LearningWell Magazine received two Grand Award prizes from the 2026 APEX Awards for Publication Excellence, winning for Writing in different subcategories. For Feature Writing, LearningWell Editor-in-Chief Marjorie Malpiede was recognized for her June 2025 article “Colleges With Character.” For Writing / Topics — Mental Health and Wellness, LearningWell Reporter Mollie Ames was recognized for her June 2025 article “Deconstructing ‘Climate Anxiety.’”

“We are so delighted to be among a best practice cohort of writers and publishers,” said Malpiede. “It is humbling and gratifying to know that the issues we write about at LearningWell are well-received and acknowledged for their relevance.”

The APEX Awards for Publication Excellence are an annual competition recognizing best practices across more than 100 editorial categories, spanning writing and design, print media and websites. Historically, more than 1,000 submissions are made. This year, only 10 percent were selected for the top honor, the Grand Award. APEX Awards Inc. advises publishing, PR and marketing professionals on best practices to improve their publications and communications programs.

For Writing / Type of Media — Feature Writing, LearningWell Editor-in-Chief Marjorie Malpiede June 2025 article “Colleges With Character.”

  • From APEX: “In the article, Malpiede provides a sweeping overview of a groundbreaking movement to infuse liberal arts post-secondary education with educational opportunities that hone ethical understanding, provide opportunities for character development and leadership growth, and cultivate human connection over purely academic or operational understandings of the world around them. While this movement is only at its inception, it is a harbinger of an educational shift in priorities which is deeply needed to support modern learners who must embody human intelligence and empathy in a world where AI seeks to fulfill human roles and mimic human values.”

For Writing / Topics — Mental Health and Wellness, LearningWell Reporter Mollie Ames was recognized for her June 2025 article “Deconstructing ‘Climate Anxiety.’”

  • From APEX: “In this crucially timely article, author Mollie Ames delves into growing cultural concerns surrounding not just the concept of climate change but the political, social and emotional lenses through which we discuss, internalize and mobilize to confront not just ecological change but our personal sense of agency, well-being and future planning within the global landscape. With a particular focus on the impact on youth growing up in turbulent environmental and political times, this article should be considered a critical starting point for reflection by parents, educators and advocates alike.”

Through news and research reporting, expert opinion, and storytelling, LearningWell Magazine provides readers with information, evidence, and inspiration to help young people live and learn well. LearningWell Magazine is published by the LearningWell Coalition, an organization dedicated to examining how higher education experiences can lead to improved wellbeing both on campus and throughout one’s lifetime.