Social Creatures Inc

The Young Adult Loneliness Project is the newest initiative within our Social Innovation Lab, focused on the age group reporting the highest levels of loneliness in the U.S. - young adults aged 18-25. Grounded in community-based research, the project combines literature reviews, surveys, and focus groups with young adults from diverse racial, socioeconomic, and geographic backgrounds who have personally experienced loneliness and isolation. Insights from this process inform a structured participatory design phase in which young adults collaborate directly with researchers, clinicians, and program developers to prototype and refine practical, evidence-informed solutions that strengthen connection, belonging, and well-being among their peers.

SitGrit is a free, seated community fitness program co-designed with wheelchair users and people with physical disabilities to make mainstream fitness accessible and inclusive. Led by expert trainers, including Olympic coaches and Paralympic athletes, SitGrit offers live group cardio, strength, yoga, dance, and Zumba classes over Zoom, removing barriers such as cost, transportation, and inaccessibility. More than a workout, SitGrit fosters belonging and inclusion: participants report increased physical activity, improved mood, and stronger social connection.

In addition to direct programs, Social Creatures drives systemic change through science communication and advocacy to elevate social health as a vital component of overall well-being. Our science communication platform, The Creature Times, translates emerging social health research into accessible and actionable content that reaches global audiences. In 2024, it drew over 48,000 readers across 101 countries, with nearly 70,000 page views. Through our advocacy work, we partner with healthcare institutions and policy networks to embed social health into practice and reform. In 2024, we contributed to the world's first Public Health Guidelines for Social Connection, conducted research with communities most affected by disconnection to inform more equitable policy and practice reforms, and participated in national coalitions to advance equity-driven agendas. We also partnered with healthcare institutions to pilot social health education initiatives and published a widely shared call-to-action urging the integration of social health into clinical care. Together, these efforts advance a single aim: ensuring that every system shaping human health recognizes social connection as essential to health and well-being.