"We have a way of talking to children," says Ty Barlow, Director of Alternative Schools for Pinon Unified School District, located in the Navajo Nation. "If related by clan, it's like they are a brother or son. You talk to them in that way. But if not, and if there's a problem, Native Americans won't tell you. They're shy. Relate helps get to the heart of the issue."

In mid-2000, Barlow chose Ripple Effects for Teens, part of a family of award-winning, research-based software tools from Ripple Effects, as one of several computer-based resources for the middle school Academy he was launching.

Barlow's district was one of 54 first-round sites to receive a Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant from the Departments of Education, HHS, and Justice. With it, Pinon, in its words, "launched an initiative to target violence and drug problems through prevention and intervention, as well as educational reform for Navajo youth and residents through culturally appropriate strategies."
The Navajo Nation in northern Arizona is among the poorest and most desolate regions of the United States. The Pinon School District consists of seven small Navajo communities with a population of about 5,000 people. The student population is 99% Navajo, with little experience in dealing with the mainstream culture and pressures of life off the Reservation.

Barlow has Relate installed on the network in the Academy's computer lab. Students use it independently, and staff direct students to it for targeted problem solving.

Probably the most powerful thing happening with it is the way it's opening up lines of communication between students and staff. "Students won't talk about a problem, but they will write about it," Barlow explains. "So, I tell them I'm going to be looking in their Relate journal. I have them use the program, and write in the journal. I read them, and start to get a sense of what's going on for the kids. Then I know what other staff resources to call in, what might be happening in their family, how to help them solve what's bothering them. Relate helps get to the heart of the issue. The software helps them start to communicate. When they start communicating, then they start sharing."

Teachers and students are also using Relate as a resource for information and problem-solving. Teachers use Relate content to support and enrich their lesson plans. Students use it for research. "We'll give a class project on, say, domestic violence. I'll point them to a few resources-the internet, the dictionary, books, Relate. The best one they use is Relate."

Language is another big factor in its success at Pinon. "Our home language is Navajo. Our instructors have to interpret most programs for students. Lots of programs are hard to translate. With Relate, the verbiage is so simple. The teachers like it because it's easier to translate into our native tongue."

Barlow plans to continue using the program for one-on-one counseling and problem solving in the coming school year, and is looking at expanding its use in areas like violence and drug abuse prevention.