The city of Gary, IN, became one of the three founding We Can! City sites in April 2007, along with South Bend, IN, and Roswell, GA. As a We Can! City, Gary offers obesity prevention programs to both parents and youth in collaboration with a variety of community-based partners. In addition, Gary distributes We Can! tips and information to all city employees on maintaining a healthy weight.
Becoming a We Can! City is a great way for community sites to expand the work they are already doing with the We Can! program. For example, Gary has used its status as a We Can! City to make connections with the Indiana Governor’s In Shape Indiana, a statewide overweight prevention initiative. Gary has also maintained a strong local presence with events such as city-wide Aerobics Day, Family Fitness Day, We Can! Wacky Wednesdays, and a new memorandum of understanding with the Boys and Girls Club to get We Can! programs implemented with approximately 1,000 children this fall.
To assist Gary in its transition to a We Can! City, NIH provided technical assistance to plan and implement We Can!, as well as additional materials such as parent handbooks, posters, videos, and the one-stop resource We Can! Energize Our Community: Toolkit for Action. All city sites also receive a specially designed road sign that says, “We Can! CityUSA—Working with the National Institutes of Health to promote healthy weight, healthy children.”
Learn how to become a We Can! City.
We Can!™ is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
We Can! Energize Our Families: Parent Program – A Leader’s Guide, is a four-lesson curriculum with dynamic activities for parents to encourage a healthy weight in their family.
We Can! offers a variety of resources and materials, including a community toolkit, parent handbook, posters, print ads, and wristbands.