Chartwells Higher Ed brings back Delight-Ful event

Chartwells Higher Ed is again putting a spotlight on giving, encouraging workers and students on the 300 higher-ed campuses where it runs dining services to perform half a million random acts of kindness next week.

Craft stations, flower arranging booths, walls of positive affirmations and therapy dogs will also be part of its Delight-Ful event, taking place Feb. 13 to 17.

Some campuses are taking things a step further and helping students give back to the local community. Students at Lasell University in Massachusetts, for example, will be putting together bags of food and other staples to be donated to the local community.

Delight-Ful is part of the company’s larger Joy-Ful campaign, which is in its second year. That campaign was initially created to spur community building after the social disruption experienced during the height of the pandemic.

Last year, Delight-Ful lasted just one day; this year, it’s been expanded to a full week. There’s also a new menu angle, with campuses featuring items students voted on prior to the event, including birria street tacos and poke bowls.

"Given the success of last year's event, we're pleased to provide more opportunities that invite students and the campus community to celebrate kindness with a focus on food," Lisa McEuen, CEO of Chartwells Higher Ed, said in a statement. "With the student-curated menu, we hope to bring students a voice to their dining program and create opportunities to make lifelong connections.