Multimedia Circle of Life
Multimedia Circle of Life (mCOL) is a prevention program designed to serve American Indian and Alaska Native youth ages 10–12 that aims to reduce risky behaviors and enhance resilience. mCOL’s theoretical model is represented as a medicine wheel, a Native American cultural symbol, divided into four equal parts each representing one facet of well-being: mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. mCOL teaches youth to use their volition, that is, the power to make their own decisions, to strengthen and balance their medicine wheel.
The program’s trauma-informed lessons are designed to help youth learn how to set goals, make decisions, and manage peer pressure. Lessons cover prevention-focused topics such as how the use of drugs and alcohol can affect well-being, how to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections, how sexually transmitted infections affect health, and how to prevent teen pregnancy. The program includes online lessons and complementary in-person group lessons. Youth complete online lessons independently and teachers deliver in-person group lessons. Online lessons offer educational content, stories, games, and videos. In-person group lessons reinforce the online content through demonstrations, games, and crafts, and provide opportunities for questions and discussion.
mCOL does not currently meet criteria to receive a rating because no studies met eligibility criteria for review.
Date Research Evidence Last Reviewed: Sep 2022
Sources
The program or service description, target population, and program or service delivery and implementation information were informed by the following sources: the program or service manual and the program or service developer’s website.
This information does not necessarily represent the views of the program or service developers. For more information on how this program or service was reviewed, visit the download the Handbook of Standards and Procedures, Version 1.0
Target Population
mCOL is designed to serve American Indian and Alaska Native youth ages 10–12.
Dosage
mCOL is typically delivered through seven 20–25-minute online lessons and seven 45–60-minute in-person group lessons. After youth have completed each online lesson independently, teachers deliver the corresponding in-person lesson to groups of 15–20 youth. Delivering each online and corresponding in-person lesson on different days is recommended, but both can be delivered on the same day. Implementing entities can also choose to deliver just one type of lesson (i.e., online only or in-person only) and have the flexibility to adjust session frequency to fit the needs and schedules of participating youth.
Location/Delivery Setting
Recommended Locations/Delivery Settings
mCOL online lessons are typically delivered in schools or participants’ homes. mCOL group lessons are typically delivered in schools but also can be delivered in community settings.
Education, Certifications and Training
mCOL has no education, certification, or training requirements. mCOL provides optional teacher training resources and training videos for each group lesson on its website. mCOL provides resources for parents and mentors who want to aid youth with the online lessons.
Program or Service Documentation
Book/Manual/Available documentation used for review
The Circle of Life User Guide is implemented in conjunction with The Circle of Life Teacher’s Notes and Online Videos.
Bennett-Barnes, E., & Naswood, E. (2012). The Circle of Life: User guide. KAT Communications.
Bennett-Barnes, E., & Naswood, E. (2012). The Circle of Life curriculum: Teacher’s notes. KAT Communications.
Bennett-Barnes, E., & Naswood, E. (2012). Circle of Life curriculum. [Online Videos]. KAT Communications. http://native-circle-of-life.com/#student/new-before-students
Available languages
mCOL materials are available in English.
Other supporting materials
For More Information
Website: http://native-circle-of-life.com
Phone: (800) 444-6472
Note: The details on Dosage; Location; Education, Certifications, and Training; Other Supporting Materials; and For More Information sections above are provided to website users for informational purposes only. This information is not exhaustive and may be subject to change.
| Results of Search and Review | Number of Studies Identified and Reviewed for Multimedia Circle of Life |
|---|---|
| Identified in Search | 3 |
| Eligible for Review | 0 |
| Rated High | 0 |
| Rated Moderate | 0 |
| Rated Low | 0 |
| Reviewed Only for Risk of Harm | 0 |
Studies Not Eligible for Review
Study 14370
Kaufman, C. E., Whitesell, N. R., Keane, E. M., Desserich, J. A., Giago, C., Sam, A., & Mitchell, C. M. (2014). Effectiveness of Circle of Life, an HIV-preventive intervention for American Indian middle school youths: A group randomized trial in a Northern Plains tribe. American Journal of Public Health, 104(6), e106-e112. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301822
Kaufman, C. E., Mitchell, C. M., Beals, J., Desserich, J. A., Wheeler, C., Keane, E. M., Whitesell, N. R., Sam, A., & Sedey, C. (2010). Circle of Life: Rationale, design, and baseline results of an HIV prevention intervention among young American Indian adolescents of the Northern Plains. Prevention Science, 11(1), 101-112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-009-0153-x
Asdigian, N. L., Whitesell, N. R., Keane, E. M., Mousseau, A. C., & Kaufman, C. E. (2018). Effects of the "Circle of Life" HIV-prevention program on marijuana use among American Indian middle school youths: A group randomized trial in a Northern Plains tribe. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 44(1), 120-128. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2016.1265122
Mitchell, C. M., Kaufman, C. E., Whitesell, N. R., Beals, J., & Keane, E. M. (2017). Self-efficacy about sexual risk/protective behaviors: Intervention impact trajectories among American Indian youth. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 27(3), 697-704. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12308
This study is ineligible for review because it is not a study of the program or service under review (Study Eligibility Criterion 4.1.6).
Study 14373
Kaufman, C. E., Litchfield, A., Schupman, E., & Mitchell, C. M. (2012). Circle of Life: HIV/AIDS prevention intervention for American Indian and Alaska native youth. American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, 19(1), 140-153. https://doi.org/10.5820/aian.1901.2012.140
This study is ineligible for review because it does not use an eligible study design (Study Eligibility Criterion 4.1.4).
Study 14376
Schwinn, T., Kaufman, C. E., Black, K., Keane, E. M., Tuitt, N. R., Big Crow, C. K., Shangreau, C., Schaffer, G., and Schinke, S. (2015). Evaluation of mCircle of Life in tribes in the Northern Plains. Office of Adolescent Health. https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/ucd-final-report.pdf
Kaufman, C. E., Schwinn, T. M., Black, K., Keane, E. M., Big Crow, C. K., Shangreau, C., Tuitt, N. R., Arthur-Asmah, R., Morse, B. (2018). Impacting precursors to sexual behavior among young American Indian adolescents of the Northern Plains: A cluster randomized controlled trial. Journal of Early Adolescence, 38(7), 988-1007. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431617708055
Kaufman, C. E., Black, K., Keane, E. M., Big Crow, C. K., Shangreau, C., Arthur-Asmah, R., Keith, C., Morse, B., Schaffer, G., & Tuitt, N. (2014). Planning for a group-randomized trial with American Indian youth. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 54(3 Suppl), S59-S63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.12.028
This study is ineligible for review because it does not use an eligible study design (Study Eligibility Criterion 4.1.4).