Celebrate National Physical Fitness & Sports Month!

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month is an opportunity to celebrate and promote physical activity and the benefits of participating in sports. Physical activity is key to maintaining health and well-being. Getting active can improve fitness, reduce stress, reduce the risk for many chronic diseases, and ease symptoms of anxiety and depression while also improving sleep. Youth sports also help kids and teens get active and develop valuable life skills like leadership, time management, and relationship-building skills.

In honor of Physical Fitness and Sports Month, we want to encourage you to move each day, and get your family, friends, and classmates to join you! If daily movement isn’t already a part of your routine, consider starting your day with a walk around the neighborhood or trading in ‘around-the-corner’ drives for bike rides. If you’re working in an office, make a point to take a break from your desk and walk around throughout the day. If you are a student seeking out more ways to move, look into intramural or club sports teams. A few 5-10 minute activities throughout the day can add up! Even small amounts of physical activity can make a significant difference in your physical and mental health. 

Perhaps there were some activities that you picked up at the start of the pandemic, that you may have drifted away from recently. Consider renewing some of those quarantine-time activities, especially with family and friends! We were once forced to find new and fun ways to stay active and we shouldn’t let them disappear.  In whatever way you choose to participate in Physical Fitness and Sports Month, it will be sure to lead to a better and healthier well-being and life.

#MoveInMay #PhysicalFitnessAndSportsMonth

May is National Teen Self-Esteem Month!

Moises, 15

May is National Teen Self Esteem Month! This month, we want to help raise awareness of the importance of ensuring that our teens are self-aware and that they feel confident about themselves. Self-esteem is crucial to their physical and mental wellness and we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to support them in whatever way they need. 

The teenage years are known for being a difficult time in a young person’s life. In addition to the given physical, hormonal, and emotional changes they are dealing with, teens often have the added pressures of social changes, new relationships, increased educational expectations, peer pressure, and pressure of societal standards thanks to media and oftentimes, parents. Checking in on teens and ensuring that they are being fully supported and nurtured is a great place to start, whether they are family or friends. 

Siblings Silas, 13 & Xia, 14

Self-esteem is often easy to damage and difficult to repair. Due to the added difficulties that come with being a teen, it is highly understandable that teenagers can be particularly fragile. There are many ways that we can engage more positively with teenagers and there are some really simple ways that we can help promote positive self-esteem. If you are a parent, family member, or friend of someone who may be struggling with this, consider the following actions. You may notice, that these actions do not have to be limited just to teens, and can offer a path to more positive relationships with other people in your life as well. 

The easiest place to start is leading by example by avoiding negative self-talk and criticism. Focus on having open lines of communication and ensure that you can be trusted. Give them space, listen to them, and take interest in their developing lives.

Happy National Volunteer Week!

This week, April 17-23, 2022, is National Volunteer Week. Celebrated annually in the third week of April, National Volunteer Week is about recognizing the contributions made by volunteers and encouraging others to make a difference through volunteerism. This week was first established in 1974 by Presidential Proclamation, in order to highlight the various volunteering opportunities available. It is a chance to thank volunteers across the nation and world who keep organizations running, communities safe, and who provide services that would otherwise not be available.

Volunteering comes in all shapes and sizes. It’s volunteers who keep community fire departments and ambulances running; co-ops, food banks, and soup kitchens open; and who provide food, shelter, medical care, and clothing to those in need. Volunteers can also be someone who will listen or be a shoulder to lean on when it’s needed most or someone who offers advice as a mentor. There is truly no limit to how you can offer your time and services to others. 

In honor of #NationalVolunteerWeek, take this opportunity to thank a volunteer, find opportunities to volunteer in your own community or in other communities in need, and share your own volunteer experiences, as it may inspire others to volunteer themselves. People who volunteer develop new skills, build their personal and professional networks, forge a deeper connection with their communities and service organizations, and experience the joy of serving a larger cause.

Take a moment to explore the volunteer opportunities we have available here at LtN. Volunteering with LtN abroad is an incredibly unique and rewarding experience. LtN is an integral part of the communities where we work, providing volunteers with genuine connections, invaluable community development and nonprofit experience, and lifelong memories. You can volunteer for a one-week service trip, a 1-3 month internship, or a 6+ month fellowship as a Program Director at one of our international sites.

You can find more details about each of our volunteer opportunities and apply here! Take the leap in honor of National Volunteer Week and join our LtN team. 

#NationalVolunteerWeek