Leadership and mindfulness program to support teen well-being
Official title: Can A Youth Leadership and Mindfulness Program Support Well-being in Adolescence?
Funded at Boston University (Charles River Campus) · NIH-11194008 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A 7-week leadership program with mindfulness practices for 12–20-year-olds to help improve mood, behavior, and leadership skills.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University (Charles River Campus) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,450,727 |
| NIH project number | 5UH3AT012530-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11194008 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are 12–20-year-olds enrolled at participating schools or community sites who can attend weekly group sessions and consent to study activities.
✕Less likely to help
Teens who cannot attend in-person sessions at the study locations or who need individualized clinical treatment rather than a group leadership program may not benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
You would join LEAP, a 7-week program co-designed with youth that mixes leadership training and mindfulness in group sessions. The team will run a small pilot of about 40 teens to refine the program, then carry out a two-site, two-arm randomized trial where participants are randomly assigned to LEAP or a comparison condition. Sessions focus on peer leadership, emotional coping, and skills for school and community engagement, and researchers will collect information on mental, emotional, behavioral health and leadership over time. The work is happening with partner schools and community sites in two cities to test whether the program works across different groups.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, LEAP could help teens feel better emotionally, reduce behavior problems, and build leadership skills that support school and community success.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies suggest leadership training can improve youth mental and behavioral health, but combining leadership with mindfulness in a multi-site randomized trial is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston University (Charles River Campus)
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Green, Jennifer Greif — Boston University (Charles River Campus)
- Study coordinator: Green, Jennifer Greif
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.