Research is weaved throughout the Grassroot Soccer (GRS) approach. From integrating the latest evidence into our work to managing rigorous evaluations, we seek to contribute to the global knowledge base in adolescent health and have the most impact possible through our programs.
One recent research effort is the Goals for Girls (G4G) study. Funded by ViiV Healthcare’s Positive Action for Adolescents program and undertaken in partnership with the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF), this study evaluated the impact of an adapted version of GRS’s SKILLZ Girl curriculum on sexual and reproductive health outcomes amongst secondary school female learners in South Africa.
Last month, GRS and DTHF hosted a virtual workshop to disseminate and discuss key findings from the research with a diverse group of stakeholders: teachers and learners involved in the study, researchers, representatives from the provincial departments of education and health, and academics. The workshop engaged this group in actively interpreting the research findings — both presenting results to those involved in the study and drawing on the expertise of all participating to dig into unanswered questions and explore further challenges in addressing sexual and reproductive health outcomes for adolescent girls.
The variety of perspectives represented in the workshop — and the richness of the discussion — demonstrate how valuable it is for researchers in the adolescent health field to involve community stakeholders and study participants themselves in research dissemination and discussing future directions of inquiry.
Read more about this workshop and the study findings in this blog post, co-authored by GRS Research Officer Devyn Lee, on the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation website.
To learn more about the study findings, you can contact:
Carey Pike, Desmond Tutu Health Foundation: Carey.Pike@hiv-research.org.za
Devyn Lee, Grassroot Soccer: dlee@grassrootsoccer.org