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We Can!® Thanks Community Sites, Partners, and Other Supporters for Five Years of Progress

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Posted June 10, 2010

In just five years, We Can! (Ways to Enhance Childhood Activity & Nutrition) has grown from 14 pilot intensive sites to more than 1,300 registered community sites in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 11 other countries. As of May 2010, there were also 22 We Can! Cities/Counties nationwide whose mayors or commissioners pledged to engage their communities in the effort to help children maintain a healthy weight.

To mark this milestone, We Can! is launching the following series of activities:

(1) Our first video contest: We are inviting our current community sites (and partners working with sites) to create and submit a 15-, 30- or 60-second video highlighting one or more of We Can!'s three key behaviors: healthy eating, increased physical activity, and/or reduced screen time. The community site that submits the winning video will receive $1,500 and their video will be posted on the We Can! website. Check out the contest guidelines and then submit and view videos at http://www.youtube.com/nihwecanexternal disclaimer. You don't need high-end equipment or a celebrity�just your creativity!

(2) "Who can make maintaining a healthy weight fun? We Can!" Displays: You may have already seen a series of four displays asking this question on buses or in subway stations if you live in or near one of the following 13 cities:

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Memphis, TN
  • Birmingham, AL
  • Miami, FL
  • Boston, MA
  • New Orleans, LA
  • Chicago, IL
  • New York, NY
  • Jackson, MS
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Little Rock, AR
  • Washington, DC
  • Los Angeles, CA
 

During this month and next, these displays are designed to bring greater visibility to your efforts to promote healthy behavior change in these communities. Whether you live in or near one of the cities above (or not), we encourage you to print off your own copies of our posters and display them wherever possible. And, use this opportunity to make some noise about these messages in your neighborhood by contacting your local media and making sure that they know about We Can!'s role in your community (use this guidepdf document icon (655 KB)).

Image of We Can! displays

Download the posters (PDF): 8 1/2 x 11pdf document icon (1.3 MB) | 11 x 17pdf document icon (1.6 MB)

(3) A Public Service Announcement in Spanish: We are planning to run this new announcement on a number of national Spanish-language television outlets to raise awareness of our healthy lifestyle messages, and the availability of our many resources and materials in Spanish. You will be able to view the video on the We Can! YouTube pageexternal disclaimer, link to it from your home page or blog, and tell your friends about it! (COMING SOON)

(4) We Can!: The Experience: This video will illustrate why our program is a great fit for a variety of communities and organizations. When it becomes available, you will be able to watch it on our We Can! YouTube pageexternal disclaimer, and see what some of our community sites and partners have to say about the program. You will also be able to link to the video from your own site; and encourage others to check it out, too. (COMING SOON)

Learn More About We Can!

  • We Can! Training Opportunities: Since the beginning of 2010, more than 500 people have participated in We Can! trainings across the country, learning first-hand how to implement We Can! in a variety of community settings. More trainings are being scheduled, so please visit our training page for updates.
  • We Can! in Action eNewsletter: Sign up for our eNewsletter to receive updates on program resources and partner and community site activities from across the country. Check out the latest We Can! in Action online.
  • Social Media: Stay linked to the program and receive tips updates through our various social media sites:
    Facebookexternal disclaimer | YouTubeexternal disclaimer | LinkedInexternal disclaimer | MySpaceexternal disclaimer
  • Community of Practice: Connect with community site leaders and We Can! partners through this online forum. Read some of the current discussions or post your own topic.

To engage and energize key groups, and increase awareness among key audiences�especially at-risk communities�the We Can! team has presented on the programs accomplishments over the course of five years at a series of key national meetings and other events. By the end of 2010 alone, presentations will have been made at eight major meetings around the country.

If you want to learn more about We Can! in general, download our fact sheetpdf document icon (1.4 MB) today!

The growth of the program is a testament to We Can!'s breadth and diversity. It also indicates the desire for science-based curricula, fun and easy tips, and other tools that can be easily used by the parents and caregivers of 8- to 13-year-olds to help their families eat right, be more active, and reduce their screen time.

To our community sites, partners, and supporters, thank you for your support of We Can! and your commitment to helping children, families, and communities maintain a healthy weight.

Note: Documents in PDF format require the Adobe Acrobat Reader®external disclaimer. If you experience problems with PDF documents, please download the latest version of the Readerexternal disclaimer

Last Updated: February 13, 2013