Adult Youth Workers

As you work to give young people wonderful experiences that help them learn and grow, look for opportunities to help them also make good health decisions.

Promoting Health Among Pre-teens and Teens

Adult youth workers can take an active role in promoting healthy behavior in pre-teens and teens. Make physical activity and healthy food choices part of every event or meeting you have. Send the message that good choices should be the rule, not the exception!

Physical Activity

Plan for and offer some type of physical activity during youth events and meetings. Get those kids out of their chairs and on their feet! Experts recommend 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day for most young people. Given space, safety issues, and staff available to supervise, EVERYONE should be active—adult youth workers can be great role models for physically active lifestyles. Try to offer activities that:

  • Are 30 minutes in length at a moderate-to-vigorous level 40% of the time (12 minutes of vigorous activity during a 30-minute session, for example)
  • Provide many opportunities for participation and skill practice such as running, jumping or ball-handling
  • Are different from those the kids are doing in PE in school
  • Engage young people who have different skill levels, in activities that promote cooperation over competition
  • Reduce or eliminate standing around or waiting to take turns

Encourage pre-teens and teens to set their own physical activity goals and report on them regularly at the club or program. Formally recognize them when they reach and maintain their goals. Physical activity goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-stamped (SMART). One of the goals most young people should set is to reduce TV/screen time, which is a major contributor to obesity and overweight.

Adults can promote physical activity among groups of youth from across a community so that a physical activity "habit" is formed. Walk Kansas for Kids, an 8-week walking program for elementary-age youth sponsored through K-State Research and Extension, can be a club-sponsored program. It can also be set up as a community-service campaign by older teens who model physical activity for younger teens. Contact your local County Extension Office for more information.

Healthy Food Choices

Nothing attracts kids to programs, clubs and events like fun and free food! Give teens and pre-teens lots of healthy foods to choose from during your meetings, and give them the opportunity to try different fruit and vegetables. Challenge them to try something new each time you meet.

Young people can learn about dietary recommendations and nutritional values by reading the labels of snacks at youth events, meetings and programs. Adult leaders can help teens compare the nutritional value of healthy and less-healthy snacks. These impromptu lessons can even help build science, reading and math skills. You can also discuss health concepts such as "energy balance," which means that calories eaten (energy in) are not "bad" as long as the calories are also burned through increased physical activity (energy out).

You can also subtly include information about the nutritional quality of foods while making fruits and vegetables more available. Most teens don't come close to eating the nationally recommended 5 to 9 servings per day. Encourage teens and pre-teens to ask their parents if they can try the new item at home. Young people can also learn about:

Similar to setting goals for physical activity, youth participants can be encouraged to set personal goals for healthy eating. Remember, goals should be SMART and should be appropriately recognized and rewarded.

According to the American Cancer Society (Generation Fit, 1999), youth are often the best promoters and advocates for improved health in their communities. Youth organizations and programs can engage the "power of youth" to plan, implement and evaluate community-wide activities and campaigns to promote good health. Adult leaders who effectively engage adolescents through real, meaningful leadership experiences are usually more successful at recruiting and retaining youth in their programs.

Remember that middle-school-age youth are likely to drop out of youth programs and clubs that don’t meet their needs for friendship, meaningful involvement, safety and fun. Youth workers who effectively address the eight critical features of healthy settings while promoting improved health will find the recruitment and retention of youth members much easier.