Iowa is one of the nation’s leaders for volunteerism but an official with the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service says more help is urgently needed in one area — mentoring our youth. Mary Sheka, director of the Iowa Mentoring Partnership, says a study finds more than nine-million children are considered “at-risk” nationwide and the numbers are just as staggering in Iowa. “We just know there are tens of thousands,” Sheka says. “We talk about one in three children growing up without a mentor. Really, we’re just talking about youth in general. It’s not just at-risk kids. Every child needs to have a caring adult in their lives that is willing to help them grow up to be self-sufficient, responsible adults.”

When hearing about being mentors, many people will think of Big Brothers-Big Sisters, but Sheka says there are around 80 other mentoring programs statewide, based in schools, community groups and faith-based organizations.  “Really, the requirement is to be a caring adult,” Sheka says. “There are no special talents or abilities someone has to have. Just that they are interested in being that caring person and making a difference in the life of a child. Of course, there’s an application process and safety standards that programs need but just wanting to make a difference in the life of a child is the main requirement.”

Mentoring is proven to increase school attendance, academic achievement, social behaviors and responsible decision-making. Sheka says the mentors also reap benefits, with a new perspective on many issues, including their own standing in life. With many tens of thousands of Iowa children in need of strong role models, she says more Iowans need to step forward. “Right now, with our certified mentoring programs, we know we have over 8,000 mentors,” Sheka says, “but obviously, with those numbers, there’s still a huge need with youth on waiting lists in these programs across the state.”

A report released in December by the Corporation for National and Community Service ranked Iowa 7th in the country for the percentage of residents who spend time volunteering. Learn about the many mentoring options at: www.iowamentoring.org.

(Radio Iowa)

Researchers at Iowa State University are finding physical activity is a boon to the brains of elementary school students. ISU kinesiology assistant professor Spyridoula Vazou says short bouts of skipping or jumping combined with academic learning can lead to improvement in kids’ cognitive abilities. “We always have the traditional perception that kids need to sit down to learn or they need to stand still to learn better and that is not accurate,” Vazou says. A group of children around 10 years old took part in a study conducted by Vazou and associate professor Ann Smiley-Oyen.

The kids were given a test measuring cognitive function while sitting at a table. They then were asked to do physical activities like crab walking or skipping around obstacles – while they answered math problems. When they stopped the activity to do the test again, they performed better than they had while simply sitting. Vazou says it’s important that the activities are not too physically demanding.
“So, as long as the intensity is moderate, they benefit during exercise and they benefit even more right after (the exercise) because they can absorb the information even better,” Vazou says. Many other studies have found longer bouts of aerobic activity can improve cognition in children, but Vazou says the research at ISU suggests even short periods of activity can improve a child’s working memory, self-control, and focus.

Vazou hopes parents and teachers take notice of the study’s findings.  “We shouldn’t suppress the desire of children to move, we should encourage them to move, because that is how their brain will function better,” Vazou says. The research at ISU also found that overweight and obese children showed even more cognition improvement after physical activity than their peers.

(Radio Iowa)

Two people were arrested during separate incidents overnight into early this (Friday) morning, in Montgomery County. Sheriff’s officials say at around 1:30-a.m., deputies arrested 37-year old Roger Lynn Gibson, of Stanton. Gibson was taken into custody in Stanton, on a valid Montgomery County warrant for Probation Violation. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond.

And, at around 10:45-p.m. Thursday, Red Oak Police arrested 17-year old Nicholas James Terry, of Red Oak, for being a Minor In Possession of tobacco, and careless driving. Terry was taken into custody in the 1500 block of Broadway in Red Oak, and subsequently released on a citation.