Survivor North Carolina

Graphic from Microsoft clip art

Preface

S

urvivor North Carolinaconsists of a series of health literacy challenges withthe responses of five participating North Carolina community college ESL programs. Each of the tribes (i.e., schools) survived their challenges using two tools: education and action.

Participating tribes in this ESL Health Literacy Consortium were from

AlamanceCommunity College

CentralCarolinaCommunity College

MontgomeryCommunity College

Stanly Community College

WilkesCommunity College

Working under their instructional leaders, the tribes were involved in project-based, action-oriented learning about the five leading causes of death in North Carolina: heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lung disease, and diabetes.

Meeting their challenges required the tribes and their instructors to

  • form partnerships with local health professionals/health educators to learn about the causes of death;
  • address the lifestyle changes that can prevent, delay, or ameliorate the major chronic health problems in North Carolina;
  • consider the ways survival in North Carolina today is influenced by the history, government, and geography of the United States.

The materials these tribes produced are on this CD. They

  • illustrate and/or demonstrate the projects completed by the originating teachers and students;
  • include project plans that can be replicated by other ESL, CED, and community literacy groups;
  • provide a resource for a future North Carolina Health Literacy Toolkit.

The Appendix on the CD consists of the challenges and the Internet resources given to the tribe leaders (teachers) at the onset of this undertaking. You can use the Appendix to design projects that are topically sound but entirely different from the ones completed by the tribes in this Survivor handbook.

With grateful appreciation to the U.S. Department of Education and the North Carolina Community College System for giving us this opportunity, we offer Survivor North Carolina for your use.

Contents

I.What’s Killing Us in North Carolina?

Number 1: Heart Disease

  • Be Heart Smart
  • It’s a Puzzle

Number 2: Cancer

  • In the News
  • The BIG message

Number 3: Stroke

  • Brain Attack
  • PicturesWorth a Thousand Words

Number 4: Chronic Lung Disease

  • We are Candy’s Lungs
  • Send Me a Postcard

Number 5: Diabetes

  • The Survey Says . . .
  • Don’t Gamble Your Health

II.What Prevention Strategies Can We Use?

Stop Digging Your Grave with a Fork

  • Do You Mind if I Smoke?
  • Make a Motion Commotion
  • Bringing You a Public Service Announcement
  • ReplaceThose Empty Calories

III.What’s the Past Got To Do With It?

Heart and Soul

  • Finding a Cure
  • Sweet Tea, Fried Chicken, and Mad Cow
  • From Peace Pipe to Smoke-Free
  • Fast Forward

IV.Appendix

The Original Challenges and Resources

V.Epilogue as Prologue