Teens as Teachers
Through the Teens-as-Teacher (TAT) model, youth are empowered with an opportunity to learn, grow and serve their communities, while program recipients receive high quality programming through a youth-adult partnership. Teens are trained and mentored to deliver nutrition education to younger youth. Utilizing a TAT model, nutrition programs are able to expand their youth engagement efforts. This integrated approach to youth health aims to use community based programming to: (1) improve student attitudes, knowledge and behaviors in dietary and wellbeing patterns; and (2), to strategically use and leverage existing Cooperative Extension (CE) programs (UC 4-H, CFHL, UC).
An example of teens-as-teacher programming is the delivery of the Cooking Academy, a statewide effort in which teens teach nutrition education through cooking to younger youth in out of school time programming.
Teens as Teachers Resources
The UC 4-H Youth Development Program Teens as Teachers webpage houses resources such as the Teens as Teachers Essential Elements booklet and activities, training activities, the Step-It-Up-2-Thrive process, and other handouts, worksheets, and ideas.
The Cooking Academy online eXtension course provides an opportunity for young people to learn and apply life skills through cooking and nutrition education. The course includes videos and games to support facilitation of the Cooking Academy program. Find Virtual Cooking Academy Training Enrollment Keys here.
Visit the UC 4-H Cooking Academy webpage for more information about getting a project started and for additional resources such an educator guide, presentation materials for Teens as Teachers, Spanish documents, and more.