Several dozen people affiliated with labor unions, local government and non-profits filled a room at UC Davis School of Medicine to hear about the federal health care law.

They’re part of a 37 million dollar effort by Covered California to educate people about the benefits of buying insurance through the new state health insurance marketplace.

Covered California is a state agency set up under the Affordable Care Act.

The agency hopes this crowd will help reach the more than five million Californians eligible for coverage through the marketplace next year.

Larry Hicks of Covered California says educators are being trained in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Sacramento this week.

“They are boots on the ground. They have already been engaged in various public services activities in those communities, so we feel they will be very valuable representatives in spreading the word about health care,” says Hicks.

Lisa Lacy directs a Sacramento-based theatre company. She’ll be using what she learns here to start discussions with people in her audiences.

“We can talk about issues that impact our community, impact the African American community and also talk about Covered California and how that’s a real tool that we’ll be getting to help people have affordable health care insurance,” says Lacy.  

More educators will be trained this month in cities throughout California.