Healthy Lifestyles Initiative

The Healthy Lifestyles Initiatives is a free program that supports healthy 4-H club meetings across the state. In collaboration with the WVU Extension Healthy Lifestyles Team and statewide health agencies, programs and curriculum are available such as Health Rocks!®

The initiative includes Youth Voice, Youth Choice, tobacco cessation and prevention programs regarding topics such as:

• Nutrition and Food Prep
• Physical Fitness
• Safety
• Social and Emotional Health
• Personal Well-being

To learn more, contact Nila Cobb at Nila.Cobb@ nomail.wvu.edu or 304-720-9883.

4-H Health Officers

This initiative builds leadership skills of youth and promotes the “Health H”. Each year, youths are selected by their 4-H club members to become a club 4-H Health Officer. County 4-H Officer Training Schools equip these new leaders with a 4-H Club Health Activity Guide and practice in using it effectively. Training is held at County Officer Training Schools. Throughout the 4-H club year, health officers highlight the “Health H” through interactive games, challenges, and discovery activities with 4-H club members. Families receive handouts that reinforce healthy habits. Adult 4-H leaders nurture the young Health Officers, helping them to prepare, organize, and present. Each year, the 4-H Health Initiative focuses on a single health theme.

There are five health themes in rotation for the 4-H Health Officer Activity Guides:

Dental Health

The purpose of this program is to increase dental health knowledge and motivate 4-H’ers and families to try new dental health habits and to improve others.

Eating Healthy

The purpose of this program is to increase knowledge about healthy eating and motivate 4-H’ers and families to try new health habits and to improve others.

Healthy Relationships

The purpose of this program is to increase knowledge about healthy relationships and motivate 4-H’ers and families to try new health habits and to improve others.

2020 - 2021 Theme

Physical Activity

This program aims to increase physical activity health knowledge and motivate 4-H’ers and families to try new health habits and to improve others.

Safety

The purpose of this program is to increase health knowledge around a variety of safety topics and motivate 4-H’ers and families to try new health habits and to improve others.

To learn more about the 4-H Health Officer program, contact Jenny Murray at Jenny.Murray@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-7993.

4-H Healthy Lifestyles News

4-H Health Ambassador Trainings

Are you ready to become a 4-H Healthy Living Teen Ambassador? Learn more about this exciting opportunity!  Trainings are coming to your area!

West Virginia 4-H is a recipient of the Walmart Foundation Healthy Habits grant and the National 4-H Council’s Health Rocks!®. The Healthy Habits grant requires states to have 4-H Healthy Living Teen Ambassadors who assist in the facilitation of the nutrition, gardening and physical fitness activities in a variety of counties and state programs. The Health Rocks!® grant requires facilitation of the new pilot Health Rocks!® curriculum that includes tobacco, alcohol and substance misuse prevention. 4-H Healthy Living Teen Ambassadors can be current 4-H members or teens new to 4-H ages 13-18 for Health Rocks!® and grades 8-12 for Healthy Habits. If you are wondering how to get involved or become a 4-H Healthy Living Teen Ambassador, this article can help provide you with additional information.

About 4-H Health Ambassador Trainings

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