***This is the fifth Lose the Shoes tournament at Dartmouth. It is a 3v3 barefoot soccer tournament run by Dartmouth Ends Hunger to benefit Grassroot Soccer. For more information about the tournament, please e-mail Madeline.Kaye@dartmouth.edu ***

Founded by former professional soccer players in 2002, Grassroot Soccer (GRS) trains African soccer stars, coaches, teachers, and peer educators in the world’s most HIV-affected countries to deliver an interactive HIV prevention and life skills curriculum to youth. Translating research into action and leveraging the excitement around the 2010 World Cup, GRS attracts and engages young people through schools, community outreach, and social multimedia (e.g. magazines and TV). GRS has educated more than 300,000 kids via its ‘Skillz’ curriculum, and is a leader in the sport for development movement.

GRS operates in Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic.

GRS' IMPACT:
- GRS graduates in Zimbabwe were 6 times less likely than a matched peer group to report early sexual debut, 4 times less likely to report sexual activity in the last year, and 8 times less likely to have had more than one sexual partner.
- The percentage of students who could list three people they could talk to about HIV increased from 33% to 72%
- The percentage of students who knew where to go for help for HIV related problems increased from 47% to 76%
- The percentage of students who said they would feel comfortable providing emotional support for an HIV positive classmate increased from 52% to 73%
- The percentage of students who believe condoms were effective increased from 49% to 71%

Watch a video about GRS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyplef2Hi6Y