Extension

Community Health Worker Program Celebrates First Graduates

July 28, 2025

A large group of UC Merced Extension students holding up their certificates is pictured.

The region has nearly 170 newly certified community health workers after the first cohort completed a specialized training program at UC Merced. Graduates of the training, offered through the university’s Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) division, were celebrated at a ceremony...

Lilly Uvalle is pictured outside of the Merced on Main building

Program Helped Her Finish a Degree After 14 Years. Now She's Helping Others

It took Lilly Uvalle a few tries to complete her education at UC Merced. Uvalle started her collegiate career in the fall of 2010 after graduating from Buhach Colony High School in Atwater....

A child and a health worker are shown giving a high five.

Grant Will Cover Tuition for Community Health Worker Program

A new program aimed at training people to be community health workers has already gotten an important boost: a grant to cover scholarships for some attendees. The Community Health Worker ...

UC Merced-led WE Will! Awards $14.2 Million to Education, Health Partners

UC Merced-led WE Will! Workforce and Education Collaborative has awarded an additional $4.2 million to education and healthcare partners in Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. A total of...

New UC Merced Extension Program Aims to Boost Health Care Access in Central California

In a region that struggles with access to health care, a new program - introduced by UC Merced Extension in partnership with the Merced County Department of Public Health - aims to improve access to...

University of California Launches Transitional Kindergarten Residency Program

Prospective transitional kindergarten teachers have a new opportunity to jump-start their careers through the newly launched University of California Transitional Kindergarten Residency Program....

A child plays with blocks in a classroom.

UC Merced Leading Effort to Boost Number of Early Childhood Teachers with $1.8 Million

To ensure the youngest students are ready for the K-12 education system, UC Merced is leading a joint effort to attract and prepare more transitional kindergarten (TK) teachers to serve in classrooms...

Brenda Carlos Aranda, a teacher at Farmdale Elementary School, earned her multiple subject credential at UC Merced.

¡Vamos!: First Cohort to Begin New Bilingual Authorized Teacher Prep Program

Nearly 1.2 million students in California are not native English speakers, many coming from Spanish-speaking households. Transitioning to an English-speaking classroom can be difficult for these...

Extension Training Future Teachers and Child-Care Workers

The California Teachers Association (CTA) indicates the state faces a massive shortage of highly qualified teachers – especially those who can teach math, science and special education —...

About 1,200 admitted students and their family members visited campus on Bobcat Day, and many accepted their UC Merced admittance offers on the spot.

Campus’ Spring Open House Draws Record Attendance

More than 3,700 individuals visited UC Merced last Saturday during the campus’s annual Bobcat Day — a 26 percent increase over 2017 and more than any previous year. About 1,200...