As part of Texas A&M’s POPSS adolescent health partnership with Chicago Lurie Children’s Hospital, the team wanted to create flexible, reusable, and respectful research activities to conduct with community members across Chicago to better understand adolescent sexual and reproductive health needs. Samaj Studio led the development of a Community Conversations Kit designed specifically with the populations that Lurie serves in mind. Because understanding different communities requires tailored approaches specific to each community’s characteristics, interests, needs, etc, the CCK takes a menu approach to facilitation and provides a simple way for the local facilitation staff and community experts to choose for themselves what activities, questions, and experiences make the most sense for their community.

The kit - which includes planning and debrief worksheets, a participant wellbeing kit, and and set of 9 creative activities to select from - was developed in 2025 and is currently in line to be reviewed and tested by facilitation staff in Chicago.