Three Cheers to the Latest We Can!® Community Site Assistance Award Winners
We Can! would like to recognize the hard work and achievements of all of our 2011-2012 Community Assistance Award winners. We had a group of 16 hardworking and dedicated community sites who did a great job implementing We Can! programming, recruiting participants using various promotional tactics, and engaging community partners to help spread the word. We want to congratulate all 16 of this year's awardees for their hard work. Way to go all!
Indian River County Health Department, Florida
Throughout 2012, Indian River County Health Department decorated the town with attention grabbing flyers promoting its We Can! program. Indian River successfully held its first four sessions of the We Can! Parent Program between January and December 2012. Each session had unique components such as supermarket tours, and food demonstrations, keeping the activities fresh and engaging for participants. And despite some weather challenges, they were able to reach 450 parents and children in their community.
Westside Health Authority, Indiana
Westside took its Move 'N' Crunch program, which works to improve the health of students and parents in their community, to the next level with the help of their award. The community site has had great success in implementing the program's two core elements, a nutrition and a fitness component, while using We Can! curriculum and materials to supplement their events. As part of their programming, they developed a Saturday morning walking club, which was attended by 10-20 people each weekend.
Colorado Black Health Collaborative, Colorado
The Colorado Black Health Collaborative conducted a successful kick-off event at a local health fair where they provided information on childhood obesity and an overview of the We Can! program to approximately 300 attendees. In addition, they developed a train-the trainer program for the We Can! Parent Program, reaching 14 participants.
6KidsNFit, Florida
Through their Healthy Kids Club and Let's Cook Together! Club activities, We Can! 6KidsNFit helped reach parents and children in their Sarasota, Florida, community. Using We Can! materials at the Healthy Kids Club, 64 kids learned basic cooking skills, how to read nutrition labels, how to fit more physical activity in their day, and portion control. The Let's Cook Together! Club included parents and kids learning how to work together to make healthy meals.
Alice Hyde Medical Center, New York
Alice Hyde Medical Center purchased the full SPARK™ equipment kit and worked with local schools to incorporate the curriculum into their Physical Education classes. Teachers from various school districts participated in a one-day training and learned about We Can's core objectives and curriculum offerings. Alice Hyde also planned and executed four sessions of the We Can! Parent Program in conjunction with the SPARK™ curriculum which focused on the school district's youth.
Gary Comer College Prep, Indiana
Gary Comer College Prep worked with Chicago's South Central Community Center to hold a series of classes for parents and children featuring We Can! lessons. As part of its programming, the center engaged in a partnership with Save-A-Lot grocery stores, which provided healthy foods to serve during the lessons.
Cobb & Douglas Public Health, Georgia
Cobb & Douglas implemented the We Can! youth program, Media-Smart Youth® at its partner, Girls, Inc.'s after-school program located in Cobb County. The program reached 25 female students, educating them on the importance of physical activity, smart nutrition choices, and reducing screen time. The We Can! Parent Program was also held at the South Cobb Regional Library in Mableton where engaged adults received a We Can! Parent Handbook and Keep the Beat Cookbook for completing the courses.
Knoxville Area Coalition on Childhood Obesity, Tennessee
In Knoxville, 18 educational sessions using We Can!'s CATCH® Kids Club curriculum were held for 3-5 year olds at the Sam E. Hill Family Community Center and the 5th Avenue Preschool. Children spent time learning about nutrition, engaged in physical activity and ate a healthy snack. The community site also held a teacher in-service day focused on implementing the CATCH® Early Childhood Curriculum in schools.
Enemy Swim Day School, South Dakota
At their We Can! Wellness Program Kickoff event, the Enemy Swim Day School treated 193 participants to a fresh fruit and vegetable tasting spread, a SPARK™ PE parent game, information from MyPlate and information from We Can! and South Dakota TEAM Nutrition. The FACE (Family and Child Education) team also conducted a six-session We Can! parent program with 24 adults. Attendees learned We Can! concepts on nutrition, physical activity, and reducing screen time and were encouraged to use a food journal to help them set and meet wellness goals.
Feeding South Florida, Florida
Feeding South Florida conducted multiple four-session We Can! Parent Program courses that were promoted through flyers disseminated during the organization's mobile food pantry distributions. During the first and last session of each class, Feeding South Florida provided fruit and vegetable platters to participants. Participants who participated in all four session received a $15 grocery store gift card.
Fit Kids Playground, Florida
Fit Kids hosted "Coffee and Conversations" where they taught the We Can! curriculum to parents and students and provided a healthy snack to participants. They also partnered with All Children's Hospital to have a nutritionist and registered nurse speak to the group—a well-received activity. Fit Kids Playground also used the CATCH® Kids Club as part of their activities in a "Play More. Eat Right. Power Down." school family fun night at a local elementary school.
Healthy Heart Community Prevention Project, Louisiana
Healthy Heart Community Prevention Project (HHCPP) formed formal partnerships with two local elementary schools to hold We Can! parent/caregiver classes. Healthy Heart worked with Community Partnership Coordinators at ARISE Academy to recruit parents through its PTO program. HHCPP also hosted a monthly We Can! booth at a local farmers market.
Inlet View Elementary School, Alaska
Inlet View Elementary School engaged parents and children when they hosted simultaneous We Can! programs. Parents participated in the We Can! Parent Program led by one of the school's partners, Alaska Center for Pediatrics, while children in grades K-2 participated in a modified CATCH® Kids Club program led by local educators and school nurses, University of Alaska students, and volunteers from local high schools. Inlet View utilized the Parent Program pre- and post- surveys to get feedback on their programming.
Mercy Medical Center, Iowa
Mercy Medical Center hosted the We Can! Parent Program on Saturday mornings at the local YMCA. YMCA fitness instructors lead the physical activity sessions, while the Health Promotion Manager from Mercy Centerville lead the nutrition and energy balance sessions. Mercy Medical also worked with afterschool programs and day care centers to implement the CATCH® Kids Club and help get local kids active.
Neighborhood HealthSource, Minnesota
Neighborhood HealthSource offered Zumba® classes, combined with the We Can! Parent Program, at one of its local clinics. They provided a series of six-four session parent classes, three sets in English and three in Spanish. During the classes they offered healthy snacks, and participants were given small incentives each week, including portion plates, pedometers, and Subway restaurant gift cards.
St. James-Santee Family Health Center, Inc., South Carolina
St. James-Santee Family Health Center hosted four We Can! parent program workshops at a local elementary school. At the end of the program, parents prepared a healthy meal in the school cafeteria for themselves and their families. In addition, St. James-Santee Family Health Center planned a Health Fair and Community Walk, attended by 120 residents, and planted a community garden that was maintained by 25 community and student volunteers.
