WED-112 - Native It’s Your Game 3.0: Increasing Reach of a Digital Life-skills Curriculum for AI/AN Adolescents
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM PST
Location: Plaza Foyer, Plaza Level
Area of Responsibility: Area II: Planning Keywords: Child and Adolescent Health@@@Community-Based Participatory Research@@@HIV/AIDS@@@Program Planning, Subcompetencies: 1.1.5 Recruit and/or engage priority population(s), partners, and stakeholders to participate throughout all steps in the assessment, planning, implem, 2.3.4 Adopt, adapt, and/or develop tailored intervention(s) for priority population(s) to achieve desired outcomes. Research or Practice: Practice
Graduate Research Assistant (Doctoral) UTHealth Houston School of Public Health Frisco, Texas, United States
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to describe the four content areas of improvement in NIYG 3.0
Attendees will be able to assess their programs for improvements in usability, cultural inclusion, accessibility and trauma informed approaches based on the changes in NIYG 3.0
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to describe the specific changes in NIYG 3.0 in the theme areas listed
Brief Abstract Summary: Discover how Native It’s Your Game (NIYG) 3.0 advances digital health education for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth. Building on NIYG 2.0, this evidence-based 13-lesson life-skills curriculum was redesigned with universal design and trauma-informed principles, guided by AI/AN youth, content experts and educators. NIYG 3.0 integrates 131 adaptations to reflect AI/AN lifeways, reduce risk of retraumatization, engage diverse learners, and expand accessibility across physical and neurological abilities. The key features include a enhanced interface for easier navigation, online and downloadable version for remote access, an updated facilitator manual, and a streamlined backend database for reporting. Together, NIYG 3.0 aims for inclusion, geographic reach, and fidelity, supporting sexual, reproductive, and mental health equity among AI/AN youth.
Detailed abstract description: Background. American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth experience multiple health inequities, including those impacting sexual, reproductive, and mental health. Native It’s Your Game 2.0 (NIYG) is an evidence-based 13-lesson online life-skills curriculum for AI/AN youth.
Aim/
Purpose: To describe the redesign of NIYG 2.0, user testing and launch of NIYG 3.0 for enhanced access, inclusion, and geographic reach for AI/AN youth.
Methods: NIYG 2.0 redesign was rooted in principles of universal design and trauma-informed care and was informed by iterative development in collaboration with AI/AN youth, subject matter experts and adolescent health practitioners. A NIYG 3.0 design document prioritized recommended enhancements by significance, need, and resource availability across four thematic domains. Reach and fidelity were optimized with provision of online and downloadable versions for remote communities, an updated facilitator manual, and enhanced backend database to generate user reports.
Results: NIYG 3.0 includes 131 unique program adaptations to: 1) further reflect AI/AN lifeways (n=28), 2) avoid traumatization (n=21), 3) engage all learners (n=44) and 4) enhance access across physical and neurological capabilities (n=38). An enhanced graphic user interface improved user navigation. The facilitator manual comprises instructions for use, lesson snapshots, quizzes and discussion questions to enhance youth engagement, reinforcement of key curriculum messages and updated factsheets from the program. The automated backend data export feature simplifies usage reporting.
Conclusion: NIYG 3.0 provides web-based life-skills training, advancing digital health education implementation across geographically disparate and demographically heterogenous AI/AN communities.
