HIV/AIDS EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS FOR NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTH

THERE ARE NUMEROUS WAYS TO EDUCATE THE YOUTH ABOUT ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS) AND HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) INFECTION INCLUDING POSTERS, BROCHURES, COMIC BOOKS, COLORING BOOKS, VIDEOS, AND OTHER INNOVATIVE APPROACHES. HOWEVER, AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA NATIVE (AI/AN) YOUTH OFTEN FAIL TO RELATE TO THESE TYPES OF EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES, PRIMARILY DUE TO THE LACK OF CULTURAL RELEVANCY. WE WILL DEVELOP A CULTURALLY-RELEVANT EDUCATIONAL PACKAGE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR AI/AN YOUTH. THIS COMPONENT-BASED EDUCATIONAL PACKAGE WILL BE EASILY ADAPTED FOR DIFFERENT GRADE/AGE LEVELS AND FOR DIFFERENT TRIBAL/TRADITIONAL CULTURALS. IT WILL ALSO BE EASILY DUPLICATED AND, MOST IMPORTANT, EASILY INTEGRATED INTO EXISTING TRIBAL ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS AND HEALTH PROMOTION/DISEASE PREVENTION PROGRAMS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS WAYS TO EDUCATE THE YOUTH ABOUT ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS) AND HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) INFECTION INCLUDING POSTERS, BROCHURES, COMIC BOOKS, COLORING BOOKS, VIDEOS, AND OTHER INNOVATIVE APPROACHES. HOWEVER, AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA NATIVE (AI/AN) YOUTH OFTEN FAIL TO RELATE TO THESE TYPES OF EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES, PRIMARILY DUE TO THE LACK OF CULTURAL RELEVANCY. WE WILL DEVELOP A CULTURALLY-RELEVANT EDUCATIONAL PACKAGE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR AI/AN YOUTH. THIS COMPONENT-BASED EDUCATIONAL PACKAGE WILL BE EASILY ADAPTED FOR DIFFERENT GRADE/AGE LEVELS AND FOR DIFFERENT TRIBAL/TRADITIONAL CULTURALS. IT WILL ALSO BE EASILY DUPLICATED AND, MOST IMPORTANT, EASILY INTEGRATED INTO EXISTING TRIBAL ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS AND HEALTH PROMOTION/DISEASE PREVENTION PROGRAMS.