Behavioral science and neuroscience education for teens, giving young people the tools to recognize influence and make more deliberate decisions.
Youth Clarity Initiative is an educational organization dedicated to helping teens understand the behavioral science behind influence, perceived norms, and decision-making,before they enter environments where those forces are most intense.
We are not a drug prevention program. We are not here to scare, moralize, or hand out pamphlets. Youth Clarity Initiative exists because the research on how teens make decisions is clear,and most of what teens actually hear doesn't reflect it.
Our flagship program is a free, 30-minute interactive session designed for teens ages 16–18. It explores how social pressure, media, marketing, and adolescent brain development converge to shape the choices young people make,using cannabis as a real-world case study. Why cannabis? ↓
The goal is simple: give teens accurate information and practical tools to make more deliberate decisions,not because we're telling them what to decide, but because understanding influence is the foundation of real autonomy.
We use cannabis as a teaching tool,chosen deliberately because of where it sits in the landscape teens are already navigating. This is not a drug awareness program. It is a behavioral science program that uses a relevant, real-world example because abstract lessons don't stick.
Legal status creates a gray zone where perceived norms are especially powerful,and especially misleading. An ideal lens for teaching how social influence distorts risk perception.
Teens are exposed to sophisticated cannabis branding, influencer culture, and normalization before they've developed the critical literacy to recognize influence in action.
The prefrontal cortex,responsible for impulse regulation and long-term planning,is still developing in this age group. This is precisely the right moment to teach deliberate decision-making.
Teens are already thinking about it, talking about it, and being asked about it. Teaching through a familiar, real example is more effective,and more honest,than abstract scenarios.
Every session is built on peer-reviewed research in adolescent brain development, behavioral economics, and social norm theory. Not opinions. Not politics. Not fear tactics.
We teach teens how decisions get made and how outside forces quietly shape them. Understanding influence is the foundation of genuine, informed autonomy.
We meet teens where they are. Our approach is honest, non-judgmental, and built to hold their attention,because a session they tune out helps no one.
Archer Lakhman is a senior at Wheaton College (MA), earning a BA in Psychology and Philosophy with a focus on adolescent development and substance use research. Youth Clarity Initiative was created to bridge the gap between what the research shows and what teens actually hear.
"I created this program because I wish I had this type of information and perspective before I went to college, or even when I was 16 years old." Archer explains. "I want to give teens the tools to understand influence and make more deliberate decisions."With a background spanning emergency medicine, crisis counseling, classroom instruction, and community youth work, Archer brings clinical awareness and peer-level authenticity to every session,a combination that is rare in this space.
A free, interactive session for teens ages 16–18 grounded in behavioral science, adolescent neuroscience, and social norm theory. No scare tactics. No lectures.
Understand how perceived norms influence behavior,and how often those perceptions are wrong
Review current national data on adolescent cannabis use and what it actually shows
Learn how adolescent brain development relates to impulse regulation and long-term planning
Identify risk factors associated with early and frequent use
Develop practical strategies for more deliberate, autonomous decision-making
Grounded in behavioral science and adolescent development research
No scare tactics, no political framing, no moralizing
Interactive and discussion-based,not a lecture
Harm-reduction aligned and autonomy-focused throughout
Optional pre/post perception survey to measure impact
Currently offered free as a pilot to youth-serving organizations
Free 30-minute pilot sessions are available now for schools, YMCAs, and youth-serving nonprofits. Fill out the form and we'll be in touch within 48 hours.
Whether you're a program director, school administrator, or youth coordinator,we'd love to connect and explore whether this is a fit for your teens.
All sessions are currently offered at no cost as part of our pilot program.
✓ Thank you,your message has been received.
We'll be in touch within 48 hours.