Tyler Spencer, a Rhodes scholar, started The Grassroot Project (TGP) in 2009 to use sports as a means of disseminating information about HIV/AIDS awareness and education in the community. Tyler began by recruiting athletes from George Washington University (GW) to reach youth with knowledge about HIV/AIDS.

This approach of his involved the deployment of college athletes rather than classroom teachers or health educators to serve the purpose of messengers of important lessons about HIV/AIDS.

The program has seen immense success in the past few years. The program has now grown to include a small paid staff and volunteer athletes from GW, Georgetown University, Howard University, and the University of Maryland.

The focus of the Grassroot Project is on providing a fun-filled, congenial and safe environment to youth to learn healthy lifestyles. Students from middle and high schools are being provided an opportunity to exchange their beliefs and share their feelings in addition to know how they can develop healthy habits and behaviors related to HIV/AIDS through the use of interactive games and activities.

Sports have proved to be great way of influencing social change and enable student athletes to establish a connection with those in the program. The Grassroot Project is aimed at leading youth for creation of AIDS-free generation in the District of Columbia.

The Grassroot Project has now extended its range to 40 sites across the city, thanks to the partnerships with DCPS, charter schools, the Boys and Girls Clubs, MetroTeen AIDS, Latin American Youth Center and DC SCORES.

The significance of the program has also been reflected by the results of D. C.'s 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey because students have been learnt to often involve themselves is unsafe sexual activities. They are unlikely to use condoms and use birth control measures, which makes it important to teach them about dangerous consequences of their acts.