Hopelab Foundation Inc

INVESTMENTSHOPELAB'S EXPANDED ITS EXTERNAL INVESTMENTS INITIATIVE TO INVEST IN AND PARTNER WITH ENTREPRENEURS, THOUGHT LEADERS, AND INNOVATORS WHO ARE SIMILARLY COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS. THIS CAPABILITY ALLOWED FOR THE FLEXIBILITY TO SUPPORT BOTH FOR-PROFIT AND NONPROFIT TEAMS DEDICATED TO SCALING SOCIAL IMPACT. HOPELAB IS ALSO INTERESTED IN MAKING INVESTMENTS WHERE HOPELAB CAN ADD VALUE BY LEVERAGING THE EXPERTISE OF OUR SOCIAL INNOVATION LAB, WHICH IS STAFFED BY RESEARCHERS, STRATEGISTS, AND DESIGNERS WITH UNPARALLELED EXPERTISE IN DEVELOPING PRODUCTS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WILL FIND MEANINGFUL AND WANT TO USE, CAN BE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED, AND WILL MEASURABLY IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES. THE INITIAL AREAS OF FOCUS FOR INVESTMENTS ARE: TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS, TO IMPROVE HEALTH OF LGBTQ+ TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS, AND TO IMPROVE HEALTH OF UNDERSERVED, LOW-INCOME, AND/OR BIPOC TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES RELATED TO IMPROVING MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF LGBTQ+ TEENSHOPELAB CONTINUED OUR RESEARCH AND CO-CREATION EFFORTS TO INVESTIGATE THE NATURE OF RESILIENCE AND ITS ROLE IN SUPPORTING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF LGBTG+ YOUTH, WHO ARE AT A SIGNIFICANTLY HEIGHTENED RISK FOR ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, SELF-HARM, AND SUICIDAL IDEATION AND SUICIDE. WE WORKED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, ACADEMIC RESEARCHERS, AND LGBTQ+ SERVING ORGANIZATIONS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE LANDSCAPE AND TO IDENTIFY WAYS THAT A DIGITAL INTERVENTION MIGHT BE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THIS POPULATION. WE PARTNERED WITH CENTERLINK AND THE IT GETS BETTER PROJECT TO ASSIST WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF A DIGITAL INTERVENTION THAT WILL BE RELEASED IN SUMMER 2022.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES RELATED TO IMPROVING THE MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF COLLEGE STUDENTSHOPELAB CONTINUED TO INVESTIGATE THE NATURE OF RESILIENCE AND ITS ROLE IN SUPPORTING BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS. IN 2021, WE CONTINUED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH GRIT DIGITAL HEALTH, AN EXPERT IN COLLEGE CAMPUS OUTREACH, TO SCALE THE NOD APP INTERVENTION TO COLLEGE CAMPUSES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. NOD IS A DIGITAL INTERVENTION THAT EQUIPS COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH SCIENCE-BACKED SKILLS TO BUILD SATISFYING SOCIAL CONNECTIONS. GEN Z IS ONE OF THE LONELIEST GENERATIONS TO DATE. THE HEALTH IMPACTS INCLUDE HIGHER DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, POORER SLEEP QUALITY, HEIGHTENED RISK OF SUICIDE AND SELF-HARM BEHAVIOR. A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL CONDUCTED WITH 221 FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS OVER FOUR WEEKS, IN 2020, FOUND THAT NOD PREVENTED LONELINESS AND DEPRESSION AMONG THOSE STUDENTS MOST AT RISK AT THE START OF THE YEAR.

TEEN VAPING CESSATION AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT HOPELAB IS ENGAGED IN A PORTFOLIO OF WORK TO SUPPORT TEEN VAPING CESSATION. WE ARE DEVELOPING AN APPROACH TO VAPING CESSATION THAT LEVERAGES OUR IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE, CORE COMPETENCIES IN BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE AND DESIGN, AND PRACTICE OF CO-CREATING WITH TEENS TO ENSURE A FIRST-HAND UNDERSTANDING OF THE VAPING CESSATION EXPERIENCE. WITH YOUTH VAPING AS A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN-INCLUDING ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR PHYSICAL HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, AN COVID-ASSOCIATED RISKS-LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY CAN BE AN IMPORTANT STRATEGY TO HELP SUPPORT AND PROMOTE HEALTHY BEHAVIORS AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. SOCIAL MEDIA CAN DELIVER ENGAGING INTERVENTION MATERIAL DIRECTLY TO TEENS IN A MEDIUM THAT IS ALREADY DEEPLY INTEGRATED INTO THEIR LIVES. HOPELAB, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, DEVELOPED A RESOURCE GUIDE, CALLED TALK VAPING WITH YOUR TEEN, TO HELP PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS HAVE INFORMED, PRODUCTIVE, AND NUANCED CONVERSATIONS.