2018 YOUTH ADVOCACY COUNCIL (YAC) “A healthy outside starts from the inside”
ABOUT THE YAC Our Mission Our purpose is to create change in our schools and communities in order to make our environment a healthier place to be. Our Vision We want to support those around us to make healthier choices for themselves and educate our peers. Our Core Value We aim to advocate for healthier lifestyles for all through healthy eating, active living, tobacco prevention, and substance and alcohol abuse prevention.
Y O U TH A D V O C A C Y C O U N C I L WHAT WE DO YOUTH HEALTHY LEADERSHIP ADVOCACY YOUTH SUMMIT BEHAVIORS TRAINING PROJECT SUMMIT STAFF PLANNING What is community? Healthy eating, active We help staff and run What is teamwork? living, tobacco We helped make We chose a specific the day of the Summit How do we make prevention and Summit decisions and issue of focus: as well as decorate change? control, substance prepared to share our Healthier Snacks in and lead. Who are our allies and alcohol abuse knowledge and Schools and opponents? prevention experience with you. 01 02 03 05 04
HEALTHY BEHAVIORS #movemore #eatwell #liveclean HEALTHY EATING 01 Make healthier choices, control quantities, and know when to say no to unhealthy options. ACTIVE LIVING 02 Exercising, socializing, and daily routines all play roles in making an active person. TOBACCO PREVENTION & CONTROL 03 Avoid ALL tobacco products, teach others the facts, and support quitting. SUBSTANCE & ALCOHOL ABUSE PREVENTION 04 Avoid alcohol and drugs, share facts with others, and support quitting.
OBESITY ON THE RISE According to the Centers for Disease Control (2018), in 2015-2016, the prevalence of obesity in the United 01 States in children 2-19 years of age was 18.5% and affected about 13.7 million children. In Central Louisiana the rate is much higher than the national average. According to the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey for The Rapides Foundation Service Area, 31.7% of students 02 described themselves as overweight or obese. In 2017 35.1% of students described themselves this way, a 3.4% increase in just two years. According to the above-mentioned survey, in a typical week, 74.3% of students 03 surveyed say they buy a snack food/carbonated beverage at school. 85.9% of students agree it is important to eat plenty of fruits and 04 vegetables. However, only 17.9% eat five or more servings of fruits/veggies per day, according to the above-mentioned survey.
THIS YEAR’S ADVOCACY PROJECT: Smart Snacks in Schools Through our leadership training, we realized there are federal guidelines meant to help regulate foods sold in our schools. These guidelines are not being followed and we don’t have many healthy snack options at our schools.
THIS YEAR’S ADVOCACY PROJECT: Smart Snacks in Schools With canteen and vending being a huge provider of snacks to students, the goal of this year’s project is to offer healthier snack options in our school canteens and vending machines. Overweight and obesity is on the rise, especially right here in Central Louisiana, and we want to help make some changes.
SMART SNACKS IN GATHER DATA 01 SCHOOLS-Easy as 1, 2, 3, 4! Talk to your principal, survey students to see what they want, and find out what is already being sold at your school. GATHER SUPPORT 02 Find staff and students at school who want to help. Get a petition going. Hang posters with healthy eating information and encourage a healthier school environment. MAKE A PLAN & TAKE ACTION 03 Take the information and support you have gathered and make a plan. Implement your plan with the help of your support team, such as your Living Healthy Club. FOLLOW UP & MONITOR PROGRESS 04 How are sales going with the healthy snacks? Do the students seem interested? Do you need to try different options?
YOUTH ADVOCACY COUNCIL PROJECT TIMELINE AGENDA Meet with Principal Gather Support Implement Your Action Plan Survey Students Make an Action Plan August 2018 September 2018 October –December 2018 We will take the information we With the help and information We first met with the principal gathered then work to gain we gather we will work to get and began to gather data on support through the Living healthier Smart Snack options what is being sold in our Healthy Club, students and available to purchase by schools and what the students teachers. With data collected December 2018. Guidelines would like to see sold. we will create an action plan. and resources for this project can be found on the Alliance for Healthier Generations website.
YOUTH ADVOCACY COUNCIL PROJECT TIMELINE AGENDA Monitor Progress Analyze Project Adjust as Needed Celebrate Success April-May 2019 January-March 2019 Finish We will monitor sales of We will look at snack sales and Smart Snacks, evaluate and other statistics for the school year, make adjustments as such as attendance and behavior needed. Hopefully we will and compare to last school year. also slowly remove unhealthy With this information we will make options. adjustments, talk to the students for feedback, and celebrate our success and efforts.
HOW CAN YOU HELP? BE A ROLE MODEL CELEBRATE SUCCESS TALK TO YOUR PRINCIPAL GATHER SUPPORT SIGN A PETITION Address and thank your supporters Have a private meeting with your Come together as students who Make decisions and perform As a student body, find for all the hard work they’ve put in to principal to discuss how the are concerned about the same actions affecting your cause something you all want to achieve the goal (then celebrate!). administration and student body cause and find ways to get your in a positive way. change, then state it on a petition can come to an agreement. message out there. and get supporters to sign it.
OBESITY ON THE RISE ENJOY THE SUMMIT Statistics 01 i Statistics 02 Statistics 03 Statistics 04
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