What is Health Rocks!?

4-H Health Rocks! is a national healthy living program, for youth ages 8-14, designed to: 

(1) help youth build life skills that lead to healthy lifestyle choices

(2) build positive enduring relationships with youth, involved as full partners, to address at-risk behaviors of youth, and 

(3) reduce youth smoking and tobacco use. 

Colorado 4-H is excited to bring the 4-H Health Rocks! Program to our state which has reached over one million youth in 21 states since its inception in 1998.

Through the power of youth and adult partnerships, Health Rocks! instills in youth participants invaluable confidence and communication skills necessary to make responsible decisions and develop the internal strength to resist risky behaviors.

For more information about Health Rocks! and to learn more about Health Rocks! in action, visit https://4-h.org/programs/healthy-living/health-rocks/. View the Healthy Living/Health Rocks! Info Session Webinar at Recap: Healthy Living/New Health Rocks! Grant Cycle Info Session Tuesday, October 21 | Meeting | Microsoft Teams and the PowerPoint Presentation given for the grant cycle of Sept. 1, 2025, through August 30, 2027.

How can my child OR my students participate in the Health Rocks! Program in Colorado?

Contact your local Extension 4-H Specialist to let them know you are interested. Counties may apply for funding for programs offering up to 10 hours of Health Rocks! programing. Health Rocks! is a grant funded by National 4-H Council. Health Rocks! programs include curriculum for Beginner Level (ages 8-12) and Intermediate Level (ages 12-14) as well as a student journal option. Additional supplementary curriculum is available for:

• Health Rocks! Vaping Prevention Program, a series of eight lessons addressing tools for healthy decision-making around vape products.
• Steppin’ with Health Rocks!, a walking curriculum of 10 lessons with fun activities youth complete at stations during a mile-long walk
• Healthy Me, a literature-based curriculum for ages 5-7 with fun activities that develop social skills.
• CLOVER by 4-H, the online learning platform for 4-H, includes 12 online Health Rocks! lessons that can be used in-person, virtually, or hybrid. (See https://4-h.org/clover/about/.)

Health Rocks! may be paired with additional approved Healthy Living programs, such as Soccer for Success and Choose Health: Food, Fun, and Fitness.

 Contact Us!

If you have any questions or would like the educator curriculum to teach Health Rocks! programs, please contact the Colorado 4-H Health Rocks! team lead, Lisa Sholten at  Lisa.Sholten@colostate.edu.