Fort Peck Community College (FPCC) seeks to improve the health status of Fort Peck Reservation residents by reducing diabetes and diabetes-related complications in the population. It also seeks to increase the number of American Indians who pursue higher education and careers in the science, health and science education fields. The method for achieving these long-term objectives is to strengthen science and health education in the reservation public schools by integrating diabetes-centered science education into the existing curricula.This application requests funding for a planning grant that will constitute the first phase of the overall effort. Under the planning grant, a coalition of individuals representing the public schools, health care professionals and tribal members will be formed to serve as a working advisory committee. Project staff and the committee will survey existing science curricula and explore ways to integrate diabetes-related materials into the curricula at different grade levels. They will simultaneously develop ideas and recommendations for incorporating traditional Native American culture, values and knowledge into the curricula. Project objectives include development of definitions of appropriate project elements for each grade level. The elements will include subject matter, general learning objectives, suggested time frames, identification of resources needed for presentation, traditional cultural elements and plan for integrating materials into the existing curricula. Project objectives also include identification of adult education and training needs, such as teacher and diabetes educator training,that can be met by FPCC. As part of the planning grant, an implementation strategy for a pilot program will be developed. This will include detailed plans for a pilot program to be conducted in one or more reservation school systems. Under the pilot program, a diabetes-centered science education program would be implemented in all grade levels, developed and phased in over a three-to-five year period. A proposal for funding the pilot program will be written as part of the planning grant activities.
