Marcia Berke: Promoting Lifelong Health Education with Empathy and Expertise.

Marcia Berke, an instructor at the NIU School of Health Studies, has been awarded the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois School Health Association (ISHA) for her significant impact on promoting and maintaining quality health education in Illinois. With a career spanning over five decades, Berke has taught health and physical education at the high school level before joining NIU in 2014. Since then, she has been a board member of ISHA and has conducted numerous professional development sessions at state and national levels.

Berke emphasizes the importance of health education, stating that it connects with students on a personal level and is crucial for everyone. She believes that collaboration is key to teaching this information effectively to all students. As medicine and health are constantly evolving fields, Berke aims to equip students with skills that will help them make informed decisions, communicate effectively, access services, and advocate for important health-related issues.

In addition to her teaching and advocacy work, Berke also participates in mentor roundtables to help students improve their presentation skills. This demonstrates her commitment to supporting and empowering the next generation of health educators. Nominators praised Berke’s continuous efforts to educate herself on relevant health education topics and share her knowledge with others.