Social Connection Groups

• Candid Conversations for Caregivers - Whether you care for someone who is elderly, disabled, a relative, a child, a spouse, or any other loved one, IUWIT recognizes that being a caregiver is extra stressful these days. Join, IUWIT Leadership Team members, Kim and Melanie, in a monthly virtual, informal, and candid discussion about caregiving. This virtual meeting will give caregivers a chance to informally gather and discuss topics around juggling caregiving while working. You’ll able to just vent, share resources and experiences, and find support from other caregivers. All sessions are open to anyone of any gender. For this semester’s monthly schedule, click here. For more information, contact cewit@indiana.edu
• IU Cancer Survivor Community - IU Microsoft Teams Group: This Teams group is intended to provide a supportive, compassionate, and caring environment for Indiana University employees who have experienced cancer to connect with each other. Any IU cancer survivor is welcome to join and share tools, resources, and support to others through their cancer journey. Click our IU Cancer Survivor Teams Group to request to join. 
• IU Parenting community group is specifically designed for faculty and staff who are interested in connecting with other IU parents to learn, share resources, and network over the shared experience of parenting and/or caregiving. To join the IU Parenting Group on Teams, click here. For more information, please contact Healthy IU.
• Shelf Indulgence Book Club - The Ray Bradbury Center is teaming up with Centerpoint Brewing Co. for a brand new quarterly book club. Each quarter, we will read a book from a different genre of fiction. For more information about this quarter's read, and meeting date and time, click here. For more information, email bradbury@iu.edu.

• The Trident Trailblazers is a University-wide trail runners group for IU Staff and Faculty. An opportunity to get out, kick up some mud, and connect across campuses. We typically plan for ~5 to 7-mile runs, rain or shine. If 5 miles+, we will choose trails with a cut-through option for those that prefer to stick to a shorter length. Seasonal pre-planned runs will be shared on Teams and pop-up opportunities will be added as demand calls for. Keep an eye out for pop-up events on Healthy IU’s Facebook Page. Join the group anytime on Teams; RSVP’ing and carpooling encouraged. Let Hannah McConnell (hmmcconn@iu.edu) know if you want to host a run closer to your home campus!

• IU Grief Support Community This Teams group is intended to provide a supportive, compassionate, and caring environment for Indiana University employees who are grieving to connect with each other. Any IU employee is welcome to join and share tools, resources, and support to others through their grief journey. This group is not intended to be a form of counseling or a formal therapeutic support group. Please see the welcome message after joining for more information to be sure you are comfortable with the parameters. Request to join the private group here: O365-IU Grief Support Community | General | Microsoft Teams

• IU Working Moms’ Group provides a community for female employees who are maintaining a career alongside their parenting responsibilities. The group meets for lunch occasionally at various locations around campus. Moms with children of all ages, from newborns to adults, are welcome. To join, email Amanda Peterson at amkhoffm@iu.edu or like the Facebook group page.
• Noontime Yoga Group members meet twice a week for an energizing hour of essential Hatha Yoga. Please contact Joan Middendorf at middendo@iu.edu for more information.

• The Trident Trailblazers is a University-wide trail runners group for IU Staff and Faculty. An opportunity to get out, kick up some mud, and connect across campuses. We typically plan for ~5 to 7-mile runs, rain or shine. If 5 miles+, we will choose trails with a cut-through option for those that prefer to stick to a shorter length. Seasonal pre-planned runs will be shared on Teams and pop-up opportunities will be added as demand calls for. Keep an eye out for pop-up events on Healthy IU’s Facebook Page. Join the group anytime on Teams; RSVP’ing and carpooling encouraged. Let Hannah McConnell (hmmcconn@iu.edu) know if you want to host a run closer to your home campus!

• IU Bloomington Tabletop Gaming Group Welcome all Bloomingtonians! Come relax with us and play a round of games. We meet every other week to play a mix of games, from drop-in card games and Jackbox party packs to campaign-style tabletop games. This is a low-stress, casual setting to have fun and make local friends. Click here to join the Teams page to keep up with upcoming events.

• IU Indianapolis Faculty & Staff Affinity Groups have a long history of serving faculty and staff (as well as students and alumni) in matters of social justice and institutional accountability pertaining to the value of diversity.
• IU Indianapolis University Library Book Club this book club is designed to connect readers with each other and promote pleasure reading on campus. If you like reading and/or talking about good books, this club might be for you. But if you just like hanging out with nice people and eating good food, this club might also be for you. All IU Indianapolis students, faculty, and staff are invited. To see the current Book Club reading, location, and meeting date, click here.
• Comic Book Group (on Discord) is for IU Indianapolis employees. The goal of our group is to start with just chatting about what we love, COMIC BOOKS! Maybe later we will grow to meetups, lunches, comic book swaps, and more. Interested? Join us at “Comic Books (IU Indianapolis Employee)” on Discord, by clicking here.
• The ICMH (Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health) Keep Moving is a group of students, faculty, and staff members who come together every week for an activity: walking/running or tennis/pickleball, or volleyball. In addition to a workout, this provides a platform to chat and meet members of the ICMH. For more information please contact Jen Somers jesomers@iu.edu.
• IU Crochet Give Back Network - We are looking for individuals who are interested in connecting with others who share a love for crochet. In addition to sharing ideas, swapping patterns, and connecting with others, the group intends to donate their crotchet creations to IU organizations or units such as Riley Hospital’s NICU, IUH Simon Cancer Center, etc. Interested parties contact Evelyn Safder at esafder@iu.edu for additional information.
• Staff Mentoring Program - The IU Indianapolis Staff Mentoring Program is a one-year program created to help staff with their professional development by increasing job competencies, enhancing engagement and raising overall job satisfaction.  Full-time staff from all schools/units and all ranks on the Indianapolis campus are eligible to apply as mentees or mentors. The mentors will be from a diverse range of ranks and roles. Peer-to-peer mentoring will be allowed.  Mentors must be full-time staff with at least two years of work experience on the Indianapolis campus. Mentees must discuss the time commitment with their supervisor. Mentors are expected to spend at least 25 hours with mentees.  Staff Council typically emails or puts information in IU Today as applications typically open in the middle of August and are due sometime in the beginning of September. 
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The IU East Connect and Care (Through Our Needlework) group is looking for talented knitters and/or crocheters to work together to produce small needlework gifts, which will be forwarded to cancer patients in our service region for upcoming holidays.  All IU East students, faculty, and staff are welcome to participate and we hope to gather in person to craft together.  If you are interested in becoming a knitter or crocheter for this project, please email Deanna Cooper at deancooper@iu.edu or Oi Lin (Irene) Cheung at ocheung@iu.edu. 

• The IU South Bend Veterans Book Club is open to everyone interested in veterans’ experiences and the role of the military and war in our society. The book club meets periodically throughout the academic year and discusses a wide variety of book genres including novels, memoirs, journalism, graphic novels, short stories, poems, and history. Participants represent a wide range of ages and include students, staff, faculty, and community members as well as veterans and civilians. We frequently have guest experts and authors lead the discussions. Free books are available for those who are interested. The club meets on Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7:00 in room 301 of the Schurz Library and on Zoom. For more information please contact Rhonda Culbertson, rculbert@iu.edu.
• The IU South Bend Community Culture Club is for all staff and faculty pop culture enthusiasts who would like to connect with others by engaging in local community cultural events (movies, music, concerts, arts, literature, and festivals). For more information or to join the group, please click here.
• The IU South Bend Parenting Circle is for faculty and staff members who are navigating the demands of work and parenting. Join the group to connect with others who are facing the same joys and challenges in raising kids. We will meet monthly to discuss topics of interest to the group and will have ongoing asynchronous conversations using Teams. Our group is a non-judgmental space where we can share our experiences, offer support, and learn from each other. We welcome parents of all backgrounds, family structures, and ages of children. Whether you’re a first-time parent or a seasoned pro, we invite you to be part of our supportive community. Join us today on Teams or email Anna Michelle Martinez-Montavon, the peer facilitator, with any questions.

• Faculty/Staff Bridge Club - The Faculty/Staff “Bridge Club” will meet Mondays at 2:30pm and/or Thursdays at noon during Fall 2024, on the top floor of the library. Beginners are welcome! If you've played trick-taking games such as Hearts, Spades or Euchre, it's easy to get started. Even if not, they'll teach you...patiently. Contact Eric Schansberg with questions or interest, or feel free to show up.  (New semester information will be updated here once announced – and Eric usually sends this information out as an email in the beginning of a semester.)

• Walking Wednesdays

Take a movement break during your workday and connect with other faculty and staff from IUFW.  Meet outside of Student Central before 11:40 for a walk/stroll from 11:40am - noon.  When nice, we’ll go outside and otherwise, we’ll stay inside.  For spring 2025, we will meet every other Wednesday on: 1/22, 2/5, 2/19, 3/5, 3/19, 4/2, 4/16, and 4/30. Contact Catrina Beeny at catbeeny@iu.edu with any questions.

We are looking for individuals who are interested in facilitating new social connection groups. As a reminder, group members determine how and when they meet as well as the topic discussions and activities that will take place. Please contact Sara Kinder, with Healthy IU, if you are interested in coordinating a social connection group or having your existing group added to this page.