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LinkedInYouth-led 4-H project to impact community health
The California 4-H Youth Development Program awarded six counties with $1,000 grants to implement healthy living projects within their communities. The grant proposals were written by 4-H teens, and successful projects may involve 4-H members as young as 5 years old.
The Ventura County 4-H All Stars, youth leaders within the California 4-H YDP, received funds to build a walking trail at Ormond Beach, south of Hueneme Road in Oxnard. Ormond Beach is the largest continuous wetland in California and is an EPA superfund site — a former hazardous waste site that has undergone extensive clean-up in order to be re-established for safe and productive use.
In addition to providing a safe place for physical activity and observing nature, the trail will feature educational displays highlighting information about bird species and ideas for including flexibility and strength development in daily exercise. “We want to relate the featured exercises to the movements of the diverse birds that live in the wetlands. For example, the blue heron stands on one leg. When visitors learn about the Blue Heron, they will also stand on one leg, strengthening their abdominal muscles and improving their balance,” said Dayle Morris, one of the 4-H members leading the project. The Ventura County 4-H members hope to inspire others in their community to get active and practice healthy habits.
Ventura County 4-H also will be partnering the City of Oxnard and the Ventura County Master Gardener Program to make their dream a reality. The new walking trail will be used by a variety of nature-loving visitors, including children participating in the Ormond Wetlands Outdoor Classroom Program. The trail will open to the public in November.
"We commend the 2011 4-H Healthy Living Grant recipients for their creative solutions to solve real health needs in their communities. 4-H youth are the catalyst for a living, breathing, culture-changing revolution for doing the right thing, breaking through obstacles, and pushing our country forward by making a measurable difference right where they live,” said Sharon Junge, director of the California 4-H YDP. This is the first year 4-H has offered Healthy Living Grants.
The 4-H Healthy Living Grant Program supports youth-directed healthy living projects that address physical, social or emotional health needs in California communities. Current 4-H members are encouraged to apply for funding, lead a project and partner with one or more adults throughout the process. The proposed healthy living project must be implemented with a focus on service-learning, leadership or youth-adult partnerships. Applications are due January 15 annually. Visit http://www.ca4h.org/Projects/HealthyL... for more details.
This story is contributed by a member of the Ventura community and is neither endorsed nor affiliated with Ventura County Star
