Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College Project Diabetes Education and Science to Instruct Native Youth (DESTINY). The diabetes epidemic disables its victims slowly, reducing function and diminishing the quality of life. American Indians have a much higher rate of diabetes than the non-native population, along with social cultural, and economic barriers to prevention education and lifestyle changes. These barriers exacerbate the disparity in incidence of diabetes. The goals of the DESTINY Project are to 1) improve health attitudes and behaviors of Native people, 2) use protective cultural knowledge and community support to enhance health/science education, 3) empower youth to become proactive about their health, education and leadership potential in the community. As a result, more youth will seek science/health careers and return to teach/influence the community. The goals will be achieved by pursuing the following objectives: Objective 1: to develop supplementary science curriculum materials based on a diabetes model for grades K-6 (2 one-week units/grade) which will include components designed to encourage Native American students to make healthy lifestyle choices and enter science and health careers. Objective 2: to develop replicable co-curricular and intergenerational community activities that are culturally sensitive and designed to encourage healthy lifestyle choices and science/health careers. Objective 3: to develop methods and materials for training teachers, school staff, community activity leaders and volunteers. Objective 4: to disseminate the materials and models through presentations, publications and internet postings.
