News Archives - Grassroots Health

Welcome to the Team, Cara and Meg!

OCTOBER 10, 2024 Meet our two incredible new full-time staff members who joined the Grassroots Health team in August/September 2024. Each brings unique passions, experiences, and expertise that go beyond words. Instead of summarizing their talents in a few paragraphs, we invite you to watch our exclusive video interviews, where they share their journeys, insights, and excitement for the work

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Grassroots Health’s Jane Wallis Selected as a 2024 Seeding Disruption Fellow

Grassroots Health is thrilled to announce that Jane Wallis, MPH, our Associate Director, has earned a coveted spot as a 2024 Seeding Disruption Fellow. As a member of a small cohort of leaders of youth-facing, equity-centered nonprofit organizations in Washington, D.C., Jane will participate in a series of workshops and events that will sharpen her skills to champion racial and

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Grassroots Health Launches Local DC Advisory Board

January 2, 2024 Grassroots Health is excited to announce the launch of our first-ever DC Advisory Board, which includes an inaugural list of advisors who are leaders across multiple communities and sectors within the DC local community. Advisory Board members will share their expertise and activate their connections in the areas of health equity, education, athletics, communications, community building,

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From Our Local Community to National Spaces – Learning and Sharing at Professional Conferences

Grassroots Health has had a busy and impactful fall semester! With over 800 middle school students in health education programs, the training and management of over 100 student-athlete volunteers, sessions for parents and caregivers (Grassroots Fam), and preparing for our culminating end-of-semester event, Grassroots Connect, we’ve managed to take time to engage in professional learning and share more about the

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Grassroots Health Awarded Quality Insights 50th Anniversary Grant

Grassroots Health Awarded Quality Insights 50th Anniversary Grant WASHINGTON, DC – Grassroots Health is proud to announce that it has been selected as one of the winners of Quality Insights' 50th anniversary grant program, which was created to support promising and innovative initiatives to improve health and healthcare quality. Under the grant, Grassroots Health will recruit and train 100 college

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A look into Grassroots Health’s Curriculum Development Process

At Grassroots Health, we are often asked, “How do you use sports to teach health education, exactly?”, “Do you factor community input into your curriculum?”, and “Is your program evidence-based?.” We are taking the opportunity to use this blog post to sum up the answers to these questions. Origins of the Curriculum Grassroots Health’s original program (way back in 2009!)

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Grassroots Health’s Team Commits to Advancing Leadership & Learning

Grassroots Health has—since its origins in 2009 as a youth-led grassroots movement—valued next-generation leadership, constant learning and iteration, and public advocacy. Now, 14 years later, we are proud to have many of our staff not only supporting the public health leadership development of young college athletes, but also pursuing their own engagement in nonprofit leadership, local advocacy, mentorship, and health

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Grassroots Health’s Treniyyah Anderson Named “Sport for Good Cities” Emerging Leader

We are thrilled to announce that Treniyyah Anderson, Philadelphia Program Coordinator for Grassroots Health, was selected this week into Laureus USA's Sport for Good Cities Emerging Leaders program. Treniyyah already has an impressive resume, coordinating Grassroots Health's programs in Washington DC before making the move to Philadelphia this January to launch our inaugural programs in Philadelphia schools. Just last month,

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Grassroots Health Trains 88 DC College Athletes to Serve as Health Educators

On January 29, Grassroots Health concluded the final session of its 16-hour “Athletes to Coaches” training course. This course is designed to equip college athletes with the knowledge and skills necessary to become volunteer health education facilitators in DC schools. The newly-trained college athlete volunteers, now “Grassroots Coaches”, are ready to take on their role as health promoters in the

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The Risa Fund Offers Seed Funding to Support Grassroots Health’s Expansion to Philadelphia

Grassroots Health is thrilled and grateful to announce a seed gift from The Risa Fund to support our initial pilot of programming in Philadelphia, which is scheduled to get off the ground this month. The Risa Fund has been supporting DC-based organizations active in promoting mental health, wellbeing, and social justice since 2013. They wanted to support our expansion outside

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Grassroots Health Recognized as a Healthy People 2030 Champion

Grassroots Health is pleased to be recognized by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a Healthy People 2030 Champion. As a Healthy People 2030 Champion, Grassroots Health has demonstrated a commitment to helping achieve the Healthy People 2030 vision of a society in which all people

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Grassroots Goes to the American School Health Association National Conference

Sharing Grassroots Health’s Best Practices Nationwide In July, program coordinators Lara Negrón Ocasio and Treniyyah Anderson traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico to represent Grassroots Health and connect with lifelong educators, public health officials, and passionate community members at the American School Health Association (ASHA) Annual Conference. They shared Grassroots Health’s best practices, and engaged with other passionate people from across

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Grassroots Wins Grant to Help Develop System-Wide Solutions to Improve Health and P.E.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Diana Gardner, Grassroots EMAIL: Diana@GrassrootProject.org Grassroots WINS HEALTHY SCHOOLS GRANT TO LEAD RESEARCH ON HEALTH AND PE IN WASHINGTON, DC SCHOOLS WASHINGTON, DC, December 7, 2021 – Grassroots (TGP) is honored to have been selected as the winner of the Healthy Schools Grant. The purpose of this grant, which comes with $120,000 of funding, is

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TGP Welcomes Program Coordinators, Treniyyah Anderson and Lara Negrón Ocasio

Grassroots is thrilled to announce two new staff members, Treniyyah Anderson and Lara Negrón Ocasio. Treniyyah and Lara will be TGP’s first ever Program Coordinators as the organization plans for a return to in person programs this fall and continues to grow exponentially in DC! They will seek to both increase the quality of TGP programming in middle schools and

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Statement on COVID-19

For the safety and health of our student-athletes, staff, and the broader community, TGP suspended all programming and transitioned to a virtual work from home model beginning March 13th. While these decisions have been difficult, making sacrifices is necessary in order to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, as well as to do our part in flattening the curve and

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Meet Deidra Suber, TGP’s Newest Board Member

TGP is excited to welcome former volunteer Deidra Suber to our Board of Directors! She is a well-known name across the Grassroots family and the DC community, and we are excited to welcome her to our board. Take a few minutes to read more about Deidra here! [caption id="attachment_3342" align="alignleft" width="284"] Deidra Suber (formerly Sanders) trains Georgetown student-athletes to become

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I Have a CONNECTion

They have done it! The students have completed the Grassroots curriculum and now have the health knowledge to begin sharing information and make healthy personal decisions. It’s time for Grassroots Connect! This is a special event where the Grassroots family celebrates students for putting their all into the 8-week health education programs, and the event also gives them health resources

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We Are FAMily

Written by: Nea’la Prue When it comes to talking about sex, it can be very sensitive and uncomfortable. Now just imagine talking to 6th your grade son or daughter about sex. Imagine your 6th-grade daughter coming home and telling you that a seemingly random group of college student-athletes are coming into their P.E class once a week to teach them

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Development of TGP’s New Mental Health Curriculum with American University Student-Athlete, Swezen Kizito

Written by: Nea’la Prue Interviews done by: Nea’la Prue & Myaira Arnold For 10 years now, Grassroots (TGP) has been successful in facilitating school-based health education programs and increasing sexual health knowledge for sixth grade students in the Washington D.C area. In 2018, TGP launched a nutrition and physical health curriculum for the same students to receive when they reached

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From My Head To-ma-toes

Written by Myaira Arnold Good nutrition advice is something that everyone needs in their lives and Grassroots makes sure that they provide that. Brooke Stapleton, an AU women's lacrosse player, Head Coach, and Curriculum Development Intern does her all to contribute to TGP’s commitment to facilitating Nutrition & Physical Health programs for DC middle schools. She heard about Grassroots in

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Run with Grassroots in 2019 Marine Corps Marathon!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO OUR MARATHON TEAM. Grassroots is a charity partner of the 2019 Marine Corps Marathon! We are thrilled to be able to host a team of runners (of all levels) who are looking to finish their first marathon, get a PR, or shoot for a spot on the podium -- all are welcome. Runners will

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AU Athlete Kira Flaherty Checks In After Grassroots Connect

The following reflection was written by Grassroots Coach Kira "Kir" Flaherty, a senior on the Women's Soccer Team at American University. Grassroots Connect is the event coaches, students and parents all look forward to following the 8-week Grassroots programs. Although the weekly Grassroots sessions are always fun, nothing tops Grassroots Connect! There is a lot of work that goes into the

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So What Now?: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

The following post is written by Howard student-athletes Simone Counts ‘18 and Spencer Kelly ‘19, individual perspectives of being African-American and living in Washington, D.C. where HIV/AIDS is the highest percentage of affected people in the country. In order to understand the severity of a problem, one must first recognize it within their own community. For years African Americans have

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The Inaugural Grassroots Gala

The Inaugural Grassroots Gala In September 2017, Grassroots won the opportunity to partner with Hexagon – a local nonprofit organization that was founded in 1955. The organization is composed of people from all walks of life whose primary purpose is to compose and stage an all-original political, satirical, musical comedy revue annually, both for entertainment, and to raise money for

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Wrap Up: Student-Athlete Networking Night

TGP Brings back Athlete Networking Nights in 2017-2018 by Ruvimbo Mushavi, Program Manager It is nearing the end of the Fall semester of the 2017-2018 academic year, and one thing is for sure, college students are already on the lookout for summer internship opportunities. As part of Grassroots’s efforts to provide student-athlete volunteers with the professional and leadership development they

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New Program Wrap-Up: “Celebrating Community Connections” Event

All Aboard, You Need Your Passports For This Event…. by Jane Wallis, Director of Programs On November 29th 2017, TGP went old school and put on a “traditional Grassroots graduation” for students enrolled in Fall 2017 programming. Yes, the event was equipped with a big, blow-up bungee-run, food and a DJ to celebrate our 6th grade students finishing 8 weeks

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Jane Wallis Named Director of Programs at Grassroots

Former Standout Grassroots Coach Joins TGP to Spearhead Growth of Programs October 1, 2017 Grassroots is thrilled to announce the addition of Jane Wallis as Director of Programs. She will be leading the growth of TGP’s programs, and she will be working directly with TGP’s staff, partners, and student-athletes. From 2010-2014, Jane served as a Grassroots Coach and member of

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TGP Leadership Update

Grassroots Board announces Marie Rudolph’s departure as Executive Director, effective September 30, 2017. We are incredibly grateful for her service to the organization and the D.C. community. During her tenure, Marie worked to advance the mission and vision of Grassroots and expanded diversity among university student-athletes mentors delivering our sexual health curriculum in D.C. middle schools. Under her leadership, Grassroots achieved operational

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The Reva and David Logan Foundation Gives 3-Year Grant to Support Grassroots

TGP is very excited to announce a three-year partnership with the Reva and David Logan Foundation. Through the partnership, the foundation will support TGP to: (1) pilot and evaluate caregivers-focused programs that enable parents and caregivers to speak more frequently and more effectively with their children about sex; (2) host community linkage-to-care events that directly connect our students and their

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TGP Testifies at the DC Council Hearing on Health

On May 5th, TGP's Monique Miller, Spencer Kelly, and Kayla Giger testified at the DC Council's hearing on health. See below for a video of their testimonies and a reflection on the experience from Kayla (Georgetown Rowing '18). Kayla's Reflection: This month I was able to participate in a DC Department of Health budget oversight hearing to advocate for TGP.

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TGP Director and Athletes Testify at DC Council Public Hearing

Marie Rudolph and student-athletes Ebony McKeever and Erin Boudreau wrote and delivered a testimony discussing the impact that Grassroots has had in DC and on our lives for the City Council Performance Oversight Hearing. We testified in front of Chairman Vincent C. Gray and members of the Committee on Health on Friday, February 17, 2017. Erin “Boody” Boudreau (GWU Soccer

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TGP partners with ViiV Healthcare!

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Grassroots chosen for 2014-15 Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington

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TGP Year in Review!

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TGP 5th Year Anniversary

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TGP Welcomes First Full Time Staff Members!

We are only one week away from welcoming our first ever full time staff into the TGP office. (more…)

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Kicking off AIDS 2012 with a Shoutout from HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius

Despite the rain, over 100 students from the DC area participated in a kick-off event for the 19th Annual International AIDS Conference at Bell Multicultural High School, Youth Score 2012. (more…)

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Bill Clinton talks about TGP at CGIU

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxnBSvTuvmk[/embed]

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TGP Featured on Good Morning America

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNKb9-UraTk[/embed]

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CBS NATIONAL NEWS: Athletes Teach Kids About AIDS

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ee2sLbFaE[/embed] In Washington, D.C., where 1 in 20 people live with HIV, college athletes use sports to teach kids how to stop the spread of the disease. Shilpi Gupta reports.

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WASHINGTON POST: Local athletes teach middle-schoolers about HIV through Grassroots

In a classroom at Walker Jones Educational Center, four Howard track athletes, a George Washington soccer player and a former all-American sprinter from Georgetown push tiny desks and chairs against the walls to create a playground for the afternoon’s game. It’s called HIV Attacks! And it starts with 12-year-old Natia Bland, who has volunteered to play the Human, standing in

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USA TODAY: College athletes use sports to teach kids about AIDS

March Madness may have already come and gone, but there is still an opportunity to cheer on (and support!) several student athletes who've teamed up for an important cause. Tyler Spencer, a former athlete on the Georgetown University rowing team, created Grassroot Project, an HIV/AIDS education and awareness program targeted to D.C. area youth. Rather than a traditional classroom

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GWU NEWS: Researchers Study Effectiveness of HIV/AIDS Educational Outreach to D.C. Youth

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The George Washington School of Public Health and Health Services has partnered with Grassroots, an organization of NCAA Division I varsity athletes using the universal language of sports to engage youth in educational outreach about HIV/AIDS. GW researchers are working with Grassroots to develop and implement a sustainable monitoring and evaluation plan. “We are using multiple methods

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HU NEWS: Howard Receives National SAAC Award of Excellence

WASHINGTON, D.C. - NCAA News – The Howard University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) received the spring 2010 National SAAC Award of Excellence, as announced on Tuesday by the NCAA and the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The Award of Excellence honors special and unique community-service work completed by student-athletes at Division I schools. Howard’s SAAC Committee was cited for its

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GWU ATHLETICS: GWU Athletes Educate Local Students on HIV/AIDS Prevention

On Dec. 1, approximately 90 students, friends and family members gathered in the Colonials Athletic Club at the GW’s Charles E. Smith Center for a special graduation. Forty D.C. public elementary school students had successfully completed the first semester-long program about HIV/AIDS prevention run by the Grassroots Project, a joint effort between student athletes from GW and Georgetown University. Eighteen

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THE HOYA: GU Reaches Out Amid District AIDS Epidemic

At an infection rate of 3.2 percent, HIV/AIDS levels in the District exceed the World Health Organization's classification of an epidemic and rival the rates found in developing countries. The Georgetown community is finding new ways to combat the incurable illness as well as the stigma that has made AIDS a four-letter word. Treating an Epidemic, Creating a Community

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