health literacy – Page 8

March 23, 2015October 6, 2015

A Place for Teens to Seek Answers

Is there any danger to smoking e-cigarettes? How can I lessen my test-taking anxiety? How much sleep do I need? Why is my voice changing? These are questions that teens desire to ask, but often are afraid to do out of fear of embarrassment, or even just inaccessible resources. TeensHealth is a friendly and honest website for teenagers to explore information regarding physical and emotional health topics. Available 24 hours a day, pediatricians and other medical experts offer the straight answers to any and every health question that teens may have. The site also offers a tab for kids, and another for parents. KidsHealth and TeensHealth was created from the nonprofit organization Nemours. In 1936, philanthropist Alfred I. DuPont started Nemours with the vision of improving the health and spirit of children. Also, the Nemours Center for Children’s Health Media has consistently delivered health education in a comfortable and engaging manner.

The TeensHealth site is easy for young people to navigate. While creating a supportive environment where teens can ask literally anything, they are combating the fear that often accompanies asking a health practitioner or parent face-to-face. They are also bringing the power of cultivating health literacy into their own hands. Categories on the site include food and fitness, sexual health, drugs and alcohol, and many other healthful and helpful areas. The site covers most frequently asked or sought questions, while leaving plenty of opportunity for Q&A.

A favorite tool offered on the site is the Making a Change goal tracker. This feature breaks down goals into manageable steps, so teens can track their progress and celebrate successes. The featured articles are also a huge hit, and you can even listen to them via the audio tool. This month, a relevant article elaborates on Seasonal Affective Disorder, which most teens feel but do not understand the origin. Videos are also a plenty. Check out this informative video on bullying, created by seven teens with true-life experiences.

The parent tab offers similar categories to kids and teens, but fosters relative responses. Topics vary and include how to communicate with your teenager, fire safety plans, and even recipes. The KidsHealth in the Classroom tab offers teachers guides and lesson plans from preschool through grade 12.

This is such an empowering opportunity for teenagers to search, discover, learn, and take action for their own physical and emotional health. Now is the time for them to cultivate power and spread what they know. After all, they are our future mentors and leaders.

March 18, 2015

This Generation is so On!

Healthy Teens sends a huge knuckle bump to everyone at generationOn! This global youth service organization is putting massive amounts of power in the hands of teens- and we sure love that! In a nutshell, generationOn allows teens to choose causes and service within their communities, and to implement action. The wonderful part about this organization is that the service and events are run by youth. Although adults are behind the scenes, they act as the drivers to make these ideas possible, and to provide the tools to success. Teens formulate ideas, create teams, delegate jobs, and take inspiring action. Not only are members of generationOn making a difference in their communities, but they are also gaining some serious experience as leaders and coworkers. The events allow for opportunities to work in the fields of business management, public relations, accounting, and human resources. A recent bowling event to raise money for kids with disabilities took place in 2014, as you can see in the clip below.

Since its start in October 2010, generationOn has spread nation-wide. A great tool for expansion is the online community that allows teens to work with one another across the country for ideas that will impact wherever they call home. By exploring the teens tab, you will find various noble tools and visions for change that teens can get involved with today. There is also a tab for kids, parents and families, educators, and organizations. The education zone is of particular interest to us at Healthy Teens as we feel schools have such a profound ability to encourage change. Opportunities for professional development are available for teachers, and include webinars, workshops, and readings. GenerationOn has partnered with Learning to Give, a leading developer of lessons and resources that teach lifelong skills through service-learning. Over 1,700 lesson plans are shared in their Philanthropy Education Lessons. This curriculum is aligned with Common Core Standards, and the standards of all fifty states, not to mention Bermuda, Canada, Australia, India, the United Kingdom, and the International Philanthropy Standards. Learning to Give believes that all youth should be given the education and equipment to engage in lifelong philanthropic service to better their communities.

GenerationOn is working hard and so are its members. They offer educators the tools to teach, and teens the empowerment to choose a rightful cause and take action. Talk about democracy! The energy they emit is definitely worth getting hooked on, so keep up with their site and their blog– who knows where it may lead you.