CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York, and has 23,620 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Their Be Body Positive program has multiple (generally 4-5) peer-led groups running each semester. The groups run for 8 weeks. They currently have 12 peer facilitators. The curriculum is supported by Cornell Health and a staff member from Cornell Health helps organize and coordinate the groups.

What has been the greatest impact of The Body Positive on your campus?

“ I think the biggest impact I have seen is just how much this program has meant to students. When I ask participants about their experience in the program, they provide glowing reviews. This program offers a really great community and many students have stayed involved as facilitators because the content means so much to them.

What I really appreciate about Body Positive Cornell is that it offers a unique opportunity for students to have honest and deep conversations with their peers in a space that is devoted to growth, health, and support. The students get to connect with peers who want to support them on a journey to deepen their self-compassion and who promote healthy messages. Furthermore, students get to learn about topics (e.g., Heath At Every Size) that they might never otherwise encounter. What a wonderful thing to be able to offer to students at such a transformative time in life.” 

—Jennie Bernstein, Be Body Positive Program Coordinator

GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is located in Atlanta, Georgia, with approximately 15,000 undergraduate students and 20,000 graduate students. Their Be Body Positive team includes 30 trained staff and student facilitators, who lead their groups and programs. They facilitate a Body Positive group each semester that meets weekly. In addition, they host presentations to student and staff groups, and health classes on request. The Body Positive messages also inform their social media posts and outreach events.

What has been the greatest impact of The Body Positive on your campus?

“It has been wonderful to see the positive effects The Body Positive has had on our students and facilitators. Feedback has included having a better mindset to dismantle diet culture, as well as cultivating our own definitions of beauty. We’ve had several students who were really inspired by intuitive movement and are positively influencing their social groups.

I really enjoyed co-facilitating Body Positive GT groups since we adopted The Body Positive curriculum. It is wonderful to see students grow in recognizing the strength and uniqueness of their authentic beauties. We are often surrounded by highly critical messages about our bodies, and I find it refreshing to recognize our beauties not in spite of who we are, but because of who we are.”

—Amber Johnson, Be Body Positive Program Coordinator

“I’m incredibly grateful to The Body Positive for helping me change my outlook on my relationship with my body. One of the most notable experiences I have had is doing the ‘My Beauty Is…’ activity. This activity has helped me grow to love and accept my body because it made me realize and appreciate that my unique aspects are what make me beautiful.”

—Perrine Kemerait, Be Body Positive Student Facilitator

“The Body Positive has given me the opportunity to foster community within my sorority and create a safe space to talk about common struggles we all face as women. I am so thankful for the opportunity to grow as a leader and in my own journey to becoming body positive!”

—Sydney Morlan, Be Body Positive Student Facilitator

Appalachian State University

Appalachian State University is located in Boone, NC, with a population of 19,280. Body Positive AppState (BPAS) is run through Appalachian State University’s Women’s Center, located in the Plemmons Student Union. BPAS mostly consists of group meetings with group activities and discussions. They run groups on a bi-weekly basis led by two trained peer facilitators. Currently, there are 19 students enrolled in the peer facilitator training and each led their meetings on a sign-up basis. Each month, one meeting consists of a focal topic that caters to different populations and how body positivity impacts them. In their inaugural year, they held tabling events, and kept flyers posted around campus. They plan to expand their outreach to include hosting events and additional guest speaking opportunities.

What has been the greatest impact of The Body Positive on your campus?

“Body Positive AppState made me more aware of listening to what my body wants and needs while creating a space to be more lenient on myself. It also helped me realize that body positivity is a journey and at times you might fall behind, and that’s okay. It’s a constant practice that even the most confident people practice and have to work at.”

—Body Positive AppState Peer Facilitator

“Body Positive AppState has allowed me to educate myself and others on being comfortable and being okay with themselves in their bodies. It has also given me a community that I know will be supportive and positive if I need someone to talk to.”

—Body Positive AppState Peer Facilitator