Need easy-to-use resources that offer fun ways for preteens to build skills for healthful living - and take charge of their own health? If yes, "The Power of Choice" is for you! This new Leaders’ Guide is a behavior-based, healthy lifestyle initiative, designed for adults who work with preteens, ages 11-13, in afterschool programs.
Why focus on preteens? Early adolescence is a pivotal time of growing when everyday decisions affect preteens’ long-term health. Yet many kids flunk healthy eating and activity levels start to decline rapidly about age 13, starting a lifestyle pattern that may result in obesity and some chronic diseases. To address this problem, FNS and FDA jointly developed the Leaders’ Guide using new FDA formative research and needs assessment plus research from the FNS "yourSELF Middle School Nutrition Education Kit."
The Leaders’ Guide provides comprehensive guidance, and most of the activity materials, for a year’s worth of interactive sessions. Ten topics with sequenced, hands-on activities motivate kids for 10, 20, 30 or 60 minutes at a time. Discovery activities, including making USDA reimbursable snacks, are based on messages from 4 posters (Feed Me, Move It, Read It! and Fight BAC!) Other components include: a goal-setting handout, recognition certificate, a family letter, ideas for gathering community and family support, and a resource that helps staff and parents power their own personal eating decisions.
Funded by both FNS and FDA, the Leaders’ Guide is available on a limited, free basis from FNS, and also via FNS’ website.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to assess how adults using the “The Power of Choice” can help young teens: 1) Make choices for healthful eating and active living that help them reach their goals. 2) Gain experience with goal setting and decision making so they can make choices to maintain or improve their health – and take charge of their lives. 3) Develop life skills that promote health and personal development … and that build confidence and encourage improvement, not perfection. 4) Take responsibility for what they eat, their level of physical activity, and their own health decisions . 5) Practice thinking skills to help them towards independence. 6) Enjoy positive experiences with peers, caring adults, and families who can help preteens make smart eating and active living an everyday habit. 7) Get involved in the community.
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.