Charleston, South Carolina – The College of Charleston announced Wednesday the opening of a new facility to promote student development and healthy connections.
The Center for Intentionality, founded by Charleston philanthropist and businessman Ben Navarro, opened on Sunday at 159 Rutledge Avenue.
Navarro teaches an intentionality course at the College, which he developed after years of observing highly successful people. The course is aligned with the school’s Intentionality Club.
Navarro’s intentionality course teaches students how to improve their behaviors, fuel their bodies, control their brains, and establish community. Students who complete the course will be able to contribute to the creation and management of programs offered at the new center.
“I’m not better than anyone else, but I am willing to take action and have the humility to fail,” Navarro told pupils at the center’s inaugural opening. “Intentionality can dramatically improve your life, but only if you put in the time and effort. Everything you need to live a meaningful life is already within you; this is your time to acknowledge it and take decisive actions toward your goal. My goal is that what begins at the College of Charleston will serve as a model for other universities around the country.
The building has a first-floor community space with a kitchenette, kombucha on tap, water, and light refreshments. The second level promotes yoga and movement-based meditation, with space for additional events such as movie evenings and fireside conversations.
On the third floor, there is a study, a library, and a reflection room.
“This new center stands as a perfect expression of the College’s enduring call to action – specifically, the Greek words found on Porter’s Lodge stating to ‘know thyself,'” says Andrew T. Hsu, president of the College of Communication. “At the Center for Intentionality, our students will not only discover who they are, but also work towards the selves they want to be. It will be a location where curiosity meets purpose, and reflection leads to direction.”
