2010 Priester National Extension
Health Conference

April 20-22, 2010   -   Mobile, AL

Healthy People, Healthy Communities:
Reducing Health Disparities

at the Marriott Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel
64 South Water Street
Mobile, Alabama

About the Conference

The 2010 Priester National Extension Health Conference theme, Healthy People, Healthy Communities: Reducing Health Disparities celebrates Cooperative Extension’s long history of involvement in promoting health and preventing disease across the life span.  Named in honor of retired USDA/NIFA National Program Leader Jeanne Priester, this conference offers Extension professionals and their community partners an opportunity to share health-related educational programs and resources, applied research, and collaborative strategies to meet the diverse needs of people in communities across the nation.

Conference Objectives -- Participants in the 2010 Priester National Extension Health Conference will:

• Increase knowledge of health trends, emerging health issues and the factors influencing the health status of our nation.
• Increase knowledge of current health education theory and research. 
• Increase knowledge of effective educational programs and health promotion practices derived from evidence-based research, including programs addressing diverse audiences and utilizing integrated programming.
• Increase knowledge of collaborative partnerships that impact health education, promotion and policy.
• Develop a network of colleagues and potential partners for initiating or expanding health initiatives within their areas of interest.

Deadline for Submission of Proposals: November 20, 2009 (see Call for Abstracts)

This year’s conference tracks:

• Chronic Disease Prevention and Management—healthy lifestyles, worksite health and wellness, health promotion, health literacy, food safety, diabetes, obesity prevention/reduction, physical activity and fitness, navigating the health care system, health disparities, health care financial issues
• Environmental Health/Sustainable Communities—children’s environmental health, healthy housing, green living, healthy communities/smart growth, community planning, occupational health, health care and health policy, global warming, community resources, universal design and housing, health disparities
• Successful Aging—healthy aging, baby boomer challenges/opportunities, caregiving issues, retirement planning, health care and health policy, universal design and housing, navigating the health care system, health care financial issues
• General Health/Special Health Topics—programs targeted for multi-cultural/diverse audiences, health literacy, internet/cyber health and safety, health care and health policy, navigating the health care system, social marketing, health disparities, health care financial issues
• Nutrition and Health- dietary guidelines/choices, healthy lifestyles, foodborne illnesses, physical activity, SNAP-Ed programs, community gardens
• Working with Diverse Audiences-health disparities, health literacy, working with underserved populations, working with non-English speaking audiences

Conference Format

Proposals are invited for workshops, presentations, contributed papers, share fair/poster displays and exhibits. Contributed papers are designed to encourage student participation. Students may also participate as co-presenters. Submitted proposals should focus on programs that educate community members about research in one of the focus areas, individual behavior change strategies, health care access and quality, health policy, community health infrastructure, and/or health literacy. Workshops and presentations are sought that demonstrate innovative ideas, promising practices, and outcomes and impacts based on evaluation. Programs are also sought that are designed to reach diverse or targeted audiences, for example: limited resource, low literacy, Hispanic/Latino, African-American, new immigrants, rural and/or urban. Programs may be focused in a particular specialty area or use integrated programming, i.e. that combine the efforts of Extension’s traditional program areas of 4-H youth, family and consumer sciences, agriculture and natural resources, and community health and rural development; that address critical and emerging issues; or that are community, needs, or assets-based. Workshops that provide skills development and that apply to multiple tracks are also sought.

• Workshop: 45-minute concurrent sessions intended to share established and innovative curriculum, programs or evaluation resources, or community or policy development strategies through interactive activities and presentations.

•  Presentation: 30-minute concurrent sessions intended to present information, research or evaluation results in a lecture format with some time for discussion.

• Contributed Paper: 10 to 30-minute presentations given during a session with other presenters of accepted papers. Presenters will be grouped by subject matter for session. (Intended for students—availability may depend on track).

•  Share Fair/Poster: An opportunity for Extension professionals to showcase successful programs, projects, research, evaluation strategies or resources. Skirted tables will be provided if needed during this activity. Presenters are encouraged to share tabletop displays, sample materials, brochures, and contact information. Share Fair/Poster presenters will be expected to stand near their display during the Share Fair. The Share Fare includes a reception (with the possibility of a keynote speaker) and healthy, hearty food.

General Sessions -- Invited plenary speakers will address health trends, emerging health issues and the factors influencing the health status of our nation.

Exhibits: Cooperative Extension educators, health associations, not-for-profit organizations, publishers and companies are invited to exhibit. Exhibits will provide participants with an opportunity to explore possible new program options and find out about available resources. See Exhibitor Information on the Web site for more information.

Workshops, presentations, and share fair displays are solicited through a call for presentations and selected by a peer-review process. See the Call for Abstracts/Presentations.

Jeanne M. Priester Award -- The Priester Award recognizes quality and innovative health education programs on the county/multi-county and state/multi-state level. The award honors Extension programs that positively impact the health of people in communities across the United States and expands Extension’s capacity to effectively provide health education programs. Look for award nomination forms and procedures in on the Web site under Jeanne M. Priester Award.

Co-sponsored by

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)/

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

Alabama Cooperative Extension System

Alabama Department of Public Health

Southern Region Program Leaders Network

Southern Extension and Research Activity Information Exchange Group for Rural Health (SERA-IEG 19)