The mission of the School Wellness Lab is to engage in research and service that improves the well-being of youth, teachers, leaders and other stakeholders within the school community. Of particular interest to the School Wellness Lab is research and service which addresses harmful substance use amongst school-aged youth. 

The School Wellness Lab operates from a compassion-centered, social-ecological perspective. This means we believe individual, relational, community, societal, and other environmental factors intersect in complex ways to affect wellness in schools. We believe the interplay of these factors must be considered to promote and improve wellness within schools.

We also believe in the healing power of compassion. As such, we believe it is the personal and professional responsibility of individuals within the helping professions to promote wellness by recognizing the experiences of school community members, cultivating empathetic concern for their experiences and responding in ways which alleviate distress and facilitate healing. 

The School Wellness Lab is co-directed by professors Kara Lasater and Erin Kern Popejoy. To contact Dr. Lasater, email klasater@uark.edu or call 479-575-5565. To contact Dr. Popejoy, email erinkern@uark.edu or call 479-575-2213.