Michigan 4-H Youth Development


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4-H Youth Development Michigan State University 160 Agriculture Hall East Lansing, MI 48824-1039 USA Phone: 517-432-7575 Fax: 517-355-6748 Email: msue4h@msu.edu Disclaimer & Indicia

Welcome to
"My Health to Better Living:
The 4-H Health Challenge"

Michigan 4-H Youth Development is finding new ways to encourage young people and adults from around the state to get and stay healthier. "My Health to Better Living: The 4-H Health Challenge" health educational marketing campaign will:

Increase the number of youth (5 to 12 years old) practicing healthy habits such as: choosing not to use tobacco products, practicing sun safety, eating healthier and being more physically active.
Increase the number of teen and adult volunteers teaching health topics to youth (5 to 12 years old) during 4-H club meetings, during school and afterschool programs and during day and overnight camps and workshops.
Increase the number of staff promoting the use of 4-H health curriculum with their 4-H teen and adult volunteers.

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 skills building to current health issues such as youth tobacco use prevention, sun safety, 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-confidence
Competencies to make healthy lifestyle choices

In My Health to Better Living: The 4-H Health Challenge, there are three main youth health topics to promote healthy lifestyles and decrease the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and reduce the risk of cancer:

Nutrition and physical fitness to promote healthy weight
Youth tobacco use prevention
Sun safety to prevent skin cancer

Join Michigan 4-H Youth Development to encourage young people to make healthier choices. The Michigan 4-H Health Challenge wants to provide every 4-H'er with the opportunity to participate in at least one health activity during their 4-H year and help them carry out their 4-H pledge, "My health to better living."

My Health to Better Living: The 4-H Health Challenge CD

The contents of the "My Health to Better Living: The 4-H Health Challenge" CD (distributed to Michigan 4-H staff in November 2004) can help 4-H programs provide health messages to children, youth and families in the community, and can encourage youth to develop healthy lifestyles and make healthy choices every day. Add a health message to your club, start a project, train a volunteer or plan an event using these activities and resources.

4-H Club Incentive Contest

To encourage 4-H club involvement, an incentive drawing will be held in September 2005. Distribute the 4-H Club Entry Forms (provided on the "My Health to Better Living: The 4-H Health Challenge" CD) to any Michigan 4-H club throughout the 2004-2005 program year. To be eligible for the drawing, the 4-H club members must hold and participate in at least two 4-H club health sessions which are a minimum one hour each, between October 1, 2004, and September 8, 2005. A club can send in an entry for each 2 sessions that are completed. All forms must be postmarked by September 9, 2005. Mail or fax completed forms to:

Cyndi Mark
4-H Youth Development
Michigan State University
160 Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, Michigan
48824-1039

Fax: (517) 355-6748

Any club that returns the form by September 9, 2005, will be entered in a drawing for $250 worth of health-related products. At a minimum, a club consists of five or more youth (5 to 19 years old) from two or more families. All entries become the ownership of Michigan 4-H Youth Development and will be used throughout the 2004 - 2006 program years for promotion and recognition of the 4-H Health Challenge.

My Health to Better Living: The 4-H Health Challenge County Evaluation

Each county is requested to compile the "My Health to Better Living: The 4-H Health Challenge County Evaluation" (provided on the "My Health to Better Living: The 4-H Health Challenge" CD) at the end of the program year to provide feedback about the success of the program. Send or fax it to Cyndi Mark at the State 4-H office by September 9, 2005.