To stay connected to themselves and others, tweens and teens need healthy habits that build self-awareness, authenticity and empathy. Lucero makes these habits easy with a gamified, bite-sized approach and radical support for tweens, teens and the adults who care for them. Here’s how we do it:

1. Lucero supports self-awareness. Tweens’ and teens’ self-concept is rooted in the strength of their relationships with others. Positive relationships give them self-confidence, and self-confidence boosts their capacity to connect with others. In other words, to connect with others, teens need to connect with themselves, too. Here are a few of the ways Lucero supports self-awareness:

• Lucero takes tweens and teens on an adventure of self-discovery that renews with new challenges each day. As they make their way through Journey, teens learn emotional literacy, explore self-regulation, and build self-confidence. And every discovery is logged, so teens can reflect on how they have grown.
• Lucero checks in with teens’ moods, then provides a toolkit of over 600 self-care habits for every emotion. Each time they spin the wheel in Spark, they take care of their minds, bodies and hearts.

2. Lucero makes authenticity accessible. To feel good about themselves, teens need to know that their whole self is accepted, including all their quirks, challenges, and imperfections. Here’s how Lucero makes authenticity accessible:

• Teens get a daily dose of self-celebration in Sanctuary. It’s a place where they can express themselves by evolving their Avatars, tracking their progress and earning Badges.
• Teens can choose personal quests like “Be kinder to myself” in Missions. They complete their mission with fun, personalized support that’s all about developing healthy habits and achieving goals one step at a time.
• Teens can share their self-discovery with up to seven “framily” members who make up their Crew… that’s anyone who radically supports them in being the most authentic version of themselves!

3. Lucero evolves empathy. The teen years are prime time for developing empathy. Studies show that adolescents score significantly lower than adults in measurements of both cognitive and affective empathy. That’s because the teenage brain is still developing, and empathy is a learned skill. Here’s how Lucero evolves empathy:

• Friends and family members can join teens on their self-care journey to cheer each other on and support each other. Staying connected to their Crew reminds teens that they’re part of a network of care.
• Lucero encourages teens to share what they discover about themselves with their Crew. That sparks curiosity and conversations, helps them see things from other perspectives and deepens their concern for others.

4. Lucero checks in consistently. Lucero is backed by leading-edge research that says the key to developing healthy habits like connection is keeping it simple and providing repetition and reward. To keep teens connected, Lucero checks in consistently with ways to share, reach out to others, and strengthen their support system. Every activity is co-created by youth and backed by licensed therapists. It’s fun, engaging, and consistent, helping tweens, teens and their caregivers cultivate connections that protect their mental health and lead to lifelong well-being.

You can find Maddie creating content for Lucero over on Instagram. She also helps our team of licensed therapists ensure that all the activities in the Lucero app are teen-tested and approved. Maddie brings drive, creativity and a playful spirit to the team, and we’re lucky to have her! Here’s a little about Maddie in her own words:

1. What grade are you in?

I am a junior in high school, an 11th grader.

2. What’s one passion or interest that you are excited to share with others?

I really enjoy writing! I like to share my works with my friends and show passion and beauty through words.

3. Do you have an Avatar in the Lucero app? If so, how does it reflect your personality?

I choose the dog avatar because, like dogs, I\’m very loyal to the ones I love. And I am very energetic at times!

4. What is one of your goals for the future?

To publish the book I am writing!

5. What’s one thing that people are surprised to learn about you?

Probably that I am writing a book! People tend to have a shocked face when I mention it.

6. What’s one of your favorite self-care practices?

I recently have really enjoyed going on walks after school and listening to music. I don\’t have to worry and can just focus on the good vibes!

7. If you could plan an adventure with any three people, who would you choose, where would you go, and why?

I would go to Greece or a beautiful island, because I love the beach, with Florence Pugh, Yeonjun, and Zendaya. They are all people whom I find amazing and talented, and whom I admire. It would be very nice to just spend time talking and hanging out and understanding everyone\’s different experiences in their life.

8. If you could share one important message with every tween and teen, what would it be?

You are still young. You don’t have to try to grow up so fast, but also don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young!

1. What grade are you in? 

11th grade

2. What’s one passion or interest that you are excited to share with others?

One passion that I am excited to share with others is my love for video making. I used to edit videos when I was younger, but I haven\’t gotten to rekindle it till now.

3. Do you have an avatar in the Lucero app? If so, how does it reflect your personality?

My avatar in the Lucero app is a brown sloth. Since I deal with depression, I felt this avatar reflected my personality as I sometimes struggle to find motivation.

4. What is one of your goals for the future?

After I graduate high school, I want to major in nursing and attend a master’s program. I eventually want to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner who can support others in their mental health journeys.

5. What’s one thing that people are surprised to learn about you?

People are usually surprised when I tell them my family is from Cameroon. My entire family speaks fluent French, except me!

6. What’s one of your favorite self-care practices?

My favorite self-care practice is taking mental health days from school. Junior year has been quite the hectic year, and I’ve realized the importance of taking a day off to ground yourself and catch up when you need it.

7. If you could plan an adventure with any three people, who would you choose, where would you go, and why?

I would go with my friends Maddie, Kimberly and Hannah to the south of France, because of the beautiful architecture and nature in the area.

8. If you could share one important message with every tween and teen, what would it be?

If I could share one important message with every tween and teen, I would tell them to avoid people-pleasing. You come first, and it is important to know that other people’s happiness is not your responsibility!

Journi combines her passions for creativity and mental health awareness by crafting content for Lucero on Instagram. She also helps our team of licensed therapists ensure that all the activities in the Lucero app are teen-tested and approved. We love her creative spark and infectious enthusiasm! We’re lucky to have Journi on our team and wanted to share a little about what makes her so special:

1. What grade are you in? 

11th

2. What’s one passion or interest that you are excited to share with others?

My love of art is one passion I am eager to share with others! While I am definitely at a beginner level, I enjoy drawing and painting and try to incorporate it into the things I do.

3. Do you have an avatar in the Lucero app? If so, how does it reflect your personality?

My Lucero avatar is a flamingo. I chose it because it represents being silly, friendly, and sassy. I am always joking around and I love making new friends, so I thought the flamingo would best represent who I am!

4. What is one of your goals for the future?

One of my goals is to work as a therapist or psychologist, helping people with their mental health and making a difference.

5. What’s one thing that people are surprised to learn about you?

One thing people are surprised to learn about me is that I am very talkative. I am usually very quiet when I first meet people, but once they get to know me, I will talk their ear off!

6. What’s one of your favorite self-care practices?

Journaling is my favorite self-care practice. I love having a safe place to write down my feelings, and it\’s a great coping mechanism to just let everything out.

7. If you could plan an adventure with any three people, who would you choose, where would you go, and why? 

It would be my mother, father, and sister, and we would travel throughout Italy! It has always been a dream of mine to visit Italy, and I would love to do so with my three most favorite people in the world.

8. If you could share one important message with every tween and teen, what would it be?

If I could give every tween and teen one piece of advice, it would be to be themselves! Be yourself and do things to please yourself, not others.

We don’t have a time machine on hand, but we have the next best thing for the young people in your life right now. Lucero is a gamified wellness app that helps tweens and teens build healthy habits for self-care and emotional resilience in just a few minutes a day. It’s designed by licensed therapists and tweens and teens themselves, and – best of all – it’s fun! Lucero gives young people a mental health mentor, right in their pockets. Here are four ways our approach is unique and tailored for today\’s tweens and teens:

1. Lucero is youth-driven.

It’s time to get serious about solving the youth mental health crisis. The number of high school students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness increased by 40% between 2009 and 2019, and from 2007-2018, suicide rates among youth ages 10-24 increased by 57%. To create solutions, we need all the experts on board, and Lucero believes that includes tweens and teens themselves. After all, who knows better how young people are thinking and feeling right now? We asked our youth advisors, “If you had a magic app that could solve the problems you face, what would it do?” Then we built the safe space they asked for. All of our content is created by trauma-informed licensed therapists who work closely with tweens and teens to get it right.

2. Lucero is accessible.

In 2016 only about half of children with a treatable mental health disorder actually received treatment, and the pandemic made it even harder for young people to access mental health care. Many face accessibility and affordability barriers, and most families lack the skills, language and tools to talk about mental health with confidence. Lucero makes emotional regulation and self-care skills accessible to anyone with a smartphone. It learns which activities improve teens’ mood and well-being, and provides a customized experience that includes families as part of the care team. Lucero also gives parents and pros insight into topics that resonate with teens, as well as streamlined access to support and resources.

3. Lucero is gamified.

Lucero’s approach is to gamify healthy habits like positive self-talk, emotional regulation and connection with others. The 12-week adventure of World 1 helps teens develop self-awareness and build confidence while evolving their Avatars, tracking their progress and earning badges. The Crew feature lets them invite up to seven friends and family members to join them on the journey, so they can have fun learning together. Why gamify? Studies show that making learning fun increases motivation, so tweens and teens stay engaged longer and lock in those healthy habits. 

4. Lucero is bite-sized.

Did you know that all it takes to create a healthy habit is just a few minutes a day? Behavior scientists and psychologists say the best way to make big changes is to take it one small step at a time. That means breaking down big goals into micro-habits: tiny habits that are easy to repeat and build over time. Teens who take this approach are more likely to stay inspired. Lucero provides daily reinforcement of resources and healthy habits that support teens in mind, body and spirit. It’s almost as if your older, wiser self showed up to say, “Hang in there! Here are some tools to help you get through this.” No time machine required.