Abstract
In May 2020, the Navajo Native American Research Center for Health Partnership (Navajo NARCH) was scheduled to launch two summer programs: a 10 weeks-long Summer Research Enhancement Program (SREP) for undergraduate students to learn and practice health research methods and participate in a practicum experience, and a week-long Indigenous Summer Enhancement Program (ISEP) for high school students that introduces a range of health professions and develops leadership qualities. Students accepted into the programs are predominantly Navajo and live within Navajo Nation (NN) during the summer. Due to NN restrictions and CDC guidelines for physically distancing in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Navajo NARCH team organized to offer both programs entirely online via Zoom™. This paper explores the instructional teams’ adaptation process to maintain a commitment to preserve the programs’ supportive environment for exploring and developing strong multicultural approaches in public health and health research. In preparation for online instruction, the team developed and offered workshops for staff and instructors to address anticipated challenges. The team identified the following challenges: technological difficulties, social disconnectedness, consistent student engagement, and facilitation of a practicum research experience. Results showed that program adaptations were successful as the team applied collaborative and holistic approaches, and established social connections remotely with students to offer meaningful research and practicum experiences.
Highlights
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have experienced a disproportionate burden of hospitalizations and deaths related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Centers for disease control [CDC], 2020; Kakol et al, 2021)
Against the backdrop of the emerging pandemic, the CDC guidelines for physical distancing, and the NN’s executive orders, the Navajo Native American Research Center for Health Partnership (Navajo NARCH) was preparing for the May 2020 launch of its two annual summer programs: a 10 weeks-long Summer Research Enhancement Program (SREP) for undergraduate students to learn about health research and participate in a practicum experience, and a week-long Indigenous Summer Enhancement Program (ISEP) for high school students that introduces a range of health professions and develops leadership qualities
This paper describes the online adaptation process and how the teams maintained the programs’ supportive environment for exploring and developing strong multicultural approaches in public health and health research
Summary
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have experienced a disproportionate burden of hospitalizations (five times that of non-Hispanic Whites) and deaths related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Centers for disease control [CDC], 2020; Kakol et al, 2021). The NN consists of a 17-million-acre reservation, which extends across three states, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah; greater than 50%, or approximately 157,000, of Adapting Summer Education Programs the NN’s more than 300,000 enrolled tribal members live within reservation boundaries (Navajo Epidemiology Center, 2013). To address the infection surge, NN leadership established innovative methods to mitigate the spread of the virus and to communicate COVID-19 response measures and guidelines to citizens within the borders of the NN and beyond. Since March 29, 2020, the NN Office of the President and Vice President has been using Facebook Live to host weekly virtual town hall sessions, with 9,000–53,000 views per session, to inform citizens on the epidemiology of COVID-19, describe response actions, and provide culturally relevant guidelines to reduce COVID-19 spread within the NN (Nez and Lizer, 2020). On april 8, 2020, the NN President implemented a recurring 57-h weekend curfew, from Friday night through Monday morning, requiring residents to stay in their homes and refrain from large gatherings and trips to stores both on and off the NN (Lambert et al, 2020)
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