UC Merced researchers will look to bring their knowledge to bear in helping Merced County's youth through a Dec. 2 conference.

The “Building Healthy Youth in Merced County: Community Engagement and Scholarship” conference, organized by the campus' Chancellor's Task Force on Community Engaged Scholarship, will examine ways to close the achievement gap and improve youth development.

The event will highlight research and evidence-based programs which promote positive youth development. Presenters from UC campuses and nonprofits will speak on youth art programs, collaborations between school districts and community organizations, restorative justice, wilderness and academic programming, and 4-H engagement.

The conference will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 in the UC Merced California Room. The deadline to register is Nov. 28.

To register, visit http://communityresearch.ucmerced.edu/register

UC Merced students win marketing scholarship

UC Merced students Joselyn Delgado, Lauriano Bucio, and Stephanie Badillo's marketing plan to improve Sam's Club's visibility in Latino populations was among the best in the nation, according to judges in the $100,000 Hispanic Serving Institutions Scholarship Competition.

The students drafted their plan in just three days, following a last-minute notification of the contest's existence. Those days involved a whirlwind of activity, from research to surveys and proposal writing.

The UC Merced group was among five teams honored as winners in the competition. The students garnered $5,000 each and a trip to Washington D.C., where they networked with business executives.