Project Update

Hi guys.

After looking through the Letcher County Profiles on the CEDIK website, I realized that the 3 largest issues in my county are all related. The main concerns in my county are obesity, lack of physical activity, and risk of obesity relegated diseases. Since I am working closely with the 4-H department in my county, I have decided to attack all of these issues with one preventative and educational program for Letcher County youth.

My idea for my individual project, is to have a 1 mile walk/run for 4-H camp aged kids in my county. Through this project, I want to show children the importance of eating healthy and participating in physical activity now, so that the benefits will be evident throughout their lifespan. I will work closely with the SNAP-ed employees and 4-H employees in my office to ensure that this message comes through loud and clear. At the 1 mile walk/run event, I hope to have an incentive for each child to participate, a healthy snack with an educational component, and a grand prize for the winner of the race.

Through this program, I also plan to promote the event as a 4-H camp friend reunion to further encourage the target population to join and participate in the event. My program is expected to be held at the end of July in the evening to prevent dehydration or sunburn and encourage participation. I am very excited to complete all of the steps to plan, promote, implement, and evaluate this program and use one event to target 3 problem areas in my county.

Caitlin Collier