Salud America! Gets $2.1M to Expand Network

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Many of America’s children struggle with obesity.

That’s why we’re excited to announce that Salud America! has received a two-year, $2.1 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) for its ongoing pursuit of healthy changes to address epidemic of childhood obesity across the nation.

Salud America! will expand its 2,000-member network and develop a digital infrastructure to support, inform, and empower healthy changes.

This digital infrastructure will create content and communications on research, training, and education on childhood obesity to empower people to start or support healthy changes.

Please join the network here.

“In the midst of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, we’re extremely pleased that RWJF is supporting our unprecedented venture that we believe will create and inspire people to spark changes that improve the health of families,” said Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, director of Salud America! and leader of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Salud America! was launched in 2007 to build the research base needed in order to address these challenges and reverse the obesity epidemic.

In its first five years, Salud America! supported new studies and research briefs from 20 different researchers. It also has fueled its online network with e-communications; the first research priority agenda; a video on childhood obesity; and research briefs examining youth nutrition and physical activity, as well as food and beverage marketing.

Now over the next two years, Salud America! plans to:

• expand its national brand as an information resource on childhood obesity;
• add new members and leaders to its network;
• develop an online advocacy platform specific to the needs and concerns of advocates working to prevent childhood obesity;
• produce dynamic multimedia products to feed the network and digital platform; and
• monitor and evaluate the impact of these activities.

Salud America!’s innovative, online platform will empower community leaders, providers, and other stakeholders with both nationally and locally relevant content.