October 30, 2025 marks the one-year anniversary since the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being opened its doors, Barnard’s groundbreaking hub for comprehensive, integrative wellness. Each pillar of its work – supporting physical, mental, and financial well-being – has sprung into action, connecting members of the Barnard community with the tools to help them flourish, now and in the future.
In just 12 months, students, faculty, and staff swiped into the new and improved Barnard Fitness Center 34,583 times, and members of the community completed 2,217 sessions in free FITbear classes (Total Sculpt proved most popular, with Vinyasa Yoga a close second). 828 students dropped into open office hours at “The Wellness Spot,” Barnard’s peer wellness program. The Being Barnard Violence Prevention Program hosted 28 workshops, and the Denise LeFrak Foundation Alcohol and Substance Awareness Program (ASAP) increased the presence of mocktails throughout campus-wide events.
One of the flagship initiatives, the Financial Well-Being Undergraduate Certificate Program, presented certificates to 77 students in the 2024-25 academic year, with 60 more anticipated to join this fall alone. Financial health, which is often neglected in conversations about well-being, is central to our lives – and central to the work of the Francine A. LeFrak Center.
These achievements are made possible through the generous support of Francine A. LeFrak, who was recently named to 2025’s TIME100 Philanthropy list as an “Innovator” for her contributions to women’s wellness. LeFrak’s three pillar approach was built on a lifetime of advocating for the rights of women and girls, which led to a clear determination: wellness is multi-pronged and interconnected, and should be treated like a web, rather than a checklist.
“Seeing this approach serve the Barnard community over the last year has felt like a tremendous stamp of approval,” said LeFrak. “The Center is empowering students, faculty, and staff to improve their well-being across the board, not addressing matters of health as standalone problems but as one part of a greater whole. Barnard is leading the charge in health and wellness, and I could not be more proud of what we’ve accomplished together.”
The Barnard Fitness Center, which was transformed into a 4,000 sq. ft. facility with a range of equipment, has been embraced across the Barnard community. On any given day, the space is filled with movement – students exercising on new Barnard-branded Matrix machines. Group fitness classes are free of charge through FITbear, the longstanding Barnard initiative that offers instruction in cardio, strength training, yoga, and more.
“These classes foster a sense of community and accountability – offering a safe, supportive space where students, faculty, and staff can build strength together while recognizing the lasting value of having a wellness community to grow with,” said Kiana Thompson, associate director of physical well-being. “Our hope is that the motivation and confidence built here continue to inspire students to prioritize movement, fitness, and overall physical wellness long after they leave Barnard.”
Sophia Ewald ’26, Co-Founder and Co-President of Girls Who Lift, credits the space with creating an environment where women and non-binary students can exercise without intimidation or fear of judgment. All too often, fitness centers default to competitive and masculine messaging, discouraging some from taking part in their programs. “At the LeFrak Center, you’re around people who support you. You’re just able to be yourself,” she said.
A short walk from the Fitness Center is the Mental Well-Being Suite, where students can lounge in a Shiftwave Chair – a zero-gravity recliner that assists with nervous system regulation by coupling biofeedback technology with intentional guided meditations. The Wellness Spot, Barnard’s longstanding peer health education program, serves as a resource for a broad selection of health topics that can be top of mind for students: sexual and reproductive health, stress, sleep, and relationships, among others.
The Mental Well-Being Suite is also home to the Being Barnard Violence Prevention Program, which features workshops and events around relationships, affirmative consent, and bystander intervention. A professional staff member is available to provide confidential support to students seeking information about their rights and resources. The Rosemary Furman Counseling Center provides clinical support, collaborating closely with the Center team, and together, the Suite advances programs like ASAP to ensure that no one feels left to tackle life’s challenging moments alone.
“When it comes to mental well-being, we’re often dealing with topics that have stigma around them. How do we help students say, ‘Hey, I’m accepted here, I belong here, and in a time of need, I know where I can turn to,?’” said Zyaijah Nadler, associate director of mental well-being. “Having the Center put wellness at the forefront signals to students, families, staff, and faculty that this is just as important to us as it is to you.” In the last year, programming has included several events to help students feel comfortable around uncomfortable topics – a bingo night to learn more about STIs, for example, or an information session with resident assistants about how to have fun safely.
“I think what makes the Wellness Spot so special is that it's run for students and by students,” said Amina Jilani ’27, a peer educator within the Mental Well-Being Suite. “Every workshop and event we facilitate is created with real student experiences in mind, which allows us to always meet our peers where they are. By making wellness accessible and community-centered, we hope to create an environment where every student feels supported and empowered in prioritizing their mental health.”
The third pillar of the Center, focusing on financial fluency, is a distinctive intervention to wellness centers at other colleges and universities. Most adults report weak understanding of basic financial concepts, with a knowledge gap that grows wider when gender is considered. Through courses, speakers, and events, the Financial Well-Being Suite is working to close that gap, providing the tools for students to make confident, informed financial decisions.
“Financial well-being underpins everything,” said Sarit Abramowicz, senior associate director of financial well-being. “It impacts access to so much in life, from choices like the career you’re going to have to where you live. We have to build good habits around money, just like we do with our physical and mental well-being.”
The suite’s flagship initiative is the eight-week certificate program for undergraduate students, held in the evenings and led by student peers – “LeFrak Ambassadors" – who are trained across aspects of personal finance through the National Financial Educators Council. A parallel program series is tailored to international students navigating finances in the U.S., and Barnard has also partnered with the Young Women’s Leadership School network to extend a version of the course to high school students.
“The eight-week certificate program exposes students to beginner-friendly concepts on finance, so we talk about budgeting, saving, investing, planning for retirement, navigating taxes,” said ambassador Merielen Espino ’26, who began working on the College’s health and wellness initiatives in 2023. “I think it’s incredibly important because of Barnard’s history as a women’s college – for us to even learn about these concepts and engage with financial freedom. That’s something we didn’t have just a matter of years ago.”
For Gabriela Martinez Rodriguez ’28, contributing to the Financial Well-Being Suite feels like a personal imperative. She became an ambassador after completing the course her first semester of college: “I remember thinking about the impact it had on me, and the importance of these resources for people who can’t turn to their parents, mentors, or tutors for financial information,” she said. “The Center opened right when I became an ambassador, and that transition made the work even more meaningful. It was no longer just about the content or knowledge we were sharing, but having a space where it could all come together.”