In November 2025, students in the Honors ceramic arts class at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) participated in a project that combined cooking and art as part of an initiative to promote wellness within academic settings. The class, held in collaboration with Eagle Nutrition Services, taught students how to prepare a healthy and affordable ramen meal, which they then served in ceramic bowls they had created.
The event was developed through a partnership between arts professor Margeaux Claude and senior Honors social work major Ricki Kreps. It built on an earlier Honors contract project completed by Kreps. Professor Claude explained, “The global history of ceramics includes many lineages of shared labor and care. This logical connection between labor and care intersects with what students experience in the ceramics studios at EMU. After observing students’ bond in working individually, but collectively, in the studios, I wanted to engage in a partnership with student-led research to expand on what students’ needs my class could address in the time we have together.”
Kreps focused their assignment on creating wellness activities for classmates due to concerns about access to self-care resources. “We need to catch students while we have them – in class,” said Kreps. “The idea of an in-class, wellness initiative appealed to me because it uses the existing structural support of the classroom to reach students in ways that extracurricular resources aren’t able to.”
To bring their ideas into practice, Claude and Kreps applied for funding from the Bruce K. Nelson Faculty Development Center’s (FDC) wellness grant program. Professor Claude noted her motivation: “I was inspired by observing students and seeing them tired, hungry, and struggling to stay present. In a studio space, it is imperative that you work with your hands and mind continuously.”
Professor Jeff Bernstein, FDC director and professor of political science, described the purpose of these grants: “Wellness mini-grants aim to provide funding for faculty to try out new ideas connected with wellness, broadly speaking. The grants offer a small amount of money – typically up to $250 – and give faculty an opportunity to come up with ideas and try them out in a relatively low-stakes way.”
After securing funding, Claude and Kreps collaborated with staff from REC/IM Wellness on Wheels team to design mindfulness-focused activities such as breathing exercises, light stretches, reflection prompts, group discussions for community bonding, and hands-on engagement.
Kreps said about this process: “Professor Claude and I knew we wanted to collaborate with people who were more well-versed in student wellness and mindfulness than us. Based on the tenets of mindfulness, it was important for us to include ‘mindful moments’ for regulation – e.g., breathing exercises, light stretches, reflection prompts, etc. – group discussions for community bonding, and one or more hands-on activities for movement and engagement.”
Students responded positively to the session. Faith Keyes, an Honors sophomore planning a career in nursing said: “Getting out of the studio and cooking ramen at Eagle Nutrition Services was such a refreshing break. Seeing our bowls not just as art pieces but as functional vessels we could actually use made the whole experience feel meaningful. It really showed me how the things we create can bring joy into everyday life.”
Professor Bernstein added: “The FDC is pleased to provide wellness lessons for students in Dr. Claude’s class, and eating healthy food out of the ceramics they made is really, really special.”
Eastern Michigan University has evolved from its origins as a teachers college into a comprehensive public university offering over 200 undergraduate majors along with graduate programs official website. The university maintains its main campus in Ypsilanti while providing online learning opportunities official website. EMU is recognized nationally for its programs across education, business health sciences,and arts fields official website.
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