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STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Within the family context, children may feel that change toward health is within the domain of the parent and very little can be done by them to initiate change (Backett-Milburn, Cunningham-Burley, & Davis, 2003). However, children can be empowered to make simple changes within the family context to improve healthy functioning. The proposed research involves inspiring children to make simple changes within the family context in physical health domains (nutrition and outdoors), leisure (reading and media activities), self-control, socialization and environment (recycling) that include increasing family involvement beginning with the self as agent. These domains were chosen by examining suggestions from Blue Zones research (Buettner, 2008) and by examining how children spend their time at home (Crosnoe & Trinitapoli, 2008; Hofferth & Sandberg, 2001). Children in second to sixth grade that are identified through the local school system as having behavioral difficulties are selected to participate via the Healthy Buddy Program. This program pairs each child up with a college student mentor to meet with once per week, for eight weeks, for one hour per session at the child’s school. For this research, half of the mentors will follow a personal agency program designed by the researchers so will have direction in each of their sessions. The other half of the mentors will not receive instruction, but instead spend free time with their assigned child and then report what they did. Questionnaires on Locus of Control, self-regulation and self-as-agent in family activities will administered in the first and last sessions. Control and PAP groups will be compared on these measures. It is expected that the PAP groups will improve on internal locus of control, self-regulation and self-as-agent in family activities versus the control group. STATEMENT OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The first meeting for all buddy teams will involve completion of three questionnaires: The 40-item Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale (1973), the Children’s Perceived Self-Control Scale (Humphrey, 1982), and a checklist of agentic behaviors within the family context developed by this research team. The first two questionnaires will be used to measure the personal agency of the children and the latter, the current level of child-directed healthy behavior within the context of the family. All questionnaires ask for yes-no responding and are appropriate to use with second through sixth grade students. Questions will be asked by the college healthy buddy in an interview format. Before questions are asked, children will be instructed that their answers will not be shared and that they don’t have to answer questions if they don’t want to, whether that means not answering all questions or not answering some questions. For the personal agency group, the second through seventh meetings will involve implementation of short lessons and discussions centered on the following themes: Reading, recycling, media activities, outdoors and nutrition. Each session will involve a lesson the student will complete with the healthy buddy on improving each of these areas by inspiring family to get involved in the area of concentration. Children will complete the exercise within the healthy buddy meeting with suggestion to involve family during the week. At the next session, their college buddy will follow up on whether activities were attempted within the family and outcomes the child wishes to discuss. During the eighth meetings, the questionnaires provided in the first meeting will be repeated. Analysis. Pre-and post-test answers for all three measures will be compared by group by using mixed design ANOVAs (Group x Variable (locus of control, self-regulation, family activities). Since the group size is small, comparisons by sex and age will not be conducted. Rather, the experimental and control groups will be balanced by age and sex when participants are selected for each group. It is expected that participants in the experimental group will demonstrate higher self-control, internal locus of control, and self-directed healthy behaviors within the family. ANTICIPATED RISKS AND BENEFITS To protect children from risk, parental consent was sought by the Hosea school directors for children to participate in the Healthy Buddy program. Parental consent seeking permission to administer questionnaires will be sought by using the attached consent form which will be delivered by the Hosea program director to parents. The anticipated risks to the children participating in the PAP program is not expected to be higher than the control group, which is following the model used in past years for the Healthy Buddy program. Children are instructed that they do not have to answer any questions. If children become distressed during the meetings between healthy buddies, students are directed to the Hosea program director and the guidance counselor. All college students participating in the program received training within their college classroom conducted by the healthy buddy program director for the Saint Joseph School District and will follow all plans for students as outlined in their manual. SUBJECT SELECTION The number of child participants was determined by the need of the school involved and the number of college mentors available. For this research, 36 healthy buddy pairs will be formed. CONFIDENTIALITY The college students are instructed to make up a name for their healthy buddy that they will use on any paper associated with their buddy. The Hosea program director will be the only person who knows which college student is paired with which child. The researcher will receive the questionnaire data and weekly activity reports by using the code names that the college students provide. This way, the child remains anonymous to the researcher and all forms and materials that will be collected are also anonymous. The college student will know the child's answers but is prepared with information and training on maintaining confidentiality through the Healthy Buddy program. The college student will adhere to their procedures to maintain confidentiality. PRIMARY SUPPORTING DOCUMENT Click for Word Document Extension Request on 09-21-2012 I am collecting more data during Fall 2012 semester. Extension Request on 09-24-2012 I will be collecting additional data this semester. Extension Request on 09-24-2012 I will be collecting additional data this semester.