Health and Wellness
Walk-A-Weigh Nutrition Program for Youth
Walk-a-Weigh is a nutrition education and physical activity program designed to promote healthy nutrition practices and increased physical activity through the creation of small community walking groups. The program has developed several additional lessons to provide the instructor/facilitator the opportunity to conduct a needs assessment to find the topics of greatest need and interest to participants while still meeting each of the eight core competencies within the program.
Love You 2 Relationship Smarts Plus
The Relationship Smarts Plus (RS+) curriculum focuses on personal development related to identity, goals and values, distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors, making safe choices in forming relationships, preventing dating violence, developing communication skills, and preparing for adult roles and responsibilities. The program consists of 13 lessons that build skills and knowledge regarding healthy relationships.
The objectives are to increase teen knowledge of
- healthy and unhealthy relationships,
- healthy dating patterns (using effective approaches to conflict management and communication), and
- the importance of mutual respect, shared values, and commitment.
The program provides teens with the skills to recognize patterns of unhealthy and abusive relationships in terms of verbal or physical aggression, controlling behavior, and lack of respect between partners. This course helps teens feel empowered to make good choices and stand up for themselves when needed. It also aids problem solving and builds communication skills. Finally, RS+ educates teens about the choices and behaviors that put their physical and emotional health at risk.
Publications
News
STARKVILLE, Miss. – A Mississippi State University Extension instructor has been selected to a national Extension Foundation committee focused on improving mental health.
School is officially back in session! (photo by Canva Pro)
Now that school is back in session for many of us, everyone is getting back into the swing of things.
Mississippi adults will continue to be offered science-based vaccine information by the Mississippi State University Extension Service with help from a national grant.
MSU Extension received the Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement, or EXCITE, grant to provide adult vaccine education in Mississippi. MSU was one of 37 institutions chosen for this award.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Community improvement starts with a volunteer spirit and a desire to serve as a role model for positive change.
In north Mississippi, plenty of teenagers are ready to step up. They just need to know how to help.
The Mississippi State University Extension Service 4-H program hosted 69 14- to 18-year-olds April 22 at the Mill Conference Center in Starkville to help some of these future leaders learn not just how to lead, but also how to take care of themselves and help their peers during challenging times.
As a mom of a child with food allergies, I have some tips that can help you navigate in the kitchen if you or someone in your family also has food allergies.
Millions of Americans have food allergies. While some may outgrow food allergies, many others do not. Food allergies are common in young children and tend to appear during the first or second year of life. Check out the tips I use to help me navigate as a mom of a child with food allergies.
Success Stories
Reading, writing, and arithmetic are important, and so is knowing where your food comes from, how to grow it yourself, and how to harvest and prepare it. Veteran educator Jana Everett believes children need to learn all these lessons.
The StoryWalk and colorful word art now installed in downtown Belzoni are giving Rosemary Williams a new opportunity for the children she cares for at Rosemary’s Daycare and Learning Center.
Imagine what Mississippi might look like if everyone had access to healthy foods. The state could set an example for other rural states in using existing resources, collaborating with officials and stakeholders, and creating solutions that have measurable impacts for individuals and families.
Rev. Dr. Manney Murphy has known for years that serving his community is his calling. Even after years of making a difference in Warren County, Murphy recently felt led to return to his father’s hometown of Yazoo City. Now, he’s working to change how Mississippians of all ages in the Delta are accessing and receiving healthcare.
Kendra McGregory, a Houston, Mississippi, fourth grader, attended the program for the first time in 2021.
