Describe the Issue or Situation.

Youth ages 8–13 often struggle with overall health, including nutrition, physical activity, and mental well-being. Outside of the school environment, there are limited opportunities for kids to open up about their emotions, try new healthy foods, or engage in physical activities that are fun and social, such as dancing. These gaps in support can hinder their development of lifelong healthy habits.

Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable).

The “Be the Best You” day camp was created to address these issues by promoting healthy living through engaging and age-appropriate activities. Logan County 4-H partnered with FCS in Logan County for teaching during this camp. The camp provided a fun and safe environment for youth to learn about healthy eating, explore dance as a form of physical activity, and build awareness around emotional health and coping strategies. Key educational activities included: Snack Smart – Hands-on cooking lessons with smoothies and healthy pancakes, emphasizing nutritious ingredients and recipe reading. Step It Out – A dance-based physical activity lesson to promote movement, endurance, and hydration. Smile Inside and Out – A mental health activity where youth created glitter “emotion jars” and discussed feelings and stress management strategies.

Provide the Number and Description(s) of Participants/Target Audience.

The program served a group of 14 youth aged 8–13. Participants came from various schools and communities in the county and represented a diverse mix of backgrounds. These youth signed up for this camp with interest in health, wellness, or participation in 4-H youth programming.

Provide a Statement of Outcomes or Program Impact. Please note that the outcomes statement must use evaluation data to describe the change(s) that occurred in individuals, groups, families, businesses, or in the community because of the program/outreach.

Evaluation data showed measurable positive impacts in all three targeted health areas: Nutrition: 100% of youth successfully followed a recipe and created healthy snacks. They learned how to identify healthy ingredients and gained confidence in kitchen skills. Physical Activity: 92% of participants reported feeling physically energized after dancing, and 50% learned a new dance they had never tried before. All youth demonstrated increased understanding of the importance of hydration and elevated heart rate during exercise. Mental Health: After the glitter jar activity, 100% of participants understood the importance of mental health in their daily life. 65% reported feeling happiness regularly, and 40% identified stress and anxiety as emotions they experience. Youth stated they would use deep breathing or calming visuals to manage overwhelming feelings in the future.

This program successfully fostered greater awareness, skills, and confidence in youth to care for their nutrition, physical, and emotional well-being.