- Frequently Asked Questions -
Walk Across Texas Youth

If you ARE NOT logged into your Howdy Health account and cannot remember your username or password…

Click the FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD -or- FORGOT YOUR USERNAME link located under the login form.  Be sure to monitor your email inbox, as well as your spam or junk email folders for the automated activation emails. 

Walk Across Texas Youth Login: https://howdyhealth.org/programs/login

Not Receiving our Emails?  Please read this:  https://howdyhealth.org/programs/helpdesk/emails-not-arriving

If you ARE logged into your account and you want to edit your profile including your password…

While logged in, click the Member link in the menu at the top of the page and choose:  Profile

You can edit information you entered when registering for your Howdy Health account including your name, password, username, and email address.

Automated system emails from Howdy Health can be unknowingly sent to the spam or junk mail folders in your email account.  Even worse, they can be completely blocked or sent to Trash by your email service provider.

Please review the information in the Emails Not Arriving page for more information:

https://howdyhealth.org/programs/helpdesk/emails-not-arriving

While there isn't a standalone phone app available for download in the app stores, you can easily add a Howdy Health icon to your phone's home screen in seconds.  This will allow you to quickly access the dashboard, enter miles, etc.

Please follow these instructions based on the type of device you own:

For iPhones…

1) On your iPhone's web browser, login to your Howdy Health account by going to: https://howdyhealth.org/programs/login

If you are already logged in, open the Walk Across Texas Youth dashboard: https://howdyhealth.org/programs/wat-youth

2) Click the 'Share' icon at the bottom which is the box with an arrow pointing up

3) Scroll through the share options and tap on 'Add to Home Screen'

4) Click the 'Add' button in the top right corner

5) Tap the Walk Across Texas Youth / Howdy Health icon on your phone's home screen to access the dashboard and enter miles

For Android Phones…

1) On your phone's web browser, login to your Howdy Health account by going to: https://howdyhealth.org/programs/login

If you are already logged in, open the Walk Across Texas Youth dashboard: https://howdyhealth.org/programs/wat-youth

2) Click the 3 dot icon in the top right corner

3) Select the option 'Add to Home Screen'

4) Tap the Walk Across Texas Youth / Howdy Health icon on your phone's home screen to access the dashboard and enter miles

For Samsung Phones…

1) On your phone's web browser, login to your Howdy Health account by going to: https://howdyhealth.org/programs/login

If you are already logged in, open the dashboard: https://howdyhealth.org/programs/wat-youth

2) Click the 3 line "hamburger menu" at the bottom right corner

3) Select the option '+ Add page to'

4) Select 'Home screen'

5) Tap the Walk Across Texas Youth / Howdy Health icon on your phone's home screen to access the dashboard and enter miles

No, the Walk Across Texas Youth web application does not have the capability to allow for syncing of mileage from 3rd party devices and apps.

The main goal of our physical activity programs is to promote lasting behavior change. They are developed with a theoretical framework that focuses on goal-directed physical activity. We keep the mileage entry process to promote continued engagement with the website and consistent interaction with the individual, team, and other program goals.

Thank you for your participation!

Walk Across Texas Youth is a program designed to help our youngest Texans establish the habit of regular physical activity using a fun and motivating team approach. Each team may include an unlimited number of youth participants, all working together towards the goal of walking 832 miles across Texas (or a distance of their choosing).

We recommend this program for schools, after-school clubs, 4-H clubs, and more. Adult staff and teachers can also create adult teams within the Walk Across Texas Youth web application to compete against the youth teams that are in the same league.

Since this program is offered online, there is no official start date for the Walk Across Texas Youth program.  A team can start their virtual journey across Texas at any time. You can select any start date during the registration process.

This Help Desk is operated at the state level and we may not be aware of a local program. 

Please find your county extension office using this link to find out more about programs offered in your local area: https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/counties/

Here are the steps to add activities during an active program:

1. From the Walk Across Texas Youth dashboard, click on the Add Miles button.
2. Select the program week for which you would like to enter activities.
3. Select the category of activity you would like to log.
4. Select the activity in which team members participated in during the week.
5. Enter the number of minutes the team engaged in the activity.
6. Confirm the number of participants for the activity by recording how many engaged with the activity that week.
7. The total activity miles will automatically be calculated for this activity.
8. Click the +/- button to add another activity and repeat the process described above.
9. Click the Save button.

Here are the steps to view or edit activities during an active program:

1. From the Walk Across Texas Youth Dashboard, click on the View / Edit Miles button.
2. Select the week for which you would like to view or edit activities.
3. Edit an existing activity shown for the week -or- click the +/- button shown above each activity to add or delete an activity.
4. Select the activity in which team members participated during the week.
5. Record the number of minutes the team engaged in the activity.
6. Confirm the number of participants for the activity by recording how many engaged with the activity that week.
7. The total activity miles will automatically be calculated.
8. Click the Save button.

Here are the steps to view or edit activities during an active program:

1. From the Walk Across Texas Youth Dashboard, click on the View / Edit Miles button.
2. Select the week for which you would like to view or edit activities.
3. Edit an existing activity shown for the week -or- click the +/- button shown above each activity to add or delete an activity.
4. Select the activity in which team members participated during the week.
5. Record the number of minutes the team engaged in the activity.
6. Confirm the number of participants for the activity by recording how many engaged with the activity that week.
7. The total activity miles will automatically be calculated.
8. Click the Save button.

If your team is going to be a part of a league, you should have received an automated system email from Howdy Health or a verbal invitation from your league commissioner that included a League Code.

If you haven't received the League Code by automated email, please check your spam or junk email folders.  If you are still unable to locate the automated email, please contact your league commissioner.  Once you have the League Code, please follow the instructions below.

If your team will not be a part of a league, then no League Code is required.

Here are the steps to create a team:

1. Login or register for a Howdy Health account by going to: https://howdyhealth.tamu.edu
2. After login, go to the Programs page of your account and click on the Dashboard button in the Walk Across Texas Youth section.  Then, click Create a Team.
3. On the Create a Team form, review the instructions.
4. Choose a Team Type and answer YES or NO to join a league.
   
   
   • Click YES in the Joining a League field if your team will be joining a league.
     • Copy and paste the League Code into the LEAGUE CODE field.
     • The League Name, League Start Date, and League Program Length fields should automatically populate with values set by your league commissioner.  If they do not auto-populate, click into the League Name field and select the name that appears after clicking.  Proceed to the next step.
   • If your team will not be joining a league, please leave NO selected.
     • Enter your Team's Name.
     • Enter the Start Date for This Team.
     • Enter the Program Length for the Team and proceed to the next step.
       
       
5. Enter a Miles Walked Goal for this Team.
   
   
   • Each team can set a Miles Walked Goal to an amount of their choosing.  This amount can be changed at a later time on the Edit Team form.
   • For league teams, all team Miles Walked Goals will add up to an overall League Mileage Goal.
   • For non-league teams that want to walk across Texas, enter 832 miles.
     
     
6. Select the Team's County.
   
   
   • Select a Texas county.
   • If your team is not in a Texas county, please select *Non-Texas
     
     
7. School Related Team?
   
   
   • Choose YES if the team will be competing as a team at a school.
     • Select a School District name if the team is in a Texas school district -or- select * Out of State if your school is not located in Texas.
     • Select a School Name of the school that is located in the selected Texas school district -or- select * Out of State if your school is not located in Texas.
   • Choose NO if the team will not be competing as a team at a school.
     
     
8. Enter the number of team members.
   
   
   • Enter the number of males and females on the team.
   • Enter the number of members by race.  The total number of members by race must equal the total number of males and females on the team.
     
     
9. Click the Save Team button.

Please note: A league must be created BEFORE league teams are created.

If you are not the league commissioner, please contact them and ask them if they have already created a league.

A league code will be generated after a league has been created.

Team captains will use this league code to link up their team with the league.

Please follow the steps in the How do I create a team? frequently asked question for detailed steps.

Yes, a Walk Across Texas Youth team captain can oversee multiple active teams at a time.

No.  The league must be created first.  Then, the teams can join that league using a league code.

Teams that are already active and logging miles cannot join a newly created league.

Yes. 

1. On the Walk Across Texas Youth dashboard, click on the View/Edit Team link located in that team's section.
2. On the Edit Team Profile page, edit the text in the Team's Name field.
3. Click the Save Team button at the bottom of the page.

Here are the steps to create a league:

1. Login to an existing Howdy Health account -or- register for a new Howdy Health account by going to: https://howdyhealth.tamu.edu
2. After login, go to the Programs page of your account and click on the Dashboard button in the Walk Across Texas Youth section. Then, click Create a League.
3. On the Create a Youth League form, review the instructions and then enter a League Name.
4. Click or tap the calendar icon to choose a Start Date.
5. A League code will be generated automatically for you and cannot be edited.
6. Choose a Program Length.
   
   Things to consider when choosing a Program Length...
   
   
   • The Program Length cannot be changed after a Youth League has been created.
   • As a league commissioner, do you have an overall league mileage goal that you would like to reach?  For example, if the league mileage goal is for all teams collectively to walk the 832 miles across Texas, please choose a reasonable amount of time in weeks to accomplish this goal.
   • For example, if you want the overall league mileage goal to be 832 miles and you have 10 teams, then each team captain will need to set their Team Mileage Goal for their team to be 83.2 miles. If the league program length set by the league commissioner is 5 weeks, this would mean that each team would need to log about 17 activity miles each week to complete the team mileage goal of 83.2 miles and collectively the overall 832 league mileage goal.
   • Each Walk Across Texas Youth team can set their miles walked goal to an amount of their choosing
     
     
7. Under Invite Team Captains, enter the email addresses of anyone that will take on the role as a team captain within this new league…one team captain per team.
   
   
   • For example, if you have 3 teams, you will need to enter 3 team captain email addresses.
   • A maximum of 25 team captain email invites can be sent out at one time. If you need to send out more than 25, return to the League Profile page after submitting the Create a League form and add additional team captain email addresses.
     
     
8. Once the Create a League form has been completed, click the Save League button to create your new Walk Across Texas Youth league.
9. After submitting the form, you should see a confirmation page that your league was created successfully.
   
   
   • A league code will be provided to you on this page, as well as by email with instructions. Save this league code to give to other team captains so they can join the league if necessary.
   • The team captain email addresses that you entered on the create a league form will also receive a welcome email containing instructions and the league code. If they don't receive the welcome email, please ask them to check their junk mail or spam mail folders. If they are still unable to locate the welcome email, please instruct them to create a Howdy Health account, login, and create a team using the League Code that you provide to them.
     
     
10. If you as the league commissioner will also be participating as a team captain, you can use the league code to join as a team captain from the Team Profile form within your account.

An automated email will be sent out to all the team captain email addresses you entered on the Create a Youth League form providing them with instructions on how to create a Youth Team.  The league code is included in this email.  The league code allows them to link their team with a league.

If a team captain does not receive the automated email…

1.  Please ask them to check their spam or junk email folders.

2.  If they are still unable to locate the automated email, team captains can manually create a team and link it to the league using the league code.

Please provide the league code with these instructions:

---

Here are the steps to create a team and link it to the league:

1. Login or register for a Howdy Health account by going to: https://howdyhealth.tamu.edu
2. After login, go to the Programs page of your account and click on the Dashboard button in the Walk Across Texas Youth section.  Then, click Create a Team.
3. On the Create a Team form, review the instructions and then click YES in the Joining a League field.
4. Copy and paste the league code into the League Code field.
5. The League Name, League Start Date, and Program Length should automatically populate.  If it does not automatically populate, click into the League Name field and select the name that appears after clicking.
6. Complete the remaining fields.

For additional information for Team Captains, please see Walk Across Texas Youth section on the Help Desk:  https://howdyhealth.org/programs/helpdesk

Please note: A league must be created BEFORE league teams are created.

A league code will be generated after a league has been created.

Team captains will use this league code to link up their team with the league.

Please follow the steps in the How do I create at team? frequently asked question for detailed steps.

No.  A league's program length cannot be changed after the league has been created.

Yes. 

1. On the Walk Across Texas Youth dashboard, click on the League Menu button and choose the View/Edit League link.
2. On the Edit League Profile page, edit the text in the League Name field.
3. Click the Save League button at the bottom of the page.

Yes, but do so with caution.

Any activities entered by league teams prior to the new Start Date will be deleted and irrevocably lost.

No, a league commissioner can only oversee one "active" league at a time.

Once the program ends and your league becomes "inactive", you will then be able to create another league.

No, each team captain is responsible for creating their own individual Howdy Health account, joining their team, and entering the daily activities for their team members.

League commissioners do not have the ability to register participants or enter team member's mileage, outside of their own.