Youth Development

Playworks, a national nonprofit organization that promotes structured, inclusive recess in low-income elementary schools, has been shown to improve student engagement, physical activity, and school climate. However, little is known about whether programs like Playworks—where trained adults lead games that…

IntroductionWe all have feelings. And they matter. Feelings help us learn about ourselves and others. Despite their benefit, many of us have a hard time identifying feelings. In his book, Permission To Feel, Dr. Marc Brackett encourages us to lean in to our feelings. By doing so, we can lead more healthy and…

Introduction In our previous post, we discussed the importance of assessing staff capacity. Assessing the after school staff’s capacity is an important consideration when discussing a partnership. Also, understanding your 4-H staff’s capacity can also help ensure that your partnership will have the…

Childcare centers and homes aim to create a healthy environment, but holistically assessing practices and identifying what to improve is often challenging. A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior highlights the reliability and validity of the Site-Level…

April is National Volunteer Month. We want to thank our 4-H volunteers for guiding, mentoring, and inspiring youth to reach their full potential.

Economies of a Seedby Julie Silva, UC Master Gardener in Tuolumne County, CA Are you a combination of both picky and frugal? Do you know exactly what you want and enjoy hunting for the best price? Are you not satisfied with the choices on the shelves? Going shopping anywhere today makes all of us feel…

A 2026 longitudinal study assessed 13 years of school-based fitness testing data from New York City students in grades 4-12 at 1,721 public schools. Researchers used data from three FitnessGram tests -aerobic capacity, push-ups, and curl-ups -and looked at how many students were meeting age- and…