Award-winning program delivers lifestyle medicine to youth 

The success of the LIVELY program, a collaboration between Harvard Medical School, Harvard College and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, is drawing interest from lifestyle medicine advocates in other communities.  

In just one year, the LIVELY (Lifestyle Interventions Through Empowerment and Learning for Youth) program has positively impacted the lives of Boston youth, earning the Boys and Girls Club of Boston’s Volunteer Group of the Year honor.  

LIVELY is the brainchild of Harvard Medical School student Vivian Wang (class of ’27) and Beth Frates, MD, FACLM, DipABLM, immediate past president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM). The program is a collaboration between Harvard Medical School, Harvard College and the Boys and Girls Club of Boston.  

The program was born after Dr. Frates put out a call in 2024 for a medical student to collaborate with her in teaching Boston-area youth about lifestyle medicine, and Wang responded. Dr. Frates, Harvard Medical School associate professor, part-time, created the first Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group (LMIG) at Harvard Medical School in 2008. Today, there are more than 165 LMIGs nationwide, spanning diverse programs such as medical schools, residencies and health professional training programs.   

Wang and Dr. Frates developed the LIVELY program using the Teen Lifestyle Medicine Handbook and Teen Curriculum.  

“It all started with an email to Dr. Frates, and my serendipitously getting involved with her to make this vision come to life,” Wang said. “LIVELY has reminded our medical students of our ‘why’–why we all entered medicine in the first place.” 

Activities, stories and empowerment  

Wang had worked previously with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater New Haven, Conn., through the mental health Mindful Exchanges program she co-founded with a fellow student during her undergraduate program at Yale College. The program–hosting mental health seminars for youth, especially those in underserved communities and experiencing stigma–was developed in response to students’ isolation and loneliness during the pandemic.  

After starting medical school, Wang missed being involved in the community, so she jumped at the opportunity to work with Dr. Frates. The six-week LIVELY program covers the six pillars of lifestyle medicine (optimal nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, connectedness and avoidance of risky substances) while also emphasizing each pillar’s connection to mental health. The LIVELY program began offering weekly sessions at both the South Boston and Roxbury Boys and Girls Clubs.  

Classes include activities and real-life stories about how lifestyle choices impact health. Participants are empowered with tools and information to advocate for friends, family members and others in their social circles to establish realistic and sustainable healthy habits.  

Tailored to specific needs  

“This has proven to be such a meaningful experience for volunteers and club members,” Wang said. “We have also learned from the teens, who shared new perspectives on working with their peers, coping with stress and the unique challenges of being a young person. This helped us better tailor our curriculum to their needs.” 

Wang said it was a great surprise to learn that LIVELY was named Volunteer Group of the Year and to receive Boys and Girls Clubs funding to expand the programming to a third club in Chelsea, Massachusetts. 

Boston’s Boys and Girls Club noted in the award letter that “LIVELY has not only strengthened” the club’s mission but has “also inspired others to take action and give back.”  

The “group exemplifies the power of collective service,” the letter said. “(LIVELY’s) commitment, enthusiasm and collaborative spirit have strengthened programs, inspired others and positively influenced the lives of those they serve. This award celebrates the impact that a dedicated volunteer group can have when working together to create lasting change.” 

Interest is spreading 

The program’s success has drawn interest from others looking to join the effort. Boston University students reached out to LIVELY seeking to become involved. A recent Harvard graduate, Noah Janfaza, received a fellowship from Harvard College to bring LIVELY to Boys and Girls Clubs in Puerto Rico. Another Harvard College graduate, Allie Rosenstein, who will attend UNC School of Medicine, hopes to bring LIVELY to a community near the medical school. Noah and Allie started the first LMIG at Harvard College this year, with Dr. Frates as their faculty advisor. Dr. Frates’ colleagues at Stanford University School of Medicine, where she attended medical school, were inspired to start a LIVELY program, too. 

LIVELY was funded by Harvard Medical School’s Office of Community-Centered Medical Education and is the recipient of an American Psychiatric Association Helping Hands grant, supporting the program’s efforts through 2025.  

“The rapid expansion of this program and the amount of interest we’ve received demonstrates the need to make lifestyle medicine more accessible to our youth and really speaks to the need for students to be involved in the communities where they are learning and training,” Wang said. “It helps remind us that we have so much to offer, especially for the next generation.” 

Contact lmig@lifestylemedicine.org for questions about forming an LMIG at your institution.