The Colorado State University Extension is seeking the participation of families with teens in rural Southwest Colorado in its free six-week wellness program starting Wednesday.
From 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Montezuma-Cortez Middle School at 450 W. Second St, parents and kids aged 11 to 19 will convene for Health Without Barriers classes in English or Spanish, with free dinner offered each day. From July 8 through the program’s end date July 16, the program will operate out of the Montezuma County Annex at 107 N. Chestnut St.
Program Coordinator Elvia German-Palacios said the program emerged to help prevent chronic disease and encompasses both mental and physical health support for entire families.
“Even though it's aimed for that age group, it's a family inclusive program,” German-Palacios said. “We provide holistic health and wellness education. So we do hands-on cooking and nutrition courses and (provide) resources for families to better navigate stress and support well being.”
Families from the Montezuma, Archuleta and La Plata counties are welcome. Teenagers will receive a water bottle, yoga mat, stretch bands and a knife and cutting board set to take home from the course. All participants will receive passes to the Cortez Recreation Center to engage in exercise during the course.
“It's a really beautiful way to remind us that we can do physical movement as a family and have a great time,” German-Palacios said.
This family-oriented learning and collaboration is conducive to sustaining healthy practices, German-Palacios said, and strengthens the family support network. Parents can lead by example and set the stage for their kids to follow, she added.
“When you have your family support and when you have community support, you're most likely to excel in the creation of those habits,” German-Palacios said. “Because you have somebody who's right there, who can tell you, ‘I got you, I’m here with you, I’m practicing this.’”
CSU Extension staff will follow-up with participating families six months after the course to check in and provide any necessary wellness resources.
“We are constantly creating networks and collaboration with other organizations and businesses to see how they can continue supporting our families,” German-Palacios said.
To register, families must complete a form online at bit.ly/HWB2026 and attend an orientation. Questions can be directed to German-Palacios at 970-286-1866 or emailed to hwb-sw@colostate.edu.
avanderveen@the-journal.com
