May 20, 21 and 23, the center will offer three seminars featuring nationally recognized parenting experts who will discuss research on parental roles and the part communities can play in supporting families.

“Of all the things that influence a child’s growth and development, the most critical is reliable, responsive and sensitive parenting,” says Hallie Ford Center Outreach Coordinator Denise Rennekamp. “Parenting skills can be enhanced by effective parenting education. The seminar series is an opportunity to increase awareness about the importance of parenting and the value of parenting education in optimizing outcomes for children.”

Parenting education programs exist throughout Oregon, but historically these programs have not had an infrastructure to support their efforts.

Through events such as Oregon Parenting Education Week and the seminar series, the Hallie Ford Center promotes and brings awareness to parenting education opportunities occurring in local communities throughout the state.

The seminars not only offer current research findings on each of the topics, but also insight for application in communities.

May 20: 

Hear from Stephen J. Bavolek, executive director of the Family Nurturing Centers, International, who will discuss “Cultivating a Community-wide Culture of Nurturing Along the Southern Oregon Coast” at noon at HFC room 115.  Read Stephen J. Bavolek’s full bio.

May 21: 

Hear from Katherine C. Pears with the Oregon Social Learning Center who will discuss “Supporting Children’s First Teachers: Promoting school readiness through parent education” at 2 p.m. at HFC room 115. Read Katherine C. Pears’ full bio.

May 23: 

Hear from Psychology Assisstant Professor David C. R. Kerr, Oregon Social Learning Center, who will discuss “Boys, Men, Fathers: A 30-year intergenerational study of how fatherhood impacts men and their families” at 10 a.m. at HFC room 115. Hallie Ford Center Endowed Director Richard Settersten will provide an introduction titled “How Fatherhood Matters for Men’s Lives.”

Dr. Kerr studies the development of depression and conduct problems, and the prevention of youth suicide and health-risking sexual behaviors. Read David C. R. Kerr’s OSU faculty bio, and his Oregon Social Learning Center bio.

Rick Settersten is a professor of Human Development and Family Sciences at Oregon State University and Endowed Director of the Hallie E. Ford Research Center for Healthy Children and Families. Read Rick Settersten’s full bio.

All of the events, held in Hallie Ford Center room 115, are free and open to the public and will be followed by Q&A sessions.

In the news

The Register-Gaurd, May 20, 2013

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After 28 years in the heart of the Oregon State campus, TEAM OREGON Motorcycle Safety Program moved into a new home – the former DMV field office in South Corvallis. With Marys Peak in the background, hawks and opsreys overhead and plenty of parking, Oregon’s motorcycle safety center is poised to grow along with the demand for rider training.

In 2009, the state legislature passed a law requiring all new motorcycle riders to take a training course, based on age, phased in over five years. For 2013, that means all new motorcycle riders age 50 and younger will be required to complete an approved course. The requirement has increased annual student enrollment dramatically, with 12,000 students in 2012, up from fewer than 9,000 in 2010. More than 17,000 are anticipated in 2015.

In its first year, the newly remodeled facility served as a waypoint for hundreds of riders participating in motorcycle events such as the Jackson Street Shelter Rally for Homeless Youth, the fallen officer Chris Kilcullen Memorial Ride and the Oregon 500 Motorcycle Rally. TEAM OREGON welcomes opportunities like these to connect directly with motorcycle riders and engage them in discussions about riding safely.

The new location also makes it a snap for the PHHS outreach program to open its doors to the community. Students, instructors, partners and friends are encouraged to stop by any time. The office is located at 3550 SW Deschutes Street in Corvallis – two miles south of Marys River on Highway 99W; turn down McKenzie Street at milepost 86 and you can’t miss it.

View Larger Map

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“Mom, Mom! Look at me, Mom!”

Words of excitement coming from a child with special needs who is finally able to play a sport with his peers is music to his mother’s ears.

“Hi honey, I see you,” she says. “Good job!”

After years of struggling to find an appropriate special needs athletic program for her son, Ryan, Sabine Ohling couldn’t be happier her son is participating in the new STAR Sports program at the Corvallis Sports Park (CSP).

“Think of it like Special Olympics for children with disabilities,” says CPHHS Exercise and Sport Science student and STAR Sports initiative lead Eric Steensen. “We’re creating a soccer league that is adapted to the individual’s special needs.”

STAR Sports is kicking off with open gym days during the first season to familiarize children with the field and volunteers. There, participants work on basic skills such as running, jumping, kicking and throwing by playing sports including soccer and kickball.

“It’s such a great program,” says Gail Eby. “I haven’t seen my grandson laugh and run around like he’s been doing here in such a long time. It just warms my heart.”

Eric, who volunteered for the college’s IMPACT program (Individualized Movement and Physical Activity for Children Today), is using what he learned there and in class to develop STAR Sports.

“I want to make these children’s lives more enriched,” he says. “They don’t have as many options as others do, and this is such a great way for them to play the games they see other children playing with no judgment. That’s why I wanted to get involved.”

STAR Sports is currently modeled after IMPACT, but starting next term, organizers plan to implement more of a soccer league-type feel to the program, including one day each week of practice and one day of games.

“This is super,” says parent Brandy Foster. “We’re trying to find ways for my daughter to fit into her community, and I feel like watching and playing sports here will help her participate with others as well. I’m very excited.”

To ensure that children receive quality instruction, graduate students involved with IMPACT will help train STAR Sports volunteers. IMPACT faculty, TOPsoccer – a community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities – and the owner of the Sports Park have also offered guidance.

“It sounds like a great program, and there is definitely a need for sport opportunities for local children with disabilities,” says IMPACT Co-director Simon Driver. “Our graduate students running IMPACT have a lot of experience that they can share with the STAR volunteers, and we are excited to collaborate now and in the future. It’s great that Corvallis Sports Park is involved – community agencies play such an important role in making sports accessible for kids with disabilities.”

The soccer games will be played like a regular game, but with coaches and volunteers on the field to help direct and encourage the children. The focus isn’t on winning or losing, rather improving their motor skills and learning how to play as a team.

“It isn’t going to be intense like an ordinary soccer game,” says Alli Stangel, co-president of OSU Enactus, a student community outreach group that is hosting the program. “It will be way more relaxed with a focus on everyone succeeding. When the ball comes to them a volunteer will be there to say, ‘OK, what are you going to do now? Take it down the field, kick it in the goal.’ We want them to be able to play with their classmates, to be included, learn more skills and have fun.”

Often, children with disabilities aren’t given the same opportunities as their peers, have never played on a team or worn a jersey. That will all change with STAR Sports.

“There’s really nothing like this in Benton County right now and that’s why we saw the need for this program and are so passionate about making this happen,” Eric says. “They’ve seen their siblings or friends or classmates out playing these sports and get frustrated because they don’t know why they can’t. Now they can.”

“My son is very athletic, loves everything with a ball, but doesn’t do well with the whole ‘organized’ game thing,” Sabine says. “This sounds like the perfect outlet for him to be able to use his athletic abilities and learn some of the game aspects while having fun. I have high hopes for this program.”

“I haven’t seen my grandson laugh and run around like he’s been doing here in such a long time. It just warms my heart.”

The facility provides an added bonus to the whole experience.

“A lot of these kids haven’t ever played on turf,” Alli says. “It’s not something they’re used to, it’s not their school gym and it’s not their playground. They’re going in and their eyes are huge they’re so excited. It’s like a little kid paradise.”

Blake Leamy, owner of the CSP, donated space for the program in an effort to keep costs down for parents.

“CSP has offered similar programs for disabled youth over the years and had very good success,” he says. “We like to give back to the community, and supporting this program is another way for us to do that. We also want to support OSU students with their educational journey, and the quality of students running the program is impressive. We hope to continue to support and help to grow the STARS program in the future.”

So far, dozens of volunteers have signed up to participate.

“It’s tough to gauge who has more fun, the kids or the volunteers,” Alli says. “We’re all having a blast. It’s one of those things where you immediately feel the reward.”

“These college students are incredible,” Gail says. “They’re interacting with the kids and keeping them engaged. It’s really cool to see.”

STAR Sports is open to all children with special needs, no matter their abilities. Plans for a tee-ball league are already in the works in order to accommodate children with physical disabilities who cannot play soccer.

The program is the result of an Oregon Social Business Challenge in which Alli’s business model to start a sports league with children with disabilities won first place. She realized her passion for helping children with special needs after seeing her friend’s younger sister who has Down syndrome become physically active in a similar league.

She enlisted Eric’s help due to his experience with IMPACT and his previous work at a ranch in Bend, Oregon, that specializes in equine therapy for children with special needs.

Together, the two hope to establish STAR Sports as a great place for children with specials needs to increase their physical activity and learn teamwork skills.

“I think this is the best way to make a difference,” Eric says. “I love that I can help this become something big and make a lasting impression before I graduate from Oregon State.”

For more information about the program, contact Eric at (541) 410-8368 or emsteensen@gmail.com.

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When Kathryn and Doug Collins moved to Corvallis from northern California with their 10-year-old son, Jeff, they did so with his future in mind.

They wanted Jeff, who is on the autism spectrum and experiences intellectual and developmental disabilities, to grow up in a community that would support his growth as a child and his success as an adult.

Jeff offers pointers to Sam

For the Collinses, one gateway was IMPACT, which they learned about from an elementary special education teacher. “It was a way for us and for Jeff to meet people in a new community, and it was one of the few activities outside of school where he could play with others,” Kathryn says.

“It’s a joyful place,” she adds. “When you have a child with special needs, so much of life is centered around remedial actions and therapies. It was nice for him to go somewhere and just have a good time.”

It also meant an hour and a half of respite for she and Doug while Jeff played games and swam – and occasionally a chance to talk with parents and experts about ways to support their son and children like him.

When Jeff was 18, he transitioned to exercising at Dixon Recreation Center with IMPACT, which introduced him to the world of fitness he would enter as an adult, and also made room for children on IMPACT’s long wait list to be part of the program at Oregon State’s Women’s Building.

“It was a huge developmental step,” Kathryn says. “It got him out of his comfort zone and into a new environment where he could interact and work out with OSU students – his non-disabled age-mates. It was inclusive and integrated, allowed him to take more personal responsibility and helped move him to the next level of independence.”

Exercise and Sport Science student Joe, Sam and Jeff work on soccer dribbling skills

When he aged out of IMPACT at 21, he joined a local fitness center within walking distance of his home and where he continues to exercise there regularly. Today, those 21 and older move into IMPACT for Life to ease the transition from IMPACT to exercising more independently. Whether that’s at a local gym, park or aquatic center, IMPACT for Life pairs these young people with a mentor to help further their fitness goals and keep them physically active within their community. Doing so, Kathryn says, allows peers to help with this transition instead of parents, which offers many advantages.

About 13 years ago, Jeff himself became a mentor, and at 33, he shares his love of fitness with an 18-year-old IMPACT participant and friend at Dixon. In addition, he works six mornings each week at a local golf course, which he has done since high school, goes to a gym nearly every day, has friends all over town and lives on his own.

And in 2012, this young man, who as a child struggled with spoken language, addressed members of the National Council on Disabilities in Salem, Ore., and Washington, D.C., about abolishing the sub-minimum wage for people with disabilities.

“All the opportunities he’s had have contributed to him living as independently as he does – and having a healthy life including exercise and nutrition,” Kathryn says. “Being integrated into a community is a big part of moving beyond disability. IMPACT was a good start toward that.”

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Developing leaders from a young age – wherever they might be – is what 4-H is all about.

The Oregon 4-H Youth Development Program has been engaged in global cultural immersion programming for more than 60 years. This year, Oregon 4-H hosted a 10-member delegation from Tanzania in an effort to enhance their leadership skills so that they can help make a difference back home.

“All of these students who have come really are outstanding,” says 4-H Specialist-World Citizenship Lillian Larwood. “They’ve shown potential, and the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania thinks that by having them come to America and participating in the program, they will be even better prepared when they go home to be a future leader.”

The Youth Leadership Program, supported by a grant from the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is designed around five core themes: community services and civil society; civic education and engaged citizenship; youth-adult partnerships; communication skills; and planning and organizing.

For two weeks in early November, nine youths aged 16 to 18 and one adult from Tanzania participated in hands-on 4-H activities that engaged them in American culture and enhanced their leadership skills.

After returning home to Tanzania, each delegate is required to use the skills they’ve learned to complete a follow-on project aimed at improving the lives of others.

“I think that it’s very important not to say ‘everyone needs to do it the way the U.S. does it,’” Larwood says. “It’s more to say ‘Ok, here are a bunch of ideas, maybe this might be something that you think about in the future.’”

As an advocate for women’s rights and education, delegate Victoria Mollel is focusing her project on improving the lives of women in her community. Her goal is to raise and sell goats to gain the funds to send children, especially women, to school. She would like her project to provide women with the confidence they need to get an education and make a living for themselves.

“The women don’t have money for food or clothing so I’m going to show them the experience I got so that they can do a project to get money to support themselves in their lives,” Victoria says.

As part of the program, each of the delegates spent two days in an Oregon high school.

Altho Njovu

One of the delegates, Altho Njovu, says it was shocking to see the stark differences between Oregon and Tanzania’s educational institutions. The choice of clothing, use of cell phones, and the fact that students moved to their next class instead of their teachers, were all different. What really stood out the most to him, though, was the immediate access to information.

“The last day of school in Philomath we went to do a presentation about Tanzania,” Altho says. “We needed to draw a map of Tanzania to show them, but instead, the teacher Googled it and there it was. Students there can study easily because whenever they want to find something they can get it from the Internet.”

Altho’s school experience has been very different. Without computers readily available at the public school he attends, it can take weeks to research a given topic.

“In Tanzania the teachers write notes and then you have to find a computer on your own to go look into it more,” he says.

“I learned that as a leader we have to make changes in our community”

After seeing how access to information can enhance one’s learning capabilities, Altho has now made it his goal to find a way to bring computers into the classroom in Tanzania.

“I learned that as a leader we have to make changes in our community,” he says. “One of the projects that I expect to do in my school is to establish an Internet café because it will allow students to have access to different materials that will help them with studying.”

The delegates also spent time touring the coast, visiting local and state government offices, and participating in workshops learning leadership techniques and tools such as basic community mapping.

“Community mapping is a great tool to teach them because it’s something they can use back home,” Larwood says. “If you’re going to do a project, the first thing you should do is learn who is in your community and what resources there are that can help you.”

For many of the delegates, it was the aspect of volunteerism that most caught their attention. The 4-H program took the youth to volunteer at Corvallis Stone Soup, a free-meal-assistance program that serves meals to anyone in need, as well as the Linn Benton Food Share, a regional food bank.

“I saw how that organization in this country helps other people get food, and it was very nice,” Victoria says. “In my country we don’t have that program or service. I’d like to take that back to my country so that they could learn and understand that it is good to help other people who don’t have anything.”

It wasn’t just the delegates who gained life-changing insight during the youth leadership program.

Victoria Mollel

Pam Bielenberg and her family played host to Victoria during her two-week stay in America and says that thanks to Victoria, she now looks at her own life through new eyes.

“Her respect for her elders and her politeness made me appreciate her culture, and then it made me appreciate how lucky we are to have the things that we have – washing machines, water that runs out of the sink and dishwashers. Their school doesn’t even have refrigeration; she’s never seen a refrigerator before,” Pam says. “I already volunteer, but the experience made me appreciate life and what I have a little bit more after this experience.”

Each of the delegates lived with a host family in the Corvallis area. This allowed the youth to experience the local culture as a local, instead of a tourist.

Many families took their host children to visit museums, snow in the mountains, high school sports games and even Oregon State basketball and football games.

“It’s part of American culture to get excited about sports and American football,” Pam says. “Their soccer is just as crazy, but she’s never been to anything like that there, so we just wanted to give her that experience.”

On the last day in Corvallis, 4-H brought in three community leaders to further define their follow-on plan and guide the delegates along their journey. The goal was to put some reality into their dreams, help them figure out the logistics behind their projects, and plan how they can implement it into their community.

“All of them knew what they wanted to do at the end, but they weren’t sure how to do it,” Larwood says. “This was a great way to finish off their trip by further inspiring them to reach their goals and help their community. I am so proud of each and every one of the delegates and I wish them the best on their projects and their journey of becoming a leader in their country.”

Our Short Stories

Each of the students wrote about their most memorable moments. Below are two excerpts. To see all their stories download 4-H International Exchange Programs Short Stories Tanzania (.pdf)

My story about coast | By  Aneth Temu
On Monday November 05 2012 we went to Oregon coast and there we visit different places. Myself I enjoyed to the coast because is my first time to see the Pacific Ocean and many kinds  of animal and fish.

In case of fish we saw octopus, shark fish, starfish, and jellyfish. But those are some of many that we saw. Also we visited in glass studio and there we were taught how to make different things of glass and all of us participate. Myself I made bowl.

hen we went to the coast again and visit different part and this time I interested with the last place due to the how they made the way under the water. Also I saw many fish of different size and shape and before entering inside there is statement written ‘IF IN THE WORLD THERE IS MAGIC IT IS UNDER THE WATER’. So that day was very fun for me.

My visit to Crescent Valley High School | By Ramso Msuya
It was 8th of November I went to Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, Oregon, United States! I met the very kind and friendly students. There classes were very nice and full of technology access such as computers and projectors. I used them to present two classes, one of science (Cornell the teacher) and a social studies class, on my culture and my country as well. I went over Tanzanian geography, history, politics, economy, language and I showed several cultural implements from Tanzania.

I described the schools differences from the school of mine, the whole system of classes and education levels as well. I talked about the map of Tanzania on its several regions, national parks and the game reserves.

I shortly spoke on my project of chickens and solar panels that I will need to start when I go back to Tanzania. I got one 4-H member American student to explain to me about his project.

Lastly, I took a couple of pictures with some students and teachers and gave my address to them, in order to keep contact as we going to be apart!
Thank you so much!

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Members of the CPHHS Public Health club are raising money to help aid victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Tuesday and Wednesday, the club will set up a booth in the Memorial Union quad from noon to 4 p.m. encouraging passersby to donate to the Red Cross Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.

“It was really hard for us to see the devastation left behind from Hurricane Sandy, especially because a lot of us have friends and family on the East Coast,” says Public Health Club Member Natassia Donoho. “We wanted to do something to help, but we can’t all just fly out there, so we decided to help the Red Cross raise money.”

The Public Health Club’s goal is to raise awareness about public health and healthy lifestyles and to provide ways students can be involved with improving the health of communities.

“Helping the victims of Hurricane Sandy is exactly our public health model,” Donoho says. “We need to help the victims gain access to clean water, food, shelter and basic necessities that a lot of the families have lost. We just hope our small part helping from over here in Oregon will make a difference to those who need it most.”

To donate, visit Red Cross Hurricane Sandy Relief

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Sixth- through eighth-graders at Oregon State University’s KidSpirit day camp are gathered around a flour-dusted table, kneading dough with sticky fingers. The kids treat it like a foreign object at first, comparing their shapeless clumps and tossing them playfully in the air.

“We’re right in the middle of baking bread,” camp director Karen Swanger says. Made from scratch, the bread is one part of a healthy lunch the kids are preparing in the camp’s “Future Iron Chefs” segment.

“Eating healthy is a major goal here,” Swanger says. She faces the campers, their hands covered with dough. “What things have you learned from this camp to keep you healthy?”

“Don’t cut yourself with a knife,” a boy answers.

Swanger laughs. The program, she says, is intended to make healthful cooking an enjoyable, social experience – and a lifelong commitment.

KidSpirit’s “Future Iron Chefs” is one of the many ways OSU is helping to fight childhood obesity in Oregon. OSU was recently awarded $6 million in grants to develop obesity prevention programs in home day cares and rural areas in Oregon and beyond. The university’s “groundbreaking research” was recognized in first lady Michelle Obama’s commencement address at OSU on June 17.

Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the United States. When children’s body mass index is higher than that of 85 percent of their peers, they are considered overweight; at or above 95 percent, they are obese. According to Stewart Trost, associate professor at OSU’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences, obesity in children can lead to many health issues, including high blood pressure, joint problems, high insulin levels and respiratory problems such as sleep apnea. Psychologically, obesity adversely affects children’s self-esteem and may lead them to become victims of bullying, Trost says. An obese child is five times more likely than a child with a healthy weight to be obese as an adult, he says.

Swanger says fighting obesity all comes down to “making physical activity fun young so people are active their entire lives.”

Swanger says one of KidSpirit’s primary goals is to create “open minds and open mouths.” The kids are instructed to try everything they cook, despite their preferences. On Tuesday, the table is set with a wide array of foods made by the children, including freshly baked bread, German potato salad, strawberry spinach summer salad, tropical fruit salad, grilled fruit salad and lemonade made from 36 freshly squeezed lemons.

Contrary to the stereotype that children hate vegetables, these kids have developed a love for healthy food.

“My mom usually makes homemade food every night,” says Izzy Queisser, 11, of Corvallis. Jamison Harper, 11, of Alsea, and Pippa Justice, 12, of Corvallis, eat only organic foods at home.

Also, unlike most kids, they have an aversion to fast food.

“I don’t like fast food, it makes me carsick,” Jamison says.

“Future Iron Chefs” is one of two food components of the camp. “Chefs in Motion,” which runs in a two-week rotation with “Future Iron Chefs,” incorporates one hour of physical exercise with cooking. KidSpirit also hosts “Girls on the Run,” aimed at building confidence and self-esteem while training girls to run a 5K race.

While Swanger’s program teaches elementary and middle-school students how to make healthy choices, Trost focuses his efforts on preschoolers through his Healthy Home Childcare Project funded by a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Trost believes that kids at child-care homes eat food that is less healthy and engage in less exercise than children in commercial day-care centers, something he wants to see changed.

“Kids who attend a family child-care home don’t get much physical activity,” Trost says. “They spend a lot of their time in sedentary activities.”

Trost is studying 63 child-care homes along the Interstate 5 corridor as part of the project. Half of them have been given a checklist of healthy habits to follow, while the rest are left as controls.

“It’s a study to test how well a program promoting healthy eating and physical activities [works] in family child-care homes,” Trost says.

Trost’s project is part of the Hallie E. Ford Center in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences. The center, established in 2008, is also taking childhood obesity efforts into rural areas through the GROW Healthy Kids and Communities program, funded by a $4.8 million grant from the USDA.

Program directors Kathy Gunter and Deborah John are surveying residents in rural communities throughout Oregon and five other Western states in the hopes of learning what environmental elements support or hinder a healthy lifestyle.

Gunter and John say that being able to lead a healthy lifestyle depends heavily on the environment.

They say kids in rural areas face many more challenges than their suburban counterparts when attempting to stay active and eat healthy. Rural areas often don’t have neighborhood playgrounds or bike lanes to encourage exercise. Kids ride the bus to school, which can sometimes take 45 minutes or more, then get dropped off directly in front for a day of sitting in class. When they get home, they spend more time sitting in front of televisions or video games. According to Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, kids age 8 to 18 spend an average of seven-and-a-half hours a day in front of a screen, and only one-third of high school students get the recommended levels of physical activity.

John says it is important to change the environment so rural children get more exercise. She suggests that bus drivers drop students off at the far end of the schoolyard, so kids walk before sitting down to class. John and Gunter also suggest taking televisions out of children’s bedrooms and putting lunch after recess so that students eat more slowly.

Across the street from the Hallie E. Ford Center, OSU’s new Moore Family Center is working to fight obesity by looking at nutrition. It was founded by a $5 million grant from Bob’s Red Mill, an Oregon whole grain foods company, and opened June 6.

“When you talk about obesity, you are talking about food,” director Emily Ho says. “We want to help people make better food choices.”

A nutrition scientist, Ho believes in the importance of eating meals containing fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Diets low in fat and processed foods have many health benefits, she says.

While a 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health study showed Oregon had the third lowest childhood obesity rate in the nation — 24 percent compared to the national average of 31 percent — Ho believes that the silver lining may be thin.

“The reason Oregon has a low childhood obesity rate may be because we have a high food insecurity rate,” she says. According to the USDA, 6.1 percent of Oregon households suffer from very low food security (also known as hunger), compared to the national average of 5.4 percent.

“We have a lot of hungry children,” Ho says.

Ho says she wants to set straight the misconception that healthy food is more expensive.

“Healthy food is not more expensive, it’s just harder to do,” Ho says. “It’s more time-consuming. You have to look for it, and you have to plan ahead.”

Bulk shopping, for instance, is a cheap way to eat healthy, wholesome food, but it takes good meal planning to ensure that all the food is used before it spoils. The key, she says, is trying to figure out how to help families make healthy choices based on their situation.

Ho says that while most people understand the importance of eating healthy, many give up in favor of more convenient, unhealthy options.

“Most people know to eat fruits and vegetables, but only 25 percent of Americans eat enough vegetables,” Ho says. “There’s a gap between knowing what’s good for you and doing what’s good for you.”

Like Swanger, Ho believes that exposure to healthy foods at a young age is the first step.

“If you’re not introduced to (healthy food) early on, if you grew up with fast food, that’s definitely a contributing factor to why it’s hard for people to make good choices,” Ho says.

At KidSpirit, the campers are ready to eat the food they prepared. Reusable plates bedecked with orange polka dots line a large table as the kids finish cleaning up after their cooking.

Finally, each settles down at the table in anticipation. Bowls of salad, lemonade and bread are passed from hand to hand. In order to expand the palates of the kids, the recipes often include unconventional ingredients.

Today’s curiosity is the plantains in the fruit salad. Camper Ryan Terwilliger tastes one tentatively.

“I like the fruit salad and the sauce, but I’m not really sure about the plantains,” he says. “They’re kind of odd.”

This article originally appeared in The Pride, a publication created by participants of the 2012 High School Journalism Institute. The institute is a collaborative effort between The Oregonian, Oregon State University, the (Medford) Mail Tribune, the (McMinville) News-Register, the Corvallis Gazette-Times and the Oregon Newspapers Foundation to promote diversity in newsrooms of the future. Additional support was provided by the Albany Democrat-Herald, Pro Photo Supply, Nikon and Judy Butler.

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Sweet and Sour Carrots

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound medium carrots
1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 °F.
Scrub carrots well under running water and pat dry.
Halve each carrot clockwise; cut into quarters lengthwise.
Place carrots in a roasting pan and drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper and toss to coat well.
Roast 25 minutes.
Add vinegar and sugar and stir to coat.
Roast 8-10 minutes more until carrots are soft and sugar has dissolved.

Shaved Asparagus Pizza

Makes one 12-inch pizza
Ingredients:
½ pound asparagus, fresh
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 whole granny smith apple, thinly sliced
1 12” round whole wheat pizza crust
½ pound Canadian bacon, chopped
½ pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions:
Preheat convection oven or dry-heat combi oven to 500 °F.
Lay asparagus flat on a cutting board.
Hold the spear by the tough base; use a vegetable peeler to create long shavings of asparagus by drawing the peeler from your fingers to the top of the stalk.
Discard the tough base and remaining nub of the stalk.
In a bowl, toss the peelings with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Place pizza crust on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle with Canadian bacon, asparagus and then mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until edges are browned and the cheese is bubbly (the asparagus may be slightly charred)
Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with apple.
Slice and enjoy.

Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa

Serves: 4
Notes and Tips: Low-fat soy milk may replace low-fat milk; blueberries may replace the blackberries; dark honey may replace the agave nectar; and walnuts may replace pecans.
Ingredients:
1 cup 1% low fat milk
1 cup water
1 cup organic quinoa (note: rinse quinoa)
2 cups fresh blackberries, organic preferred
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted*
4 teaspoons organic agave nectar, such as Madhava brand
Instructions:
Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes.
Stir in blackberries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with pecans.
Drizzle 1 teaspoon agave nectar over each serving.
*While the quinoa cooks, roast the pecans in a 350 °F toaster oven for 5-6 minutes or in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

Tasty Tots

Servings: 6
Calories 203 From Fat 23.05% From Saturated Fat 3.77% From Sugar 0% Sodium 310mg
Ingredients:
1.5 pound yams, raw
¾ cup garbanzo beans, canned, undrained
2 tablespoons oil, vegetable
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper, white
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
Instructions:
Steam or boil yams until barely tender, approximately 15 minutes, let cool.
Peel and shred yams using course blade.
Puree garbanzo beans, including liquid, until smooth.
Combine shredded yams and pureed garbanzo bean with remaining ingredients.
Spray sheet pans with pan spray.
Using #40 scoop, scoop 1 inch apart on prepared sheet pans.
Bake at 400 °F for approximately 10-12 minutes, until starting to brown.

Harvest Bake

Servings: 6
Ingredients:
1 ½ tablespoon quinoa, red, cooked
1 ¼ pounds butternut squash, fresh raw cubed
2 ½ tablespoons onion, red raw diced
1 ½ tablespoon red bell pepper, chopped
1 ¾ teaspoon jalapeno pepper, fresh
5 tablespoons applesauce, canned
5 tablespoons black beans, canned, rinsed and drained
3 ½ teaspoons oregano, fresh
1/8 teaspoon salt, kosher
¼ cup granola, low fat
1 ¾ teaspoon olive oil, extra virgin
2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh squeezed
Instructions:
Oven roast vegetables – toss cubed butternut squash in olive oil and bake at 350 °F for 30 minutes. Clean and dice onions, jalapeno and red bell pepper. Place diced onions, jalapeno and red bell pepper in mixing bowl and toss with olive oil.  Place pan liner on a sheet pan and spread vegetables onto pan. Roast in a 350 °F oven until tender (approximately 10 minutes). The diced vegetables brown very quickly and it is important that they do not darken too much.
While vegetables are roasting, prepare quinoa according to package directions.
In a large bowl, combine butternut squash, black beans, fresh oregano and red quinoa and fold together.
Add fresh lime juice, applesauce and salt and fold together.
Add roasted onion, pepper and jalapeno to butternut squash mixture and fold together. It is important to distribute all ingredients for best results.
Use a 6 x 6 baking dish and coat with non-stick cooking spray and spread evenly. Place these ingredients in the baking dish, pressing the top gently to pack vegetable mixture.
Sprinkle granola evenly over the top of the vegetable mixture.
Bake at 350 °F for approximately 30 minutes or until granola is lightly brown.
Serve in ½ cup servings as a side dish and enjoy.

Kale Chips

Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 275 °F.
Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces.
Lie on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt.
Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through for about 20 minutes.
Serve as finger food.

Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients:
1 pound of zucchini (about 2 medium sized), coarsely grated
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
1 large egg
2 scallions, finely chopped
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup grape seed oil or olive oil
Sour cream or plain yogurt
Instructions:
Salt the zucchini with about 1 teaspoon of salt. Try to remove the excess moisture from the zucchini by either squeezing the liquid out with a potato ricer, or by squeezing with paper towels.
Whisk egg in a large bowl; add the zucchini, flour, scallions and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Mix to combine well.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook fritters in two batches. Drop six mounds of batter (2 tablespoons each) into the skillet. Flatten slightly. Cook, turning once, until browned, 4-6 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve immediately with sour cream or plain yogurt on the side.

Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Servings: About 3 ½ dozen cookies
Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 bag of sweetened dried cranberries (6 oz.)
2/3 cup chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 °F.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and brown sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and mix well.
Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition.
Stir in sweetened dried cranberries, chocolate chips and walnut.
Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

The post Recipes for healthy kids appeared first on Synergies.

1. Reading and success in school. Children do better in school when parents read to them often. Show your child that reading is important to you by having reading materials around your home. If your child sees you reading regularly, it shows you think reading is important.

2. Parental involvement. Be involved in your child’s school. Children have better academic performance when parents are connected to their children’s school in meaningful ways and know their parents and teachers have regular contact with each other.

3. Getting along with others. Children develop good social skills when parents spend time with them. Set guidelines for behavior and supervise your child when he plays.

4. Self-esteem. Spending time with your child helps him build self-esteem.

5. Behavior. Behavior is affected by circumstances at home. A supportive, loving family will provide an
atmosphere that promotes positive behaviors.

6. Stability. Children who are exposed to extremely stressful situations can have physical symptoms related to both social and emotional issues. Provide your child with your time and emotional support. A stable family is crucial for your child’s healthy development.

This is posted in conjunction with Oregon Parenting Education Week 2012

The Hallie Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families promotes the development and well being of children, youth, and families by generating, translating, and sharing research-based knowledge.

The Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative (OPEC) supports delivery of high quality parenting education programs and collaborative efforts to strengthen regional parenting education systems.

OPEC is a partnership of four of Oregon’s largest foundations (The Oregon Community Foundation, The Ford Family Foundation, The Meyer Memorial Trust and The Collins Foundation) and Oregon State University.

The post YOU: Your child’s best role model appeared first on Synergies.

Dietetic inters April Strickland & Kayla Staggs

College of Public Health and Human Sciences dietetic interns attended Oregon Ag Fest at the Salem Fairgrounds on April 28 and 29 and encouraged healthy eating by presenting cooking demonstrations using products from Bob’s Red Mill.

In addition to Bob’s Cornbread Mix, the students used Bob’s Red Mill products to demonstrate making Oregon Berry Date Bars. OSUDI students presenting included Kayla Staggs, April Strickland, Natasha Luff and Christina Wright.

Bob’s Red Mill founders Charlee and Bob Moore are the driving force behind the college’s Moore Family Center for Whole Grain Foods, Nutrition and Preventive Health, donating $5 million to its endowed director and to renovate the college’s food labs in Milam Hall.

The Dietetic Internship at Oregon State University (OSUDI) is a non-credit, non-degree, post-baccalaureate program accredited by the American Dietetic Association’s Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). The OSUDI program focuses on long-term senior nutrition care and community nutrition.

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Carol began teaching dance at OSU in 1977 and developed the university’s and community’s first modern dance group two years later. She also founded and has choreographed every show for her annual concert, now in its 33^rd year. This year’s “Oregon Dance” concert is set for April 20 and 21 at Corvallis High School Theater and features a special 1984 duet choreographed by her brother, dancer William Soleau by students Avery Grant and Sean Carrigg. You can get a sneak-peek at the performance by watching a video of one of their rehearsals at the bottom of this page.

Avery Grant, Fisheries and Wildlife, ‘15

Although dance long has been part of her life, she has spent an even greater amount of time as part of a college community. Carol, whose father was a prominent Episcopal minister and professor, grew up in seminary in Virginia and completed undergraduate and graduate work – and began dancing – at Stanford University before working as a dancer in New York, where she performed in small venues, as well as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and choreographed liturgical dances for church services.

Since then, she has choreographed more than 250 dances, including outdoor/multimedia productions for local events such as Da Vinci Days, where she entertained the public by swinging in the trees with ropes and harnesses.

Sean Carrigg, Bioresource Research, ‘13

Carol says she strives to make her work thought-provoking, entertaining and audience-friendly. “My dances have to be conceptually driven,” she says.

At OSU, it’s about sharing her love of dance with generations of students. During the years, she has seen trends come and go, and as a result her instruction in modern, jazz and ballet has likewise evolved. One constant, however, is why she continues to teach – the students themselves. “I learn so much from them,” she says. “They keep me young with their unbridled enthusiasm. I love working with the students, and I am so fortunate to love my job.”

Performance and ticket information is available at Oregon Dance

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Tom and Kelli Steele with son Brian

Parent | Kelli Steele

“IMPACT has changed our lives,” says Kelli, whose son, Brian, has Asperger’s syndrome. Gifted in math and with a photographic memory, he experiences challenges with socialization and motor coordination, which makes it difficult to play on sports teams and succeed in physical education.

Kelli says, “The opportunity to watch Brian at IMPACT, see him grow as a person, grow in strength, friendships, acceptance, care and love of himself, these are successes and strengths to that program that are priceless and so greatly heartfelt to a parent. What more do we want than for our own children to love themselves? This positive environment and personal growth we have seen in Brian has helped him make friends at school and improve his cognitive and physical abilities … he now believes in himself, his accomplishments, his own personal growth.

“Throwing, catching or bouncing a ball is natural for most children. As is skipping rope, swimming and group games. These were all challenges in Brian’s life, but with the personal commitment and guidance he receives through IMPACT he is mastering these skills and is able to play with peers at recess. These are huge steps of achievement and happiness for our son. The IMPACT program is a gift in our lives. I have the ability to meet other parents, share our hearts, share our love for our children and connect with other parents who understand our joy when our children make the slightest improvement.

“IMPACT is life-changing – for everyone. Sometimes I don’t know who I enjoy watching more – the parents beaming as they watch their children, the children beaming with smiles or the IMPACT student staff.”

Jared and Austin

Student volunteer | Jared Hultquist

Jared, a sophomore in Exercise and Sport Science, has volunteered four terms. He says, “I enjoy seeing the kids at  IMPACT having so much fun and learning activities that they can use for the rest of their lives. This will be my second term working with Austin, and he has become a great friend of mine and is like a little brother to me. Seeing him improve skills not only from week to week but especially after months of hard work is so gratifying.”

Participant | Austin

“My favorite sports to play at IMPACT are baseball, swimming and dunking basketballs. I really love to be active and physical.

New Faculty | Simon and Megan

Simon Driver
As associate professor in Exercise and Sport Science in the School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Simon Driver earned his doctorate in Adapted Physical Activity at the University of Virginia, and he comes to OSU from a faculty position at the University of North Texas. His research is focused on the role of physical activity in improving the health of adults with brain and spinal cord injuries. Specifically, he is interested in the impact of health promotion programs on the adoption and maintenance of physical activity behaviors.

Megan MacDonald
Megan MacDonald is assistant professor of Movement Studies in Disability. She received a PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Michigan in 2011.  Megan believes that movement and physical activity are essential components in a healthy lifestyle for individuals at any age and ability. Her research interests are related to how motor skills and physically active lifestyles improve the lives of children and youth with and without disabilities. She also has a specific research interest in the movement skills of children with autism spectrum disorder, including how to improve motor skills for children with autism and how motor skills interact with social communication skills.

The post A broad IMPACT appeared first on Synergies.

This exchange program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and is administered by the University of Wyoming’s 4-H Youth Development Program. OSU’s 4-H Youth Development Program is a partner in the program, as is the Mongolian 4-H Youth Organization. It allows students to gain firsthand knowledge of different cultures and to work together to solve global natural resource and environmental issues, says 4-H Specialist-World Citizenship Lillian Larwood.

During their stay, delegates from Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming learned about environmental issues such as renewable energy, water quality and land restoration and reclamation, and participated in community service projects in and around the capitol, Ulaanbaatar.

Click to see photos from trip

Erynne van Zee, a sophomore at Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, said that seeing Mongolia’s environmental issues up close was eye-opening. “The ease at which I can access clean water, food, roads and medical care was something I had taken for granted. Seeing so many young Mongolians interested in helping protect the environment so essential to their way of life was inspiring and reaffirmed my belief that education regarding it must start from a young age.”

The best part of the trip for another Crescent Valley High School student, Sam Greydanus, was a trip to the countryside with his host family, driving into the open plains and staying in gers, traditional Mongolian houses. It was there, watching large herds of horses, cattle, sheep and goats dot the plains and taking in the beauty of rugged mountains on the horizon, “I truly realized I was in a far different world, living the trip I had dreamed of,” he says.

For both students, experiencing a new culture made a lasting impact. Erynne was able to attend a traditional Mongolian concert with throat singing and horsehead fiddling and was invited to drink airag, fermented mare’s milk. She also attended the national festival, Naadam, wearing traditional Mongolian clothes called dels.

“Watching everyone interacting, learning and sharing their cultures with one another was so inspiring and solidified my belief that much can be accomplished in the world just by respecting each other and working together,” she says. For Sam, “I learned that though some elements of culture may at first seem absurd or even irritating, they take on great meaning and appeal when you allow yourself to accept them and learn about them.”

The post Cultural immersion appeared first on Synergies.

Malheur County sent six representatives to the YA4-H! training seminar in Redmond, Oregon. We were taught what YA4-H! was, what we were to be doing, and how to teach others.

The youth of Malheur County’s core YA4-H! team are Gus Evans of Harper, and Rachel and Justin Hughes of Ontario. The adults are Barb Brody, Jan Tschida, and Shannon Hughes.

During the training seminar in Redmond, we learned many things about YA4-H!, healthy lifestyles, and teaching youth. We learned about the pros and cons of adults and youth working together and discussed the problems with stereotyping. Through a cookie judging activity, we learned how to judge quality, the difference between fact and opinion, and how people can judge the same thing very differently. We learned how to teach youth of varying ages by studying the developmental stages of youth and acting out skits about the difficulties of teaching the wrong way for each age group.

Rachel, Justin and Gus

I [Rachel] liked getting to know people from other counties and seeing what it was like in that part of Oregon. I’m glad to get to be part of reaching my community too. “I think that it is a really good program.” Gus said when asked about his thoughts on YA4-H! “I think that we can get to a lot of younger kids because we are older. A lot of young kids look up to high schoolers.”

We have already done our first grocery store assessment, and it was both fun and educational. “Everybody had different opinions on the different qualities of the produce,” said Justin after we compared results of the produce evaluation. I was excited to see so much local produce, and it seemed to be of the best quality. I thought that it went really well,” said Gus. “I thought that it was a good idea to start at a store with really good produce for us to judge.”

The YA4-H program is up and running with a lot going on. Our website is getting underway too, so check there for lots more information (and more to come).

The YA4-H Program

The Youth Advocates for Health (YA4-H!) program engages teens as researchers, teachers, and health advocates to define, assess, and address health-related issues that are salient to youth in their communities. YA4-H! prepares youth to conduct community-based research with a health focus, and to use the results of the research to educate others about, and advocate for, solutions to health related concerns at the community level.

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TEAM OREGON, a College of Public Health and Human Sciences program, launched a brand-new website in January. The motorcycle safety program serves as a resource for motorcyclists and provides statewide training and education for riders of all levels of experience and riding ability.

The website, team-oregon.org, represents another TEAM OREGON collaboration with A-VIBE Web Development in Portland. (Earlier and current projects include eLearning curriculum development for both TEAM OREGON and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.) To help riders comply with state mandatory training requirements, A-VIBE and TEAM OREGON developed an interactive course selection tool for visitors to quickly find the motorcycle training course specific to their needs and skill level. Once a visitor answers a few questions about their age, license status and riding experience, they are directed to a course locator on a state map where they can immediately register for the correct TEAM OREGON course.

Instructor and rider during TEAM OREGON training course

The new site uses a clean, concise design that showcases the beauty and mystique of motorcycling in Oregon. The design themes, layouts and banner images change with the content, all of which is housed in a custom content management system (CMS) built in Adobe ColdFusion. The CMS allows TEAM OREGON staff to update text, images and features instantly – and from anywhere. “The new site is simple to maintain and has a quick page load, including for users of mobile devices,” said Pat Hahn, TEAM OREGON communications manager. “The information and navigation focus closely on our primary objective: getting riders trained and properly licensed.”

In development for 2012 are strategies to dispel myths and shed light on Oregon motorcycle fatalities, common crash scenarios and expert riding tips to avoid them. Recommended reading, favorite routes and scenic rides will help set expectations for safe riding behavior and educate visitors about riding culture. “The new CMS provides the perfect platform for our program to evolve as a world leader in motorcycle safety,” says Hahn.

TEAM OREGON, founded in 1984, is a cooperative partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon State University and headquartered in Corvallis. The program’s mission is to foster and promote safe and responsible motorcycle operation through quality rider education programs and public information campaigns.

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