The Ramah Navajo Child-to-Child Program

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Community Health Education
• Child Development

Background:

• The CHILD-to-child program, originating from the University of London, recognizes children's roles as caregivers in developing nations.
• This international model has been successfully implemented in over forty countries.
• The Ramah Navajo Community in New Mexico shares characteristics with developing nations, prompting adaptation of the CHILD-to-child approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt and implement the CHILD-to-child program within the Ramah Navajo Community.
• To develop a school-based health education curriculum tailored for Native American children.
• To enhance community-based health care and living standards through child participation.

Main Methods:

• A needs assessment was conducted within the Ramah Navajo Community.
• A seven-unit health education curriculum was developed.
• The project was funded by the U.S. Department of Education as a national demonstration project.

Main Results:

• A tailored health education curriculum was successfully developed for Native American children.
• The program aimed to improve health care quality and living standards.
• The project demonstrated the adaptability of the CHILD-to-child model in a Native American context.

Conclusions:

• The CHILD-to-child program's principles are adaptable to diverse cultural settings, including Native American communities.
• Community-based health education initiatives involving children can significantly improve local health outcomes.
• The developed curriculum provides a framework for empowering children as agents of health improvement.