LEXINGTON, Ky. — The College of Social Work and the College of Fine Arts at the University of Kentucky has announced a new partnership to support social work faculty and staff wellbeing. The partnership, which is part of the College of Social Work Wellness Initiative (CoSW WI), is designed to offer creative, accessible ways for employees to prioritize their well-being.
The CoSW WI was implemented in 2023 and is part of the college’s Forward, Together Strategic Framework. The goal of the overarching initiative is to increase and foster pathways for faculty and staff to participate in wellness activities. Through this new partnership, CoSW employees and their families can access performances held at the Singletary Center for the Arts.
“We want our college to be an ideal place to be educated, employed, and engaged,” said Jay Miller, dean of CoSW. “Our wellness initiative is a strategic effort to actualize those goals, and offer self-care options and support to our people. This new partnership with the College of Fine Arts is but one example of such an option.”
And if staff sentiments are an indicator, this new partnership will contribute to meeting that goal.
For Meagan Lederman, a University of Kentucky employee of five years and staff member in the College of Social Work (CoSW), finding a sense of community in a new city hasn’t always come easy. A transplant to Lexington, she admits it can sometimes feel challenging to connect beyond the boundaries of the workplace.
“I think connection is a big part of wellness,” explained Meagan Lederman, a CoSW staff member. “But, as someone who is not from Lexington, it has sometimes been hard to make connection and build community that feels authentic and lasting.”
But, participating in offerings from this new partnership have changed that.
Through the CoSW-CFA collaboration, Meagan Lederman and her family recently attended a matinee performance of A Night on Broadway: Heroes and Villains by the UK Choristers at the Singletary Center for the Arts.
“The performance was amazing,” she said. “Each song featured incredibly talented student singers and fun choreography. What I loved most was watching my 7- and 9-year-old children completely captivated—singing along and soaking in the energy.”
Her daughter, inspired by the show, left wondering if she might one day be a UK Chorister herself.
“It filled me with pride, not just in working at UK, but in seeing our students shine and imagining that my kids might want to be part of this community someday,” Lederman said.
While this partnership is in its first year, Miller looks forward to continuing to explore and expand self-care and wellness options at CoSW.
“I am extremely grateful to Dean Shanda, CFA, and The Singletary Center for the Arts for being open to creative partnerships that support wellness,” explained Miller. “We truly hope this serves as a model that others can replicate to build community and foster employee wellbeing.”
If Lederman’s experience is any indication, these partnerships can certainly have a big impact.
“Programs like this show how UK can bring people together,” Lederman added. “It helped my family feel connected to the university and to Lexington in a way that felt joyful and lasting.”
