This front page highlights youth involved in Passport to Asia. This was the first activity of a new youth program, 4-H Cultural Club. We hope to broaden youth's experiences with various cultures and seek to better understand and respect others' customs and traditions.

If you are interested in helping with this club, we would welcome your volunteer spirit. Please encourage youth you might know to participate in this enriching experience.

- Marilyn Brengle

Over 150 youth and parents enjoyed a day of entertainment, culture, and learning at Passport to Asia held on Saturday, April 29. The event was sponsored by the 4-H Cultural Club and geared to teach youth about Asian culture through hands-on experiences. Take a look below at some of the highlights of the day.

If you missed out on the fun, there will be plenty of more opportunities to join us. Come learn about China at the next 4-H Cultural Club meeting! The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 2, 6:30p.m. at the Champaign County Extension office.

- Karyn Mendoza

"Discouraged teens believe that they have no chance to succeed or make progress," states Paul McKnight, youth development educator with University of Illinois Extension. "They lack confidence, have low self-esteem, and doubt that they can cope with the challenges that lie ahead of them."

Some discouraged teens seek recognition and significance in areas where they are more certain to be accepted. Often, they find recognition in negative ways such as fighting, drinking, "cutting up" in class, or by being sexually promiscuous.

Some parents spend a lot of time trying to get teens to be more successful and productive. While the intentions may be good, the methods often provoke resistance and promote discouragement.

Encouragement focuses on strengths so that teens can recognize their abilities and feel confident and useful. Encouraged teens take responsibility for their behavior and are able to evaluate their decision-making ability.

As explained in a University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension fact sheet, encouragement is the process of focusing on a person's resources and giving positive recognition in order to build that person's self-esteem, self-concept and feelings of self-worth.

"Encouragers put an emphasis on working together, cooperating and making decisions jointly. They focus on the positive," states McKnight.

Good methods of encouragement include showing faith, building self-respect, recognizing effort and improvement, and focusing on strengths and assets. These four ways of encouraging teens serve as the foundation of a parent-teen relationship based on mutual respect.

Unlike praise, encouragement can be given when someone is not successful. Encouragement can be given for effort, improvement and even interest.

Encouragement shows appreciation of a teen's assets, personal resources, contributions and achievements. It doesn't reward; it acknowledges and recognizes.

Ten strategies for encouraging teens are:

1. Give responsibility
2. Show appreciation for contributions at home
3. Ask your teen for opinions and suggestions
4. Encourage participation in decision making
5. Accept mistakes
6. Emphasize the process not just the product
7. Turn liabilities into assets
8. Show confidence in your teen's judgment
9. Have positive expectations
10. Develop alternative ways of viewing situations.

Frogs in the Woods...

We can learn the importance of encouragement from a story about a group of frogs. Some frogs were traveling through the woods and two of them fell into a pit. They tried to jump out and were not having much luck. The frogs on top yelled to them that the pit is too deep, give up.

After a while, one of the exhausted frogs heeded what the other frogs were saying, and he fell down and died. But the second frog kept jumping as hard as she could despite the hopelessness conveyed by the other frogs who kept yelling just lay down and die.

Finally, with one big jump, she made it out of the pit. You see, this frog was deaf. She thought they were cheering her on, and that made the difference.

Moving can be just as stressful on the family pet(s) as it is on family members. The American Humane Society suggests these tips to make moving less traumatic on your cat, dog, or other pets.

• Think ahead as to the best way for your pet(s) to travel. For example, can they travel with you in the car? Or, do they need to be put on a plane and flown to your destination? Familiarize your pet with a pet carrier if they will need to travel in it or a leash if they will need one for the move and have never experienced it before. Give you pet time to adjust to this well before the move.

• Buy and give your pet ID tags that show the new address.

• Take your pet to your veterinarian if needed. Remember to take veterinary records with you. Get any medication from your pet's doctor at that time.

• Remove anything that might temporarily become hazardous to your pets during travel if they live in a cage, such as food and water bowls and toys.

• Keep your pet in a safe place while moving so that it doesn't become scared of all the noise and run out the door/run away during the confusion.

• Familiar scents are important to pets. Give them clothing to lie on that has your familiar family scents to make it easier to be in their carrier. Later this same unwashed clothing can be placed in their new surroundings to help them identify the new place as "home".

• Familiarize your pets with the location of their essentials like their food and water bowls and litter box. Take your dog for a long walk.

• Take plenty of time to pet and love your animals, especially your dog and/or cat. Remember they need special attention and reassurance, too, just like other members of your family.

Is your adolescent getting all the sleep he or she needs? According to a recent poll, most American adolescents aren't getting enough sleep, and this can cause dire consequences, said Renate Jobst, University of Illinois Extension youth development educator.

According to the poll released by the National Sleep Foundation, only 20 percent are getting the recommended nine hours of slumber. "This can cause problems in how one thinks, acts or feels," Jobst said. "Getting enough sleep is important for everyone, but it is especially important to adolescents."

For kids, lack of sleep can affect school performance and their involvement in extra curricular activities.

Kids have busy schedules, but sleep should be a priority. Here are some ways to help your children get enough sleep:

• Limit caffeine intake. Caffeine can impact sleep patterns.

• Make sure their sleep environment is conducive to sleeping. Is it dark? Is it quiet? Is it free from distractions?

• Encourage your kids to go to bed around the same time each night. But, make sure they've had a chance to unwind first. Kids should be relaxed enough to sleep shortly after going to bed.

• Try to set up a nightly routine of relaxation. Strategies such as reading, listening to music, or soaking in a bath can get them ready for shuteye. Also, limit time with electronics such as TV, computer games, the telephone and the Internet.

• Look for signs of sleepiness (yawning, appearing sluggish or sleepy, irritability, etc.). If your kids show signs of sleep deprivation, take action to help them get enough sleep.

The next Unit Council meeting will be Monday, June 12 from 7- 9 p.m.

Champaign County Extension Unit Council Members

Martha Baddour

Edgar Busboom

Bonnie Compton

Maggie Dougherty Roberts

Todd Gleason

Sheri Langendorf

Berta Lewin

Carolyn McIntyre

Lisa Merrifield

Leroy Neitzel

Ryan Robb

David Schug

Amelia Shafer

Andrew Speller

Jim Vliet