Randolph College expands mental health and wellness initiatives through Endeavor Grant

The Endeavor Lab Colleges—a national consortium of 10 small liberal arts colleges, including Randolph—has completed the first phase of its groundbreaking initiative to enhance student mental health and well-being. 

The Endeavor Foundation has invested more than $8.5 million to support the project, including $5.22 million over the next three years for Phase 2.

“We are thrilled to move to the next phase of this vital work,” said Lori Collins-Hall, project director of Endeavor Lab Colleges (ELC). “Thanks to the dedication of our partner institutions and the confidence and commitment of Endeavor Foundation, we are taking meaningful steps to address well-being on our campuses. Our goal is not simply to improve mental health but to transform the way liberal arts colleges engage students in caring, resilient, mission-aligned communities.”

Endeavor Foundation’s transformative investments will empower participating institutions to build on the development and implementation of pilot projects in the first phase by utilizing evidence-based strategies, scaling successful interventions, and deepening cross-campus collaboration. 

“We are thrilled to once again join this amazing group of colleges to work together to improve the lives of students,” said Sue Ott Rowlands, president. “The support of the Endeavor Foundation has allowed all of the Endeavor Lab Colleges to share a commitment to student mental health, experiential learning, and civic engagement. We look forward to continuing this important work.”

The reality of the ELC vision will be lasting, systemic improvements that support the holistic development of students, strengthening their liberal arts education and college experience by placing well-being, belonging, community care, and purpose at the center of their education and campus life. 

During Phase I, which unfolded over two years, Endeavor provided $3.275 million to the colleges for exploration and development of innovative pilot projects exploring relationships and opportunities to enhance students’ mental health and well-being through the liberal arts curriculum, developing connections to place, connecting purpose and career readiness, and creating caring and resilient communities.

The funding for Phase 1 allowed Randolph to significantly enhance mental health, wellness, and overall well-being across campus. Projects included implementing TimelyCare,  free 24/7 virtual on-demand mental health support for students; renovations in the Chapel to create better spaces for spiritual practices and religious gatherings; and adding a contemplative studies minor, among other things.

“Collaboration across colleges is enormously difficult, but it holds enormous opportunity for realizing shared goals and catalyzing renewal in service of what students need to persist and thrive,” said Ashley Kidd, vice president and co-program director at Endeavor Foundation.

“In Phase I of this grant, the Endeavor Lab Colleges demonstrated what working together can achieve, developing a truly inclusive model of engagement and commitment to their shared goals. In a time of challenge and change, Phase 2 of this grant offers a hopeful, collaborative path forward for students and the future of higher education.”

In Phase 2, ELC campuses will continue to collaborate on implementing activities developed across five central initiatives, while establishing program sustainability, widely documenting and disseminating information, and paying particular attention to liberal arts institutions.

At Randolph, Phase 2 will focus on integrating belonging, mental health, wellness, and overall well-being into the curriculum. This phase will also introduce new initiatives, including expanded Campus Mapping projects and NatureRx experiences designed to support student wellness. Endeavor capacity funds will continue to support enhancements to spiritual life on campus, with planned upgrades to chapel spaces and increased opportunities for engagement. 

“This grant reflects Endeavor’s longtime commitment to liberal arts education,” said Isabel Roche, co-program director at Endeavor. “The liberal arts empower students to see themselves, others, and the world with greater clarity, compassion, and hope. This project brings the liberal arts vision for education of the whole person into sharper focus, putting student flourishing at the center. In doing so, it reaffirms the transformative power of the liberal arts for both mind and spirit, preparing students for every dimension of life.”