Uniting Together for the Health of our Children

Welcome to the Uniting Together for the Health of our Children event! Join us the morning of Thursday, June 12, 2025 at Montour Heights Country Club as we come together to support the well-being of our children. We will spend the morning delving into the alarming increase in fatty liver disease among children and how we can work together to ensure a healthier future for our kids. Let's come together to make a difference in the health of our future generations.

During the morning we will introduce lesson plans we have developed, aligned to Core Standards, to make it easier than ever to join together in helping to educate our future generation about the impact of diet on liver health and why we are seeing fatty liver disease increase in children at such high rates.

The key driver of the increase in liver disease in kids is from diet, particularly the increase of added sugar. More than 10% of kids under the age of 15 have fatty liver disease and 18% of kids ages 15-19. Left untreated, over time fatty liver disease can progress to cirrhosis and a need for liver transplant.

We will help all who attend better understand the epidemic of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome and its causes, with a focus on nutrition and sugar and it's ties to fatty liver disease, especially in kids and teens.

Let's work together to put Pennsylvania schools on the map in leading the way to focus on kids overall wellness.

We will also help you, as educators, focus on your own wellness through this event with some stress reduction activities, and free breakfast will be provided as well.

Please note this event is part of a global initative, Global Fatty Liver Day, which is led by the Global Liver Institute an organziation our team often partners with for events and patient advocacy. You can learn more about Global Fatty Liver Day at globalfattyliverday.com. You can learn more about our organization, Liver Education Advocates, at liveradvocates.org.

Info: Enjoy a free breakfast and network with your fellow educators interested in the health of your students.

Info: Brief activity focused on stress reduction/relaxation techniques.

Info: Overview and discussion focused on the epidemic of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome and its causes, with a focus on nutrition and sugar and its ties to the rise of steatotic (fatty) liver disease especially in kids and teens. This section will be led by Dr. Karen Jerome-Zapadka. Dr. Jerome-Zapadka is board-certified in gastroenterology and obesity medicine and is certified as a Metabolic Health Practitioner. Her clinical practice at Trajectory Health Partners focuses on the comprehensive evaluation of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and metabolic diseases, particularly MASLD, with the goal of early detection and disease reversal. She co-chairs the Metabolic Task Force at Heritage Valley Health System and is involved with metabolic initiatives at the national level. Dr. Zapadka is also Board Chair for Liver Education Advocates.

Info: Introduction of school lesson plans and discussion on how we can work together to introduce a higher focus on education about liver health within your plans for the upcoming school year. We will also demonstrate our liver model. This section will be led by Dr. Patricia Kardambikis. Dr. Kardambikis is a dedicated educator and health advocate with a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, specializing in Health Education. Currently serving as the Department Head of Education at Robert Morris University, she brings experience in curriculum development, educational leadership, and health education to her role. Patty also holds her BSN and is a former school nurse. Patty sits on the Board of Directors for Liver Education Advocates.

Info: We are looking to identify a few schools interested in working together to pilot a program. We will use this time to answer questions and possibly identify schools of interest.

Info: Although the event officially ends at 10am, our team will be staying until 11am to discuss ideas and more with anyone interested. You may also use this time to continue networking with your colleagues.

Also check out other Health & Wellness events in Coraopolis, Kids events & activities in Coraopolis.