Volume 18, Number 1, Fall 2007

The Fourth “H” Is Alive and Strong in Michigan

Janet Olsen

I pledge my health to better living . . .

Ever since health was added to the 4-H clover as the fourth “H” in 1911, health-related programs have been a vital part of the 4-H experience. Health and well-being are reflected in the second guiding principle of Michigan 4-H Youth Development, which states that young people will have opportunities for growth and development in settings where they “are physically and emotionally safe.”

This focus on health and well-being includes helping young people—and the adults who work with them—understand the breadth of health and well-being issues affecting their lives. It means working with youth who are interested in specific health issues, such as nutrition and fitness. It also means educating our volunteers so they’re aware of physical, social, emotional, cognitive and environmental health issues affecting young people, regardless of the program area in which they’re involved.

An informal survey of over 70 adult and teen volunteers at a 2005 Kettunen Center workshop reflected an interest in this breadth of health issues. These volunteers identified several areas they felt were very important when looking at the well-being of young people, including adolescent dating violence, alcohol use, cancer prevention, building caring climates and healthy relationships, family stress, nutrition, impacts of media messages, emotional health, fitness, sexual activity, substance abuse, suicide, tobacco use, and the results of racism and ableism. These volunteers also indicated they had a high interest in learning more about these kinds of issues in relation to their roles as 4-H volunteers.

As shown in the articles in this special insert, Michigan 4-H Youth Development has a variety of programs and resources that address health and well-being. The following resources can be used as “stand-alone” projects with kids, or you can integrate activities from the resources into any setting with young people—whether it’s a project club, a community club, an after school program or a camp:

• Jump Into Foods and Fitness: There continues to be a lot of attention in the media on childhood obesity—and rightly so. Research shows that one out of every two children in Michigan is likely to die prematurely from preventable cardiovascular disease or preventable cancer. Two major contributing factors are a sedentary lifestyle and excess weight. Jump Into Foods and Fitness (JIFF) is a resource that was designed for adults and teens working with children aged 8 to 11 to help them develop healthier lifestyles that will improve their overall health. For more information on JIFF, go to http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/jiff/.

• Healthy Habits: Young children can benefit tremendously from learning accurate health information and practices early on that will improve their overall health and reduce their risks of developing cancer. Healthy Habits: A Leader’s Guide to Helping Children Reduce the Risk of Cancer is a resource for volunteers working with children aged 5 to 12. It is divided into theme areas designed to help kids build healthy habits related to good nutrition, physical fitness, tobacco use prevention and sun protection. The Healthy Habits guide is available on-line at http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/down
loads/HealthyHabits.pdf.

• Take a Second: Save a Life: In 2003, more than 5,000 teens were killed in the United States in passenger vehicle crashes and more than 450,000 were injured. Low safety belt use was a major contributing factor to these deaths and injuries. Michigan 4-H has developed “Take a Second: Save a Life,” the 4-H Safety Belt Program which aims to increase safety belt use and awareness among teen and youth participants. Through the program, 4-H teen educators, along with adult volunteers, use a variety of interactive activities to teach younger youth and other teens about the importance of buckling up. For more information on the program, go to http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/
safetybelt/.

• Understanding Bullying and the Impacts of Differences: Michigan 4-H provides training for adults and teens interested in addressing bullying behaviors and the effect of racism, sexism and other “isms” on the development of young people. Many 4-H staff members have access to resources that can be used to explore these issues with kids. For more information on these topics, contact
Janet Olsen (517/432-7630; olsenj@msu.edu) or Karen Pace (517432-7628; pace1@msu.edu).

If you’re interested in these kinds of health and well-being issues, you might want to mark your calendar for the 2008 4-H Family Science Weekend. This event, which will take place March 15-16 at Kettunen Center, will focus on enhancing health and well-being within the family—and the whole family is invited to take part.

We welcome your ideas for specific health and well-being areas and issues you believe Michigan 4-H should be addressing. Please send them to Janet Olsen at olsenj@msu.edu