URBANA, Ill. — Dance is an art form that moves us while having fun. Research shows that children who dance report better stress release, improved focus and concentration, and a better sense of self and freedom. University of Illinois Extension awarded 4-H Youth Development Specialist Danielle Gapinkski the Excellence in Innovation award for her field-based program, Get Up and Dance!, at its Annual Conference in November.
Gapinski, who creates and leads creative and cultural arts programs for youth, launched the Get Up and Dance! afterschool program in May 2024 to encourage youth to be more physically active and improve overall well-being through a fun and engaging activity.
Gapinski led the program for kindergarteners through fifth graders at four afterschool sites in Sterling. Results are promising, with 185 participants increasing their physical activity levels. Get Up and Dance! has additional physical, emotional, and mental health benefits, including burning calories, strengthening muscles, and improving balance, flexibility, and cognitive development that contribute to overall well-being. A wide majority of participants reported that they learned more about the importance of exercises, practicing mindfulness, and the importance of stretching and flexibility.
The program has also gained national exposure through events like the 4-H Teen Summit, and Gapinski will share the program with a wider audience by presenting at the 2024 National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals in Boise, Idaho. Extension also awarded Gapinski the Patricia J. Buchanan Extension Award for Professional Development to finance her presentation at the conference.
Gapinski is a member of the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals and the Illinois Extension Professionals for Youth Education. She can be reached at des85@illinois.edu.
Illinois 4-H prepares youth to solve Illinois' problems by producing the leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, stewards, and builders we need. Learn how to get involved with 4-H in your community at 4h.extension.illinois.edu.
Photo caption: (Left to right) Kevin Carey, acting director of 4-H youth development/senior program lead, positive youth development; and Danielle Gapinski, 4-H youth development specialist
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.