WHAT: A generous gift from the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation will enable Barnard College to create the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being, which will ensure that all Barnard students have access to comprehensive physical and mental health, holistic wellness, and financial literacy support services and are empowered with the knowledge and tools needed to thrive at Barnard and beyond.
The Francine LeFrak Center, which will be located on the first floor of Barnard Hall, will provide both a centralized hub and an umbrella organization for the College’s many wellness initiatives, including financial fluency, the Feel Well, Do Well @ Barnard campaign, Well Woman, and Being Barnard. It will also include state-of-the-art spaces for well-being programming, including financial fluency workshops, a fitness center, and dance spaces.
WHO: Francine LeFrak and the LeFrak family are longtime members and supporters of the Barnard community; Francine’s mother, Ethel Stone LeFrak, graduated from Barnard in 1941 and served as a trustee for many years. She passed away in 2013. The new Francine A. LeFrak Center for Well-Being will strengthen the empowerment of women through a three-pillar approach to wellness.
WHERE: To create the Francine LeFrak Center, the College will renovate the first floor of the former gymnasium in Barnard Hall. In this welcoming space and point of hope, students will be able to learn about and access the full range of initiatives intended to support all aspects of well-being.
WHEN: Design and planning will begin this fall. We anticipate that construction of the new spaces will begin in January 2022 and be fully operational by September 2023. Renderings are available upon request.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kathryn Gerlach
212.854.8037
mediarelations@barnard.edu