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Impact Report

For plan Youth Development (Crownpoint Tribal Extension)
Date October 25, 2011, 5:05 pm
For Objective Short-term Show short-term objectives
Impact Report 2011 Eastern Navajo Junior Livestock Show The Eastern Navajo Livestock Show is organized by local 4-H parents and volunteers with minimal assistance from the Navajo Nation and local Eastern Navajo Agency Fair Board. Enrolled New Mexico and Arizona 4-H members are allowed to show at the Eastern Navajo Livestock Show. 27 enrolled 4-H members from McKinley county, Cibola county, San Juan County and Arizona’s Apache county participated in the Eastern Navajo Junior Livestock Show showcasing their development of life skills through livestock exhibits related to over 200 project areas. Over 80 livestock projects were exhibited. Youth received recognition and feedback for continued improvement of knowledge and skills. Over $300 was paid to County 4-H Members through premiums. 4-H youth showed an increase in knowledge and skills related to livestock and personal development as evident by animals shown and ribbons awarded. Rocket Building There are two organizations that are in need of educational programs for area youth, the Office of Youth Development and Thoreau Community Center are both located on the Eastern Navajo Agency are central locations for area youth to seek educational programs. Thoreau Community Center recognized a need to provide a safe and positive place for youth and community members after a cluster of suicides in 2010. Thoreau Community Center’s approach to suicide prevention is focused on inspiring hope through a variety of venues including sports, music, education, health initiatives, and others. The Office of Youth Development provides afterschool and summer programs for area youth to encourage continued educational learning. Rocket Building is one of many programs provided to Thoreau Community Center to assist in providing youth with educational programs. The youth will be involved in a series of workshops beginning with the history of rocketry, learning the safety and equipment of rockets, building rockets and launching rockets safely. The Agent provided quality education programs with Thoreau Community and Office of Youth Development. Over 25 youth and adults gained knowledge of Rocketry. Youth gained knowledge of the history of Rocketry, Rocket safety and equipment, building Rockets and launching Rockets. After rockets were launched more students were enthused to build another rocket. Students who did not attend the programs were willing to sign up to participate in next rocket building program. Sheep Shearing Sheep are a valuable and sacred component of the Navajo culture. Today majority of Navajo elders have flocks of sheep yet the youth are not involved in managing sheep. With no youth involvement and lack of proper sheep management flocks are left unshorn throughout the summer months and unvaccinated. The youth will be involved in workshops to understand and appreciate the value of sheep to the Navajo people and proper management education. The Agent provided an educational program to Tse Yi Gai High School students and staff. 18 youth and adults gained knowledge related to sheep shearing; Sheep is Life concept and Sheep management. Youth learned how to shear sheep with hand shearers. Youth were taught the Navajo cultural meaning of sheep and using wool to be self-sufficient. Students were taught how to use hand blade shearers, how to handle sheep properly, and sheep management. Students sheared an elder community member’s sheep. After shearing was complete students’ were shown how to roll fleeces and bag. Students’ discussed the steps of shearing and when vaccinations are done. One student stated that he helps his grandmother shear and maintain their sheep after participating in sheep shearing provided by agent two years prior during Pueblo Pintado’s Cultural week. “After I tried shearing I felt bad that my grandma did all of that by herself so my mom and I help her shear, my grandma says I’m getting good.” Gardens for Health Gardens or small farms that involved growing your own produce were once part of a healthy lifestyle for Navajo people. Qualitative research suggests that people are more interested and are more confident about produce that they have grown themselves. Growing fruits and vegetables in arid areas is difficult and a need for technical assistance has been expressed. Recent studies demonstrate very high levels of obesity and severe obesity among the Navajo, and rates of diabetes are above the national average. Both obesity and diabetes are known risk factors for cancer. For the past five years the Office of Youth Development has had an unsuccessful garden and hoop house due to an unreliable watering system schedule and lack of proper gardening techniques. The youth and community will be involved in a series of workshops to demonstrate alternative irrigation methods, gardening techniques and proper maintenance. The Agent and Farmington Agriculture Science Center Horticulture Special provide a series of workshops demonstrating drip irrigation installation, proper planting of vegetables and transplanting, as well as proper gardening. Over 35 youth and adults gained knowledge of drip irrigation installation, planting, transplanting and proper gardening. Students were taught how to install drip irrigation system, how to plant, traditional teachings of planting, how to maintain garden throughout the growing season and harvesting. The Agent received a Chapter Resolution supporting both Farmington Agriculture Science Center and Tribal Extension programs future efforts in community. The Horticulturist and Agent received supplement funding to improve the Office of Youth Development garden. The Gardens for Health project was featured in New Mexico State University Hotline’s June 28, 2011 Issue, “NMSU Garden for Health project strives to return gardening into Navajo lifestyle.” The Agent was sought out by Breadsprings Chapter program coordinator to develop a new youth garden in the Breadsprings community. The Breadsprings Chapter Program Coordinator received the Gardens for Health information from the Office of Youth Development staff presentation during their monthly agency meeting. Finger Weaving Today weaving is becoming a lost art therefore becoming less significant to the younger generations. The Agent provided a series of workshops demonstrating the cultural significance of weaving and teaching students how to weave a 4”x4” coaster. Over 35 youth from the Office of Youth Development and Thoreau Community Center were taught the cultural significance, basic multi-colored weaving, alternating color weaving and step design weaving. One grandfather added, “When I was younger my grandmother taught me how to weave and the two things I learned was, how to be patient and how to focus. Those are two things kids today are lacking and just getting back to the basics of life. It’s a good thing weaving is being taught to the younger generation.” Kids Kitchen Diabetes prevention and wellness education, healthy eating and physical activity are programs that are all equally a strong community effort. Surprisingly, children are either being diagnosed with diabetes or are at risk of diabetes due to unhealthy choices or lack of nutrition education. Students and community members need to be educated at an early age before diabetes becomes a concern. The youth will be taught with a variety of programs such as Eat Smart, Play Hard; Team Nutrition; Cooking with Kids and Traditional Cooking. Student will be taught the nutrition value of each food group, the importance of healthy snacking and healthy decisions, how to read Nutrition Facts and how to cook traditional foods healthy. The Agent and Nutrition Educators provided quality education and experiences to the Office of Youth Development. Over 40 students and adults gained knowledge related to the five basic food groups, proper amount of servings to be eaten each day, preparing healthy snacks, reading nutrition facts, substituting low fat products in recipes, preparing Tamales healthy and cultural significance of Blue Mush. The students learned how to prepare healthy snacks such as pizza, smoothies and homemade ice cream from the Play Hard, Eat Smart curriculum. Students planted squash and corn to further understand where vegetables and fruits come from in the Team Nutrition curriculum. The cooking with kids curriculum taught students how to prepare healthy meals. One OYD student stated ”I still remember the food groups and serving amounts from the last time NMSU was here, I just look at the numbers on back of the chips and remember I need less chips and more healthy veggies.” Braiding There are two organizations that are in need of educational programs for area youth, the Office of Youth Development (OYD) and Thoreau Community Center (TCC) are both located on the Eastern Navajo Agency are central locations for area youth to seek educational programs. Thoreau Community Center recognized a need to provide a safe and positive place for youth and community members after a cluster of suicides in 2010. Thoreau Community Center’s approach to suicide prevention is focused on inspiring hope through a variety of venues including sports, music, education, health initiatives, and others. The Office of Youth Development provides afterschool and summer programs for area youth to encourage continued educational learning. Both OYD and TCC programs primary goal is to encourage Navajo traditional teachings within respective programs. The youth will be taught the cultural significance of braiding and how to braid four round strand and six round strand key chains in a series of workshops. Over 30 youth and adults were taught the cultural significance of braiding and learned how to braid a four strand and six strand key chain. Leather Crafting The Office of Youth Development requires all students to meet a certain number of Arts and Crafts hours within a year. The OYD program coordinator contacted the Agent and requested Leather Crafting as an activity for students. The Agent coordinated with the Agriculture Agent to provide quality Leather Crafting workshops. 12 students and staff participated in Leather Crafting workshops. One OYD staff member gained adequate knowledge from the Leather Crafting workshops to continue Leather Crafting as an Arts and Crafts activity at the Office of Youth Development.