Engaging Rockland Youth #YouthCanGetIt2 Movement Challenge

New City, NY, – Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert announce the #YouthCanGetIt2 Movement Challenge to engage Rockland County youth in sharing their own style of social media messaging to educate their peers about COVID-19 prevention. Weekly through the month of May, Rockland youth in Grades 7 – 12 may enter the #YouthCanGetIt2 Movement Challenge by submitting their social media COVID-19 prevention messages to the United Way of Rockland for the chance to win a $25 Visa, Mastercard or iTunes gift card.

The Coronavirus Youth Committee, created by the Rockland County Department of Health and United Way of Rockland, consists of young people from the United Way of Rockland, Haverstraw Center, RC Youth Bureau, Martin Luther King, Jr. Multipurpose Center, the Spring Valley NAACP, and BRIDGES, who will select two winners each week from the entries submitted.

“It is critically important to find creative ways to help youth stay safe from COVID-19. With guidance, youth can be an excellent source of information for their peers and families,” said Dr. Ruppert. Teachers and youth-serving agencies are encouraged to promote the #YouthCanGetIt2 Movement challenge to the youth they serve. It is easy to enter the challenge.

#YouthCanGetIt2 Movement challenge rules:

1. Pick one of the COVID-19 Prevention messages below.
2. Create a post about the message.
3. Add #YouthCanGetIt2 to the post.
4. Tag United Way Rockland with the post on Instagram @unitedwayrc and Twitter @unitedwayrockland.
5. Share the post with friends and challenge them to make a post.
6. For a chance to win a gift card, submit the post to Youthcangetit2@uwrc.org. Each week two winning posts will be picked by the Coronavirus Youth Committee. Winners will be notified by email.

COVID-19 Prevention Messages:

• Stay Home.
• Stay 6 feet apart from other people when out in public.
• Wear a face-covering/mask covering the nose and mouth when out of the home, for example, to buy groceries, exercise outdoors, at work, go for medical care, or to a pharmacy.
• Proper Glove use and disposal.
• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds often during the day.
• Cover your cough/sneeze with your arm/elbow or a tissue.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Clean frequently touched items – video and TV remotes, phones, and computer keyboards.

For more detailed information about the #YouthCanGetIt2 Movement challenge, go to https://www.uwrc.org/covid19_youth.html

The resources below can provide general COVID-19 information:

• Rockland County COVID-19 Hotline 845-238-1956
• New York State 24-hour hotline and COVID-19 test appointment 1-888-364-3065.
• For emotional support, call the New York State COVID-19 Emotional Support Helpline at 1-844-863-9314 from 8 a.m. – 10 p.m., 7 days a week or call the Rockland County Department of Mental Health at 845-364-2955, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday – Friday.
• For local information and resources call 2-1-1
• Visit the county’s COVID-19 page: http://rcklnd.us/covid19

Follow the county health department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rockhealth or Twitter at www.twitter.com/rockhealth.