Last updated on July 27th, 2024 at 01:21 pm
Youth Resources
AgriSafe seeks to work with youth and young workers performing farm work. The latest data shows that in 2014 an estimated 893,000 youth under 20 years of age resided on farms, with about 454,000 youth performing farm work. In addition to those youth who live on farms, an estimated 266,000 youth were hired to work on US farms in 2014 (NIOSH). According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), every day, injuries account for about 100 agricultural workers suffers a lost-work-time injury.
According to the Department of Labor’s Employers Guide to Young Workers, young agricultural workers are faced with the same hazards as adults. Young workers may perform tasks that are inappropriate for their age. Compared to adults, young workers may lack work experience, physical size and strength, and attention to task. Operating equipment is especially hazardous for young workers. Scientific studies indicate the human brain is not fully developed until 21 or 22 years of age; therefore, logic and decision-making skills may not be fully developed in the younger worker.
AgriSafe offers the Invest in Your Health train the trainer series designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults.
Youth Resources
Resource Library
| ID | Title | Summary | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19901 | All About Ag Youth and Vaping | episode of Talking Total Farmer Health | |
| 12736 | Choose Age-Appropriate Tasks for Farm Youth | Article in Farm Progress by Curt Arens | |
| 17431 | Farm Safety Tips for Animal Handling | episode of Talking Total Farmer Health | |
| 9889 | Safety Guidelines for Youth Operating Farm Equipment | This booklet contains work guidelines that parents and supervisors can use to assign age and ability appropriate tasks to youth working in agriculture. They also provide information and talking points for adults to use when discussing farm tasks with youth. In addition to the work guidelines, the booklet describes how to use the guidelines and include important supplemental information on topics like supervision, child development and considerations for hired youth.This booklet was created by the National Children’s Center. | |
| 9890 | Safety Guidelines for Youth Working in Gardens | This booklet contains work guidelines that parents and supervisors can use to assign age and ability appropriate tasks to youth working in agriculture. They also provide information and talking points for adults to use when discussing farm tasks with youth. In addition to the work guidelines, the booklet describes how to use the guidelines and include important supplemental information on topics like supervision, child development and considerations for hired youth.This booklet was created by the National Children’s Center. | |
| 9891 | Safety Guidelines for Youth Working with Animals | This booklet contains work guidelines that parents and supervisors can use to assign age and ability appropriate tasks to youth working in agriculture. They also provide information and talking points for adults to use when discussing farm tasks with youth. In addition to the work guidelines, the booklet describes how to use the guidelines and include important supplemental information on topics like supervision, child development and considerations for hired youth.This booklet was created by the National Children’s Center. | |
| 14679 | Total Farmer Health Model | episode of Talking Total Farmer Health | |
| 15037 | Youth Mental Health Resources | This document contains websites and helplines that might be beneficial to youth who are encountering stressors. | |
| 10348 | Youth Safety on the Farm | episode of Talking Total Farmer Health | |
| 15039 | Youth Stressors and Mental Health | episode of Talking Total Farmer Health |
Webinars
| Webinar Title | Summary | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Exploring the Invest in Your Health Trainer Exchange | AgriSafe is committed to train safety and health professionals who wish to teach IYH trainings in their classroom. Under our open share platform, once certified, you are free to use the training materials. Our end goal is to build the capacity of rural educators and leaders to train young workers. Invest in Your Health (IYH) consists of 6 training modules crafted for the agriculture teacher and community leader to seamlessly integrate in their course offerings. IYH training modules aim to educate, prevent and protect young farmers by providing them with the tools they need to stay safe and healthy. | |
| Farm Youth Mental Health: What We Know and How to Help | Caring for both the physical and emotional health of our next generation is crucial. From adapting to changes to feeling overwhelmed, like adults, children also experience stress and anxiety; however, they may be unsure of what they are feeling and how to respond. During this webinar, we will take a closer look at the status of farm youth mental health. We will recognize causes of stress among youth living in farming and rural communities and highlight the resources available to assist families. | |
| Invest In Your Health – Train the Trainer Course | AgriSafe offers Invest in Your Health Trainer Exchange where educators can be certified to train on six AgriSafe modules (targeted for ages 14-23). AgriSafe provides the course instruction and training materials. Under our open share platform, once certified, educators would be free to use the training materials in their classroom setting. Our end goal is to build the capacity of local agricultural educators, rural health professionals and rural leaders to train young workers. | |
| Invest in Your Health: Cover Up! Head to Toe Personal Protective Equipment | This Train the Trainer course is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults. Agriculture is ranked as one of the most dangerous occupations and involves workers and family members of all ages. Illness and injuries can be prevented if we use the right protective equipment for the job. This program will present an overview of common exposures in farming and ranching and identify appropriate personal protective equipment. | |
| Invest in Your Health: Cultivating a Healthy Mind | According to the CDC, rates of depression and anxiety climb significantly during the ages of 12-17. Suicide is the second leading cause of death of youths in the United States. This module opens an introductory discussion of mental health among teens and young adults with guidance from an adult educator. Focus is placed on decreasing stigma, improving mental health literacy, and positive coping skills for teens and young adults. The module showcases a high school agricultural student’s understanding of the agricultural mental health crisis, helping to frame mental health distress to academic and future career success. | |
| Invest in Your Health: Hazard Mapping in the Ag Classroom (December 6, 2021) | This Train the Training course is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults. Participants will learn about the Hazard Mapping curriculum and will be given access to all teacher and student materials after completing the webinar. | |
| Invest in Your Health: Prevention of Zoonotics (January 20, 2021) | This Train the Trainer course is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults. Agricultural producers are at high risk for acquiring a zoonotic disease related to their work environment with minimal information related to risks, symptoms and prevention. The majority of emerging infectious diseases in the U.S. are zoonotic in nature. They are often difficult to determine and many go unreported for a variety of reasons. | |
| Invest in Your Health: Say What? Protecting Your Hearing (December 13, 2021) | This Train the Trainer course is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults. The young ag producer works in an environment with noise hazards and plays in an environment with noise hazards. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is common (and preventable) but unfortunately, use of hearing protection among youth is not. | |
| Invest in Your Health: Stay Cool! Prevention of Heat-Related Illness in Agriculture (November 17, 2020) | This Train the Trainer course is designed for teachers, Extension staff, 4H and FFA leaders and others who work with young adults. Agriculture is ranked as one of the most dangerous occupations and involves workers and family members of all ages. Illness and injuries can be prevented if we use the right protective equipment for the job. This program will present an overview of common exposures in farming and ranching and identify appropriate personal protective equipment. | |
| National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety: Building a Toolkit for Child Agricultural Safety and Health | Join us as we introduce participants to the world of child agricultural safety and health. After learning about benefits, risks and hazards of living, working and playing on farms, we will explore safety strategies for safeguarding children. We will help participants build a toolkit for safeguarding children and youth in the agricultural environment. All tools and resources used to build these toolkits are available free of charge. | |
| Pediatric Farm-Related Injuries: Safeguarding Children Who Visit or Live on Farms | Injuries are the most common cause of death for children and adolescents, and farms and ranches present many unique hazards to youth. During this presentation, we will discuss many of these including augers, grain bins, gravity boxes, tractors, power take-offs (PTOs), manure pits, chemical exposures, animals, and gasoline-powered pressure sprayers. One of the most common causes of serious injuries and deaths to youth on farms and ranches are the use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) like all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility task vehicles (UTVs), and recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs). The safety concerns and prevention strategies related to ORVs will be a featured segment of the presentation. A general overview of how the growth and development of youth affect the risk of injury, and the role healthcare providers can assume to impact injury prevention will be discussed. | |
| Protecting and Promoting the Health of Young Agricultural Workers: The Role of Employers and Supervisors | There are many benefits for hiring youth in agriculture, including the development of job skills, increased self-esteem, responsibility, and earned income. However, adolescents and young adults working in agriculture (under 25 years old) are at increased risk for occupational injuries. In addition to traditional workplace hazards, developmental differences (both physical and cognitive), inexperience, fatigue, and distracted behaviors increase the risk of injury. Employers and supervisors play an active role in protecting these workers. Communicating effectively with young workers about health and safety hazards that impact injury risk is key to protecting this population. This webinar will describe specific skills and practices that can be implemented in the workplace, on family farms, and in agricultural classrooms. | |
| Safeguarding Children and Youth who Live, Work and Play on Farms and Ranches | Farms and ranches are wonderful places for children and youth to live, work and play. However, agriculture is one of our most hazardous occupations, and the only worksite where children of any age can legally be present. The purpose of this presentation is to increase knowledge and awareness of agricultural child injuries, and extend the reach and dissemination of childhood agricultural injury prevention (CAIP) strategies and resources. | |
| Teach Your Way: Open Source Ag Health and Safety Curriculum | Learn how to access AgriSafe’s free online trainings for use in the classroom. Educators can be certified to train on six AgriSafe modules (targeted for ages 16-23). Generous sponsorship allows AgriSafe to provide free course instruction and training materials. Under our open share platform, once certified, you may use the training materials in your classroom setting. Our end goal is to build the capacity of local agricultural educators, rural health professionals and rural leaders to train young workers. |
Websites
Page updated: August 2022