In April 2007, the NIH established the We Can! City/County program to assist municipal leaders in mobilizing their communities to keep children at a healthy weight through better nutritional choices, increased physical activity and reduced screen time. We Can! Cities and Counties coordinate city- or county-wide parent and youth programming; community events; and outreach to local media, partners, and municipal employees, all under the We Can! umbrella.
The first three cities to register for the program were South Bend and Gary, IN, and Roswell, GA. In May 2007, NIH officials presented the mayor of each with a specially designed road sign that says, "We Can! CityUSA – Working with the National Institutes of Health to promote healthy weight, healthy children." The sign is a visible manifestation of the city's or county's commitment to the We Can! movement.
Since the inaugural three cities signed up, multiple others have followed suit. To date, 14 cities and counties have been designated by the NIH as We Can! Cities and Counties. Each of the following has made a commitment to running We Can! programming and conducting outreach at the city or county level. Read more about several of our City and County programs using the links below, and be sure to check back to read about the others:
Armstrong County, PA | Binghamton, NY |
Boston, MA | Berrien County, MI |
Broome County, NY | Caguas, Puerto Rico |
Carson City, NV | Gary, IN |
Knox County, TN | Las Vegas, NV |
Indiana County, PA | Pittsburgh, PA |
Roswell, GA | South Bend, IN |
Karen Donato (NHLBI) presents the We Can! CityUSA sign to South Bend Superintendent of Parks and Recreation and Indiana State Health Commissioner (left) | Organizers of Healthy Armstrong,, in Pennsylvania, receive the We Can! CountyUSA sign from Melissa McGowan (NIDDK.) |
Additional Information for City and County Programs
If you represent a city or county that is interested in joining our fast-growing, national movement, please take a look at all we have to offer—or register—through one of the following links:
Tips for Launching a City/County Program
Resources
Registration
We Can!™ is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.