Youth Safety and Health

Invest in Your Health Train the Trainer: 7-Course Bundle

Invest in Your Health is a Train the Trainer course for adults who work with youth in agriculture. There are 7 modules of content - the instructor reviews the train the trainer course, then has access to an instructor guide, quizes, activities, and more for the kids. This material can be incorporated into classroom teaching or used in an informal setting like a safety day or 4H meeting.These train-the-trainer courses are also offered individually if you'd like to just review one or two topics.

Invest in Your Health: Cover Up! Head to Toe Personal Protective Equipment

This Train the Trainer course is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults. Agriculture is ranked as one of the most dangerous occupations and involves workers and family members of all ages. Illness and injuries can be prevented if we use the right protective equipment for the job. This program will present an overview of common exposures in farming and ranching and identify appropriate personal protective equipment.Invest in Your Health is supported by:

Invest in Your Health: Cultivating a Healthy Mind

Summary: Stigma exists across all age groups for those struggling with mental health. Navigation of the teen years in everyday situations can create angst and uncomfortable feelings that are difficult to express. Adding mental illness and mental crisis to a teen or young adult’s typical growth and development makes struggling with emotions, relationships, academic success, and safety more challenging. According to the CDC, rates of depression and anxiety climb significantly during the ages of 12-17. Suicide is the second leading cause of death of youths in the United States. This module opens an introductory discussion of mental health among teens and young adults with guidance from an adult educator. Focus is placed on decreasing stigma, improving mental health literacy, and positive coping skills for teens and young adults. The module showcases a high school agricultural student’s understanding of the agricultural mental health crisis, helping to frame mental health distress to academic and future career success. Intended Audience: This Train the Trainer course is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults. Invest in Your Health is supported by:

Invest in Your Health: Hazard Mapping in the Ag Classroom

This Train the Training course is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults. Participants will learn about the Hazard Mapping curriculum and will be given access to all teacher and student materials after completing the webinar.A Hazard Map is a visual representation of the workplace where there are hazards that could cause injuries or illness. The Hazard Mapping method draws on what students know from their farming experience.

Invest in Your Health: No Safe Way to Vape

This Train the Trainer course is designed for teachers, extension staff, 4-H and FFA leaders, and others who work with young adults in agriculture. This session aims to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of the health risks associated with vaping, debunk common myths, and foster critical thinking and informed decision-making skills. Through detailed exploration of vaping's short-term and long-term effects, interactive discussions, and evidence-based counterarguments, students will learn to critically analyze misinformation.

Invest in Your Health: Prevention of Zoonotic Diseases

This Train the Trainer course is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults. Agricultural producers are at high risk for acquiring a zoonotic disease related to their work environment with minimal information related to risks, symptoms and prevention. The majority of emerging infectious diseases in the U.S. are zoonotic in nature. They are often difficult to determine and many go unreported for a variety of reasons.Invest in Your Health is supported by:

Invest in Your Health: Say What? Protecting Your Hearing

This Train the Trainer course is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults. The young ag producer works in an environment with noise hazards and plays in an environment with noise hazards. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is common (and preventable) but unfortunately, use of hearing protection among youth is not.

Invest in Your Health: Stay Cool! Prevention of Heat Related Illness in Agriculture

This Train the Trainer course is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults. Agriculture is ranked as one of the most dangerous occupations and involves workers and family members of all ages. Illness and injuries can be prevented if we use the right protective equipment for the job. This program will present an overview of common exposures in farming and ranching and identify appropriate personal protective equipment.Invest in Your Health is supported by:

Farm Youth Mental Health: What We Know and How to Help

Summary: Caring for both the physical and emotional health of our next generation is crucial. From adapting to changes to feeling overwhelmed, like adults, children also experience stress and anxiety; however, they may be unsure of what they are feeling and how to respond. During this webinar, we will take a closer look at the status of farm youth mental health. We will recognize causes of stress among youth living in farming and rural communities and highlight the resources available to assist families.Intended Audience: Extension, practitioners, educators, farming/rural families, etc.

NFSHW25: Too Young to Plow Alone: Keeping Youth Safe on the Farm with AYWG & HAYWG

Summary: This webinar will focus on practical strategies to ensure the safety and well-being of youth working on farms, using the Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines (AYWG) and the Hired Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines (HAYWG). This will underscore the importance of aligning job tasks with a child's developmental abilities, rather than age alone, to prevent injury and promote a safe working environment.Through real-life examples, current data, and evidence-based guidelines, this session will help participants evaluate tasks, implement safer work practices, and understand federal and state labor laws related to youth in agriculture. Special attention is given to preventing injuries involving tractors, machinery, and hazardous work that young children may not be developmentally ready to performIntended audience: Farm parents and agricultural employers who hire youth workers.Presenter: Melissa Ploeckelman Brown, Outreach Specialist, National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety (NCCRAHS)The University of Cincinnati, Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, Education and Research Center offers 1.0 contact hour for each webinar during National Farm Safety and Health Week. Upon completing the evaluation, learners will receive a certificate of completion. This course can meet continuing education requirements for a variety of professionals including: BGC criteria for IH/CIH professionals, BCSP criteria for safety professionals, CPH criteria for public health professionals.

NFSHW24: Training Future Generations of Farmers through Registered Apprenticeship

Summary: The agriculture industry faces a shortage of skilled farmers with many experienced farmers nearing retirement age. We will highlight how farmers can utilize Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) to train the next generation of farmers, combining classroom and online learning with hands-on experience on working farms. Intended Audience: Business owners, HR staff, Ag educators, workforce boardsPresenter: Abigail Allen, M.Ed., Program Specialist with the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship in Region 6and Victoria Cosentino, Program Analyst, Office of Apprenticeship at the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration The University of Cincinnati, Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, Education and Research Center offers 1.0 contact hour for each webinar during National Farm Safety and Health Week. Upon completing the evaluation, learners will receive a certificate of completion. This course can meet continuing education requirements for a variety of professionals including: BGC criteria for IH/CIH professionals, BCSP criteria for safety professionals, CPH criteria for public health professionals.

A Conversation on Cultivating LGBTQ+ Safe Spaces for Ag Youth

Summary: It is important for agricultural educators to create inclusive and safe learning environments for all youth. This includes taking intentional steps to make LGBTQ+ youth feel like there is a space for them in the agriculture industry, 4-H, and FFA. But it’s not always easy to know where to start.You can take your first step by joining us for “A Conversation on Cultivating LGBTQ+ Safe Spaces for Ag Youth.” This webinar is intended to equip ag educators with practical strategies and insights to foster inclusivity, understanding, and equity in their programs. Implementing this knowledge will enable teachers and leaders to best support all students. This increased support will go on to draw in even more students to join the program! (Increased inclusivity = increased # of members!)Why are we talking about LGBTQ+ youth in agriculture?June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate diversity and the LGBTQ+ community.45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in 2022 – but those who felt affirmed and supported at school had lower rates of acting on those thoughts (source: The Trevor Project).Everyone has a place in the agricultural industry and deserves to feel like they belong.By cultivating an inclusive environment and safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in ag, we can increase positive health outcomes for that population as well as increase the number of youth who plan to go into the ag industry in the future! Intended Audience: Ag educators, teachers, parents, community membersSpecial thanks to the Cultivating Change Foundation (CCF) for working with AgriSafe to make this webinar a reality! CCF is a nonprofit whose goal is to “value and elevate LGBTQ+ agriculturists through advocacy, education, and community.”