Invest in Your Health – AgriSafe Network
Last updated on August 10th, 2023 at 01:05 pm
Education for Agricultural Youth
Invest in Your Health, also known as IYH, is a series of free curriculums developed by AgriSafe for agricultural educators, mentors in 4-H and FFA, and young producers (ages 14-23). Currently AgriSafe offers six curriculums.
Curriculum Topics
- Say What? Protecting your Hearing
- Youth growing up around agriculture are often exposed to noise hazards that can case hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is common (and preventable) but unfortunately, most youth do not wear hearing protection. This lesson overviews ear anatomy, common noise hazards on a farm or ranch, how to prevent NIHL, and what PPE to wear.
- Cover Up! Head-to-Toe Personal Protective Equipment
- Agriculture has some of the highest rates of injury among all other occupations in the U.S., but injuries can be prevented if we use the right personal protective equipment (PPE). This lesson overviews common harmful exposures in farming and ranching and what PPE youth can use to prevent or reduce injuries and exposures.
- Stay Cool! Prevention of Heat-Related Illness
- It is common for agricultural work to take place outdoors in hot environments – when the body temperature get’s too high, heat-related illnesses occur. Every year, thousands of workers become sick from exposure to heat, and some even die. This lesson overviews the different types of heat-related illnesses, signs of life-threatening exposure, immediate care procedures, and more.
- Stop Zoonosis in its Tracks! Prevention of Zoonosis
- The majority of emerging infectious diseases in the U.S. are zoonotic in nature (transferable between animals and humans). Anyone who works or lives around animals might be at risk to exposure. This lesson overviews common zoonotic diseases including modes of transmission, signs and symptoms, and preventative measures.
- Where Y’at? Using Mapping to Define Hazards in Agriculture
- Agriculture is ranked as one of the most dangerous occupations, for both workers and families on the farm. But we can prevent injuries by being proactive. This lesson overviews major farm hazards that can cause injury or illness. Students learn how to identify and map out farm hazards so that they can either be eliminated or that safety procedures can be put in place around them.
- Cultivating a Healthy Mind! Mental Wellness for Youth
- Rates of depression and anxiety climb significantly during the ages of 12-17, and suicide is the second leading cause of death of youths in the United States. This lesson 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 instilling positive coping skills for youth. 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.
AgriSafe’s IYH curriculums were developed to increase positive health outcomes among agricultural youth, by promoting knowledge, prevention, identification, and assessment of health threats commonly experienced by youth and young workers in agriculture.
Our primary goal is to equip agricultural educators and mentors with ready-to-go lessons on important topics. If you’d like to access these curriculums, create a free Learning Lab account and register for the IYH series. Each train-the-trainer curriculum is available on-demand, including a recorded webinar plus the classroom presentation slides and a complementary activity guidebook.
If you’d like to request an in-person train-the-trainer or student training, fill out this form and select which IYH training you are interested in.
If you have questions, please contact Knesha Rose-Davison by email at [email protected]. The development of the IYH curriculums was funded by CHS, Inc.
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