The CAEL (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning) and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) announce the inaugural winners of the Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) Equity Awards, recognizing strategies that have been proven to put CPL in reach of key adult learner populations and/or increase their CPL credit-earning.…

This chapter provides a rationale for supporting American Indians and Alaska Natives in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields particularly at the graduate level through Pacific Northwest Circle of Success: Mentoring Opportunities in STEM (PNW-COSMOS) Alliance activities and offers direction for the development of programming…

Literature shows that students who enter the science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medical-related (STEMM) pipeline at earlier stages of their career are more likely to be successful. This is especially true for underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students. Despite the increasing number of students entering the pipeline,…

Culturally Responsive Education has been widely proposed as a mechanism to improve the academic achievement of minority and Indigenous populations. Instruction in heritage languages has been shown to produce desirable outcomes both on linguistic and academic measures. However, culturally responsive and immersion instruction faces a number of…

Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms throughout the United States by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud. The program began in 1989 at what was then called Boston City Hospital, and is now known…

Institutions of higher education (IHEs) that serve minority populations are unique both in their missions and in their day-to-day operations. Some of these colleges and universities are located in remote regions of the country, while others serve congested urban neighborhoods. Their constituents range from Native Americans, the country's oldest…

Depression occurs at a significant rate in the U.S. population. Untreated depressive symptoms are a primary risk factor for suicide. Studies show that a significant percentage of individuals who commit suicide had visited their health care providers in the months before their deaths. Alaska ranks number one in the nation for suicide. Routine…

Impoverished populations and schools in rural areas face special challenges that are different from other settings. Among these are the distances from social services, the sparse availability of assistance programs, and the shortage of resources to support educational programs and student learning. Rural schools, do, however, have assets that can…

Describes a student writing project called Chukchi News and Information Service (at Chukchi College in Alaska) which publishes Alaska Native writers and other rural Alaskans in the statewide mainstream press. Advocates the use of cultural journalism to increase access to the mainstream press and increase understanding about native people and other…

Presents current developments concerning nursing bottle caries--"baby bottle tooth decay"--and spotlights a program funded by Head Start to reduce the prevalence of these painful and disfiguring, but preventable, children's dental diseases among American Indians and Alaska Native families. (Author/BB)

The violent crime rate among American Indians is twice that of the United States as a whole. Tribal communities are also beset by high rates of domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, alcohol abuse, and gang involvement. Given such factors, it is not surprising that tribal youth are exposed to multiple risk factors for delinquency. Indeed,…

Through the Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP), the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and a number of isolated Alaskan villages are addressing the mental health problems of Alaska's Native youths. (Author/BB)

Describes the use of radio and television in the improvement of health care in Alaska by establishing communication links between doctors and local health professionals. (JMF)

Describes the Ikaiyurluki Mikelnguut (Helping Our Children) project in the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta of Alaska where trained natural helpers are helping Yup'ik Eskimo villagers to cope with crisis situations--notably teenage suicide and drug and alcohol abuse. (Author/BB)

Describes the Alaska Native Leadership Program (ANLP), designed to recruit and retain Alaska Native college students. The year-long program includes an orientation, a two-semester class on self-exploration, skill-building, educational and career paths, and social activities. Student satisfaction with the program is indicated. (MMU)