Youth face a number of metal health challenges that can lead to struggles in school, in their social lives, and in their abilities to confidently handle difficulties they encounter as they grow up. Projects in mental health and mindfulness can help youth build the tools they need to weather these storms and to be able to identify when they need to reach out for further support.
Objectives
Youth will:
- Learn about emotions, how they influence our behaviors, and healthy ways of expressing them
- Understand mindfulness and other techniques for dealing with stress
- Discuss mental health concepts and learn how to identify when they might need to reach out for help to a trusted adult
4-H Mental Health Curriculum
Available through the extension office or online.
Feelings can be confusing. This project lets you explore what emotions are, how to express them, and how to react to them in a positive way. After this project, you’ll have tools and techniques to help you through any emotional situation. This project is aimed at youth who are just beginning exploring healthy living topics.
Your Thoughts Matter: Navigating Mental Health
What does mental health really mean? How many people are affected by mental health issues such as anxiety and depression? Be part of the solution by learning the answers to those questions and more. Intended for advanced-level youth who are interested in learning more about mental health, why it is important to overall well-being, and steps that promote understanding and action. This project is not intended as a resource for those in crisis.
Mind, Body, Whole Wellness Tracker
The Mind Body Whole Wellness Tracker is intended to help youth recognize connections between feelings (stress and mood) and healthy habits (sleep, healthy eating, and exercise) while developing and practicing coping skills. In this book you will learn about life skills and habits and how they relate to stress through five weekly lessons. Weekly Trackers and Thought Processing pages are included for you to use. These pages will help you learn more about how your feelings and habits are affecting each other.
GEM: Get Experience in Mindfulness Facilitator Guide & Journal Set
GEM: Get Experience in Mindfulness is an Awareness and Acceptance Stress Management Program for ages 10 and up – adults too! This program places an emphasis on stress management taught through practical and interactive mindfulness-based activities to facilitate experiential learning. The program is a research based and theory driven program that meets National Health Education Standards.
There are five lesson topics: Intentions and Goal Setting, Awareness and Attention, Self-care: Stress Reduction and Relaxation, Communication and Relationships, and Gratitude and Acceptance. Among other things, participants of the program will learn what mindfulness is and how to integrate it into daily life, alignment and form for over 25 strength and flexibility poses adapted from yoga poses, and relaxation techniques.
Mindful Mechanics: A 4-H Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescents & Adults and Participant Journal Set
4-H Mindful Mechanics incorporates the Essential Elements of youth development: belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. Through 4-H Mindful Mechanics, teens are encouraged to build positive relationships through expressing care, concern and gratitude for others (belonging), build beliefs in oneself (mastery), practice self-discipline, self-control, and self-reflection (independence), and serve others.
The overall program aims to promote mindful practices that lead to improvements in managing one’s own goals, developing a sense of self, time management, stress management, emotional regulation, and mindful eating practices. 4-H Mindful Mechanics can also serve as a training for teens that would like to lead lessons from the companion curriculum, 4-H Mindful Me, through a ‘teens as teachers’ (TAT) approach. The 4-H Mindful Me curriculum uses children’s literature and best practices in the field of positive youth development to deliver programming to 5-8-year olds. The TAT approach provides teens with the opportunity for individual growth and meaningful contribution.
Mindful Mechanics Journal Workbook
Mindful Mechanics Curriculum Guide
Mindful Me: A 4-H Primary Mindfulness Curriculum
Mindful Me: A 4-H Primary Mindfulness Curriculum, introduces cloverbud youth members to basic concepts in mindfulness practices. The program promotes mindful practices that lead to improvements in managing one’s own goals, developing a sense of self, time management, stress management, emotional regulation, and mindful eating practices. Specific outcomes from youth participation in the curriculum include short-term (skill development and knowledge gain), mid-term (increased stress management, mindful eating, etc.), and long-term (improved physical, emotional, and social health) benefits.
This 12″ x 18″ laminated placemat corresponds with Activity 1 of the Mindful Me: A 4-H Primary Mindfulness Curriculum, and it can also be used to carry forward the learned principles in daily life. It encourages mindful eating by slowing down food consumption to notice more about what we are eating, how it makes us feel, and how friends and family can promote well-being.
Be SAFE: Safe, Affirming & Fair Environments
Be SAFE: Safe, Affirming and Fair Environments is designed to help young people aged 11 to 14 and adults work in partnership to create environments that are physically and emotionally safe. It draws from extensive research from a variety of key disciplines – as well as evidence-based bullying prevention programs.
Be SAFE includes engaging activities that promote social and emotional learning and development, address and prevent bullying and foster positive relationships with peers and adults. Designed for use in out-of-school time settings (such as 4-H, Boys and Girls Clubs, Scouts and afterschool programs), Be SAFE also applies to middle school settings.
Washington 4-H Records, Forms, and Guides
For youth members
Coming soon!
For adult helpers and club leaders
Coming soon!
Helpful Resources
Activity Ideas
All Feelings Matter – University of Minnesota Extension
In this lesson, youth in grades K-2 learn that all feelings matter by naming different emotions and creating a feeling monster that showcases those feelings.
Behavior is Communication – University of Minnesota Extension
In this lesson, youth and volunteers play a game designed to test their non-verbal communication skills and talk about different ways people use behavior to communicate.
Stress Management – University of Minnesota Extension
This lesson plan introduces the idea of stress. Youth learn how stress affects us, the importance of seeking help when feeling overwhelmed, and stress management techniques to cope with stress.
Packet includes the activities “Expressing Emotions,” “Bouncing Back,” and “Create Your Own Vision Board.”
Packet includes the activities “Meditation in a Bottle,” “Building Healthy Friendships,” and “Learn How to Stress Less.”
4-H Grab & Go Project Kit: Youth and Animals Together (PDF)
Spending time with our animals is healthy for us! A lot like friends at school, pets and animals can help us feel better, be fun to hang out with, or even to talk to. In a recent survey done with Youth in Washington State, we found that spending time with animals is an important source of social support, especially during times we might not get to see friends very often. For youth who completed the survey, the more time spent with animals, the more they felt connected and supported by the presence of animals when they were struggling with tough emotions.
These activities provide some fun things to do with your pets to build your relationship with them.
Inspire Kids To Do™: Kids’ Guide To Mindfulness
Three activities to get kids to start thinking about mindfulness.
Learning the Power of Mindfulness
Middle school and high school can be some of the most stressful times of life. Between the pressures of school, social life, and other activities, teens have a huge amount on their minds, at all times.
This three-part activity series will help kids and teens start (or continue) the important journey into social and emotional learning and understand how that contributes to positive mental health. A free Clover account is required to access lesson plans.
Have you ever noticed that when you feel great you do great things? That’s no coincidence! Having positive ways to manage emotions can benefit a person’s physical and mental health, which could help them to accomplish goals.
This collection explores ways that emotions play an important role in each individual’s health and success. The activities will help teens gain an understanding of different ways to express feelings, the importance of resilience, and ways to use our positive thoughts to accomplish goals. A free Clover account is required to access lesson plans.
Washington Specific Resources
Washington State 4-H Teen Equity & Inclusion Task Force
The purpose of the Washington State 4-H Teen Equity and Inclusion Task Force is to facilitate and support an inclusive 4-H youth organization. Using compassion and empathy, we strive to create an open and safe environment to celebrate and embrace our diversity.
A collaborative partnership uniting multiple mental health and healthcare authorities as they create regional behavioral health teams to improve access to mental health services and education. The site also features a resource guide that includes crisis response hotlines and warmlines.
Meet Little Monster – National Alliance on Mental Health: Washington
“Meet Little Monster” is a brand new coloring book from NAMI Washington designed to facilitate the conversation about mental and emotional health with children and their parents and caretakers.
Available in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Korean, and Vietnamese. There is also a translation request survey on the webpage if it s needed in other languages.
Other Resources
From 4-H Programs
Social and Emotional Learning in Practice: A Toolkit of Practical Strategies and Resources
Social and emotional learning (SEL) includes learning to be aware of and manage emotions, work well with others, and work hard when faced with challenges. Youth programs develop SEL skills by creating opportunities for young people to engage in real-world projects, work in teams, take on meaningful roles, face challenges, and experience the emotional ups and downs that come along the way.
This toolkit includes activities, templates and tools organized around four ways to help support staff and youth in SEL:
- Equipping Staff
- Creating the Learning Environment
- Designing Impactful Learning Experiences
- Using Data for Improvement
It goes along with the 3-hour training Social and Emotional Learning in Practice and related issue briefs. It is mainly for those working with youth in middle school, but with small changes, activities can be used with other age groups too.
This series of seven lessons is designed to open up the conversation with middle school-aged youth about mental health and wellness, handling emotions and figuring out who we are as individuals.
Your Mental Health Matters: An Open Letter to Young People from Jennifer Sirangelo – National 4-H
From Higher Education Institutions
From Related Organizations, Journals, and Professionals
On Our Minds with Bree & James
On Our Minds is an Edward R. Murrow award-winning, student-led and student-produced podcast about the biggest mental health challenges young people face. In each episode, two teen reporters guide you through stories by high schoolers from PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs about the teenage experience that connects, educates and inspires listeners of all ages.
Resources for Students and Educators – The National Institute of Mental Health
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) offers a variety of learning resources for students and teachers about mental health and the brain. Whether you want to understand mental health challenges, promote emotional well-being in the classroom, or simply learn how to take care of your own mental health, our resources cover a wide range of topics to foster a supportive and informed learning environment. Explore videos, coloring books, and hands-on quizzes and activities to empower yourself and others on the journey to mental well-being.
- Kits, Projects, and Activites from National 4-H
National 4-H Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Curriculum Collection