Our Mission
Flourishing Futures Lab uses youth-centered research to transform systems so that Black youth, particularly those who are the most vulnerable, can flourish now and in the future.
Flourishing Feature
Flourishing Futures Lab is informed by person-centered frameworks such as reproductive justice, and positive youth development.
Our Approach
Flourishing Futures Lab takes an assets-based, youth-centered approach to addressing systemic issues pertinent to young people. We choose to think about, study, and discuss Black youth and youth of color as at-promise instead of at-risk—seeking to make lasting, authentic relationships with youth, community members, organizations, and other researchers.
Flourishing Futures Lab has a particular focus on teen/young parents. Building on the reproductive justice framework, FFL seeks to support the well-being of teen/young parents and ensure systems do not continue to perpetuate disparities, disadvantage and stigma.
FFL believes that all young people have the potential to flourish when systems are transformed with them in mind.
Research Team
FFL is based at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, led by Dr. Asari Offiong.
FFL Director
As an adolescent health researcher trained in public health, she has over a decade of experience leading youth development programs and conducting community-based research focused on adolescent reproductive health. Her qualitative research focuses on using a reproductive justice lens to understand the social context of how US adolescents conceptualize their pregnancy intentions and reproductive health decision-making. Working alongside young people themselves, her research has been used to develop and evaluate culturally relevant programming and resources for young people and their communities.
What does flourishing mean to you?
The opportunity to thrive, be free and have the options to live out your dreams and desires.
Meet the Future (Trainees)
Regan McKee
Undergraduate Student in Psychology, Minor in Gender and Health | MS in Psychology, University of Michigan (beginning Fall 2026)
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What does flourishing mean to you?
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To me, flourishing means having agency over your health, access to the resources that support it, time to actually use them, and community to create joy with. These are the conditions that make true health possible.
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What system do you want to reimagine and transform?
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I want to reimagine paid parental leave in the US. I want to redesign it from the ground up with health as the core purpose, making it federally guaranteed, broad enough to cover the reproductive experience, and extended to all caregivers regardless of job type.
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Jordan Bell
MPH Student in Health Behavior & Health Equity, University of Michigan | BS in Public Health, Wayne State University
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What does flourishing mean to you?
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Flourishing expands access to and knowledge of resources to offer the space, safety, and opportunity to be curious, learn, and grow over time.
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What system do you want to reimagine and transform?
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I want to re-imagine how communities structure and sustain social support, and how it impacts the physical and mental health of women, children, and adolescents. Additionally, I want to transform the perceptions of research participation held by communities experiencing mistrust by conducting community engaged projects that center voices of the population being served.
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Shantel K. Baxter
MPH Student in Health Behavior & Health Equity, University of Michigan |
BS Kinesiology, Minor in Health Promotion, Michigan State University
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What does flourishing mean to you?
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Flourishing means having the support, resources, and self empowerment to thrive in all aspects of life. This involves more than just individual factors, but also collective action through unity and community. When we stand up for one another, show compassion for one another, and offer support for one another, we all flourish together.
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What system do you want to reimagine and transform?
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I want to re-imagine and transform any and all systems that act on the health outcomes of marginalized communities. Whether it be academia, policy, or on the community level I think it is important to engage individuals across all systems to create long-lasting, meaningful change that will better serve and uplift the voices of those in need.
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Patricia Hernandez
MPH Student in Health Behavior & Health Equity, University of Michigan | BS in Health & Society, Southern Methodist University
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What does flourishing mean to you?
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Flourishing means having the resources, support and agency to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Flourishing means individuals can make decisions about their futures without stigma and feel empowered to make choices that align with their circumstances.
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What system do you want to reimagine and transform?
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I seek to re-imagine adolescent reproductive health systems by addressing stigma and structural inequities that shape young people's access to reproductive health education, care, and decision-making support. This includes creating more equitable systems that empower adolescents to make informed decisions and ensure they are supported across various social contexts.
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Samantha Pantoja
MPH Student in Health Behavior & Health Equity, University of Michigan |
BS in Biology, North Carolina State University
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What does flourishing mean to you?
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Flourishing represents the ability to not just survive, but to truly thrive through the power of having options. Flourishing is rooted in access to supportive systems, communities, and advocacy.
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What system do you want to reimagine and transform?
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I seek to reimagine family systems in public health by addressing structural inequities in access to timely maternal and child healthcare across the reproductive and perinatal continuum, with focused attention on marginalized populations.
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Meet our Partners in Change
