Elms College received over $350k in a grant from the Educating Character Initiative, a project of The Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University, to support the transformation and expansion of its First-Year Seminar program. This grant will support the creation of a more comprehensive experience that helps students successfully transition to college while establishing a foundation for character development and a life of purpose.
First-Year Seminar is a part of Elms College’s commitment to helping students understand that their college experience is more than earning a degree. It is an opportunity to discover their strengths, develop their values, build meaningful relationships, and to understand how they want to contribute to their communities in the future.
Dr. Jennifer L Granger Sullivan said, “The integration of character and virtue education into Elms College’s FYS represents a transformative opportunity to fulfill the Elms mission in deeper, more intentional ways. We will help students discover their strengths, cultivate their virtues, and develop the character that enables them to lead lives of meaning and contribution. Most importantly, we plan to change lives. We are so excited for this opportunity to prepare graduates who think with their minds, feel with their hearts, and act with their hands.”
The three-year grant will provide resources to strengthen the First-Year Seminar (FYS), which serves more than 150 students each year as they begin their Elms College experience. Through an expanded, more intentional program, students will have opportunities to reflect on who they are, the values that guide them, and the lives they hope to lead, while building the skills and connections needed to thrive in college.
Dr. Joyce Hampton, Vice President of Academic Affairs, said, “Through the Educating Character Initiative, Elms first‑year students are welcomed into a learning community rooted in our mission. From day one, each component guides them to think critically, reflect deeply, and apply their education in service to others.”
Through the expanded First-Year Seminar program, Elms College will continue its commitment to educating students holistically and preparing them not only for academic success, but for lives of meaning and purpose.