Michigan State University’s College of Arts and Letters is helping bring arts and humanities perspectives to workplace well-being through a new six-month virtual series developed as part of the Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences partnership.
Inspired by a shared commitment to well-being and human connection, the Compassion for Everyone Lunch-and-Grow Series, which launched in August 2026, brings together expertise from MSU’s College of Arts and Letters and Henry Ford’s Innovation Institute, Behavioral Health, and Learning and Development areas.
The pilot series provides practical strategies for strengthening compassion for oneself, others, and the systems in which people work.
“By combining expertise from across Henry Ford Health and Michigan State University, we were able to create something that is both meaningful and relevant to the challenges people face every day.”
Vikas Relan, Academic and Innovation Partnerships Manager at Henry Ford Innovations
“This series grew from a shared belief that supporting people is essential to the success of any organization,” said Vikas Relan, Academic and Innovation Partnerships Manager at Henry Ford Innovations. “By combining expertise from across Henry Ford Health and Michigan State University, we were able to create something that is both meaningful and relevant to the challenges people face every day.”
The series builds on the College of Arts and Letters’ growing work at the intersection of arts, humanities, health, and well-being while extending that work into workplace culture through the Henry Ford + MSU partnership. At the center of this work is the College of Arts and Letters’ Arts & Humanities Health and Wellbeing Initiative, which explores how the arts and humanities contribute to individual and community health and well-being.
Mary Beth Heeder, Director of the Arts & Humanities Health and Wellbeing Initiative, is co-leading the Compassion for Everyone Lunch-and-Grow Series with Relan.
“What makes this collaboration especially compelling is the opportunity to bring science and the arts into conversation with one another,” Heeder said.
Science helps explain the factors that shape how people think, communicate, and make decisions, while the arts and humanities offer practices that encourage reflection, empathy, and connection. By bringing these perspectives together, the series translates research and creative approaches into practical tools participants can apply in their everyday work.
Drawing on the human-centered perspectives of the arts and humanities, the series encourages participants to consider how they relate to themselves, their colleagues, and the environments in which they work. That focus supports the development of compassionate workplace cultures where people feel valued, collaboration is strengthened, and new ideas can thrive.
“What makes this collaboration especially compelling is the opportunity to bring science and the arts into conversation with one another.”
Mary Beth Heeder, Director of the Arts & Humanities Health and Wellbeing Initiative
“Innovation doesn’t begin with technology — it begins with people. When people feel seen, supported, and cared for, they become more willing to share ideas, take thoughtful risks, and solve problems together,” Relan said. “Compassion isn’t separate from innovation; it’s the environment that allows innovation to thrive.”
Running from August 2026 through January 2027, the six-month virtual series is initially available to Henry Ford Health employees, with plans to expand future offerings to Michigan State University employees as the program evolves.
The monthly 45-minute virtual sessions address topics such as understanding stress before it becomes suffering, the importance of rest, cultivating curiosity, building belonging, creating psychologically safe environments, and rebuilding trust after a misstep.
“My hope is that participants leave with more than new information — they leave committed to making one small change that helps more people answer ‘yes’ to ‘Do I matter? Do I belong? Do I make a difference?’” Heeder said. “Together, our small changes become meaningful steps toward making everyday compassion our way of caring for ourselves and one another.”
The remaining sessions in the series will be held virtually and include:
- September 2026 — Care for Self: Rest — Why Doing Less Helps You Do More
- October 2026 — Care for Others: Practicing Compassionate Curiosity Across Communities
- November 2026 — Care for Others: Building Belonging While Honoring Differences
- December 2026 — Care for the System: Make It Safer to Speak
- January 2027 — Care for the System: Rebuilding Trust After a Misstep
The first session, “Stress Becomes Suffering — What Is Your Body Telling You,” was held Aug. 18 and focused on care for self. The second session, held Sept. 15, had nearly 300 people registered.
The pilot series currently is open only to Henry Ford Health employees and space for each session is limited to approximately 200 participants. Select portions of the sessions may be recorded and made available for on-demand viewing.