California Convergence

Developed in 2007 and funded in January 2008, the California Convergence (CA Convergence) is a community-driven, statewide collaborative of representatives from over 45 communities across the state. These communities represent seven different initiatives developed by six major health funders, as well as programs developed independently by community organizations. The California Convergence was designed to lift up and address the priority issues and needs of community leaders engaged at the cutting edge of environmental approaches to improving food and physical activity environments. The primary focus of the CA Convergence is obesity prevention, with all communities focusing on policy and environmental change efforts in either physical activity, nutrition, or both. CA Convergence aims to create a “learning community” by linking these communities with each other, as well as with leading state health policy advocates and experts in the field. Strategic Alliance—a coalition of nutrition and physical activity advocates in California—was developed and continues to provide a guiding framework for obesity prevention work in California, including the CA Convergence. The California Convergence Project