Grassroots Health

GRASSROOTS HEALTH ADVANCES HEALTH EQUITY IN CITIES BY USING SPORTS TO RE-IMAGINE HEALTH EDUCATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND MOBILIZING NCAA ATHLETES AS HEALTH EDUCATORS AND ROLE MODELS FOR YOUTH.

SCHOOL COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTH EDUCATION WE PROVIDE 1 SPORTS-BASED HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS, 2 HEALTH COMMUNICATION WORKSHOPS FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND 3 LINKAGES TO CLINICAL AND SOCIAL SERVICES FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. WE USE AN ASSET-BASED APPROACH TO HEALTH PROMOTION, AND OUR INNOVATIVE CURRICULA COVER THE TOPICS OF MENTAL, NUTRITIONAL, AND SEXUAL HEALTH, INCLUDING 30 ONE-HOUR SESSIONS, OR PRACTICES. OUR CURRICULA USE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SPORTS AS AN AVENUE FOR TEACHING HEALTH MESSAGES AND DISMANTLING STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH SENSITIVE HEALTH TOPICS. ALL OF OUR CURRICULA ARE IMPLEMENTED BY NCAA DIVISION I COLLEGE ATHLETE VOLUNTEER HEALTH EDUCATORS. IN FY 21, SELECT HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS PROGRAM AREA WERE WE REACHED 1,425 STUDENTS AND PARENTS/CAREGIVERS WITH OUR PROGRAMS. MOST OF OUR PROGRAMS WERE FACILITATED VIRTUALLY DUE TO COVID-19. DURING FY 21, WE ALSO FACILITATED A COVID-19 CURRICULUM SUPPLEMENT AT ALL OF OUR PARTNER MIDDLE SCHOOLS.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WE PROVIDE INTENSIVE TRAINING-OF-FACILITATOR WORKSHOPS FOR VOLUNTEER COLLEGIATE ATHLETE HEALTH EDUCATORS, INCLUDING FOUR-DAY TRAINING WORKSHOPS IN EACH OF OUR CURRICULA. WE ALSO DEVOTE RESOURCES TO SUPPORTING THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR ATHLETE VOLUNTEERS. IN FY 21, SELECT HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS AREA WERE WE RECRUITED AND TRAINED 231 NCAA COLLEGIATE ATHLETES FROM FOUR DC UNIVERSITIES TO BECOME VOLUNTEER HEALTH EDUCATORS. THESE ATHLETES PROVIDED MORE THAN 7,000 HOURS OF FREE HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR MORE THAN 1,425 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN WASHINGTON, DC. WE FACILITATED CRITICAL DIALOGUES ON SOCIAL JUSTICE, AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM THAT ENABLES ATHLETES TO DEVELOP PROFESSIONAL SKILLS IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, AND FORMAL NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR COLLEGE ATHLETE VOLUNTEERS.

EVALUATION COMMUNICATION OF RESEARCH WE DEVOTE SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES TO CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION, THE CREATION OF RESEARCH AND EVALUATION PARTNERSHIPS, AND THE PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS AT LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES. OUR FY 21 HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS AREA WERE WE USED TABLET-BASED DATA COLLECTION TO ASSESS STUDENTS HEALTH-RELATED KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND BELIEFS BEFORE AND AFTER OUR PROGRAMS, FINDING SIGNIFICANT GAINS ACROSS ALL THREE OF OUR CURRICULA. WE WON THE HEALTHY SCHOOLS GRANT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION. BECAUSE OF THIS GRANT, WE WERE ABLE TO CONDUCT A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS AND FOCUS GROUPS WITH SCHOOL LEADERS, PARENTS/CAREGIVERS, AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO INFORM A SET OF STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE HEALTH EDUCATION AND P.E. ACROSS ALL WASHINGTON, DC SCHOOLS. WE WERE INVITED TO WRITE A CHAPTER IN A FORTHCOMING ADOLESCENT HEALTH BOOK. THIS BOOK IS SLATED TO BE PUBLISHED IN 2022.