A recent qualitative paper, “Promoting Alaska Native Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention in Rural Schools: A Virtual Learning Circle Approach,” was published in Frontiers in Education. The paper documents what happened when the PC CARES model was adapted for virtual delivery in three rural Alaska school districts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over two academic years, 165 educators, administrators, behavioral health professionals, and school staff took part in seven Virtual Learning Circles. Participants met together online to reflect on research and ask practical questions: What does this mean for their communities? What actions felt possible and meaningful in their local contexts?
One of the most striking findings was how participants integrated suicide prevention in relationships and everyday actions. They described inviting Elders into classrooms, strengthening cultural identity, practicing reflective listening, and modeling empathy for students. They also emphasized small but powerful acts of care—greeting students by name, allowing space for silence, and sharing food—as essential components of prevention work.
At the same time, the Learning Circles revealed institutional challenges, particularly gaps in postvention planning and inconsistencies in school protocols. These discussions created opportunities for collaborative problem-solving across schools and communities, allowing participants to address shared concerns and explore practical solutions together.
Overall, the paper offers a descriptive account of how educators engaged with research in real time and translated it into locally meaningful action. The findings highlight that effective prevention does not begin with crisis response alone, but with relationships, culture, and collective responsibility. For those interested in school-based and culturally grounded approaches to suicide prevention, this study provides an example of how virtual learning spaces can support reflection, connection, and action in rural and Indigenous-serving school communities.
Evans, E., White, L., Schmidt, T., Zhong, A., McEachern, D., Moto, R., Garnie, J., Issac, L., Chaliak, J., & Wexler, L. (2026). Promoting Alaska native wellbeing and suicide prevention in rural schools: A virtual learning circle approach. Frontiers in Education, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1726106