Since 2021, JoyFul events have woven a vibrant tapestry of community and connection for millions of college and university students across the country. These events have become a cornerstone of campus life, transforming ordinary days into extraordinary celebrations. Each signature event brings a new theme, a fresh opportunity to unite, celebrate, and spread joy.

The impact of JoyFul has been profound and far-reaching. Since its inception, campuses participating in JoyFul have donated over 235,000 meals to those in need, ignited two million random acts of kindness, and supported over 800 organizations. This wave of goodwill has not gone unnoticed. JoyFul’s remarkable achievements have earned national acclaim, winning the 2023 Hermes Creative Award and Food Management Magazine’s 2022 Best Concept Award.

JoyFul is more than a series of events; it’s a testament to the power of community, compassion, and the collective spirit of students across the nation. As we look to the future, we are excited to continue this journey, fostering connections and spreading joy, one event at a time.

Hosted The Largest-Ever Street Food Festival with Chef Jet Tila

Over 1.5 million university students celebrated the beginning of the school year on over 300 campuses during FestiFul, which broke records as the largest college street food festival and created opportunities for students to make lifelong connections.

At Louisiana State University, guests watched Chef Jet Tila host a jambalaya cook-off while trying a variety of food trucks, giveaways, games, photo booths, and more. The event was featured in Forbes for its impact on bringing students together.

The FestiFul continued at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, where guests cheered on America’s Got Talent contestants 1aChord, who brought their gospel sound to the dining hall. After their performance, they held a meet and greet with students and signed autographs.

The team at Texas State University hosted a donation drive to spread kindness among their community. Guests at Texas State had the opportunity to enter to win Apple AirPods by donating non-perishable food or by placing their vote for the Chef Cook-off Competition. All food collected was donated to Bobcat Bounty Food Pantry, which helps students who suffer from food insecurity.

The FestiFul continued next year, when our teams hosted fall-themed events near the beginning of the year to celebrate the turn of the season and the start of the semester.

At Carnegie Mellon, the dining team brought local vendors into the party to connect with guests, such as La Prima and Millie’s Ice Cream. Students lined up for the food truck, Tartan Express, and tried butternut squash soup and other seasonal items.

At Adelphi, guests sipped on complimentary hot chocolate and apple cider with local coffee roaster, City of Saints. Students could also shop in a farmer’s market, which featured local produce, bakery items, and more.

Donated over 50,000 Donation Bags to Local Food Pantries

During GrateFul, campus communities fought food insecurity by packing over 50,000 Packed with Purpose bags for local food banks, making countless sustainability pledges, raising awareness about food waste, and serving up delicious plant-based meals.

At the University of North Florida, guests adopted a plant to help the Earth. The dining team hosted a pop-up station where students could pick a plant, seed it, water it, snap a picture with it, and take it home. Choices included basil, sage, climbing strawberry, mint, and more.

To share their passion for sustainability, the UMass Dartmouth team made their own dye for tie-dye. They boiled vegetables like spinach or beets with vinegar, water, and salt, creating an all-natural dye so students could create t-shirts.

Guests at California State University, Northridge celebrated a full agenda of GrateFul activities, such as hosting Rob Greenfield, an activist and environmentalist who wore all the trash he collected in a special suit for 30 days, demonstrating to our students how quickly plastic waste can accumulate.

Sharing Two Million Acts of Kindness

A small act of joy can make a world of difference. During DelightFul, students came together to deliver over 2 million acts of kindness, such as handing out compliment cards, flowers, and positive affirmations to spread positivity.

The Northwestern Dining team paid it forward with over 3,000 random acts of kindness, ranging from writing notes of kindness on stuffed animals to be sent to Lurie Children’s Hospital to packing 300 tote bags of school supplies for the Kingsley Elementary School.

At Siena Heights University, students shared random acts of kindness by packing goody bags with treats for dogs who were waiting for adoption. The dogs visited campus to share their thanks with tail wags and kisses.

The University of Chicago partnered with Chi-Town Blankets for a blanket drive, gave fellow students a midday pick-me-up with a coffee bar featuring local vendor Chicago French Press and ACSA (African and Caribbean Student Association), and raised awareness about a campus clothing drive with the Phoenix Sustainability Initiative.

Lamar University invited 2x Superbowl Champion, Jarvis Greene of the New England Patriots, to celebrate DelightFul with us. Jarvis brought his shrimp and seafood company, Oceans97, for a day full of shrimp boils, caricatures, and autographs.

Sharing Self-care with Over 50,000 Students

During ThoughtFul, we partnered with The Jed Foundation, a leading nonprofit that protects the emotional health of teens and young adults, to encourage self-care, mindfulness, spreading positivity, and togetherness. Over 50,000 students practiced mindfulness and mental well-being, including 4,000 guests who wrote kind notes on Encouragement Walls and 3,000 guests who participated in Conversation Starters.

San Jose State University hosted a space for relaxation and destressing through a crochet and knitting space in their dining hall. Guests could come in to customize their own tote bags or make a simple craft.

The Rockhurst Dining team celebrated ThoughtFul with several events, including a Luv U a Latte event where guests could buy a drink for someone else for $1 off, flower pot painting, and other creative activities to practice self-care.

Each JoyFul event is more than just an occasion; it’s a movement. Our teams and guests have become ambassadors of kindness, creating ripples of positive change in campus communities nationwide. We look forward to many more years of celebrating with our guests and associates.