- Author: Norma De la Vega
- Adapted into English by: Jeannette E. Warnert
The end-of-year holidays are a perfect time to enjoy family, gifts and food. It's time to laugh, relax, cook and eat the most delicious meals of the year.
Unfortunately, it can also be a time when excess can put your health and finances at risk, leaving you to begin the New Year with debt, stress and anxiety.
Experts with UC Cooperative Extension have practical advice to make the festivities joyful and worry-free. They also provide some simple guidelines to select toys for children with maximum fun and minimum heartache.
Don't go into debt
Shopping is a temptation all year, but during the holidays even conservative shoppers can be seduced into spending too much. In the United States, the average shopper will spend $885 on gifts, according to Gallup.com. For that spending, UCCE experts recommend shoppers avoid making purchases on credit.
Patti Wooten Swanson, UCCE nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor in San Diego County, believes using a credit cards encourages over spending. Before you know it, the debt will begin to acquire interest, the interest continues to grow, and the purchases become substantially more expensive.
She suggests shoppers establish a budget, think of the people you would like to give gifts, and determine the amount of cash available for each of them before heading to the store.
“Organizing the expenses is very important for people at all income levels to learn to manage money, reach financial security and use their economic resources to acquire what is really important for you and your children,” Wooten Swanson said.
Following are recommendations for using a credit card:
- Don't use a credit card to make a purchase if you don't have the funds to pay it off at that moment.
- Understand that the actual cost of interest can vary greatly, from zero percent for a limited time up to 30 percent. Pay all charges at the end of the month to avoid paying interest.
- Avoid paying only the minimum payment on your credit card, as creditors may then consider you “high risk” and increase your interest rate.
- An advantage of paying with a credit card is the security of not having to take cash with you shopping.
Remember, spreading holiday cheer doesn't require spending a lot of money. There are also treasured gifts, such as those that are homemade, that will persist in the recipient's memory because they come from the heart.
Eat everything, but in moderation
The holidays hail the arrival of many rich dishes, such as tamales, roasted meats and an array of chocolates, cookies and desserts. Many of these foods require a great deal of preparation and are only available at this time of year, increasing the temptation to eat them. But, they often contain a significant amount of salt, sugar and fat.
“Everybody knows we eat because we have to nourish our bodies, but we also eat for pleasure, to socialize or because we enjoy the flavors of the foods,” said Lorrene Ritchie, director of the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources' Nutrition Policy Institute. “Sometimes what we like eating isn't the most healthy, and it's important to know that you don't have to feel guilty and renounce all foods that are unhealthy. Just be sure that most of the time you and your children opt for healthy foods.”
Following are a few suggestions from UC ANR experts can make the holiday eating and playing healthier and safer.
Drink water
During the festivities, we can allow ourselves to enjoy a sugary drink now and then, but always drink water to quench thirst.
“To work off one can of soda, you'll have to walk a few hours. Calories don't burn off very rapidly with physical activity,” Ritchie said.
Salads at your parties
Salads are very healthy, and the more colorful, the better. Each vegetable of a different color contains different nutrients.
“Latinos love fruit. I believe we eat enough fruits,” said Margarita Ramirez Schwartz, UC Cooperative Extension nutrition educator in San Diego County. “But we don't consume as much vegetables, and above all, raw salads.”
At your parties, always serve salads. If you don't have time for salad preparation, opt for convenience products like packaged vegetables and greens that are pre-washed, pre-cut and ready to serve.
Dance
A family dance creates timeless memories. There is no grandparent that can decline when a granddaughter wants to dance. Among Latinos, dancing is part of the culture. Be it salsa, samba, huapango or merengue, any rhythm will help you stop eating, have fun and improve your health.
“The key is to realize that exercise is as important for your health as eating and sleeping,” Ramirez-Schwarz said. “We all want to live for many years, and spend those years enjoying good health. No one likes to be sick and physical activity is part of illness prevention.”
Toys
The joy of Christmas and Epiphany for children often takes the form of new toys, which entertain and spark imagination and creativity. Parents want their children to be happy and have the opportunity to learn by playing with safe toys. Alas, it doesn't always work out this way.
In 2016, there were 240,000 injuries related to toys, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Toys usually appear harmless, but children with injuries caused by toys arrive at hospitals every year. WATCH (World Against Toys Causing Harm, Inc.) is a non-profit organization that monitors toy safety and compiles a list of harmful toys. For example, the leash on a wooden dog can cause strangulation. The lighted eyes that detach easily from a stuffed unicorn can choke a youngster. A toy rifle that shoots plastic disks can hit another child in the eye.
UC ANR experts recommend that you choose toys that will hold a child's interest, taking into account the child's age, fine motor skills and preferences. A toy that is too advanced or too simple could be used in the wrong manner and cause accidents. Think big when choosing toys. Each small piece must be larger than the child's mouth to prevent harm.
- Carefully examine the toys made of painted metal. There are some made overseas that can contain high levels of lead.
- Make sure the toy doesn't have small parts on which a child can choke or that can put younger children in the household at risk.
- Avoid toys that are old and used because they may not comply with current security rules or they may be worn out, break easily and be a danger to children.
- Look for toys with a solid structure. You do not want to give a toy to children that can break easily.
- To prevent cuts, check to be sure the toy doesn't have sharp points or edges.
- Avoid toys that make a lot of noise that could damage the child's hearing.
- Be sure activity books and art supplies are nontoxic.
- Give the toy with batteries, if needed, so that the children won't be frustrated when they receive the gift.
Finally, remember that there is no better gift to children than your time. The toy will be forgotten shortly, but the time that children spend with their families will create life-long memories.
Read the Spanish version of this story.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Findings of the 2017 Healthy Kids Survey in Trinity County showed about three-quarters of teens lack healthy social connectivity, and most feel disconnected at school.
"We were surprised," said Janessa Hartmann, UC CalFresh nutrition education program supervisor for Trinity, Shasta and Tehama counties. "Trinity County is small and Trinity High School has just 364 students. We thought there were ample opportunities for students to connect."
The students told a different story. The survey found that 74 percent of 9th graders and 60 percent of 11th graders feel they have no caring relationships at school; 90 percent of 9th graders and 77 percent of 11th graders feel they have no meaningful participation at school.
The data prompted Junction City Elementary School principal Christine Camara to reach out to UC Cooperative Extension for assistance in creating a program where high school students could develop caring relationships through a project devoted to meaningful participation in their school and community.
UC CalFresh offers nutrition, physical activity and garden education in local schools. To involve teenagers, UC CalFresh created RISE, the Raw Inspiration Spreading Education program. It was designed to mentor, empower, and train teens to deliver the Learn Grow Eat Go Curriculum at the Junction City Elementary School afterschool program and support the school garden. RISE is giving older students the opportunity to work with elementary school students in a structured way that helps spark friendships, reduce social isolation and improve health outcomes.
This project, led by Maggie Alvord, UC CalFresh Trinity County nutrition educator, is also integrating the talents of 4-H program representative Nate Caeton and UC CalFresh garden coordinator Kim Stempien.
Trinity High School counselor Jaime Green noted that the pilot project aligns with the education component of the Career Pathway program by providing the opportunity for students to learn to teach. The Trinity High School horticulture teacher is offering classroom time and opportunities for students to learn the curriculum.
"By participating in this program, students are developing skills as educators," Alvord said. "They are becoming role models for the elementary age students."
Last school year, four high school students were enrolled in RISE. They delivered 10 Learn Grow Eat Go lessons to 60 after-school students.
"The RISE Program is fun. It's taught me how to guide and learn with children as well as further my knowledge in gardening and healthy lifestyles," said junior Macy Senter, one of the RISE participants.
"The momentum has only begun and I have a lot of ideas brewing regarding improvements in the RISE Program for the following year and hopefully years to come," Alvord said.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Hands-on crafts, farm animals and fresh organic produce brought the Santa Clara County community to the Martial Cottle Park Harvest Festival in San Jose Oct. 6. UC Cooperative Extension in Santa Clara County participated to share gardening information, composting basics and the fun of 4-H with children and families.
The UCCE 4-H program brought virtual reality goggles that allowed children to look in any direction for a view under the sea, complete with coral, fish and a sea turtle. Santa Clara County 4-H ambassador Alexa Russo used a tablet computer to interact with the children as they looked through the goggles, asking questions to engage them in the experience.
The goggles are just one way 4-H is seeking to light a spark of interest in youth. In clubs throughout the state, 4-H youth are taking part in fun computer science and engineering projects while learning about healthy living, citizenship and leadership.
Booth visitors intrigued by the goggles at the harvest festival were invited to participate in a free event at the Google Mountain View Campus called Code Your World. The activity was developed by 4-H, Google and West Virginia University Extension to teach children about computer science with games and interaction. The Oct. 13 event is being held to to mark 4-H National Youth Science Day.
"Code Your World is fun, hands-on and easy, even for people with no computer science experience," said Fe Moncloa, UC Cooperative Extension Youth Development advisor for Santa Clara County. "We opened Code Your World to all our 4-H members, and we're also encouraging kids who aren't members to come." Space is limited and pre-registration is required. To register, go to: http://ucanr.edu/nysdscc
For more information on Code Your World and the Youth Science Day event, see the Santa Clara County 4-H website.
- Author: Carolyn McMillan
Canoeing on a mountain lake, telling stories around a campfire, sleeping under the stars — it's the quintessential summer camp experience — and for thousands of California kids it's also their first introduction to UC's 4-H program.
And just like the popular program that teaches children to raise and care for animals, 4-H summer camp is as much about leadership training and science education as it is about making new friends and getting out in nature.
“So many of the kids live in the city and for a week they get to escape,” says Tiffany Marino, who joined the Monte Vista 4-H Club in Chino as an 8-year-old and has loved it ever since — especially summer weeks spent at Camp Seely near Lake Arrowhead, with the Los Angeles 4-H program.
The camp is set on a hill with cabins, a fire circle, a mess hall and lodge. There are volleyball and basketball courts, and a pool. “It's all surrounded by trees and greenery. It's so beautiful. It's this one week in summer where everything is OK,” Marino says.
Kids from all over Southern California come to this magical spot, making tight friendships and getting a breather from city life.
But the thing that really makes the camp special is not the setting, Marino said. It's that the teachers and counselors are themselves kids — high schoolers who spend months before camp working together to plan it out, developing educational programming and other fun activities for the week.
A growth experience for teens and campers alike
When summer comes, they put their plans into action, getting first-hand experience teaching classes, leading activities and ensuring that campers have a memorable time.
Adult volunteers keep an eye on things, but the teens themselves run the show, said UC Cooperative Extension's Keith Nathaniel, the Los Angeles county director & 4-H youth development advisor.
Along with archery, nature walks, swimming and other traditional camp activities, the teens hold science-based classes that challenge campers to work in teams to come up with solutions for things like how they would improvise a shelter to get out of bad weather.
“The teens come up with the activities,” says Nathaniel. “It's an applied experience where they get to use the leadership skills they've developed in a really meaningful way.”
Building confidence
Rose Clara and Connor Gusman, rising seniors at C.K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento, have both spent time as teen leaders with On the Wild Side, a 4-H camp that brings fourth through sixth graders from disadvantaged communities out for a weekend in the mountains near Nevada City.
The goal is to give campers a chance to explore and learn about the natural world in a way that is fun and builds confidence.
“The kids are so excited to be on a camp-out, but sometimes they are sort of scared too — for some of them, it's their first time away from home,” Clara said. “It's super cute to see how excited they are by everything. By the end of camp, they're hugging you and crying and they give you their name tag so you'll remember them.”
Clara helps her young campers quickly feel at home by playing an icebreaker, like the game where each person names a favorite thing — maybe a food or an animal — and everyone else who likes that same thing steps into the circle with them.
“It's a way to unite everyone,” Clara says.
‘You can inspire someone and cause a change'
Both she and Gusman discovered that they liked teaching and bonding with the kids so much that they went from being camp counselors to joining the program development committee, a team that chooses the curriculum and plans the whole camp.
Gusman even helped write a grant that secured $500 from the Sacramento Region Community Foundation to help off-set the cost of buses and meals for the campers.
“Most of the kids haven't been outside Sacramento. They haven't seen the stars or had a camp experience before,” Gusman said. “They always love the campfire and the songs.”
One of his biggest surprises was learning how much of an impact he could have as a teacher.
He used the small lake by the camp to show the kids how to assess water quality, including analyzing the prevalence of indicator species that can tell you if the water is clean and healthy.
“Going through the process of developing the lesson, I wasn't totally hooked until we were at camp. There was one really shy girl who on the first day said, ‘I don't like science.' Then at the end, she was like, ‘I really loved it and I'm going to take as many science classes as I can,'” Gusman said.
“I wasn't a pessimist before, but I also wasn't super positive that there was a magical moment when you could inspire someone and cause a change. The camp has shown me that you can do that. You can help other people grow to love science and the earth, and see them grow like that.”
Cultivating citizens
Marianne Bird, the 4-H youth development advisor in Sacramento County who oversees 4-H On the Wild Side as part of her work with UC Cooperative Extension, said that teens are particularly effective as teachers.
“They have a rapport with the little kids that as adults we don't always have,” Bird said.
Both she and Nathaniel evaluate the camps once they end, and survey both participants and teen leaders about their experiences. The responses on both sides are overwhelmingly positive.
One of the questions they ask the teenage teachers is whether they feel that they've made a contribution to their community, Bird said.
“That's a big part of 4-H — citizenship. Not just voting, but being a part of your community and believing that you can make a difference on issues that are important to you.”
The proof comes in seeing how these young leaders grow and change from their experiences.
A lasting legacy
Rose Clara, for instance, knew she liked teaching before she started volunteering with 4-H, but the camp experience has given her a new passion for advocacy and political science. She has joined the California Association of Student Councils and used her newfound leadership skills to host a mental health awareness week at her school.
“I think that comes from 4-H — stepping up like that. I want to help people,” Clara said.
Marino, who as the youth director was in charge of the entire week at Camp Seely last year, says simply of 4-H:
“It has taught me so much and given me everything: leadership skills, people skills, role models.”
At 19, she has now reached that bittersweet moment where she has “aged out” of 4-H. But through its programs, she learned to raise and show animals, came to understand civics through trips to Sacramento, and developed her leadership skills and style.
A sophomore majoring in business at Cal Poly Pomona, 4-H has taught her that she can succeed.
“It's definitely given me lots of confidence and substance — I know that I am capable.”
This article courtesy of the UC Office of the President.
View a video about 4-H Summer Camp:
/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Intermountain Research and Extension Center (IREC) celebrated the grand opening of a multipurpose conference and laboratory building on July 26, 2018. The facility is available for use by private and public groups for business meetings, job fairs, trainings and conferences.
"The facility is the first in the Tulelake area to offer modern audio-visual infrastructure and high-speed internet connectivity capable of supporting remote presentations to stay in touch with groups from around the world," said Rob Wilson, IREC director. "We hope this facility will greatly increase the visibility and accessibility of local events and help draw more regional attention to the area."
The conference room was dedicated in honor of the late John Staunton, a local research collaborator with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources who passed away in 2015. Staunton Farms and the Staunton family donated $25,000 to support the building project and recognize the Tulelake farmer and his long-standing support of agriculture and research.
Winema Elevators/Western Milling, Sensient Natural Ingredients, Macy's Flying Service, and Basin Fertilizer also contributed support.
UC awarded approximately $2 million for this capital improvement project with funds from UC lease revenue bonds to pay for most of the building's design and construction costs, but additional support is needed to complete the project. Intermountain REC has set a fundraising goal of $100,000 to pay for tables, chairs, furnishing and lab equipment for the building.
A special UC fund has been created to collect tax-deductible contributions to be used solely for this building project. Donations over $50 will receive recognition in print and on the IREC website. Donations over $1,000 will receive recognition on the donor wall in the building entryway. Name plate recognition on the donor wall will be based on the gift amount: Gold ($2,500+), Silver ($1,750 to $2,499), and Bronze ($1,000 to $1,749). Donations can be made via check using the enclosed envelope or by credit card by visiting the IREC website at http://irec.ucanr.edu and clicking the “Make a gift” link.
Research conducted at Intermountain REC includes biological control of cereal leaf beetle, influence of fall harvest management of irrigated grass hays, onion white rot, managing alfalfa weevil and clover root cucurlio, pulse crop options for the Klamath Basin, cover crops and amendments, cutting schedule effects on low lignin alfalfa and germplasm evaluation of alfalfa and tall fescue.