Buckeye Love 2026

February 2, 2026

February is Buckeye Love Month at Ohio State. Originally focused on romantic love by couples who found each other on campus, Buckeye Love has evolved into a celebration of positivity, kindness and mental health support. Join us for random acts of kindness and amazing programming all month.  

Not only does increasing kindness share positivity to others, but studies published in the The Journal of Positive Psychology showed that performing acts of kindness may even result in greater social well-being than techniques used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat depression and anxiety.  

Buckeye Love is part of Student Life’s Kindness Initiative, a year-round effort that includes events such as the annual Be Kind Food Packaging project, the Grow Kindness plant giveaway and the recent Brutus Buckeye birthday celebration. Student Life partners with the Jerome Schottenstein Center for Resilience to encourage kindness toward ourselves and others.  

The easiest way to get involved is through sending a quick message of appreciation anytime through the Kudos feature on the Kindness website at https://kind.osu.edu/ You can also find #BeKind Instagram Walls with inspiring messages around campus, perfect photo opportunities for an uplifting social media post.  

Here are some of the Buckeye Love events going on around campus in February.  

Celebrate National Send a Card to a Friend Day (February 7) by crafting a heartfelt card with Dr. Cheryl Lyons, Director of Student Life Disability Services. Wednesday, Feb. 4, from noon to 2 p.m. (Drop in anytime!) at the Ohio Union, Cartoon Room. There will be free cookies and coffee, all while being able to spread kindness with a creative card to a friend! 
Sign up for National Send a Card to a Friend Day online.  

Cooking for Good. Partnering with OUAB Grad/Prof and Coca-Cola, there will be four hands-on classes to teach meaningful, simple recipes. These meals are a perfect way to brighten a friend, family member or neighbor’s day with the kind act of cooking. Classes will be offered on February 5, 9, 16 and 23. Space is limited. We will set up waitlists as needed and communicate availability. 

OUAB Buckeye Love Crafternoon is on Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Ohio Union. Ohio State is partnering with local company Natterdoodle to provide students with multiple craft options. All students are welcome to join with others in forming creative pieces to reduce stress, boost mood and share a conversation to foster community. 

Buckeye Love is sponsored by Student Life, the Jerome Schottenstein Center for Resilience, Coca-Cola, OUAB and Nike. 
 

 Join Ohio State all month long in spreading kindness! 

 

By Tyler Lorenz ‘26