The
mission of the Native Children’s Research Exchange NCRE is to bring together
researchers studying child and adolescent development in American Indian and
Alaska Native communities in the U.S. and Canada. We gather annually to share
in an open exchange of information and ideas, build collaborative
relationships, mentor new investigators, and disseminate knowledge about Native
child and adolescent development.
NCRE was founded in 2008 with funding from the
Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). With support from SRCD, we
held our first conference in 2008 and a second conference in 2009. In 2010, the
National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded five additional years of funding to
support annual conferences from 2010 to 2014, with a specific focus on
understanding Native children’s development within the context of substance use
(R13DA029391). The first of these NIDA-sponsored conferences was held in
August, 2010; the fifth is slated for this fall (2014).
Collectively, NCRE members work addresses the following priorities:
- Development of scientifically- and culturally-grounded theories
and methodologies;
- Critical evaluation of measurements, assessments, and
diagnoses for Native youth.
- Development culturally-based interventions effective
for Native youth.
- Training and mentorship of developmental scholars whose
work focuses on Native child and adolescent development.
- Education of funders about the unique context of
research in Native communities and the critical importance of
community-based participatory research methods.
- Building collaboration among all scholars
interested in Native child and adolescent development.