Barnard College is pleased to share that the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being opened on October 30 and is available for use by Barnard students, faculty, and staff.
The Francine LeFrak Center, which is the first of its kind and truly innovative in higher education, offers holistic support across three key pillars of health and wellness — physical, mental, and financial well-being — to foster resilience and promote lifelong success.
While it is common to address mental and physical well-being on college campuses, incorporating financial well-being early in students’ careers addresses a key element of well-being that contributes to improving the mental and physical aspects of wellness.
The integrated, 360-degree approach provides educational programming focused on financial well-being alongside programming that supports physical and mental health in a state-of-the-art facility. A key goal is to promote confidence in understanding debt, budgeting, saving, and investing through targeted, inclusive financial workshops and programs.
“Setting the standard for well-being in higher education, the Francine LeFrak Center will greatly benefit our students, faculty, and staff,” said Dr. Marina Catallozzi, vice president of health and wellness and chief health officer. “Having a one-stop shop that meets all these needs communicates the importance of holistic well-being.”
Plans for the Francine LeFrak Center were announced on October 22, 2020. There are currently seven Barnard students serving as LeFrak Ambassadors who help plan the content for educational workshops and provide logistical support for events, which includes a financial fluency pilot program. While programming to support the Barnard community’s physical, mental, and financial well-being has been happening since June 2023, the opening of the new space provides a home for it in the heart of campus.
“I’m thrilled to be part of the Francine LeFrak Center’s incredible journey!” gushed psychology major and LeFrak Ambassador Amrita Singh ’26. “This center is more than just a space; it’s a dynamic resource that empowers students to prioritize their physical, mental, and financial well-being. As an ambassador, I’m excited to help create an environment where students can explore new ways to take charge of their wellness and thrive both personally and academically.”
Using a framework that is inclusive of all members of the community and beyond, the Francine LeFrak Center will address the key dimensions of financial fluency and the tools to propel success.
It will host speakers and events and will offer the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Financial Leadership and Fluency Certificate. Programs, speakers, and panels are designed to be responsive to the community’s needs in terms of financial well-being — ranging from budgeting to investing — and Barnard students will engage in personal, annual goal setting with a choice of financial well-being offerings.
The eight-week certificate program is offered in the fall and spring semesters, and plans for a follow-up (Level 2) certificate that will build on these foundational concepts are in development. A four-week intensive session that is tailored to graduating seniors was also recently implemented.
“I am so excited for the Barnard community to be able to enjoy the Francine LeFrak Center’s amazing new space,” said President Laura Rosenbury. “We are all deeply grateful for the generous gift from the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation that allowed the center to come to fruition.”
While the design preserves the original architecture of the historic building, the changes to the lower level and first floor of Barnard Hall are comprehensive, including a 4,000-square-foot fitness facility, state-of-the-art spaces for financial fluency and well-being programs, and the transformation of the former swimming pool into the 225-seat Ethel S. LeFrak ’41 and Samuel J. LeFrak Theatre. In addition, the center will provide dedicated space for a number of mental health and well-being programs, such as the Wellness Spot, Barnard’s peer well-being program, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary; Being Barnard, the College’s sexual violence education, prevention, and outreach program; and the Denise LeFrak Alcohol and Substance Awareness program.
“I am thrilled to see the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being, a place close to my heart, open its doors to the Barnard community,” said Francine A. LeFrak.
“The center’s innovative approach to physical, mental, and financial well-being will equip women with the tools to excel during their time at Barnard and throughout their lives. This center represents my heartfelt commitment to building women’s confidence, independence, and financial freedom.”
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.
“Everyone on campus deserves to be well, and we are investing in programming and resources that support well-being for our entire community,” said April Autry, executive director of the Francine LeFrak Center.
Francine A. LeFrak is the President of the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation and the Same Sky Foundation Fund.
A highly successful social entrepreneur, women’s rights advocate and philanthropist, Francine founded a trade initiative, Same Sky, to help women who were invisible become visible through the dignity of work.
Her work with Same Sky began with survivors of the Rwandan genocide and continued in the US with women who were recently released from prison.
She has helped thousands of women and girls use their talents to find opportunities for success. Through job training programs and providing access to education, her foundations have paved pathways for people to rise out of poverty.
The LeFrak family’s main philanthropic initiatives focus on education, healthcare, and the arts. They have made very significant contributions to institutions like the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the American Museum of Natural History.
The family established the LeFrak Prize in Physics to honor contributions to the field.
Additionally, they support healthcare advancements through initiatives like the LeFrak Center for Robotic Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
As signers to the “Giving Pledge” Francine LeFrak wrote in their pledge letter:
“As a social issue film and Broadway producer as well as a social entrepreneur, I want to use my producing talents to help alleviate extreme poverty. I feel blessed to have been born with a sense of empathy and the knowledge to know that talent is everywhere but opportunity is not.”
“Over the last years, I have worked with women who were raped and survived the genocide in Rwanda and those who were recently released from prison in Hudson County New Jersey. Working on the ground in Rwanda and in Jersey City, I have seen that the dignity of work is the “hand-up” that makes the difference in their lives. Watching these women transform and accomplish great things for themselves and their families has deeply inspired and transformed me.”
“With the support of my husband, Rick, we have lived our lives championing those who may be overlooked or need a second chance. Through our Foundation, we focus on issues that directly impact women including criminal justice reform and re-entry, HIV/AIDS, gender equity, abuse and trafficking, homelessness, female entrepreneurship, as well as access to education and job skills training. Our goal is to give them the tools to transform their lives with dignity.”
“We are passionate about achieving these goals. It is an honor to be part of the Giving Pledge.”