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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute logo and link to NHLBI website National Heart Lung Blood Institute We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition) logo and link to home page
Department of Health and Human ServicesNational Institutes of Health
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
National Cancer Institute
Get Involved

Get Started

Getting started as a We Can!™ community site means thinking about what type of programming you would like to offer. Because We Can! is flexible and adaptable, you can create activities that match your audience needs, available resources, and setting.

When you sign up to become a We Can! community site, one of the many helpful resources you receive is the Energize our Community: Toolkit for Action. This resource will help you develop successful We Can! activities that combine people, programs, public visibility, and partners.

 

People
It's important to get the right people involved in your efforts. Think about who will coordinate your program and who will facilitate the activities. Determine if you need to find additional human resources. Often there are people in your community who can provide you with important services.

Read more about People in chapter 2 of the toolkit.

 

Programs
We Can! provides a variety of programs for both parents and youth. After you sign up to become a community site, we encourage you to offer at least two activities in your first year of programming. You can choose from four science-based curricula:

Read more about Programs in chapter 3 of the toolkit.

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Public Visibility
Think about how you will draw attention to your effort. You can promote your activites in local schools, churches, YMCAs, or other places where families gather. You can contact your local media to get the word out to your community. We suggest that community sites coordinate events, such as a health fair, that raise awareness and recruit for your programs.

Read more about Public Visibility in chapter 4 of the toolkit.

 

Partners
Remember, you don't have to do everything yourself. There are probably groups and individuals in your community who may be able to help your efforts. Think about what resources and materials you may need to launch your program and identify others who can fill those gaps.

Read more about Partners in chapter 5 of the toolkit.

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More Information
You can also read helpful tips about running We Can! in the following settings:

 

We Can!™ is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.