Why Now?

It’s time to get serious about protecting teen mental health. Over the past decade, rates of depression, anxiety, mood disorders and self-harm have escalated sharply among teens. One in three high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness – a 40% increase between 2009 and 2019. Death by suicide is also now the second leading cause of death among adolescents, a 60% increase between 2007 and 2018. And, according to the CDC, 37% of teens reported experiencing poor mental health due to the pandemic. For parents and caregivers, the rising tide of bad news is both alarming and overwhelming. What is causing our kids to suffer? And how can we help them?


Teen mental health experts say the data points to multiple problems upstream, including shame and stigma surrounding mental health, a crisis-centered, overburdened care system, and a lack of preventative resources. By looking at what’s missing, we can begin to create solutions to the teen mental health crisis, including:

  • giving teens and families the skills, language, and tools to talk about mental health and wellness

  • building a more proactive, preventative model of care

  • meeting teens where they are and making wellness easy and accessible

  • focusing on daily habits for mental and emotional well-being 


That’s where Lucero comes in. Lucero is a youth-driven, gamified approach to wellness and self-care. We asked teens, “If you had a magic app to solve the problems you face, what would it do?” Then, led by a team of trauma-informed therapists, we built the safe space they asked for. Lucero includes multiple layers of support, including


  • Journey: 84+ fun and engaging daily micro-lessons on topics like confidence and self-awareness

  • Spark: 600+ self-care ideas designed for 30 different emotions

  • Sanctuary: A place where teens can celebrate themselves by evolving their avatars and earning badges

  • Crew: Meaningful connection with up to 7 framily members (friends and family who radically support each other)


Our research-backed philosophy is that small daily acts of self-discovery and self-care add up to big changes in the brain, and that makes teens’ mental health more resilient. Instead of waiting for a crisis, Lucero is all about building habits to support long-term wellness in mind, body and spirit. It increases emotional regulation skills through self-awareness, confidence and mindfulness and makes hard topics fun, engaging and bite-sized. 


First and foremost, Lucero gives teens a safe space to just be themselves. In just a few minutes a day, they can gain tools to build confidence, deal with difficult emotions, and stay connected to others who radically support them. Lucero also helps parents and pros stay connected to tweens and teens. 


Why now? Because when we look at those sobering statistics, we know that every single number is a tween or teen who can thrive with the right tools and support. Because we know that real solutions have to be youth-driven, supported by science and accessible to everyone. And most of all, because teens are telling us it’s time. So let’s do this.