Situation

According to the American Psychological Association found that 10% of young people say stress causes them to get lower grades than they think they can get, 59% say balancing all their activities causes stress, 40% say they neglect home responsibilities due to stress, 40% say they’re irritable due to stress, 37% said stress causes them to feel overwhelmed, 36% say they feel tired because of stress, 30% say they feel sad or depressed because of stress.

Educational response

Kentucky 4-H has focused on resiliency building and healthy coping techniques for youth the better manage their stress levels. Programs used to address this include; Centering on Me, Headlines for Health, Keeping Fit & Healthy, SPARK After School Program, and Steps to a Healthy Teen, among others.  

Target Audience

Kentucky youth age 9-18 

Outcomes

As a result of 4-H programming in Kentucky 4659 youth report not engaging in risky behavior, 5809 youth report feeling good about themselves, and 4280 youth that report that they know how to handle stress. As these numbers continue to improve we can expect to see a direct impact on the physical and mental health of Kentucky youth.