Cuentos de la Vida: Exploring Cultural Heritage through Storytelling

描述（由申请人提供）：根据美国人口普查局的数据，西班牙裔是美国最大的少数族裔群体，预计到2050年，西班牙裔将占美国总人口的24%。与非白人儿童相比，西班牙裔儿童经历了显著的行为健康差异，包括学业和社交困难（Farkas, 2003; Wright & Troop, 2005； USDHHS, 2001）。需要与文化相关的项目来减少西班牙裔青年之间的行为健康差异（Hecht et al., 2003）。具体而言，研究表明，对西班牙裔学生的接受和融入学校社区是促进跨领域积极功能的关键环境因素（ibaquez et al., 2004; Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 1995; Valencia, 2002）。庆祝西班牙文化遗产的干预措施，促进对多样性的接受，并教育学生了解文化之间的相似性，可以有效地创造一个综合的接受性学校环境，从而促进行为健康。这一创新产品名为“通过讲故事探索文化遗产”，将由专业的西班牙裔讲故事者从西班牙文化遗产的角度分享生活故事。完整的故事库将包括来自不同西班牙文化（如墨西哥裔美国人、波多黎各人、古巴人）的传统故事（如墨西哥国旗的历史）和经验故事（如双文化成长），以提高西班牙裔学生的自尊和学校参与度，并促进综合、积极的整体学校氛围。该项目的第一阶段将解决两个具体目标：(1)开发课程原型(即；、专业手册（行政指导、课程脚本、活动）、以西班牙裔专业讲故事者为特色的DVD、家长讲义和网络资源；(2)原型产品可行性测试（即由参与课程采用的学校专业人员对产品进行详细评估，并与3-5年级的学生及其家长进行焦点小组讨论）。基于第一阶段的发现，原型将被修改和扩展，包括额外的四位西班牙裔故事讲述者和所有伴随的课程脚本和材料，以及一项随机治疗对照研究，研究儿童在学校的学业、社会情感和行为功能的变化，以及整体学校氛围，将在第二阶段完成。第一阶段和第二阶段项目的努力将为3-5年级的儿童提供一个以证据为基础的、普遍的、以文化遗产为基础的课程，《Cuentos de la Vida：通过讲故事探索文化遗产》，该课程使用讲故事的引人入胜和强大的教育形式来分享西班牙文化遗产的故事，连同附带的课程和材料，促进西班牙裔学生的文化接受和融入学校社区。公共卫生相关性：与文化适应相关的挑战对西班牙裔儿童，特别是移民儿童的危险行为有很强的影响（COSSMHO, 1999）。因此，迫切需要与文化相关的项目，以促进西班牙裔青年融入学校社区的文化接受和融合。《文化遗产：通过讲故事探索文化遗产》是面向3-5年级学生的一门普遍的校本课程，旨在满足对以西班牙文化遗产为重点的创新、有效的校本课程的迫切需求，以减少西班牙裔儿童的行为健康差异，促进综合、积极的整体学校氛围。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people of Hispanic origin constitute the largest minority group in the nation with the anticipation that 24% of the U.S. total population will be of Hispanic origin by 2050. Hispanic children experience significant behavioral health disparities, including academic and social difficulties, compared to non- white children (Farkas, 2003; Wright & Troop, 2005; USDHHS, 2001). Culturally-relevant programs are neededto decreasebehavioral health disparities among Hispanic youth (Hecht et al., 2003). Specifically, research suggests that acceptance of Hispanic students and integration into the school community are key environmental factors that promote positive functioning across domains (Ibaqez et al., 2004; Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 1995; Valencia, 2002). Interventions that celebrate Hispanic cultural heritage, promote acceptance of diversity, and educate students about similarities among cultures can effectively engender an integrated accepting school environment, thereby fostering behavioral health benefits. The proposed innovative product, Cuentos de la Vida: Exploring Cultural Heritage through Storytelling, will feature professional Hispanic storytellers sharing cuentos de la vida (life stories) from an Hispanic cultural heritage perspective. The complete story library will include both traditional (e.g., history of the Mexican flag) and experiential (e.g., growing up biculturally) stories from various Hispanic cultures (e.g., Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, Cuban) in order to increase self-esteem and school engagement among Hispanic students, as well as promote an integrative, positive overall school climate. Phase I of this project will address two specific aims:(1) Development of a curriculum prototype(i.e., Professional Manual (administrative guidelines, lesson scripts, activities), DVD featuring a Hispanic professional storyteller, parent handouts, and web resources and (2) Feasibility testing of the prototype product (i.e., detailed product evaluation by school professionals involved in curriculum adoption and focus groups with students in grades 3-5 and their parents). Based on Phase I findings,the prototype will be revised and expanded to include four additional Hispanic storytellers and allaccompanying lessonscripts andmaterials and a randomized treatment-controlresearch study examining changes in children's academic, social-emotional, and behavioral functioning at school, as well as the overall school climate will be completed in Phase II. The efforts of Phase I and Phase II projects will result in an evidence-based, universal, cultural heritage school-based curriculum for children in grades 3-5, Cuentos de la Vida: Exploring Cultural Heritage through Storytelling, which uses the engaging and powerful educational format of storytelling to share stories of Hispanic cultural heritage that, along with accompanying lessons and materials, promote cultural acceptance and integration of Hispanic students into the school community. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Challenges associated with acculturation have strong effects on risk behaviors for Hispanic children, especially immigrant children (COSSMHO, 1999). As such, there is a pressing need for culturally-relevant programs that foster cultural acceptance and integration of Hispanic youth into the school community. Cuentos de la Vida: Exploring Cultural Heritage through Storytelling is a universal, school-based curriculum for students in grades 3-5 specifically designed to address the pressing need for innovative, effective school-based curricula focusing on Hispanic cultural heritage to reduce behavioral health disparities among Hispanic children and promote an integrative, positive overall school climate.