Araceli Ramirez and Shivani Patel: Teachers, university united to create great symposium

School systems unite! Or, should we say, University of California, Merced (UCM) Health Sciences Research Institute and Merced County school teachers unite. In recent years, many efforts have been made to combat health issues in Merced. However, nothing can compare UCM’s recent event, “Building a Culture of Health in the Central Valley.”

At this symposium, educators worked together to brainstorm steps toward changing a culture in which overeating and sedentary lifestyles prevail. On May 12, Merced County teachers learned from a registered dietitians, researchers, a health medicine doctor, a physical trainer, park rangers, school board representatives, UCM students and award-winning elementary school healthy chefs. There was information about nutrition, physical health and the nitty-gritty politics behind the reality of today’s chances of changing the school’s objectives to steer to a healthier and active environment. The teachers voiced their students’ opinions and barriers to accessing healthy food and exercise.

The innovative research done by the Health Sciences Research Institute combined with the teacher’s power of influence in the community can enable us to build a culture of health.

This story was originally published August 4, 2015 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Araceli Ramirez and Shivani Patel: Teachers, university united to create great symposium."