Litmus Partners with the NYC Police Foundation to
Support High Schoolers
The Litmus team is helping the NYC Police Foundation and a citywide collaboration learn how best to support high-school-age youth and their communities, through the foundation’s Options program. Options encourages youth to learn practical skills that will help them navigate the challenges of growing up in an urban environment. Two small pilot studies provided collaborating partners an opportunity to learn from community members and field test approaches to collecting information on programming and whether it is meeting its intended goals. The Options Wellness Fundamentals life-skills program addresses mindfulness and wellness along several dimensions—emotional, social, cognitive, physical, and financial. And Options Wellness Through Music provides music education and programming for youth. These pilots will inform more-rigorous, larger-scale studies focused on youth engagement starting this summer.