Strengthening Healthy Relationships Among Apsaalooke Youth

This pilot project uses community based participatory research principles to build upon cultural strengths to develop a feasibility of intervention to promote relationality and connectedness among Apsáalooke youth. This project worked closely with a Community Advisory Board (CAB) members to develop all stages of the project. The CAB identified 5th grade as an important age to focus. The feasibility study is developing pilot activities related to respecting promoting intergenerational, family, community and land connectedness among Crow youth.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Youth Engagement
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Connectedness Activities

Detailed Description

Study Purpose: The purpose of this study is to conduct a feasibility and acceptability of a pilot intervention to promote relationality among Apsáalooke youth. This formative study is grounded in community-based participatory efforts to build locally relevant educational programming for youth and support the development of future evidence-based programming for youth.

Participants and Inclusion Citeria:

Participants in this study consisted youth who are a maximum of 13 years old who are enrolled in 5th-6th grade at the time of the study. Eligibility criteria included youth that live on or near the Crow Reservation in Montana and have parental or guardian consent to participate. Recruitment efforts were conducted in partnership with local schools, educational liaisons, and community champions. Information about the program was shared through school announcements, flyers sent home with students and presentations during school-based and community events. Interested families received informational packets and consent forums outlining the purpose, procedures and voluntary nature of participants. Informed consent was also obtained from parents and assent from each youth participant. The recruitment spanned from May 2024 through June 2024. A total of 10 participants were recruited and enrolled in the study.

Data Collection Methods

Data for this feasibility study consisted of process evaluation data and qualitative, art-based reflections. The primary data collected included recruitment and retention metrics: Researchers tracked the number of students recruited, consented, and retained during the program. Session Observations: Trained facilitators and researchers documented implementation fidelity, student engagement, and logistical issues during sessions. Observational field notes were compiled systematically and informed the overall assessment of feasibility.

Arts-based qualitative reflections. At the conclusion of each session, students participated in a reflective activity using paper and markers to draw or write about their experiences. Prompts included: "What did you like best today?" "What did you learn?" "What would you like to share with your family?" The creative responses provided insight into the youth's internalization of key messages and their personal engagement with the content. Following the acidity, students voluntarily shared their drawing and narratives with the group. Researchers took detailed notes during these sharing moments to record accurate explanations.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 10
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Montana
    • Bozeman, Montana, United States, 59717
      • Vanessa Simonds

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 10 years to 13 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria: Students who are entering the fifth and sixth grade and who live on or near the Crow reservation will be invited to participate in the summer camp.

Exlcusion Criteria: Youth not enrolled in fifth or sixth grade, and who did not obtain parental or guardian consent.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention; Youth Sessions focused on respect, communication, and relationally.	Behavioral: Connectedness Activities; Indigenous Connectedness: Promoting respect, listening to elders, understanding Crow cultural values.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Crow Knowledge	Arts-based open-ended question for youth to describe what they liked, what was challenging or what they learned. We examined whether they mentioned the clan system (Crow Relationally), or the Creation Story.	2 week

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Montana State University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Vanessa Simonds, ScD, Montana State University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 30, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): June 30, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 30, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 16, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): February 17, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 21, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 10, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 4W8808

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No