Brain Day event for families!

For everyone

Invite your families to Brain Day at the University of Minnesota! The event is Saturday, Oct. 10 at Coffman Memorial Union. Brain Day is an interactive, engaging, and free event celebrating the brain. Brain Day will allow curious community members of all ages the chance to meet with real scientists while doing cool hands-on experiments and games. 4-H will be there with our neuroscience partners (Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain) manning a table, so we'd love to see our 4-H youth and families join the fun!

The event is free, but families should pre-register.

Jessica Russo

Curriculum and program development director

Experience matters in adolescent brain development

For everyone

Adolescence is a period of remarkable neuroplasticity and cognitive development, particularly in executive functioning and social abilities. Studies show that enriching experiences that actively work their executive functioning skills, such as planning, reasoning, problem-solving and self-regulation, help teens refine their developing cognitive abilities by taking advantage of their brain’s heightened neuroplasticity.

This week in Youth Development Insight, Jessica Russo explains that youth programs provide teens with the rich experiences they need for this healthy brain development. Out-of-school-time programs are prime spaces to provide the richness of experience that adolescent brains need.

Amy Gregoria

Communications team

Recognize your colleagues!

For everyone

With over 115 contributors to the YD curriculum library, we want to make sure authors are recognized for their work!

We invite you and your summer interns (please share this with them before they leave) to fill out this short and sweet Qualtrics survey identifying which curriculum library resources you’ve used, what you liked about them and/or how they could be improved.

This information will be shared with authors and is a wonderful way to build up your colleagues and recognize their contributions!

Jenny Cable

Curriculum project coordinator

Jessica Russo

Extension educator

Exciting summer camp resources

For educators

Summer is coming! Are you ready? Here are some fabulous resources we hope you consider in your planning that were either designed specifically for day camps, or work especially well in the day camp or overnight camp environment.

• Budding Naturalists (featuring four new lessons!)
• Furry Friends (new resource!)
• BrainWaves Day Camp Adaptation (not in the library yet, but available for staff to use)
• Backyard Adventures
• Outdoor Skills and Stories Day Camp
• Fields Food and You
• Mental Wellbeing
• Team Cuisine
• Wacky Waffles
• 30-Minute Seasonal Science Activities
• Super Science Series or Super Short Science
• Outdoor Safety
• Any of the themed 4-H club activity plans

These resources are also helpful resources for you, your camp counselors, and interns:

• Icebreakers, Team Challenges, and Other Group Games
• Reflection and Check-in Activities
• Transition & Centering Activities
• Creating a Welcome Environment at Camp

Jessica Russo

Extension educator

YD curriculum library: Resources galore!

For everyone

Buckle up, we’ve got lots of new resources to share, just in time for summer programming! 

As the youth development curriculum library grows, be sure to check for new lessons, series, and facilitation resources so you don’t miss out!

New themed 4-H club activity plans: 

1. Moon Phases: Youth learn about lunar phases and Moon science, make tasty Moon cookies, and reflect on how the Moon affects our daily lives.
2. Fluorescence: Youth learn about the science behind fluorescence and how to make a non-toxic glow-in-the-dark lava lamp. 

New lesson series:

• Earth on Us: A set of youth-friendly environmental lessons for grades 3–5 that inspire meaningful, achievable actions to protect the planet. Designed for youth-led facilitation, but can be led by anyone.
• Outdoor Safety: A three-lesson series for grades 4–6 that teaches safe outdoor choices, builds respect for nature, and encourages environmental stewardship; it’s designed for day camps but adaptable for other settings.

New individual lessons

• Sensory Exploration: Youth in grades 3–8 explore how the five senses shape experiences, learn to manage sensory overload, and create tools to support focus, relaxation, and self-regulation. 

New facilitation resources

• Transition and Centering Activities: This quick guide offers fun transition and centering activities to help youth shift between activities, meet energy needs, and prepare for learning.

We also encourage you to recognize colleagues’ great work—share feedback on helpful resources or challenges anytime.

Jenny Cable

Curriculum project coordinator

Jessica Russo

Extension educator

How to work better with teens, according to 18-year-olds

For everyone

This week in Youth Development Insight, hear from recent grads on what adults often get wrong—and how empathy, respect and a better understanding of adolescent autonomy can foster stronger relationships as Jessica Russo shares her Q&A with recent high school graduates Kate and Gregory.

Amy Gregoria

Communications team

Utilize and share our Treasure Trove of Resources!

For everyone

Following our “Curriculum Resource Treasure Trove” session at YOUth and U, we wanted to remind staff to share and utilize the wonderful resources available in the Youth Development Curriculum Library. With summer program planning underway, we encourage you to take a look at the treasure trove of lessons and activities that can be inserted into your local programs, day camps, overnight camps and more!

Here are a few we’d like to highlight: 

Independent Learning Guides

• Grow a Pizza: Set of six activity guides for youth to explore how a pizza is grown! 
• Make a Paracord Compass Bracelet: Youth combine function with fashion by making a paracord compass bracelet. 
• Hydroponic Lettuce Garden: Youth learn about hydroponic growing and germination by making a hydroponic lettuce garden!

Individual Lessons

• Anatomy of a Fish: Youth learn the main parts of a fish and their functions by creating their own fish. 
• Arrow Dynamics: Youth learn about the aerodynamics of arrows and the engineering design cycle by creating a straw arrow that can reliably hit a target from at least 6 feet away. 

Lesson Series

• Down on the Farm: Seven lessons for youth in grades K-3 to explore the basics of beef cattle, chickens, dairy cattle, sheep and goats, horses, pigs and rabbits.

Thanks to feedback from a few 4-H staff, we recently added a Qualtrics feedback form to the Curriculum Library homepage! We know many of you (and individuals beyond Extension) have utilized resources from the library and our hope is that we can start sharing feedback with our lesson authors. Take a look and consider filling out the form, especially if you’ve used something that’s been helpful or inspired your work! 

We also recently created a Curriculum Library video tour, which provides a basic overview of the library– great for those new to the resource or need a refresher on what’s available. We recognize many of you have contributed to this treasure trove of resources and we are so grateful to each of you! If you have specific content you’d like to see, or want to contribute something you’ve created, contact Jessica Russo.

Jenny Cable

Curriculum project coordinator

Taking responsibility

For everyone

A key indicator of youth thriving is a pro-social orientation—values of respect, responsibility, honesty, caring and helping others.

This week in Youth Development Insight, Jessica Pierson Russo explores the benefits of implementing a global citizenship mindset in youth programs.

Amy Gregoria

Communications team