Warren Wilson College Deepens Commitment to Student Well-Being with Phase II of the Endeavor Lab

Warren Wilson College is proud to be part of a bold and deeply collaborative national initiative to reimagine how small liberal arts colleges support student well-being and mental health. Through  continued participation in the Endeavor Lab Colleges (ELC), a consortium of 10 small, mission-driven institutions, the College is working together to make lasting, systemic changes that put belonging, purpose, and community care at the heart of the college experience.

Thanks to the visionary support of the Endeavor Foundation, the ELC has received over $8.5 millionin funding, including $5.22 million for the next three years, to build on the momentum of earlier pilot projects and expand collective impact through a set of five interconnected initiatives in Phase II. This transformative investment affirms a shared commitment across the 10 campuses: to center well-being as a fundamental component of liberal arts education.

Why This Matters at Warren Wilson

At Warren Wilson, our unique blend of academics, work, and service has always prioritized holistic student development. This new phase of the ELC initiative allows the College to deepen that commitment in tangible, creative ways—especially at a time when students nationwide are navigating increasing levels of stress, disconnection, and uncertainty.

Warren Wilson believes education is about more than coursework; it’s about cultivating purpose, finding meaning and doing good in the world. By integrating well-being into the curriculum, co-curricular experiences, and campus culture, students thrive during college and long after graduation.

What This Looks Like on Our Campus

Through Phase II of the Endeavor Lab Colleges initiative, Warren Wilson participates in shaping and implementing five core programs:

• Cultivating Curricular Review and Innovation
  Warren Wilson is reimagining its curriculum to ensure that it reflects what it means to live well, care deeply, and understand the human condition—drawing on the power of the liberal arts to develop resilience and empathy in our students.
• Building Models of Community Care and Resilience
  Together with the nine partner colleges, Warren Wilson is developing scalable, trauma-informed approaches to supporting mental health on campus grounded in the idea that caring communities are built, not assumed.
• Center for Purposeful Life and Work
  Warren Wilson students will benefit from access to this new digital hub, which supports exploration of values, identity, and career direction. It’s designed to help students connect their academic and personal journeys with a greater sense of purpose.
• Mapping Belonging
  Warren Wilson is exploring creative ways for students to connect more deeply to our unique Appalachian setting through immersive campus maps that link students to the land, community, and history of place.
• Nature Rx and Nature-Based Programming
  Rooted in the understanding that nature heals, this initiative encourages daily connection with the natural world, something already deeply embedded in our culture and location.

A Collaborative Path Forward

“Through the process of the working groups and our task force for Wellness at Warren Wilson College, departments are working across disciplines to address common goals and are sharing resources,” said Milly Morrow, Execute Director for Wellness. “Warren Wilson is a place to foster collaboration and The Endeavor Grant has brought the community together with a sense of hope, possibility and shared purpose. We have been invited to take risks, experiment and dream. All of which assists in healing and transformation.”

As we move into Phase II of this multi-year project, we are energized by the opportunity to collaborate with peer institutions that share our values, while tailoring this work to meet the distinct needs of our students and our community.

A Hopeful Vision for Higher Education

This initiative represents a powerful affirmation of Warren Wilson College’s mission—and a call to imagine new ways of preparing students for wise, ethical, and purposeful lives.

Warren Wilson is grateful to the Endeavor Foundation for its generous support and steadfast belief in the transformative potential of liberal arts education.

To learn more about the national collaboration, visit the Endeavor Lab Colleges website.