Summer interns no strangers to small towns

Setting up materials for the raised garden beds and aquaponic gardens for the health and science day camps are Dr. Greg Brown and Dr. Matt Bice, from left, of the Kinesiology and Sports Sciences department at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, Tyan Boyer, Andrew Ambriz, director of the McCook Economic Development Corp. and Collin Fleecs. Boyer and Fleecs are exercise science majors at UNK and are coordinating the educational day camps for area youth from ages 10-15 through July.

Lorri Sughroue/McCook Gazette

McCOOK, Neb. — Two students from the University of Nebraska-Kearney are hoping to make a difference in Southwest Nebraska.

Tyan Boyer and Collin Fleecs are coordinating a health science day camp for kids in McCook and, soon, nutrition awareness presentations to adults.

The two exercise science, pre-physical therapy majors at the University of Nebraska-Kearney started their nine-week internship in McCook last week, as part of the Rural Futures Institute (RFI) program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The internships are designed to address rural issues in small towns with tangible results, as well as to provide networking opportunities and strengthen resumes for the interns.

Boyer and Fleecs join six other University of Nebraska and UNK students who are making their “rural immersion” this summer into four Nebraska communities: McCook, North Platte, West Point, and York. Interns choose their own projects they want to coordinate in the communities and, for Boyer and Fleecs, it’s nutrition and wellness, as a way to fight obesity in small towns.

“It’s kind of flying under the radar right now in rural communities,” Boyer said of obesity, with recent studies showing people living in rural areas are more likely to be obese than those living in the cities, with many rural communities not having the resources to address this critical health concern. Boyer and Fleecs hope to bring awareness to that with a health science summer day camp for kids in McCook, through July. The camps will provide hands-on educational sessions that introduce skills to kids they can use for the rest of their lives, such as learning healthy food choices and the importance of exercise.

“There’s a need for public information on health and wellness in rural areas,” Fleecs said, with both interns hoping the summer daycamp can be replicated in other communities in the future. The five-week THETA daycamp (Teaching, Health, Exercise, Technology and Aquaponics) begins today at the 4-H building at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. Geared for kids aged 10 to 15, the camps are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon., through July 12. Cost is $5 per week to cover costs of snacks. Registrations are still be taken at mccookne.org, the website of the McCook Economic Development Corp.

Both students are “homeboys” of rural living who understand the challenges and perks of living in small towns, with Boyer, 20, of Plainview, Neb., (pop. 1,226) and Fleecs, 20. of Sutherland (pop. 1,344).

The close-knit character of small towns is well-know, they said, where “people are not just a face, but they know you, your brother, your sister, your parents,” said Boyer, the third of four children whose father is a small business owner. Fleecs grew up on a ranch, the younger of two sons, and spoke of the willingness of rural Nebraska to help each other, to “come together to get the job done.” Both grew up on the legendary Western Nebraska work ethic and are using that, along with a passion for sustaining rural areas, in their internship.

Since being in McCook, they both cited the welcoming reception from the town.

“We’ve been very impressed, everyone has been very welcoming, willing to show us around,” Boyer said. “You can tell there’s lots of community excitement here, a desire to grow and better themselves.”

The praise goes both ways. “They’re so full of energy, excited and passionate about being in McCook,” said Sarah Wolford, Community Outreach and Wellness Coordinator at Community Hospital. In partnership with the hospital, the interns will be speaking to community members about health and wellness, using new approaches and avenues to reach community members, she said. They will also be creating a model/framework for future community-wide activities, such as businesses competing for and winning “bragging rights” as the most healthy company in town.

Hosting the two interns has been a community-wide effort, including McCook Community College offering dorm rooms for their stay, the Red Willow County Fair Board and Nebraska Extension office and many other individuals, according to Andrew Ambriz, director of the MEDC.

Since 2013, a total of 38 University of Nebraska students have worked and served in 19 Nebraska communities through a serviceship experience with Rural Future Institute.