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The following programs and materials are available at the Dallas County Extension Office to use in a variety of educational settings. Our staff is available to help facilitate these activities and adapt them to meet your needs! Contact Kathy Rottinghaus at 515-993-4281 or kathrott@iastate.edu to learn more about using these resources!

Included on this page are:

• Programs for PreK - 3rd grade
• Programs for 4th - 8th grade
• Programs for 9th - 12th grade
• Educational resources for all grades
• Special event activities for all grades
• Trainings for Adults 

All of these programs, resources, and events can be utilized in a way that best fits your educational setting and requirements!

PreK - 3rd Grade:

Art-Lit To Go! (K-3rd)

From the Iowa 4-H Curriculum Catalog:

Grades: K, 1, 2, 3

Art-Lit to Go! is an innovative Iowa 4-H program that supports the development of art and literacy skills for K-3 children. Lessons utilize a range of process-focused and product-focused art experiences to teach children a basic understanding of the foundational art elements of line, shape, color, form, and texture through integrated art-literacy activities. In addition, this exciting research-based program is designed to support the National Core Arts Standards and the Common Core English Language Arts Standards. Curriculum and kit available through county offices.

Delivery Modes: After School, Camps, Learning Community/Club, Event, School, Distance Learning

Priority Areas: Communication & The Arts

STEAM'n Through the Seasons (K - 3rd Grade)

From Iowa 4-H Youth Development:

STEAM’n Through the Seasons is an innovative Iowa 4-H program that supports the development of STEAM and literacy skills for K-3 children. This informal education program is designed to teach children fundamental STEM and art concepts through integrated STEAM-literacy activities that focus on a seasonal topic. In addition, this exciting research-based program is designed to support the Next Generation Science Standards, Iowa Core Mathematics Standards, National Core Arts Standards, and the Common Core English Language Arts Standards.

STEM-Lit To Go! (K - 3rd Grade)

From the Iowa 4-H Curriculum Catalog:

Grades: K, 1, 2, 3

Format: Curriculum and kit available through county offices

STEM-Lit to Go! is a new and innovative Iowa 4-H Clover Kids curriculum that supports the development of STEM and literacy skills for children in kindergarten through third grade.  Each lesson includes engaging fiction and non-fiction picture books to build excitement and illustrate STEM concepts. Children explore key STEM concepts such as the engineering design process, conducting investigations, graphing, physics, and much more! Each lesson provides children with a hands-on STEM experience and multiple opportunities to read, write, speak, and listen about that experience. These lessons can be adapted for distance learning.

Delivery Modes: After School, Learning Community/Club, School, Distance Learning

Priority Areas: Science, Technology, Engineering & Math

STEM-Lit To Go! Iowa (K - 3rd Grade)

From the Extension Store:

STEM-Lit to Go! Iowa is an innovative program that supports the development of STEM and literacy skills for K-3 youth.

This program utilizes a unique instructional framework that integrates inquiry-based STEM activities and carefully selected children's literature. Through a variety of engaging topics including coding, space, and ice cream. Children explore key STEM concepts such as the engineering design process and how to plan and conduct investigations.

Each lesson provides youth with a hands-on STEM experience and multiple opportunities to read, write, speak, and listen about that experience. This exciting research-based program is designed to support the Next Generation Science Standards and the Common Core English Language Arts Standards.

STEM-Lit to Go! Iowa has been successfully implemented in both out-of-school time settings and in K-3 classrooms.

Growing in the Garden (K - 3rd Grade)

From the Iowa 4-H Curriculum Catalog:

Grades: K, 1, 2, 3

Growing in the Garden Elementary Curriculum includes more than forty classroom and after-school program lessons and more than one hundred hands-on activities intended to enhance and increase knowledge of agriculture, natural resources, food, and people.

Delivery Modes: After School, Camps, Learning Community/Club, School

Priority Areas: Healthy Living

Pick a Better Snack (K - 3rd Grade)

From the Iowa 4-H Curriculum Catalog:

Grades: K, 1, 2, 3

Pick a Better Snack lessons are for students in grades K-3 to promote fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity. They are designed to be taught by a nutrition educator in the classroom once a month. The lessons coordinate with the Pick a better snack^TM  bingo cards and family newsletters, which are sent home after each lesson. See more at Pick a Better Snack Website & Educator Lessons

Delivery Modes: School

Priority Areas: Healthy Living

Soccer for Success (K - 8th Grade)

From the Iowa 4-H Curriculum Catalog:

Soccer For Success is a research-based youth development curriculum proven to help youth establish healthy habits and develop critical life skills. Trained “Coach Mentors” teach the fundamentals of soccer and build the confidence of youth participants through teamwork and achievement of personal goals. This program is versatile and can be delivered to audiences ranging from K-8th grade, and delivered virtually, in-person, or hybrid.

Delivery Modes:

After School, Camps, School, Distance Learning,

Priority Areas:

Healthy Living

Classroom Hatching (1st Grade)

Classroom Hatching is an egg incubation program for youth in Kindergarten through third grade. This program aims to explore the life cycle of poultry and learn about the needs of living things by incubating and hatching chicken eggs. The activities included in the program will help youth understand where food comes from, develop healthy choices, and the responsibility of caring for living things.

4th Grade - 8th Grade:

Ricochet (6th Grade - 8th Grade)

From the 4-H Youth Development website:

Ricochet: An Extreme Leadership Adventure is a middle school leadership initiative created and sponsored by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and Iowa 4-H. To Ricochet means to move around with a lot of energy, and be unpredictable - sort of like middle school youth. They bounce from one thing to the next trying on different roles as they find their place in the world.

Something else you can't predict: when opportunities for youth leadership will arise, but you can help prepare youth to become leaders. Help them be ready to accept the leadership opportunities that come their way.

Ricochet uses adventure and experience to bring about learning. Kids will learn by doing things themselves. You can help them build their leadership skills, as they get involved in a REAL project that their community needs.

SWITCH (K - 12th Grade)

SWITCH ("School Wellness Integration Targeting Child Health") is an innovative school wellness initiative designed to support and enhance school wellness programming. Through SWITCH, schools can help students to "Switch what they Do, View, and Chew!" SWITCH is managed by an interdisciplinary research team in partnership with the 4-H Youth Development Program through Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. SWITCH’s partnership with the Iowa Heart Center Foundation provides financial support for program coordination and evaluation efforts and is fostering the creation of additional heart health education components to enhance SWITCH. SWITCH reaches young people in 4th-8th grades.

More about SWITCH

Mindful Teen (7th Grade - 12th Grade)

From the 4-H Youth Development website:

Grades:  7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Mindful Teen: From Surviving to THRIVING! is a six-lesson workshop series for youth in grades 7-12 based on the book, The Mindful Teen: Powerful Skills to Help You Handle Stress One Moment at a Time by Dr. Dzung Vo. The program can be implemented both in-person or virtually, empowering youth and equipping them with practical strategies and mindful practices to manage stress, and difficult emotions, and improve and support their overall well-being, relationships, and performance in school, sports, the arts, and other daily activities.

Delivery Modes:  After School, Learning Community/Club, Event, School, Distance Learning

Priority Area: Healthy Living

Soccer for Success (K - 8th Grade)

From the Iowa 4-H Curriculum Catalog:

Soccer For Success is a research-based youth development curriculum proven to help youth establish healthy habits and develop critical life skills. Trained “Coach Mentors” teach the fundamentals of soccer and build the confidence of youth participants through teamwork and achievement of personal goals. This program is versatile and can be delivered to audiences ranging from K-8th grade, and delivered virtually, in-person, or hybrid.

Delivery Modes:

After School, Camps, School, Distance Learning,

Priority Areas:

Healthy Living

9th Grade - 12th Grade:

SWITCH (K - 12th Grade)

SWITCH ("School Wellness Integration Targeting Child Health") is an innovative school wellness initiative designed to support and enhance school wellness programming. Through SWITCH, schools can help students to "Switch what they Do, View, and Chew!" SWITCH is managed by an interdisciplinary research team in partnership with the 4-H Youth Development Program through Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. SWITCH’s partnership with the Iowa Heart Center Foundation provides financial support for program coordination and evaluation efforts and is fostering the creation of additional heart health education components to enhance SWITCH. SWITCH reaches young people in 4th-8th grades.

More about SWITCH

Mindful Teen (7th Grade - 12th Grade)

From the 4-H Youth Development website:

Grades:  7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Mindful Teen: From Surviving to THRIVING! is a six-lesson workshop series for youth in grades 7-12 based on the book, The Mindful Teen: Powerful Skills to Help You Handle Stress One Moment at a Time by Dr. Dzung Vo. The program can be implemented both in-person or virtually, empowering youth and equipping them with practical strategies and mindful practices to manage stress, and difficult emotions, and improve and support their overall well-being, relationships, and performance in school, sports, the arts, and other daily activities.

Delivery Modes:  After School, Learning Community/Club, Event, School, Distance Learning

Priority Area: Healthy Living

Additional educational resources that can be utilized in conjunction with programs listed above or as individual learning tools!

Bee Bots (set of 12)

Bee Bot robots introduce youth to computer programming. The program buttons are located directly on the Bee Bots.

Best for K - 3rd grade.

Used with the Storytime STEM-Packs program.

Dash and Dot Robots

Dash and Dot are robots programmed by youth on a tablet, allowing them to learn different levels of coding. Dash and Dot have their own apps, allowing youth to explore several activities and challenges through different forms of coding.

Best for 3rd - 8th grade.

Makey Makey

Allows youth to connect their world to their computer, creating things like a banana piano! With the Makey Makey board, multiple clips and wires, and project guides, the possibilities are endless!

Best for 4th - 12th grade.

Mindfulness Activity Resources

Materials and resources such as yoga for kids, breathing techniques, exercise dice, books, and more to teach youth mindfulness skills. Can be used in a variety of educational areas or as 'brain breaks'.

Join ISU Extension and Outreach for special learning opportunities that go along with the events listed below!

Read Across Iowa

From the Iowa 4-H Curriculum Catalog:

Read Across Iowa is a special event held on the 1st of March 2021 and is celebrated throughout the month of March to help motivate children to read. The month-long celebrations bring the joys of reading to youth of all ages and make all youth feel valued and welcomed.

Delivery Modes: After School, Camps, Events, School, Distance Learning

Priority Areas: Communication & The Arts, Healthy Living, Science, Technology, Engineering & Math

Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. This training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care.

Intended audience: Adults
Format:

In-person: 8-hour certification training OR Online: 2-hour self-study course plus 6-hour virtual instructor-led certification training.
Note: participants will receive access to the self-study course two weeks before the virtual training.

 

Agribusiness professionals, advocates, and commodity groups can use the code AGPRO to register at no cost.

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Young adults can experience mental health and addiction challenges. This course introduces common mental health challenges for youth and reviews typical adolescent development. You will learn a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations.

Intended audience: Adults who work with youth (ages 6-18)
Format:

8-hour certification training OR Online: 2-hour self-study course plus 6-hour virtual instructor-led certification training
Note: participants will receive access to the self-study course two weeks before the virtual training.

On Their Own and OK Training

On Their Own & OK builds skills in youth, and incorporates ways for adults
in the home to support this step towards independence. Youth can develop
their self-care skills to make good decisions while staying home alone. With adequate education from parents/caregivers, teachers, and community partners, young people can develop confidence in the skills they need for staying home alone safely.

On Their Own & OK reinforces how to act in an emergency, helps young people handle boredom without technology, recommends age-appropriate chores, and includes plans for a family celebration to continue to strengthen family relationships.

On Their Own & OK Overview

The Facilitator Guide

The Youth Guide

The Family Guide

 

Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts

Have you sat silent in the face of stereotypes and bias because you didn’t know what to say? Learn techniques and phrases to help you speak up against stereotypes, respond during tense situations, and communicate respectfully in a diverse world.

Intended audience: Adults of any age
Format: One 90-minute to 2-hour training
Cost: $300 per group of up to 50 people

Question. Persuade. Refer.

Say "Yes" to saving the life of a friend, colleague, sibling, or neighbor. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help.

Intended audience: Adults
Format: 60 to 90-minute program

See more at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/QPR