YEEHA stands for Youth Environmental Education Health Awareness.

YEEHA ! is a program created by Nueces County Master Gardeners. The program was primarily developed for elementary school, although it can be presented to other grade levels and age groups.

The YEEHA ! program can be completed within an hour . The three education components are: “Nutrition Starts in the Garden” and “Salad in a Pot”, “Insects – Good Bugs and Bad Bugs”, and “Water Runoff and Conservation”.    Four stations are set up. In 15-minute intervals, one class is at one station while another class is at   another station and so forth.   The final station is a picture opportunity with the teacher and students.  Pictures are taken with 5-foot vegetable cutouts. Cutouts available are Ms. Callie Cauliflower, Bro Broccoli and Celebrity Tomato.

“Nutrition Starts in the Garden” and “Salad in a Pot” – This station focuses on growing vegetables and fruit and their nutritional value. Students are taught the importance of eating fresh vegetables and fruits and how they benefit their body.  In “Salad in a Pot” students are taught proper planting and care of plants and are given a packet of seeds to grow their own “Salad in a Pot “. The emphasis is on growing a garden in a small space using a container.

“Insects – Good Bugs and Bad Bugs” focuses on the insects students might find in their yard or garden.  Knowing the good bugs from the bad bugs is important in having a good harvest. There are about 30,000 insect species in Texas and only 3% are “bad” bugs. The students are taught to be a bug scout and the importance of IPM, Integrated Pest Management, a method of using many different ways to control bad bugs that don’t rely only on harmful chemicals.

“Water Runoff and Conservation” uses a water display module to describe the importance of conserving water. The students are taught that life depends on water. They are shown how everyday misuse of chemicals, fertilizers, insecticides and littering by mankind through agriculture, manufacturing and even living in our neighborhoods can impact the environment and the water we rely on to drink and use every day.