Dr. David Cundiff, Head of UTC's Exercise Science, Health and Leisure
Studies (EHLS) Department, has received $20,000 from the Tennessee
Department
of Education for the Health Education and Physical Activity, Nutrition,
Tobacco Use Prevention and Sexuality Education (PANTS) Training
Institute.  The PANTS Institute will provide professional development
opportunities for 15-20 regional health educators.

Dr. Cundiff will utilize grant funds to plan, organize, and conduct the
3-day Health Education and PANTS Training Institute.  To ensure the
Institute's success, Dr. Cundiff has engaged the expertise of personnel
from across the state including representatives from UTC's EHLS Department,
the Tennessee Department of Education, several Tennessee universities, and
the Hamilton County Health Department.  Institute staff will emphasize the
topics of physical activity, nutrition, tobacco use prevention, and
sexuality education to prepare participants to align classroom practice
with state and national standards, to integrate health knowledge into other
academic subjects, and to enhance health care curricula.

After the institute is completed, Dr. Cundiff will establish a regional
Health Education and PANTS Materials Resource Center to serve as a
repository of curricular materials and resources for health educators.

Congratulations to Dr. Cundiff!  This training initiative will enhance the
healthcare knowledge of instructors in our region, and the resource center
will be an asset for healthcare educators will rely on for years to
come.