Talking about race and fairness with young children

Promoting Color Brave Conversations in Families: A Public Health Strategy to Advance Racial Equity

['FUNDING_U01'] · TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA · NIH-11137825

An app-based program helps parents of kindergarten through 2nd-grade children have conversations that build empathy, fairness, and reduce bullying.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_U01']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorTULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA (nih funded)
Locations1 site (NEW ORLEANS, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11137825 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

If you join, you and your child will use a multi-module app with conversation prompts, activities, and strategies to talk about treating others fairly and resolving conflict. Researchers first gathered input from caregiver focus groups to shape the app and will enroll a national sample of primary caregivers and their K–2 children. Families will be randomly assigned to start the program right away or be on a wait-list/attention control, and the team will track children's social behaviors and attitudes over time. The goal is to give parents practical tools to foster empathy and prosocial behavior in early childhood.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Primary caregivers and their children in kindergarten through 2nd grade (roughly ages 5–8) are the ideal participants.

Not a fit: Families without K–2 children or those seeking clinical treatment for severe developmental or behavioral disorders may not benefit from this preventive, conversation-focused program.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: This could help young children develop empathy, reduce bullying and unfair treatment, and improve social and emotional well-being.

How similar studies have performed: Prior parent-focused and anti-bias programs have shown promise for improving empathy and reducing bias, though app-based randomized trials in K–2 families are still relatively new.

Where this research is happening

NEW ORLEANS, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.