In 2021 the fledgling shOUT Coalition began its listening project, a process of deep listening to teen experiences in the Appalachian Highlands of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. Their goal? Find out from the source what youth need, want, and lack, and chart a new path with youth into healthy adulthood.

Members of the shOUT Coalition hosted the listening circles through December 2022. Jovana Demonjic and Dr. Megan Quinn of East Tennessee State University’s Public Health Department analyzed the data gathered and created a report with illustrations. They concluded:

Overall, the Sexual Health Outreach Coalition facilitated and sponsored successful listening sessions which served as a great tool to delve into sexual health and education perception. These results are indicative to the experiences, opinions, and feelings regarding sexual health and sex education seen within this age group. By using this data, shOUT will be able to understand how to help schools and communities meet the educational and sexual health needs of young people in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.