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Implementing Your City or County Program

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Congratulations on joining the We Can!® program! Now it’s time to celebrate your designation as a We Can! City/County and kick off the programs.

Here's how you can get started:

  • Issue a formal proclamation. Once you receive notice that you are officially part of our program, use the templatemicrosoft word document icon (145 KB) to create a proclamation for your mayor or county executive to issue, maintain for his/her records, and share with the public to mark this notable occasion.
  • Consider hosting a launch event. Identify a date and venue for a public announcement of your participation in the program to local partners, media, and other audiences. Arrange for the mayor, county executive, and/or other municipal officials to participate in your event. Consider inviting key partners, parents, youth, or national We Can! program representatives to present at the event.
  • Contact us at nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov to learn how you can invite a national We Can! program representative to participate in your launch and/or borrow We Can! banners and signs. To read about past and upcoming City/County kickoff events, visit the News & Events section of our website.
  • Plan for the year ahead. Invite current and potential partners to help you map out details of how to fulfill your new We Can! City/County program requirements. Develop plans for implementing curricula for parents and youth, hosting community events, engaging local partners and media, and reaching municipal employees. You can access a PowerPoint presentation and other resources for presenting the program to partners in the Program Publications and Resources section of this website.
  • Run parent and youth programs and community events. We Can! City/County sites are responsible for implementing three major elements: youth programs, parent programs, and community events. It is not nearly as daunting as it sounds. With your credibility and visibility at the municipal level, you likely already have the network in place to find partners to assist you in getting the ball rolling.
  • Reach out to city or county employees. Current City/County sites speak highly about the benefits of distributing We Can! materials and programs to municipal employees as a way to spread the word to other audiences. That’s why it’s one of the requirements at the city/county level. One way to meet this responsibility is to host programs at municipal office buildings, or share information in local agency newsletters or on websites.

Build partnerships to support your efforts. We know that leading efforts at the city or county level is no small task, and that’s why we encourage you to engage partners to help maximize your existing community resources and to disseminate information. It goes without saying that the best partners are those who share your mission, strategies, values, and vision. Every community possesses a wealth of resources that can serve as potential We Can! partners.

Last Updated: February 13, 2013