By Simonne Campos
July is National Make a Difference to Children Month!
This special celebration and campaign was established in 2006 by Kim Ratz, a child advocate and former school administrator who strives to bring attention to children facing societal barriers and calls upon communities to uplift our future generations!
This month aims to highlight the risks that any child may encounter without the support of a caring and guiding adult in their life and serves as a call to action for adults and mentors everywhere. Studies have shown that protective factors such as having access to a trusted adult as a child may impart resilience against developing the negative outcomes that come with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (Bellis et al., 2017).
In honor of National Make a Difference to Children Month, we want to highlight all the things Advance is doing to make our own impact in the lives of the children in our communities – July and yearlong!
Oral Health Education
Our Advance Community Health Educators facilitate Oral Health presentations to schools and local Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the year. These presentations teach young students about the importance of taking care of their oral hygiene. Through fun interactions and some icky photos, these students see what it can look like if they do not take care of their teeth! Each child leaves an Oral Health presentation with a Smile Bag from Delta Dental, with a brand-new toothbrush, toothpaste and floss!
Advance Community’s Community Health Intern facilitating an Oral Health presentation
Show Up! High School Program
Even though they might not like to be called children, we all know high school students could use a little guidance! That is in part why Advance launched its first high school summer program this past June: Show Up! An initiative dedicated to giving students an introduction to the public health field and career opportunities in community work – this program forms strong bonds between students, staff, and public health professionals! Read more about Show Up! here.
Advance Community’s first Show Up! cohort
I Choose Wellness
I Choose Wellness, one of our most beloved programs at Advance, is a health and wellness course for children ranging from 3rd to 8th grade. This program teaches nutrition, physical activity, and oral hygiene to youth to inspire them to make conscious choices that will improve their health and futures. Students get to collaborate and work together in different environments, including learning how to make healthy snacks on their own, and how to incorporate physical activity in their daily lives.
As we celebrate making a difference to children this month and every month, we reflect on the life-changing opportunities Advance Community gets to be a part of to uplift our youth.
A student from I Choose Wellness learning how to make homemade guacamole!
Want to make a real difference in a child’s life? Discover how you can contribute to our exciting Back-to-School drive, Supplies for Success here!
Join us in supporting children’s education and make a lasting impact. Every contribution counts!
Don’t miss out—get involved today and help us reach our goal by August 9th!
