Extension
It Starts With Us
Adopting healthy lifestyle choices for overall well-being
Health
Turner, Susan
Leadership
The Centers for Disease Control found in a nationally representative survey that only 29% of high school youth participated in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on each of the seven days before the survey. Participation in physical activity decreases as we age.
Youth maintain positive health habits.
• Youth are at a lower risk for serious disease and illness.
• Youth are at a lower risk for physical and emotional distress.
• Youth are competent, capable, contributing adults as a result of their participation in 4-H Health programs.
Youth adopt healthy behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle that include making healthy lifestyle choices, not engaging in risky behavior and handling stress.
Youth identify healthy lifestyle choices.
• Youth understand risky behaviors and their consequences.
• Youth aspire to have higher self-esteem.
• Youth identify healthy ways to handle stress.
Youth understand the importance of properly installed home smoke alarms
Youth understand their family plan of escape and safe meeting place in case of a home fire or natural disaster
Evaluation:
The number of youth that report making healthy lifestyle choices.
• The number of youth that report not engaging in risky behavior.
• The number of youth that report feeling good about themselves.
• The number of youth that report that they know how to handle stress.
You report that they have a home escape plan and that they know where the family safe space is located
Indicator: Percentage of population which reports an increase in healthy habits.
Method: Pre and post program year survey to program participants
Timeline: September 2016, August 2017; September 2017, September 2018
Learning Opportunities (repeat as needed):
Learning Opportunities
Audience: Monroe County youth ages 5 to 18.
Project or Activity: 4-H First Aide.
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Keeping Fit and Healthy – First Aide
Inputs: curriculum, volunteers, paid staff, facilities.
Date: May, annually
Learning Opportunities
Audience: Monroe County youth ages 5 to 13.
Project or Activity: Learning to Control my Feelings.
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Centering on Me
Inputs: curriculum, volunteers, paid staff, facilities.
Date: August, annually
Learning Opportunities
Audience: Monroe County youth ages 5 to 18.
Project or Activity: 4-H Health and Nutrition.
Content or Curriculum: Dance Fit; Jump into Food and Fitness, Fit For Life
Inputs: curriculum, volunteers, paid staff, facilities.
Date: ongoing throughout the year, annually
Author: Esther "Susan" Turner
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Social media can be a good tool to reach diverse audiences. With the Covid-19 pandemic and post-pandemic busy schedules, social media provides a pathway to learning which can be accomplished at each individual’s convenience. Oftentimes, the thoughts of preparing food at home can seem overwhelming and extremely time consuming. To show that preparing healthy recipes at home can be quick and nutritious, the 4-H Youth Development agent developed a series of food preparation c
Author: Esther "Susan" Turner
Major Program: Health
Youth Yoga is one of our 4-H programs which was offered at each elementary school during the summer school sessions. The youth in grades Kindergarten to fifth grade participated in a weekly yoga class for four weeks. Pre-program evaluations showed that 59% of the youth had never tried yoga as a form of exercise and 25% did not know how to use their breathing to help calm their feelings or to help them relax. The youth learned deep breathing techniques and practiced the techniqu
