The Guilford Initiative for Training and Treatment Services (GIFTTS) Project is a collaborative effort between the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Guilford County Schools, the Department of Social Services, Juvenile Courts, the Health Department, and the Mental Health division of the local Mental Health/Development…

Describes a musical created by third-grade students and their teachers in Colorado explaining Native American legends. Describes how teachers wrote songs for the program, students narrated and acted in the musical and painted scenery, costumes were brought from home and made at school. Discusses curricular areas addressed in the musical, including…

La Casita is a culturally relevant 6-month residential substance abuse treatment program in southeast Los Angeles County (California) for low income Latina women. Most participants are second and third generation Latinas who clearly identify themselves as being Hispanic but behave in a bicultural manner. The average La Casita resident is 30 years…

Critical steps in developing these curricula included: selecting integrative theory to address multidimensional antecedents of HIV/AIDS and substance abuse among Native Americans; using ethnography to obtain input from target groups and community members to ensure developmental and cultural sensitivity; and using process and outcome evaluations of…

Discusses four components of the classroom environment found to play an important role in the successful participation of children learning English as a second language. Those components are: a physical environment that is organized, inviting, and accessible; inclusion of materials and artifacts from many cultures; opportunities for community…

Examines the philosophy and program structures of family preservation services (FPS) in the context of providing services to Native American families with child welfare issues. Explores Native cultural concepts of family, child rearing, time, and spirituality. Outlines cross-cultural training needs for FPS workers related to cultural awareness,…

Those involved in early childhood development must recognize that many of their most cherished beliefs about what is best for children are cultural constructions. This book focuses on quality in large-scale programs for disadvantaged young children in a variety of cultural settings. Chapter 1, "Changing Childhoods," discusses issues…

This report provides Canadian Aboriginal communities with information and resources for carrying out participatory action research and applying the results to community development. Presented in English and French, the report is based on a literature review and a 2-day focus group involving 14 community development experts, Aboriginal community…

This paper focuses on the challenges of helping children after abuse and neglect has occurred by strengthening the web of supports for children and families in foster care. It examines the current state of the foster care system and finds that it is really not a cohesive system but a combination of many overlapping and interacting agencies, all…

For many remote northern communities, especially Native American communities, school design, construction, and heating would be more culturally and technologically appropriate if local materials and expertise were utilized. Following World War II, the period of the most rapid "de-localization" of northern communities, the allegedly…

The Bienestar Health Program is a diabetes risk-factor prevention program targeting Mexican American fourth graders. Program goals are to decrease overweight and dietary fats. The program is based on social cognitive theory and uses culturally relevant material. Preliminary evaluation indicates the program significantly decreases dietary fat,…

The notion of excellence in early childhood education is increasingly recognised as both subjective and problematic. The search for excellence can be, however, a motivating force for those committed to providing experiences that enrich and enhance the lives of young children within diverse Australian communities. This commitment is shared by the…

This report describes a three-year faculty development program that successfully transculturated approximately one-third of the faculty and professional staff at Texas A&I University, a state institution in which over 50 percent of the student body is Mexican American. Transculturation entails a change process that focuses on changing the…

This monograph provides a tool to help providers and other substance abuse treatment professionals gain a greater understanding of the cultural, social, political, and economic forces affecting substance abuse treatment among Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, and American Indians/Alaska Natives. An…

A product of the South Asian Regional Workshop of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD), this report was intended to identify problems of low-income families in South Asia and create methods to serve their needs. The report begins with an introduction to the India chapter of the ISSBD; it then provides an…