Most everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health and can cause a multitude of problems. But the school-age children at Critchlow Adkins Children’s Center St. Michaels are learning that and more. “Since November our children have been and will continue to be involved in curriculum activities and hands-on projects to increase awareness of the effects of tobacco use and to promote healthy life styles”, stated Marlene Thomas, Site Director. “We encourage our youth to stay tobacco-free, urge public officials to take action to protect children from tobacco, and to raise awareness of the problem of tobacco in the community.”
CACC St. Michaels received a $1300 grant from the Talbot County Health Department’s Cigarette Restitution Fund Program. “We were thrilled to receive this grant”, Thomas said with a big smile. “We see a real need for our children to be aware of the hazards of tobacco and smoking – which includes second-hand smoke, e-cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco.”
The children have been actively participating in related activities from making posters to having informal discussions. “We just completed one of our favorite activities, the annual t-shirt contest,” Mary Lou Butler, elementary teacher said. “The children have been learning about the issues associated with tobacco and smoking for several months now. They took what they learned and came up with individualized t-shirt designs for the contest. The staff judged the designs anonymously. We had two winners this year; Ben Chance and Karina Mazur.
In the months to come CACC will participate in a “Kick Butts Day March” and take the “ World NoTobacco Day Pledge” with a celebration.
The bottom line is, we don’t want our children to begin to smoke.
Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers is a local non-profit organization that provides quality, educational Child Care in a nurturing, safe and enriching environment. CACC teachers engage and inspire children ages 2, 3, and 4 in year-round Preschool and Pre- Kindergarten programs as well as children in Kindergarten through 5th grade in Before and After School programs and summer camps.
CACC is able to offer tuition assistance to many families because of the generosity and financial support from individuals, businesses, and foundations in Talbot County. To learn more about Critchlow Adkin’s Children Centers or enroll your child in a program, please call 410.822.8061 or visit www.cacckids.org.
