Going Local to Global through Technology-Needs Assessment and Development of a Virtual Arctic Youth Wellbeing Network

• Published in: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Main Authors: Allison Crawford, Brittany Graham, Arnârak Bloch, Alexis Bornyk, Selma Ford, David Mastey, Melody Teddy, Christina Viskum Lytken Larsen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2022
• Subjects: circumpolar peoples; youth well-being; culture; mental health; indigenous health; Medicine; R; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013290; https://doaj.org/article/b9e98790bc8446a5a9d3685a45beb4c2

Strengths-based approaches to suicide prevention and life promotion in circumpolar regions must engage youth participation and leadership given the impact of suicide on this demographic. We describe the development of a youth-engaged community of practice (CoP) across circumpolar regions, and adaptations to the ECHO model as a foundation for this virtual CoP. We describe youth priorities for learning in the area of mental health and wellbeing, identified through a learning needs assessment. A curriculum was developed to address key areas of interest, including: cultural approaches to mental wellbeing; language-based approaches to mental wellbeing; resilience; government and policy; and suicide prevention. We describe steps taken to adapt the ECHO model, and to introduce Indigenous pedagogical and knowledge sharing approaches into the CoP in order to meet youth learning interests. We conclude that this virtual CoP was a feasible way to create a learning community, and suggest that a priority future direction will be to evaluate the impacts of this virtual CoP on youth engagement, satisfaction and learning.