That Could Be Me Foundation/La Salle University Partnership Wins $10,000 Community Driven Research Day Grant
Bringing community-based organizations and local researchers together
PHILADELPHIA — That Could Be Me Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that uses creative expression technologies to foster the mental health of underserved youth, in partnership with La Salle University associate professor Dr. Yang Wang and a team of La Salle students, has been named the winner of a $10,000 Community Driven Research Day grant, sponsored by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Center for Violence Prevention.
The grant encourages collaborations between academic researchers and community-based organizations to answer research questions that address the social determinants of health. This year’s theme was Resilient Communities: Advancing Health Together. On February 9, 2024, That Could Be Me Foundation delivered an interactive poster presentation to academic researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and five local universities to discuss potential collaborations, ultimately choosing to partner with La Salle.
Founded in 2021, That Could Be Me Foundation was created to be a catalyst: a coalition of leaders bringing transformative impact to underserved communities across the country through access to best practices in technology, the creative arts and mental health. Its mission is to empower underserved youth to participate in the creator economy by arming them with cutting-edge digital arts education, access to mental health resources, and essential social self-care skills to navigate their journey.
According to Founder & CEO Derrick S. Tarver, “There have been 70 billion views on social media under #mentalhealth, half on TikTok – evidence that our youth are thirsty for information, creative outlets and peer support. The Foundation’s app-based EduCreation Platform, That Could Be Me®, strives to provide these supports beginning with access to artificial intelligence (AI) based creative expression technologies as a means for youth to express who they are, explore who they want to be, and define their vision for their communities”.
La Salle University associate professor Dr. Yang Wang, PhD is an award-winning educator and researcher in the department of math & computer science. His research interests and passions include a/synchronous online learning, gamification, information security, and teaching the next generation. Assisted by his mentee Kevin Beideman, La Salle computer science major (class of ’26), Dr. Wang provides critical insight into the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators that drive action and personal growth. Elizabeth Wayne, a La Salle Doctoral student in Clinical Psychology (class of ‘28), brings a wealth of experience as a researcher and mental health service provider. Rounding out the team is Dr. Stephen DiDonato, associate professor at Thomas Jefferson University College of Nursing, a psychologist and expert on children and families who have experienced the intersection and complexity of exposure to trauma and social injustice. “I couldn’t possibly imagine a more dedicated and passionate group of subject matter experts to complement the talented design and user experience team behind our beta product – Meg Niman, Brie Wildau, Sierra Sims and Paige Harari”, said Tarver.
Together, the team is implementing a pilot and research study entitled Fostering Youth Coping: Mobile Health Gamification Of Selfcare And Digital Arts Technology Training, in order to test the beta product and continue to innovate. The study aims to assess the impact of gamification (the process of adding game-like elements to a task to encourage participation) on how youth learn new digital creation skills, new social selfcare skills to support their wellness, and ultimately their ability to cope using the widely-recognized Kids Coping Scale (KCS).
That Could Be Me Foundation was named the $50,000 Well City Challenge 2.0 grand prize recipient during a Community Showcase in September 2023. Presented by the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia (ELGP) in collaboration with Independence Blue Cross and Accelerate Health Equity, the Showcase celebrated the 5 best concepts and business plans selected from approximately 100 applicants who made it through the rigorous shark tank-style judging process. This social impact accelerator supports innovators with fresh, disruptive ideas for addressing and improving mental and physical health through community-led solutions.
“We’re very excited to see That Could Be Me Foundation usher in a new wave of healthcare solutions to jumpstart generational wellness amongst young Philadelphians,” said Jeff Hornstein, Executive Director of ELGP. “One of our goals at the Economy League is to lift up and empower our city’s promising entrepreneurs. For so many, access to resources is all they need to make an impact, and we could not be prouder of Derrick and the team”.
