In the heart of Winter Park, and just a few miles from the Center for Health & Wellbeing, the beautiful Liberal Arts campus of Rollins College stands as a beacon of education, innovation and community.
The Winter Park Health Foundation (WPHF) recognizes the importance of fostering both physical and mental health habits in students, as we know that they will become the leaders of tomorrow. Through our strong partnership with Rollins, we have invested in programs designed to support students on their health journeys.
On Monday, March 31, WPHF leaders visited Rollins to see firsthand two initiatives the foundation has helped fund and explore new ways we can join forces to support the mental health of students and staff.
Our first stop was the Urban Farm, established with the help of a WPHF grant. Located just behind Elizabeth Hall, this small but powerful green space offers students the chance to grow fresh produce, including spinach, herbs and arugula. Not only do they gain hands-on experience tending to the farm, they also learn about sustainability.
The harvested produce is donated to the Student Support Foundation’s free food pantry. The pantry addresses food insecurity on campus by providing students in need with fresh, farm-grown options and promoting healthier eating compared to the typical college diet of fast food, ramen noodles and cold pizza.
Next, we stopped by the Campus Bike Sharing Program, also proudly supported by WPHF. This program empowers students to use bikes as an eco-friendly mode of transportation. Thanks to a grant from WPHF, the school has 50 bikes that students can check out from the library, along with a lock and helmet (free for short-term rentals and for a small fee for an entire semester).
The Campus Bike Sharing Program also provides students with the training and tools to repair their bikes. At convenient bike stations on campus, students can refill their tire tubes with air, replace flat tires and perform other routine maintenance. This program teaches students the importance of staying physically fit, using environmentally friendly transportation and fostering a sense of community as they care for their bikes and ensure they remain well-maintained for future classmates.
Following the tour, we concluded our visit with an informative and inspiring discussion highlighting the important mental health work happening on campus and how WPHF might help advance those efforts.
These initiatives make an impact, and we look forward to dreaming up more ways to work together.
Learn More: https://www.thesandspur.org/op-ed-rollins-urban-farm-cultivates-sustainability-and-learning/
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