The COVID-19 pandemic impacted many aspects of life, including the physical and mental well-being of the students in the Teen Leadership program.  Students expressed negative stress due to online school and lack of in-person social interaction.  In order to address these issues and promote positive well-being, Teen Leadership Wellness Day was held on April 28, 2021.  The Teen Leadership program, led by the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Agent, 4-H Youth Development Agent and School Gifted and Talented Coordinator, has traditionally focused on leadership development, career opportunities, and learning about the community.  This was the first Wellness Day for the program that was focused on the students' well-being and self care.

Wellness Day was held in person at the Washington County Extension Office with guidelines in place for health safety.  The FCS Agent began with a discussion about physical, social and mental/emotional wellness.  This included topics like sleep, physical activity, nutrition, relationships, stress management, gratitude, nurturing developing brains, and developing a sense of belonging in the community.  Following the discussion on wellness, Dr. Alex Elswick, UK FCS Extension Specialist for Substance Use Prevention and Recovery, spoke to the students about the risks involved with substance use and the addiction that can occur.  After a break for lunch, Dr. Chuck Stamper, UK 4-H Extension Special Projects Coordinator, talked with the students about mental health.  To review what was learned and promote team building, the final activity was a team competition in which the students used what was discussed during the day to successfully complete the challenges.  

In an evaluation, we asked the students what they learned.  Their responses included:

• "Physical wellness is very important and you can increase your wellness by exercise and good sleep."
• "Building strong relationships and communication is important."
• "It isn't the drug that's bad, it's how you use them and addiction is so real."
• "To surround yourself with good people, and substance use is more than just saying no to drugs."
• "It is important to ground yourself when you are stressing by going over the 5 sense technique."
• "I learned many techniques and ways to feel better physically, socially, and mentally."

As a way to support the future students in Teen Leadership, Wellness Day will remain a featured day in the annual program.