jump to navigation
Print    E-Mail   Share External link. Please review our Disclaimer 

Building Partnerships in the “Indian Capital of the Nation”

View Event Details

Anadarko Indian Education
Anadarko, Oklahoma

Introduction
In 2012, Oklahoma ranked third among all states in the percentage of alcohol consumed by underage youth, according to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center. The Center’s report further stated “In 2012, underage customers consumed 14.4% of all alcohol sold in Oklahoma, totaling $172 million in sales (in 2013 dollars).” Despite a statewide social host law, 68.7 percent of 12th-grade students who used alcohol reported obtaining it from an adult they knew. Of these students, 17.4 percent got the alcohol from their own homes and with their parents’ consent.

However, state or even county numbers can mask the culturally specific prevention needs of some communities. Anadarko, Oklahoma, sometimes calls itself the “Indian Capital of the Nation”:

  • Anadarko has its own Bureau of Indian Affairs office;
  • About 41 percent of residents are Native American; and
  • About 70 percent of students in the public school system are Native American.

To ensure culturally appropriate prevention, the Anadarko Indian Education (AIE) program provides comprehensive student services, cultural perpetuation, community involvement, and youth leadership development for students of the Anadarko Public Schools. To address widespread academic and behavioral health problems among students, AIE and Anadarko Public Schools are engaged in a 3-year turnaround model program with the University of Virginia (UVA).

AIE looked forward to joining in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 2014 Town Hall Meetings initiative. Program administrators believed that these events had contributed to recent significant improvement in student academic performance and decreases in behavior and attendance infractions. In addition, AIE’s Town Hall Meetings had been helpful in community education, mobilization, and partnership development.

Event Description
AIE used the planning of an August 19, 2014, Town Hall Meeting at the landmark 275-seat Redskin Theater in downtown Anadarko to rekindle established local partnerships and cultivate several new ones. Ultimately, the following 10 co-sponsors joined in hosting the Town Hall Meeting and promoting it among their constituents: Anadarko Public Schools-Indian Education Program; Believing in Native Generations; Caddo County Interagency Coalition; Caddo Kiowa Tobacco Education; Consortium Against Substance Abuse-MSPI Program; Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma; LIVE! Physical Activity and Nutrition Coalition; Native Americans for Injury Prevention Coalition; Red Rock Strategic Prevention Framework‒State Incentives Grant; and Southwest Youth and Family Services.

A flyer promised a free showing of the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie following the Town Hall Meeting. Event staffing was provided by the co-sponsoring organizations. The program focused on three underage drinking topics:

  • Alcohol and brain development;
  • Consequences of underage drinking; and
  • Positive choices for youth.

Measure of Success
The Town Hall Meeting drew a near-capacity audience of about 260 young people and adults, which was a record attendance for an AIE event. While educating participating adults and students was an objective, planning and conducting the event also proved to be an effective way to strengthen AIE’s partnerships with other community-based organizations in the county. The event also contributed to the Anadarko Public Schools model program being developed with UVA. This, in turn, has fostered development of a systemic approach to student underage drinking and other behavioral health concerns in the schools.

Next Steps
Since the August 2014 Town Hall Meeting, AIE has begun planning monthly and quarterly events to improve tribal relationships and collaboration with community partners. A subsequent, even bigger Town Hall Meeting is under discussion as one means for AIE to address local risk factors identified in a 2014 Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment Survey.

Contact
David Sullivan
dsullivan@apswarriors.com


Return to Success Stories