February may be a short month, but there is no shortage of important dates and events to acknowledge in your employee communications. We’ve compiled a list of links to helpful resources from event sponsors or topical experts.
February Black History Month –
- Celebrate Black History Month 2023 – Resources from the Smithsonian.
- Black History Month – Government site from various agencies offering history, exhibits, audio-visual, and resources for teachers..
- Black History Themes – from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
- Black History Month – resources from History.com.
American Heart Month
- The American Heart Association offers great resources for education and wellness related to heart health. Just a few of these resources include , Heart Health to learn more about heart conditions, as well as Heart Attack and Stroke Symptoms.. They also offer robust resources on heart-healthy living.
- The Centers for Disease Control offers heart month toolkits for health care professionals and for individuals and patients. Although these haven’t yet been updated from 2022, the information is still relevant and useful.
- See our prior newsletter: Have a Heart .
February 14th Valentine’s Day
- Valentines Day – Wikipedia covers the history, traditions, and customs.
- It’s a good day to focus on heart health. See resources above under American Hearth Month. Is it time for a screening? See When Should You Have a Heart Health Checkup?
- Valentine’s Day can be annoyingly commercial, but here’s an idea: February 14 also National Donor Day, a good time to look into saving a life! Every day, 20 people die due to a shortage of available organ donors. A single organ donor has the potential to save up to 8 lives!
- Another non-commercial way to celebrate is to spread the love by participating in Random Act of Kindness Week, which runs from the 12th to the 18th.
- Valentine’s day is also a good time to focus on your relationships. See our newsletter Be a lover, not a hater..
Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
- Love Is Respect offers various resources to commemorate Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month or TDVAM, noting that the 2023 theme “Be About It” is a continuation of last year’s theme, “Talk About It.” They offer a TDVAM Action Guide, a Calendar of Events, and a Social Media Guide.
- Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month – resources from youth.gov.
- Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month – resources from Teen Dating Violence.
ESI EAP Member Website theme for the month
- In February, the member website theme is Navigating the Death of a Loved One – Resources include a webinar and relevant content. EAP members can login at the home page: www.theEAP.com.
Other noteworthy February events:
- February 2 – Groundhog Day
- February 3 – National Wear Red Day
- February 12 – Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
- February 17 – Random act of Kindness Day
- February 17 – National Caregivers Day
- February 20 – President’s Day and federal holiday for Washington’s Birthday
- February 27 to March 5 – National Eating Disorders Awareness Week