Goals and objectives:

The goal of the Napercise video was to secure a grant to fund programming that will to raise awareness about the American Collegiate Health Association’s (ACHA) National Collegiate Health Assessment (NCHA) which annually shows that sleep is a major barrier to academic success for students. The objective of the grant and corresponding programming is to find meaningful and engaging ways to help students become self-advocates for their own sleep and to promote benefits of sleep. 

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Creative Process:

Collaborative video production shoot with RWC Staff member posing as a tired and dragged out student. The production schedule for the video was in May of 2019 and edited through June and July for an August releaser. The UCF Wellness and Health Promotion Services team along with a Recreation and Wellness Center staff member (set as the principal in the shoot) shot in multiple locations on campus and in the RWC to simulate the productive energy that comes from getting enough sleep. The energy created is similar to a student feeling like they have the energy of super hero and powers to leap over any and all challenges. The video was then used to pitch programs and services needed to help students overcome the barrier. 

 

Results:

The video resulted in Wellness and Health Promotion Services and the Recreation and Wellness Center securing a $4,000.00 grant. The organizations used the money to create and promote a new group exercise class being added to the offers for UCF Students. The class is averaging 12-15 visits per month as the program has organically grown from WHPS and RWC team goals to create awareness of the impediment and how student success is improved with proper sleep. The NCHA is the measure tool and shows that sleep is now the #3 most reported academic impediment which means a receiving a lower grade on exam or important project, lower grade in a course, incomplete or dropped a course or experienced a significant disruption in thesis, dissertation, research or practicum work. For example, the assessment reported nearly 40% of students taking the assessment on our campus reported having sleep difficulties of those students. 12% said they felt sleepy or dragged out for a week or more, 6.2% for six days, 14% for five days and 13% for four days. Within the past 12 months has any of the following been traumatic or very difficult for you to handle:  45% of students reported their sleepiness was more than a little issue with 18% reporting it as a big or very big problem. The grant is also helping to fund consulting services, and the planning of a one-off event centered around sleep during the academic calendar.