, but are not limited to:
- Sexuality, gender, and identity exploration
- Sexual health and wellness
- Contraceptive education
- Safer sex and STI risk reduction
- Healthy relationships
- Communication and boundary setting
- Navigating conflict
- Self and community care
- Alcohol and substance use
- Stress and anxiety
- Mindfulness
- Sleep hygiene
- Health behavior change
- Campus resource exploration
- And more!
We believe that open and honest dialogue and education regarding these topics is incredibly important for personal development. We strive to create an informative and supportive environment for students to explore wellness in their own way.
With that in mind, it is important to remember that our staff consists of trained wellness educators. We are not medical or mental health providers. Where appropriate, we can facilitate referrals to Health Services and Counseling Services.
Self-care is a crucial pillar of health promotion and wellness. Transitioning into college, a post-bac program, or grad school can provide new stressers that require students to adapt and build an individualized wellness skills. When we begin to tap into our senses and observe what our body needs -- rest, sleep, exercise, food, spirituality, friendship, and community -- we can best support our long-term health and well-being. In these workshops, OwlWell staff support participants in designing their own wellness toolkits by exploring the following themes:
- the origins of self-care throughout history
- the relationship between self care and community care
- beyond “instagramification” of self-care: building sustainable wellness rituals
- the politics of rest and importance of resisting grind culture
- college resources for self and community care
OwlWell staff offer workshops and individual support regarding creating and sustaining healthy relationships. This educational programming supports students as they navigate new relationships in college, such as friendships, roommate dynamics, and romantic and/or sexual relationships. Through small group activities and discussion, this programming explores the following:
- deconstructing relationship tropes and understanding how media impacts our views of relationships
- identifying healthy and unhealthy relationships
- establishing consent
- healthy communication skills
- values and boundaries clarification
- communication skills
The Garden Arts Cohort is a six-week educational wellness program run by OwlWellStaff. Two garden cohorts gather per year (one fall and one spring cohort) to support student wellness in areas relating to mental health, community, holistic wellness, and horticulture. The program activities take place outdoors in the healing garden (weather permitting,) focusing on the intersections of arts, wellness, and horticulture. Through guided activities, students will explore the following:
- basics of perennial horticulture
- outdoor-based mindfulness practices
- basics of herbalism, including medicinal uses, ecological benefits, and cultural history of local herbs and pollinators
- drawing techniques and botanical illustration
Through this interdisciplinary and experiential program, students will receive the benefits of community-based outdoor education, where immersive activities bolster a sense of groundedness, curiosity, and belonging. The healing garden arts cohort members will leave the program with a deepened understanding and reverence for plants, their environment, and their human and non-human neighbors.
Interested in A Training?
Contact OwlWell@brynmawr.edu to discuss training for your class, department, or student group!