|
 "My
health to better living"
Health involves
the physical, social, intellectual, mental and environmental well-being
of young people. Michigan 4-H Youth Development supports and empowers
individuals, families and volunteers to help young people make proactive
decisions about healthy lifestyles. 4-H links decision-making skill
building to current health issues such as tobacco use prevention,
stress management, nutrition and fitness to teach youth:
- Healthy
behaviors.
- The science
of human diseases.
- Ways to become
advocates in their communities to build healthy lifestyles. Through
4-H health programs, young people develop:
- Positive
values such as responsibility and restraint.
- Positive
identity and self-esteem.
- Social competencies
such as resistance skills, stress management skills and the ability
to make healthy lifestyle choices.
Ways
to Get Involved:
- Start
a Natural Helpers program in your
school, club or after-school setting. This peer helper program
is based on the premise that within every group of teens there
exists an informal "helping network." Teens aged 13 to 19 with
problems naturally seek out other teens (and adults) whom they
trust. The Natural Helpers program trains those informal helpers
in the skills they need to more effectively help the young people
who seek them out. Statewide workshops
are held every year. Since 1991, hundreds of young people and
adults have participated in the training. 4-H staff members
and volunteers train at local retreats planned for individual
schools and community organizations.
- Get involved
in youth tobacco prevention. Michigan 4-H Youth Development offers a new youth tobacco prevention
curriculum called "Life's A Kick! Don't Start" that provides
information and activities designed to encourage young people
to make healthy choices about tobacco use. Visit the "Life's
a Kick Don't Start" 4-H Web site and find ways you
can get involved in this very important youth health issue.
Ways
to Recognize Youth Involved in Health and Well-Being Projects
- 4-H health
projects can be shown at many county fairs.
Visit your county 4-H office to find out about specific guidelines
for your local fair. Visit the 4-H "Life's
A Kick! Don't Start" Web site to get ideas on youth tobacco
use prevention fair projects.
- Visit
Blue Cross Blue Shield to
learn about the Sapphire Community Service Award presented annually
to individuals or organizations that have helped improve the health
status or well-being of children.
- Governor's
Community Service Awards seeks to acknowledge individuals
or organizations' service to others and commitment to community.
Online
Resources
 Michigan 4-H
Youth Development and MSU Extension offer the following health-related
resources:
- 4-H Safety Belt Program
Educational materials developed for teaching kids and teens about the importance of buckling their safety belts.
- Expanding
Inclusive Opportunities for Youth and Adults
Tips and resources to help people who work with young people safely
include children and adults with disabilities in their programs
and activities.
- Healthy
Habits: A Leader's Guide to Helping Children Reduce the Risk of
Cancer
Learning materials designed for adults to work with children aged
5 to 12 to help them develop healthier lifestyles and reduce their
risk of developing various kinds of cancers in the future. The
guide focuses on four theme areas to build and enhance health
habits: nutrition, physical fitness, tobacco use prevention and
sun protection. (file size: 5,350 kb) You will need the free Adobe
Acrobat Reader to view or print this file. If you don't have the
Acrobat Reader, you can download it from Adobe at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html.
- Jump
into Foods and Fitness
A research-based foods and fitness curriculum for adults and older
teens to use with kids aged 8 to 11 (grades 3 to 5). Fun nutrition,
physical fitness and food safety learning activities are integrated
into the program, which uses the Kid's Activity Pyramid and the
Food Guide Pyramid.
- Life's
A Kick-Don't Start Tobacco
Curriculum
designed to educate youth in grades 4 - 8 about the effects of
tobacco use. Activities focus on short- and long-term physical
and social consequences of tobacco use, peer pressure and media
influences. (file size: 3,380 kb) You will need the free Adobe
Acrobat Reader to view or print this file. If you don't have the
Acrobat Reader, you can download it from Adobe at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html.
- Team Nutrition
A statewide partnership between MSU Extension, local school districts
and parents to improve the nutrition and health of kids.
Other
online health-related resources:
Learning
Materials
More information on learning
materials available to support these activities can be found in the Michigan
Guide to 4-H or through the MSU
Bulletin Office.
Background information
for adults and volunteers can be found in these short handouts that
share current facts about issues:
- "Adults
Supporting Distressed Young People" (4-H
1550) reviews ideas on communicating and supporting distressed
young people.
- "Teens
on the Go!"
(4-H 1549) provides a short story on ways to recognize and handle
stress, how to live with it and how to make it work for you.
- "Helping
Friends in Trouble"
(4-H 1551) is designed to help youth recognize stress, distress
and depression, and decide where to go for help.
To order these
fact sheets, contact the MSU Bulletin Office.
- Teaching
conflict resolution through children's literature (for grades
K - 2). Young people learn to recognize and define conflict through
the use of pictures that tell a story. Using literature, stories
and activities, youth learn how to resolve conflict peacefully.
Scholastic Professional Books, 1994. Michigan 4-H Youth Development
also offers a character education
bibliography of children's and adult literature
that can also help facilitate discussion around issues of conflict.
- Health...It's
Your Choice (for grades K -12). Published by 4-H
Cooperative Curriculum System. This health-based curriculum
is designed for youth to find out about themselves and how to
have a healthy lifestyle. Youth will learn skills in developing
friendships and handling peer pressure and physical changes. They
will have fun learning about the six factors that join together
to make a healthy person. To order, visit www.4-Hmall.org.
- Telephone
for Help – Call 911 (for grades K - 3). Created by Rennie
C. Weber; distributed by National 4-H Council. This educational
coloring and activities book shows children how to dial 911 in
an emergency. Colorful images, clear text and fun-to-do activities
help children learn and understand when and how to dial in an
emergency and what to say from home or at an outdoor phone. They're
taught to give all necessary information to the operator, who
will then contact firefighters, police or emergency medical technicians
to come and help them. To order, visit www.4-Hmall.org.
Training
& Events
For upcoming training and
events in this area, check the 4-H
Volunteer Workshops web site, the MSU
Extension Calendar and the 4-H
Exploration Days web site.
Contact
Information
For more information on
how to get involved as a youth
or volunteer,
contact your county MSU Extension
office or:
Janet R. Olsen, Program Leader
Michigan 4-H Youth Development,
160 Agriculture Hall
Michigan State University
E. Lansing, MI 48824-1039
Email: olsenj@msu.edu
Phone: 517-432-7575
B'Onko Sadler, Associate Program Leader
Michigan 4-H Youth Development,
160 Agriculture Hall
Michigan State University
E. Lansing, MI 48824-1039
Email: sadlerbo@msu.edu
Phone: 517-432-7618
Copyright
© 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Michigan State University
Last Updated: December 13, 2007
Last Reviewed: April 5, 2006
|
Guide
to Michigan 4-H
