• CI Model

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• Identify Real Life Issues

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• Incorporate the Issue

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• Evidence Based Prevention Strategies

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• Develop Curricula

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• Meeting State Common Core Standards

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• Students as Learners

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• Refer Students

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• Service Learning

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• Teachers as Leaders

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• Methodology Handbook

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Develop Curricula

Developing curricula that reflect understanding of the student’s culture and the problems, needs and strengths of their communities

Knowledge of the students' culture is part of all effective teaching; sensitivity to the students' culture is especially important when addressing real life issues that reflect community and family problems. The nature of the students' culture provides challenges as well as opportunities in designing and presenting real life issue curricula. For example:

• High achieving, competitive students may respond to the research based strategy focusing on accurate perception of personal risk. These students need to be shown that behaviors like alcohol and substance abuse put their future achievement in jeopardy.


• The competitive environment and desire for status in high achieving schools may foster an atmosphere where social ostracism is directed towards students who are considered outsiders or social "inferiors." The real life issue curriculum provides an opportunity for a skilled teacher to create lessons which challenge such behavior, explore values and encourage greater empathy.


• The culture of Latino students emphasizes personal relationships and treatment of others with respect and dignity. The value of belonging and loyalty to the group-to family and peers-usually transcends the value of individual achievement. Because they function in the group, a promising research based strategy is to engage groups of Latino students in "pro-social" activity and align individual Latino students with pro-social groups. A personal, respectful style of relating is very important in successfully engaging Latino students.


• Students in low income or impoverished Latino and African American neighborhoods live among neighbors, family and friends who may survive outside the legal mainstream. They may deal drugs or other items, be active in or affiliated with gangs, prostitution and or addictions. Students from these circumstances may be empathetic towards the life situations and motivations of those engaged in these behaviors, be sensitive to the social inequalities that contribute significantly to these problems and want very much to see the problems curtailed. Activities which address community needs and build pro social norms would be effective prevention strategies for these students.


• The history of oppression of African Americans has left many African-American students distrustful of the society and its institutions. Their culture values fairness, equality, openness and truth and it is important to acknowledge the truth of racism and injustice that has adversely affected the community. The African-American community also values social movements that oppose oppression.

Among other approaches, teaching strategies that acknowledge the adverse and oppressive affects on the community - of drugs, violence and HIV/AIDS - and that attempt to engage students in community prevention may be especially effective in reaching African American students.

There is a substantial literature on U. S. cultures by race, ethnicity, class, gender and sexual orientation. Effective Curriculum Infusion of Real Life Issue requires culturally informed and sensitive curricula and teaching.