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Don''t Miss this Important TV Program
Local experts chatted with concerned parents at a Town Hall Meeting on Underage Drinking earlier this month at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg. The program airs Thursday, April 30 at 9 p.m. on WEDU and is a must see for all parents. Check their schedule at www.wedu.com for repeats and information about the webcast. |
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Safe Kids USA Releases Safety Recommendations
After extensive research on the developmental stages of children, Safe Kids USA has released a list of specific safety recommendations that are based on a child’s age. These recommendations are part of a full study that was released this week as part of National Safe Kids Week that runs from April 26 to May 3. Read the Safe Kids Tip Sheets.
According to Martin Eichelberger, M.D., founder of Safe Kids Worldwide, the key is understanding abilities and limitations at the various stages to foresee and prevent serious injuries. The CDC underscores the importance of prevention. They report that in the US in 2007, there were 12 preventable injuries per minute in children ages 0 to 14 that required a trip to the ER.
The report covers four different stages and includes a description of a child's development at that age, and easy-to-follow safety tips for the five leading injury risks to children: falls, bicycle-related injuries, motor vehicle occupancy injuries, fire and burns and poisonings.
For a copy of the Raising Safe Kids: One Stage at a Time report please visit www.safekids.org/stages. |
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Special Camp for Special Kids
 With all the talk about summer camps and the ParentGuide Camp Expo, we want to be sure local parents know about Camp Sunshine, a year-round retreat which provides respite, support and hope for parents who have a child with a life-threatening illness. This is the only program in the nation that supports every member of the immediate family – the ill child, parents and siblings. Nestled on Sebago Lake in Maine, Camp Sunshine is a national non-profit program that provides a free week of fun so families can forget about the illness and focus on the family unit. Camp Sunshine has activites for all ages of children and for parents. Each family is provided a suite and three meals a day. Read about the camp, submit an application or find out how you can support their good work by going to their website at www.campsunshine.org. |
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Local Volunteers Honored April 22nd
 Each year during National Volunteer Week United Way of Tampa Bay honors local volunteers. One very special category is dedicated to youth in our community who give their time, talents and energy to causes they love. This year's youth winner is Thomas Berg, Plant City, whose passion is supporting the Lowry Park Zoo. Other youth recognized for their volunteerism range from 1st graders who mentor fellow students who have autism to teens who demonstrate compassion at Bay Pines VA Hospital and Hospice of the Florida Suncoast. ParentGuide congratulates all the youth participants and encourages our readers to learn more about this year's honorees. Read about all of the nominees. (Editor's Note: It feels really good to read these briefs about youth right here in our community who are showing such great character and concern for humanity and the environment. Tingles!)
For parents looking to encourage their children to volunteer, take a moment to check out the Hands on Tampa Bay (HOT) website. HOT gives volunteers an opportunity to pick and choose projects throughout the metro area serving a number of different causes including animals, homelessness and renovations for senior citizens. It's a great way to have variety or to help identify your teen's passion. |
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SURVEY ASKS TEENS ABOUT BEING GREEN
Results from a recent survey which tracked the attitudes and preferences of more than 1,400 tweens and teens on environmental issues in preparation for Earth Day found 68 percent of respondents believe their families are not as green as they could be, versus 19 percent who said their families are “very green.” Of those who responded that it is essential to observe green practices, 64 percent said they do so because it is important to help the environment for future generations, versus 29 percent who cared about preserving the environment for themselves, today.
In response to questions about specific environmental issues, 45 percent of those surveyed said global warming is the environmental issue that is most important to them, followed by pollution (29 percent); recycling (six percent) and water conservation (four percent).
The survey was conducted at Quibblo
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Hillsborough County uses Gardening to Help Young Children
It’s the season for gardening, and sustainable gardens are all the talk for healthier living and more environmentally responsible communities. In Hillsborough County that also includes children involved in the county's Head Start program. With grant funds from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services – Head Start Innovation and Improvement Project, they are piloting a sustainable gardening program that is designed to improve math and science skills as part of the fun.
Whether it’s butterflies, vegetables or flowers, children will watch and measure the growth of their seedlings, touch and smell gardens filled with herbs and plants with interesting textures, and learn about bugs that could harm or help their garden.
The five Head Start centers piloting the sustainable gardens program are: Bealsville, MOSI, Town ‘N Country Commons, La Paloma and North Tampa.
Hillsborough County Head Start is the first and only program in the nation to implement a sustainable gardens program for its children. The purpose of the program is to develop math and science skills as they discover the importance of growth, measurement and sorting in gardening. In addition, they will observe the impact their plantings have on soil, learn how to build an irrigation system and develop positive water conservation practices.
Hillsborough County Head Start is a three-time nationally recognized Program of Excellence by the National Head Start Association and received the 2007 Federal Review Gold Seal Award.
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