Background
Diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions affecting children and adolescents in the United States. Recent estimates purport that 151,000 people below the age of 20 have been diagnosed with diabetes (CDC, 2009). Although youth and adolescents are typically plagued with Type 1 diabetes, accumulated evidence suggests an increase in the incidence of Type 2 diabetes among youth and adolescents. Possible explanations for this increase include high rates of obesity, low levels of physical activity and being exposed to diabetes in-utero. Although children and adolescents representing all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups have been affected by this trend, African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and some Asian-Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders youth are at particularly high risk of the development of Type 2 diabetes.
In response to the growing concern, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health established the Diabetes Education Curriculum in K-12 Schools (DECK-12) Initiative. The initiative is modeled after the successful Diabetes Education in Tribal Schools Initiative.
Mission and Goals
The purpose of the Diabetes Education Curriculum in K-12 Schools (DECK-12) Program is to reduce the incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes and increase interest in science-related careers among African American and Latino students by developing, implementing, and formally evaluating science-based diabetes education supplemental curricula for K-12 schools that have high populations of African American and Latino students. The overall goals for DECK-12 are to:
- Increase knowledge and awareness of diabetes, its complications, risk factors and self-management principles
- Improve diabetes prevention and self-management behaviors and skills
- Increase interest in science and health-related professions
- Reduce clinical risk factors for type 2 diabetes
Curriculum Development
The NIDDK awarded a three year contract (September 2010 to September 2013) to Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) 
to develop innovative K-12 curriculum supplements that:
- increase students knowledge and awareness of diabetes, its complications and risk factor reduction strategies;
- encourage students to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors and skills;
- provoke interest in science and health-related careers;
- are sensitive to the needs of students from diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds;
- provide teachers with accessible, rigorous and effective lessons on diabetes and risk factor reduction strategies; and
- are consistent with National (and State) Science, Physical Education and Health Education Standards.
Major steps in the curriculum development process include the following:
- Needs Assessment
- Curriculum Planning
- Curriculum Development
- Pilot Test Curriculum
- Field Test Curriculum
**Please check the site periodically for updates in the curriculum development process.
DECK 12 External Advisory Committee Members
The following members play a critical role in guiding the development, implementation and evaluation of DECK-12:
Raj Anand, Ph.D., U.S. Department of Agriculture
Janet Brown-Friday, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Jody Chase, Ph.D., National Science Foundation
Antonio Flores, MD, Hispanic Association of College and Universities
James Gavin, MD, Ph.D., Emory University
Alberto Maldonado-Ruiz, JD, University of Puerto Rico
Carole Mensing, MA, RN, CDE, American Association of Diabetes Educators
Elena Rios, MD, MSPH, Hispanic Medical Association
Patricia Thompson-Reid, MAT, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Francine Kaufman, MD, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
Contact Information
NIDDK Contact
Delia L. Houseal, MPH
Scientific Program Specialist
6707 Democracy Blvd, Room 904
Bethesda, MD 20892
301-443-8415
Delia.houseal@nih.gov
BSCS Contact
Anne Westbrook, Ph.D.
Science Educator
5415 Mark Dabling Blvd.
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
719.531.5550 main phone • ext 139
awestbrook@bscs.org
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