We Can!^® Community Sites in Action

We Can! Across the Country

When this document was created on December 1, 2009, there were a total of 1,186 community sites that had signed up for We Can! in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and 11 other countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Fiji, Greece, India, Israel, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Uganda (118 Intensive Sites, 1,051 General Sites, and 17 We Can! Cities/Counties).

See a map of We Can! community sites by state and find a site near you to participate in their We Can! programs.

We Can! is Cooking Up a Storm this Holiday Season and Beyond, with Eight New Regional Trainings on the Menu

We Can! has more than just the holidays to prepare for starting in December 2009. We have regional trainings planned for eight locations around the country; all are open to anyone interested in attending. The events are designed to educate participants about the NIH We Can! program; provide training on We Can! science-based curricula for parents and youth; share innovative ideas to help launch and strengthen We Can! programming; and network with others trying to prevent childhood obesity around the country. See the list of trainings below for an event near you. Visit the We Can! training page if you would like to register or learn more about any of the events. Read more about this story.

• Brunswick, Georgia: Winter 2009/2010
• Marietta, Georgia: Winter 2009/2010
• Newark, Delaware: Spring 2010
• Stuart, Florida: Spring 2010
• Augusta, Maine: Spring 2010
• Chicago, Illinois: Spring 2010
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Spring 2010

Montana Health Summit Update: We Can! Program Staff Reach out to the West

You may recall that recently we told you that We Can! coordinator Karen Donato, S.M., was invited to participate as a panelist in U.S. Senator Max Baucus's (D-MT) "Make Health Happen: Promoting Wellness and Prevention in Rural Communities" summit in Bozeman, at Montana State University. That summit was a resounding success.

"We Can! was honored to be able to communicate not only the scientific research from the National Institutes of Health that demonstrates how schools can be wellness leaders in communities, but also lessons learned from our more than [at the time] 1,150 registered We Can! community sites, of which 15-percent are school settings, nationwide and in 11 other countries," said Donato. "We were especially pleased to have been able to present this to such a broad array of audiences, in a state where we have nine registered community sites."

The panel that Donato participated in discussed ways that schools can be wellness leaders in rural communities by engaging entire communities, as well as encouraging their own employees, to adopt healthy lifestyles. Other panels touched on topics ranging from how an investment in wellness can become not only a community asset, but also an economic development opportunity; to cultivating "wellness champions" for healthy living initiatives in the community, workplace, and schools.

Karate Chops—and Other Activities—Kick Up a Pittsburgh We Can! Energize Our Families Program

Kicks were had all around at a Youth and Wellness Fair for Families, hosted by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh on September 13. From karate lessons, to African drumming, to a more relaxing Zen moment through yoga, there were options galore for some 50 to 100 Pittsburgh-area families who attended the first-time event. The Center, a We Can! site since June 2008, used the event to highlight fitness as fun while simultaneously promoting the Center’s new We Can! Energize Our Families program.

"We wanted to show everyone that there are many different forms of physical activity," said Marsha Mullen, Jewish Community Center organizer and We Can! site leader.

And boy, did they show it! There were five different physical activities to choose from, including an obstacle course and a double-sided sports wall. Non-fitness organizations and companies, such as Grow Pittsburgh, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods, showed attendees the importance of healthy eating. The Pittsburgh Children's Museum, which is another area We Can! site, entertained children with an anatomy puppet to teach them the importance of taking care of their bodies, while UPMC Health Plan (a We Can! partner) handed out We Can! materials to parents. Throughout the event, attendees were able to learn about We Can! and sign up for the Center’s upcoming Energize Our Families classes, which began October 18.

We Can! Community Site Breakdown

Demonstrating program flexibility, adaptability, and value, We Can! sites represent a diversity of implementation settings, from schools and park and recreation departments to hospitals, health systems, and public health departments. We have divided them into 12 different settings. Visit our Partner with Us page to become a We Can! community site.

• Hospitals, Health Systems, and Health Providers: 25%
• Community-Based Organizations: 18%
• Schools and School Systems: 15%
• Obesity and Health Coalitions: 8%
• Health Deptartments: 7%
• Fitness and Wellness Centers: 5%
• Faith-Based Organizations: 4%
• Parks and Recreation Departments: 4%
• Private Companies: 4%
• Extensions: 3%
• Universities: 3%
• Other: 6%