The 2014 Madison County Youth Forum (MCYF), “Gearing Up for Health,” will be held Monday, Oct. 6 on the SIUE campus. An annual event, the MCYF gives students in Madison County a voice on relevant advocacy issues. This year’s topics are physical activity and nutrition.
Students, from schools across Madison County, will attend the forum to identify barriers and possible solutions to health-related concerns.
The full-day event will include a keynote address from Maj Luckert from the Wood River-Hartford School District and Leah Dettmers from Madison County Planning and Development. Following an afternoon of discussion, the students, along with invited educators and community stakeholders, will participate in a panel discussion from 6-8 p.m. in the Morris University Center. The panel discussion is free and open to the public.
The event is co-hosted by the Madison County Youth Board and Eta Sigma Gamma, the national health education honor society of the SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior. The SIUE Eta Sigma Gamma students will facilitate the discussion groups with the MCYF students.
According to Jennifer Caumiant, instructor of kinesiology and health education at SIUE, Eta Sigma Gamma has a history of working with MCYF. “Gamma Delta, the SIUE student chapter of Eta Sigma Gamma, is committed to motivating and promoting health services,” she said. “Our mission includes supporting, planning and evaluating health education programs, supporting advocacy initiatives, and promoting professional standards and networking activities.”
The Madison County Health Department has provided the funding for the event, training for the SIUE student facilitators, and established community relationships with the participating panelists.
The SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior prepares students in a wide range of fields including community health education, exercise science, instructional technology, psychology, speech-language pathology and audiology, administration and teaching. Faculty members engage in leading-edge research, which enhances teaching and enriches the educational experience. The School supports the community through on-campus clinics, outreach to children and families, and a focused commitment to enhancing individual lives across the region.