Submitted Photo Attending the ND Roughrider “40” Health Promotion Conference in Medora May 26-29 from the Nedrose community were, from left, Adrianna Durno, Lisa Bahm, Sadie Volk, Austin Olson, JoAnn Schapp, Alex Schmaltz and Samantha Schmaltz.

Several educators and community members from the local area learned how to promote school, community and personal healthy lifestyle concepts at the 40th annual ND Roughrider Health Promotion Conference, May 26-29 in Medora.

Representing the Nedrose Public School Health Council at the conference were Adrianna Durno, Lisa Bahm, Sadie Volk, Austin Olson, JoAnn Schapp, Alex Schmaltz and Samantha Schmaltz. They were among 125 registered participants from schools and communities across the state who came looking to evaluate their school health and community programs and to develop action plans for making improvements.

Various sessions offered were based on the components of Coordinated School Health, including health education, physical education, health services, nutrition services, counseling, psychological, social services, healthy school environment, health promotion for staff and family/community involvement. Additional topics included substance use prevention, character education, violence, bullying prevention, chronic disease prevention and professional development.

The keynote presenters included Joe Beckman, a Minnesota author and co-founder of Till360, who speaks to school communities around the world on reclaiming human connection. He presented his toolbox of character-based tools for cheating a positive school culture.

Keynote presenter Matt Booth, based in Iowa, spoke on creating meaningful attitude changes and using the right attitude.