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Health and Life Skills
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Objectives: |
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l To teach & encourage personal hygiene
l To teach disease prevention
l To provide programs on drug and alcohol abuse prevention
l To provide entrepreneurial programs
l To provide classes of independent living |
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Health and Life Skills Programs Include: |
CBAE Information: Community Based Abstinence education Program is a grant funded program awarded through a partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Tennessee State Alliance. We will serve 252 plus youth with this program. Evaluation of the program will be conducted by the University of Tennesse's SWORPS (Social Work Office of esearch and Public Service) program. This program uses "Choosing the Best" curriculum. http://www.choosingthebest.org/
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Peyton Manning Nutritional Camp: This course, offered by our local 4-H Agricultural Extension agents focused on teaching the five food groups and positive eating habits. One highlight of this program was teaching the kids to make a snack that included all the food groups. Over eighty kids participated in this program at our Club.
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4-H Sewing Class: This outreach project took the kids to the local Agricultural Extension office and they were able to learn basic sewing skills and taught how to use a sewing machine to fix clothes and make pillows.
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Food Preparation Class: This course allowed our kids to be able to prepare meats and vegetables for proper cooking and storage and also, taught them how to can food, freeze vegetables and make dried foods such as banana chips, beef jerky, and dried apples. The children were able to make foods to take home. We also had a small cooking class with kids learning how to bake basic items at the Club.
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Bicycle Safety Program: Kids participating in this program were all given bicycle helmets. A free bicycle was given to one youth in a drawing at the end of the safety course. |
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Drug Dog Prevention Program: A local police officer with the K-9 Drug Unit brought his dog to the Club to show the kids how a drug search is preformed. He showed the kids what drugs looked like and told of the negative consequences of taking drugs. This was offered in conjunction with our SMART moves program.
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Crest Cavity Free Zone: We offered this program as a way to reach out with dental hygiene awareness for our Club members. Over one hundred kids participated in the program that was highlighted by having a dental hygienist come to our Club and give several classes to the kids on proper brushing techniques and good hygiene habits for the proper care of their teeth. We were also able to give out dental floss, toothbrushes, and toothpaste donated by a local dentist.
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Dental Sealants Program: The State of Tennessee set up a portable dentist chair in our Club to give free dental check ups to all Club members that wanted them. Several kids took advantage of the program and they were able to administer over two hundred fifty sealants to kids through this project at no cost to the child or parents. They also did check ups on many kids that did not need sealants. We do this program every summer at our Club.
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Self Awareness Program: The local Health Department taught this class to our kids which focused on personal hygiene and grooming. They taught the kids the correct way to bathe, comb their hair, put on deodorant, and other self grooming techniques. They donated deodorant and soap to each of the children.
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Monthly Birthday Parties: Each month we have a birthday party for all the kids at the Club and recognize ones with a birthday in that month by singing to them and having a birthday cake and special snacks. We also have a bulletin board we put up each month with that months birthdays listed in the clubs game room. We get local businesses and organizations to sponsor and help give the parties for the kids.
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Thanksgiving Dinner: Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee collaborated with our Club and offered a Thanksgiving meal to our kids that included turkey and dressing, corn, green beans, macaroni, bread, gravy, and dessert. We also had several adults who participated in this special event.
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Money Management Class: The kids were taught how to count money, write a check, balance a checkbook, make a personal budget, and played games based on these new skills. Two local financial advisors came to our Club to teach these classes to all ages. |
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Girl Scouts Outreach: The Appalachian Council of Girl Scouts did an outreach program at our local Club each Tuesday with many programs for our youth which included many anti-violence programs. Many of our girls signed up for Girl Scouts as a result of this effort. The girls also participated weekly in other Girl Scout activities at the Club during the summer.
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SMART Moves: We tested our kids on the areas of this drug alcohol and tobacco awareness program including: Start Smart, Stay Smart and Smart Kids. Our public safety, drug dog, and SMART Moves programs teach them the right way to act as they grow up and the special occasion events help to teach our kids social skills that they will develop more as they mature into young adults. Many of these kids do not get the opportunity to enjoy special holidays in their homes due to their social and economic backgrounds. |
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Boys & Girls Club Helps to Spread Christmas Cheer During the Holidays
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The Boys & Girls Club has had a busy holiday season with our Club kids going out and singing Christmas carols, holding a Christmas Party for the Club kids, and getting to enjoy the presents that Santa and his helpers brought to our Club. The Club kids went Christmas caroling to several local retirement facilities during the holidays. On December 22nd, the Club held its annual youth Christmas Party with over 100 kids getting gifts of all sorts from Santa and his crew. Over 300 gifts were presented to the children of all ages. A specfial thanks goes out tothe youth Leadership andd Greene County Youth Council kids for all of their help in wrapping the gifts and with the Christmas party activities at the Club. |
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day Activities
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| On Monday, January 15, we took our Club youth to Tusculum College for their Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration activities. This year's event was centered on making items for shutin and for children in the local hospitals. The kids participated in arts & crafts, and several other activities to bring attention to the civil rights leader's legacy. This part of our Club's Black History month activities. |
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Our Dental Program Continues With - Give Kids A Smile Day Activities
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and it is an ideal time to raise awareness to parents and today’s youth about tooth decay, the single most common childhood disease. On February 9th, Crest Healthy Smiles and the American Dental Association sponsored this annual Give Kids a Smile Day, a national dental access day promoting access to dental services and oral health tools. National Children’s Dental Health Month makes a huge difference in the oral health of our nation’s youth but it should also serve as an opportunity to raise the public’s awareness that more must be done to fight the oral health epidemic in our country. Jan Rader a local dental hygienist came and spoke to our club kids on the importance of brushing our teeth and showed a video on proper dental care methods.
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The Boys & Girls Club Continue to Have a
"CAVITY-FREE ZONE" For Kids
The Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville & Greene County continues to serve as a "Cavity-Free Zone" with the completion of their summer dental sealant program. These zones are areas within communities where good oral health is a top priority. "We are very excited about being a ‘Cavity-Free Zone," said Cathy Byrd, program director of the Boys & Girls Club. "We have so many kids who do not have access to good oral services or the knowledge about how to take good care of their teeth. It’s a shame that so many children are denied a healthy smile." The kids at the club received an onsite dental screening by a licensed dentist, providing some of the youth with their first opportunity for a dental evaluation. The participants in the program received a positive dental care experience and oral health education through this health & life skills program provided at the Boys & Girls Club.
The club conducts several activities throughout the year for the youth they serve and they just completed their annual summer dental sealant program which is provided by the state and is run by Roselyn Blankenship and Delana Horton. Over the past five years hundreds of children have received dental education, sealants and cleanings all free of charge through the local clubs Health & Life skills program. "At the Boys & Girls Club we are improving dental awareness and a child’s smile one smile at a time" stated Roselyn Blankenship a volunteer for the local program.
"Over the last five years, this program has saved Boys & Girls Club members thousands of dollars" stated Scott Bullington, executive director for the Boys & Girls Club. "We really appreciate all of the hard work that Delana and Roselyn have put into the sealant program and we now see smiles all over the club thanks to their efforts" he added. |
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Mardi Gras Party For the Club Kids on Fat Tuesday
Tuesday, February 20th- Mardi Gras Party at the Boys & Girls Club with beads, masks and party favors for the kids.
This was a fun day for the kids and staff and we had activities in the gym based on the festivities.
National Fire Prevention Month Activities at the Boys & Girls Club
October is National Fire Prevention Month, a time when we should all be aware of ways to help learn fire safety and prevention. The Boys & Girls Club celebrated this month with a presentation from the Greeneville Fire Department on Wednesday, October 18, 2006. They delivered several quick tips for the children to keep in mind if there is ever a fire. Have a family escape plan, do not go back in for any reason, feel the door before opening; if warm, use alternate escape route, when escaping, crawl under the smoke, check your smoke detectors often, and if your clothing catches fire, STOP, DROP and ROLL.
Spooks, Witches & Others Participate in Our Annual Halloween Party
 
On Thursday, October 26 the Boys & Girls Club had their annual Halloween Party. This party included a costume contest for all age groups with gift cards to Wal-Mart for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. Following the costume contest, the youth participated in numerous games, bust the piñata, pumpkin bowling, the penny pitch, wrap the mummy, and bobbing for apples. Over 85 youth attended this year’s event. A special thanks to our board members who helped judge this year’s costume contest.
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