National 4-H Council Announces Healthy Lifestyles Grant to Cumberland County Cooperative Extension
Contact: Lisa Phelps, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Cumberland County, 207-780-4205
PORTLAND– Sometimes finding a source of locally grown food or a new walking path for an evening stroll can be difficult. This spring and summer, 4-H and school groups in Portland and Bowdoinham will collect such information and make it available on maps and Web pages through the “Techni-Kids on the Move” project.
The Cumberland County office of University of Maine Cooperative Extension has received a $7,500 grant from the National 4-H Council and Kraft Foods, Inc. to conduct the project at the Riverton School in Portland and the Bowdoinham Community School. The goal is to support healthy community systems and promote physical activity.
The projects will be carried out by Kathy Savoie and Lisa Phelps, University of Maine Cooperative Extension educators, as well as teachers and community volunteers. The “Techni-Kids on the Move” project will work with youth to use geographic information systems and global positioning systems (GIS/GPS) and Web-based technologies to create environments that support healthy community systems and promote physical activity.
At Riverton, youth and adults in the program will create a community food map using GIS/GPS to display where foods are produced, grown and sold in the school district. They will also create a community map that highlights seasonal physical activities for youth and families in Portland.
In Bowdoinham, youth will be creating a safe walking trail that school and community members have easy access to, along with improved public accessibility to the existing school garden. The Bowdoinham participants will create an educational Web page using digital cameras and Web-based technology to inform others how to construct accessible gardens.
“This is a great opportunity for youth to learn about GIS/GPS technologies and to be involved in their communities,” said Lisa Phelps, Extension educator. “Community mapping will encourage outdoor activity and encourage healthy lifestyles.”
“It’s a win-win opportunity”, said Kathy Savoie, Extension educator. “Involving volunteers and youth in community service projects such as these will help to create self-sustainable infrastructures within communities and increase individuals’ skills to adopt lifelong behaviors to foster healthier communities.”
4-H is a community of young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. Visit www.4husa.org for more information about the 4-H adventure and http://umaine.edu/cumberland/ for more information about Cumberland County Extension Programs.