4-H NEWS

1-Ashe County, NC, 4-Hers Host Luncheon for Advisory Council

The Ashe County, NC, 4-H Advisory Council got some very special treatment from the seventh and eighth graders of the Ashe County 4-H Summer Parks program as the young people hosted the Council's June 22, 2004, meeting at Ashe Family Central in Jefferson, NC.

Council members arrived to a colorfully decorated room filled with green clover centerpieces, beaded napkin rings and placemats that featured photos of 4-H Summer Parks program youth enjoying a myriad of activities.

The 4-Hers, who decorated aprons made especially for the occasion, escorted their guests to their seats for lunch then joined them for the meal and the council meeting. Advisory Council members then were treated to a tour of the 4-H Summer Parks Program and Ashe Family Central.

The 4-H Summer Parks Program, part of 4-H Afterschool programs in Ashe County, has been serving Ashe County youth with a high quality summer day camp that provides a safe, nurturing and non-formal learning environment for children in grades 1-8 for nearly 25 years. The camp is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily to accommodate the schedules of working parents.

Youth enjoy a wide variety of activities including bowling, hiking, fishing, swimming, caving, rock climbing and archery. They also participate in arts and music, gun safety and environmental awareness programs, a ropes challenge course and theme-related field trips.

Learn more about 4-H Summer Parks in Ashe County at www.ces.ncsu.edu/ashe/.

Ashe County, NC, 4-H Summer Parks Program youth show off their colorful aprons created especially for the luncheon they hosted for their county 4-H Advisory Council.

2-4-H Online Conference Is July 22, 2004

Hurry, only a few days left to register! Mark your calendars for July 22nd!

Building Community Through Service is the first online conference to be offered by Michigan 4-H Youth Development and will focus on youth voice when it comes to service-learning, civic and political engagement, and community-building. Much like a traditional conference, but at less than the quarter of the cost, this one-day online event will feature keynote, session leaders and panel presenters.

Confirmed presenters are:

*Joanne Keith, Professor and Extension Specialist, Family and Child Ecology, Michigan State University
*Janet Olsen, 4-H Associate Program Leader, MSU Extension
*Carmen Trinidad, Curie H.S. Service-Learning Coach, Chicago Intermediate School District
*Matt Calvert, 4-H Program Leader, University of Wisconsin Extension
*Kari Pardoe, Program Associate, Community Foundations for the Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF)
*Esther Onaga, Acting Director, MSU Institute for Children, Youth and Families, and Sharon Krinock, Executive Director, Greater Lansing Food Bank
*Dwayne Baker, Assistant Professor, Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies, Michigan State University
*Carlos Pedraza, Associate Director, National Service-Learning Clearinghouse

Do you have a schedule conflict on the 22nd? Register anyway and take advantage of previewing and downloading presentations, reviewing chat logs, accessing quality resources and networking all week long from July 19-25!

Register now! Cost is $25 per registrant. Payment by credit card only. Online registration, full conference program and further details are now available at: http://www.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/commserv/SLConf/

Still Have Questions? Contact Beth Cheng, Conference Coordinator, at 517-432-7641 or chengb@msue.msu.edu

RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES

3-September 12, 2004 Is National Neighborhood Day!

Join people all over America as they gather with their neighbors to foster caring and concern for each other and promote stronger, more effective communities - all while having fun in their neighborhoods! National Neighborhood Day happens on the second Sunday in September each year. This year, National Neighborhood Day is on Sunday, September 12. Visit www.neighborhoodday.org to learn more.

National Neighborhood Day is a grassroots, nonprofit initiative that offers an opportunity for simple gatherings sharing food and fun. It is a chance to celebrate the things we all share and discover the diversity among us that makes America great. There is no agenda and no prescription. Your neighborhood might be a street, a few houses or an apartment building. Make it a party, a project or a potluck. Rekindle friendships. Welcome new neighbors. Learn about each others' families, interests and needs.

Visit www.neighborhoodday.org for ideas, inspiration, information, and assistance for organizing neighborhood gatherings. See how easy it is to plan and host an event with the tools and templates available on the site.

Please pass this information on to your friends and welcome them to host a gathering in their neighborhoods as well!

4-Childhood Obesity Resources From Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Childhood obesity rates have tripled in the United States in the past two decades. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is actively funding research and programs to address this public health threat and find workable solutions.

The RWJF Web site reports on the Foundation's most recent projects relating to childhood obesity. The following is information and links for Webcasts of the RWJF TV Health Series, exclusive interviews, reports and more:

Measuring Public Support for Childhood Obesity Prevention Interventions

www.rwjf.org/news/special/obesitysurvey

The public is increasingly taking notice of the childhood obesity issue. Researchers at RTI International's Center for Health Promotion Research conducted a survey of 1,047 adults to better understand how the public views childhood obesity in relation to other health threats and what prevention interventions they would support.

The study, Public Perceptions of Childhood Obesity Prevention Interventions, found that childhood obesity is considered as serious a health threat as youth violence and tobacco use. The public also thinks that parents and children are most responsible for solving this problem. They are supportive of school, community, and media interventions. But they are generally opposed to cost, tax, and other regulatory interventions.

This RWJF Web feature includes:

*An interview with the study's lead author, W. Douglas Evans, Ph.D., research director, Center for Health Promotion Research, RTI International

*Key findings from the study

*Access to RWJF TV Health Series Webcast: Measuring Public Support for Childhood Obesity Prevention Interventions

Obesity Screening in Children

www.rwjf.org/news/special/obesityscreen

Despite recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Practice (AAFP), few primary-care providers routinely assess obesity among their young patients using body mass index (BMI) measures. One recent survey found that fewer than 20 percent of pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners reported using BMI to screen for overweight in their young patients.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded research to identify key barriers to routine BMI screening and monitoring among a variety of pediatric care practitioners. The research focuses on practices serving low-income minority children/adolescents and their families. The report, Screening for Obesity in Pediatric Primary Care: A Review of the Literature, was completed in spring 2004.

This RWJF Web feature includes:

*An interview with lead researcher, Jonathan D. Klein, M.D., director of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Center for Child Health and an associate professor at the University of Rochester, about the project, and how these findings might be used

*Key findings and recommendations from the study

*Access to RWJF TV Health Series Webcast: The Use of BMI to Track Childhood Obesity

Minorities, Low Income Have Less Access to Physical Activity Facilities

www.rwjf.org/news/special/activityspace

People most at risk for being inactive and overweight lack access to community facilities that could encourage them to become more active. That's the main finding of a new study, The Relationship between Community Physical Activity Settings and Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status.

Results show that communities with higher median household income generally offered access to more physical activity-related settings, such as sports areas, parks and green spaces, public pools and beaches, and bike paths and lanes. Alternately, communities with higher proportions of African Americans and some other minority races provided fewer activity-oriented facilities. The study highlights the need for targeted interventions, such as proactive urban planning policies to help reduce barriers related to physical activity. Targeted interventions might reduce health disparities across different socioeconomic and minority groups.

This RWJF Web feature includes:

*An interview with Lisa M. Powell, Ph.D., research associate professor in the Health Research and Policy Centers and Department of Economics at the University of Illinois at Chicago

*Key findings from the study

*Access to RWJF TV Health Series Webcast: Minorities, Low Income Have Less Access to Physical Activity Facilities.

5-Calling All Heroes

Do you know a hero? If you do, consider nominating your hero for the Volvo for Life Awards, the nation's largest annual search for and celebration of everyday heroes, with more than $1 million in financial contributions.

Now in its third year, the Volvo for Life Awards honors individuals making outstanding contributions in the area of safety, environment or quality of life. For example, people who have accomplished things such as opening a community center for needy kids, developing recycling programs for their schools, or helping save the life of a perfect stranger. Think you know someone who fits this description If so, go to www.volvoforlifeawards.com to nominate a hero. Volvo just might feature your nomination on the site and in the media.

You have until Jan. 10, 2005, to submit a nomination. In February, Volvo will select 100 semi-finalists, who will receive a framed Certificate of Merit to honor their accomplishments. From those 100 semi-finalists, Volvo will select the top three finalists in three categories: Safety, Quality of Life and Environment. From these finalists, celebrity judges including Hank Aaron, Bill Bradley, Maya Lin and Paul Newman will name one winner for each of the three categories; they will each receive $50,000 to be donated to the charities of their choice. The remaining six finalists will each receive a $25,000 charitable donation. The thee category winners will be flown to New York on March 23, 2005, to be honored at the Volvo for Life Awards Ceremony in Times Square Studios, where an overall winner will be unveiled and presented with a Volvo car or SUV for life.

To learn more and to nominate a hero, visit www.volvoforlifeawards.com.