List of National Partners

We Can!^® is proud to work with a variety of national partners to help prevent childhood obesity and improve the health of America's youth. These partner organizations leverage their networks, infrastructure, and communication channels to effectively and efficiently spread the We Can! messages and materials to parents and communities.

On this page you can read more about each of our national partners and learn how they are supporting We Can!.

National Partners

American College of Sports Medicine
American Public Health Association
Association of Children's Museums
Association of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors
CATCH^®
CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH)
Cherokee Nation
Children's National Medical Center
Children's Museum of Manhattan
Delaware Physician's Care, Inc.
Department of the Interior: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service
Health Resources and Services Administration
Indian Health Service
NAASO, The Obesity Society
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of School Nurses
National Health Museum
National Hispanic Medical Association
National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality
National Latina Health Network
National Wildlife Federation�
Nemours Health & Prevention Services
ODS Health
Office of Women's Health, HHS, BodyWorks Program
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
Share Our Strength�
SPARK�
SUBWAY^® restaurants
TOPS Club, Inc.
Univision
UPMC Health Plan Inc.
Past Partners

National Partners

American College of Sports Medicine
http://www.acsm.org external disclaimer
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is dedicated to advancing health through science, education, and medicine. Specifically, ACSM advances and integrates scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine. A large part of the ACSM mission is devoted to public awareness and education about the positive aspects of physical activity for people of all ages, from all occupations. ACSM has a wide-ranging publications program consisting of four journal offerings, a bimonthly electronic newsmagazine, and numerous book and video products centered on the study of sports medicine, exercise science, and health and fitness.

American Public Health Association
http://www.apha.org external disclaimer
The American Public Health Association is the oldest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world and has been working to improve public health since 1872. The Association aims to protect all Americans, their families and their communities from preventable, serious health threats and strives to assure community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities and preventive health services are universally accessible in the United States. APHA represents a broad array of health professionals and others who care about their own health and the health of their communities.

Association of Children's Museums
http://www.childrensmuseums.org external disclaimer
Children's museums bring families together to learn through play in nurturing, engaging environments. Beloved by children and trusted by parents and educators, children's museums are uniquely positioned to support and encourage the adoption of healthier lifestyles. The Association of Children's Museums (ACM) is an international organization representing 350 museums with a reach of 31 million people annually. In 2005, ACM launched Good to Grow!, a field-wide, multi-faceted initiative to address the pressing issue of childhood overweight and obesity. Good to Grow! is designed to: convene and sustain the conversation about the health of children and families; activate children and families through museum exhibits and programs; improve the lives of children by increasing the healthy options available; and develop new models of collaboration. Visit the Good to Grow! website at http://www.goodtogrow.org/.

Association of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors
http://www.astphnd.org external disclaimer
The Association of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors is a nonprofit membership organization that provides national and state leadership on food and nutrition policy, programs, and services.

CATCH^®
http://www.catchinfo.org external disclaimer
As a proud partner to We Can! programs across the country, CATCH helps establish healthy habits in children through its CATCH Kids Club (CKC)�an evidence-based physical activity and nutrition education program designed for children in grades K-5 in afterschool, summer, and recreational settings. CATCH Kids Club is based on the NIH-funded CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) program, a coordinated school health program that has shown proven effectiveness in promoting healthy eating and physical activity and reducing obesity in elementary school-aged children. CDC featured CATCH in the 2008 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Community Health Promotion Handbook: Action Guides to Improve Community Health, as an evidence-based tool that provides "how-to" guidance for schools to increase physical activity among children and adolescents. Today, over 7,500 schools and afterschool programs across the United States and Canada implement CATCH. CATCH shares We Can!'s healthy tips and program news in its monthly eNewsletter and on its website, and also provides program support for We Can! regional trainings.

CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyYouth/index.htm external disclaimer
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) seeks to prevent the most serious health risk behaviors among children, adolescents, and young adults. The Division conducts surveillance activities to monitor six categories of priority health risk behaviors among all 50 states. DASH synthesizes research findings to identify policies and practices that are most likely to be effective in promoting healthy behaviors among young people. DASH also funds several programs to enable its constituents to implement comprehensive adolescent and school health programs. Finally, DASH provides technical assistance to state and local education agencies to help them evaluate the quality and effectiveness of their school health policies, teacher training, and curricula.

Cherokee Nation
http://www.cherokee.org external disclaimer
The Cherokee Nation is a federally recognized Indian Nation and is the second largest Indian tribe in the United States, with more than 278,000 citizens. Almost 70,000 of these Cherokees reside in the 7,000 square mile area of the Cherokee Nation, which is not a reservation, but a jurisdictional service area that includes the entirety of eight counties and portions of six others in northeastern Oklahoma. The remaining members are spread throughout the United States.

The Cherokee Nation is dedicated to working with their communities, families, and individuals to promote and improve their health. They promote healthy communities through increasing physical activity, improving nutrition, and preventing tobacco abuse. Through their Healthy Nation program, they sponsor a variety of activities to provide native youth with the opportunity to learn and practice behaviors that promote a healthy lifestyle. As part of these efforts, the Cherokee Nation is integrating We Can! curricula into their existing health and outreach programs. In addition, they hosted a We Can! training at their legislative conference in April 2009.

Children's National Medical Center
http://www.childrensnational.org external disclaimer
Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC, has been serving the nation's children since 1870. Home to Children's Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National is consistently ranked among the top pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report and the Leapfrog Group. The Children's National Obesity Institute brings together talent, ideas, and creative energy to develop an innovative and strategic approach to addressing the childhood obesity crisis from all angles, in the nation's capital and across the country. The Institute focuses on five main areas of work: prevention and behavior modification, clinical intervention, research, public policy and advocacy, and education and training. The Institute collaborates with We Can! as a national partner. This partnership includes incorporating We Can! messages and materials into established Institute programs, as well as sharing We Can! information via the communication channels of Children's National Medical Center.

Children's Museum of Manhattan
http://www.cmom.org external disclaimer
The mission of the Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMoM) is to inspire children and families to learn about themselves and the culturally diverse world through a unique environment of interactive exhibitions and programs. CMoM's four priority areas are meant to impact children in ways that will last a lifetime: early childhood education; creativity in the arts and sciences; exploration of world cultures; and healthy lifestyles programs that provide a blueprint for a family's physical, emotional, and environmental well-being.

CMoM also created a new Healthy Lifestyle's outreach program, in which students discover how their bodies work to keep them healthy and why it is important to make smart lifestyle choices. Each session includes a demonstration followed by a hands-on project. The curriculum incorporates key messages from the We Can! program external disclaimer and is designed to meet performance standards for life sciences, scientific thinking, and investigation.

Delaware Physicians Care, Inc.
http://www.delawarephysicianscare.com external disclaimer
Delaware Physicians Care, Inc. (DPCI) is the largest Medicaid-managed care health plan in Delaware. DPCI partners with numerous agencies to bring innovative prevention and wellness programs to the Delaware community. DPCI features the We Can! program in the prevention and wellness section of their website.

DPCI also launched a pilot program using the We Can! and CATCH Kids Club curricula to Delaware residents, through a select number of afterschool programs. Based on the success of the pilot program, DPCI is making plans to expand the We Can! and CATCH Kids club offerings to more residents and schools. DPCI has also committed to distributing the We Can! Flash animation to Delaware Physicians Care employees, providing parents and primary caregivers with practical tips and information to help youth and families maintain a healthy weight.

Department of the Interior: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service
http://www.doi.gov external disclaimer
http://www.fws.gov
http://www.nps.gov
The Department of the Interior (DOI) is the nation's principal conservation agency. Its mission is to protect America's treasures for future generations, provide access to our nation's natural and cultural heritage, offer recreational opportunities, honor our trust responsibilities to American Indians and Alaska Natives and our responsibilities to island communities, conduct scientific research, provide wise stewardship of energy and mineral resources, foster sound use of land and water resources, and conserve and protect fish and wildlife. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Park Service (NPS) are both within the DOI, under the Assistant Secretary of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.

The FWS is the nation's principal wildlife conservation agency, working to conserve fish and wildlife resources while also providing wildlife-related recreational opportunities to Americans. As the relationship between a healthy, natural environment and the health and well-being of the American people becomes clearer, FWS is focusing on connecting children and their parents to nature by promoting healthy, physical activity in the outdoors through its Let's Go Outside! campaign.

The NPS cares for national parks, a network of nearly 400 natural, cultural, and recreational sites across the nation. The NPS helps communities across America to preserve and enhance important heritage and close-to-home recreational opportunities. Grants and assistance are offered to create community parks and local recreational facilities, conserve rivers and streams, and develop trails and greenways. NPS oversees youth and family programming such as the Junior Ranger and Webranger programs and the Volunteers in Parks program, and provides technical assistance for outdoor recreation and conservation projects through the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA). Currently RTCA is working in nearly 300 communities and a number of projects are incorporating a youth and physical activity component.

Health Resources and Services Administration
http://www.hrsa.gov external disclaimer
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. HRSA provides national leadership, program resources, and services needed to improve access to culturally competent, quality healthcare.

Indian Health Service
http://www.ihs.gov external disclaimer
The Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, is responsible for providing federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. The IHS is the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for Indian people, and its goal is to raise their health status to the highest possible level.

NAASO, The Obesity Society
http://www.naaso.org external disclaimer
NAASO, The Obesity Society, is the leading scientific society dedicated to the study of obesity. Since 1982, NAASO has been committed to encouraging research on the causes and treatment of obesity and to keeping the medical community and public informed of new advances.

National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
http://www.chronicdisease.org external disclaimer
The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) is a national public health association, founded in 1988 to link the chronic disease program directors of each state and U.S. territory to provide a national forum for chronic disease prevention and control efforts. NACDD has 58 voting members and more than 500 regular and associate members. NACDD works to reduce the impact of chronic diseases on the American population by advocating for preventative policies and programs, encouraging knowledge sharing, and developing partnerships for health promotion external disclaimer .

National Association of County and City Health Officials
http://www.naccho.org external disclaimer
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) is the national organization representing local health departments. NACCHO supports efforts that protect and improve the health of all people and all communities by promoting national policy, developing resources and programs, seeking health equity, and supporting effective local public health practice and systems.

National Association of School Nurses
http://www.nasn.org external disclaimer
National Association of School Nurses (NASN) is the expert voice for optimal student health and for professional development of school nurses. NASN supports the health and educational success of children and youth by developing and providing leadership to advance school nursing practice by specialized registered nurses.

National Health Museum
http://www.nationalhealthmuseum.org external disclaimer
The National Health Museum (NHM) is a new kind of museum that provides services and attractions "outside" the institution's walls using the Internet and other distribution platforms, as well as "inside" a landmark building. The NHM model features a virtual CyberMuseum and a physical Experience Museum. The two are paired and interlocking components of a single concept that allow NHM to operate as a digital organization while planning and constructing a world class architectural complex. Both museums provide visitors with self-guided and transforming journeys through the worlds of health and life science. NHM is a non-governmental, nonprofit corporation operated in association with an NHM-led national network of science museums and public health organizations. NHM trustees include leaders in health, medicine, and public service. They are funded by a mix of individual, corporate, foundation, and government contributors.

National Hispanic Medical Association
http://www.nhmamd.org external disclaimer
Established in 1994 in Washington, DC, the National Hispanic Medical Association is a nonprofit association representing 36,000 licensed Hispanic physicians in the United States. The mission of the organization is to improve the health of Hispanics and other underserved populations. As a rapidly growing national resource based in the nation's capital, NHMA provides policymakers and health care providers with expert information and support in strengthening health service delivery to Hispanic communities across the nation.

National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality
http://www.nichq.org external disclaimer
The National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) is an independent, action-oriented organization dedicated to achieving a world in which all children receive the high-quality healthcare they need. NICHQ offers expert training, consulting support, educational materials, and data to providers, funders, payers, policymakers, patients, and families who are working toward improved pediatric care.

National Latina Health Network
http://www.nlhn.net external disclaimer
Established in 1997, the National Latina Health Network (NLHN) is a growing network of individuals and organizations dedicated to improving the quality of health among Latinas and their families. NLHN develops culturally appropriate and value-based health prevention programs that empower Latinas to make informed decisions about their health and that of their families.

National Wildlife Federation�
http://www.greenhour.org external disclaimer
National Wildlife Federation's (NWF) mission is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. Their conservation work focuses on three major areas: confronting global warming, protecting and restoring wildlife habitats, and connecting with nature. As a part of their efforts, NWF recommends that parents give their kids a "Green Hour" every day�a time for unstructured play and interaction in the natural world. This can take place in a garden, a backyard, the park down the street, or any place that provides safe and accessible green spaces where children can play and learn.

The partnership is a great fit because both NWF and We Can! encourage parents and children to get active outdoors external disclaimer and reduce "screen time" in front of a TV or computer. By replacing some "screen time" with "green time," both We Can! and NWF hope to set children on the path toward greater physical and mental well-being.

To give parents and caregivers the information, tools, and inspiration to get their kids and themselves outdoors, NWF has created www.GreenHour.org, a weekly online publication with family-friendly content that provides a supportive, virtual community where families can share their outdoor experiences and backyard adventures.

Nemours Health & Prevention Services
http://www.Nemours.org/GrowUpHealthy external disclaimer
Nemours is a nonprofit organization dedicated to children's health and health care, with a pediatric hospital in Delaware and outpatient facilities in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Nemours Health & Prevention Services (NHPS), headquartered in Newark, Delaware, works with families and communities to help children grow up healthy. Their goal is nothing short of a culture change where each sector of the community�public and private�places the highest value on the health and well-being of all children.

ODS Health
http://www.odscompanies.com external disclaimer
ODS Health (ODS) provides dental and medical products. ODS supports a wide variety of community organizations, and encourages employees to contribute volunteer assistance annually. ODS is coordinating outreach to members of its medical and dental groups, providing access to hard copy and reproducible electronic versions of We Can! materials. Materials include We Can! flyers, tip sheets, handbooks, and posters. ODS will also be initiating collaborations with We Can! community sites at a local and regional level, and exploring collaborations with additional organizational and industry partners.

Office of Women's Health, HHS, BodyWorks Program
http://www.womenshealth.gov/bodyworks external disclaimer
BodyWorks is a program designed to help parents and caregivers of adolescents improve family eating and activity habits. Available in English and Spanish, the program focuses on parents as role models and provides them with hands-on tools to make small, specific behavior changes to prevent obesity and help maintain a healthy weight. The Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, developed BodyWorks following two years of formative research.

President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition
http://www.fitness.gov external disclaimer
The President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN) is a committee of up to 25 volunteer citizens who advise the President through the Secretary of Health and Human Services about opportunities to develop accessible, affordable, and sustainable physical activity, fitness, sports, and nutrition programs for all Americans regardless of age, background, or ability. PCFSN was most recently known as the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports until President Barack Obama authorized the name change and expanded the mission of the Council to include "nutrition" in an Executive Order signed in June 2010. The Council was originally founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 as the President's Council on Youth Fitness. Since its inception, the Council has been pivotal in getting Americans physically active through an array of programs, events, and initiatives, including the establishment of May as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.

Share Our Strength�
http://www.strength.org external disclaimer
Share Our Strength is a national non-profit that aims to end childhood hunger in America through its No Kid Hungry� campaign that is working to ensure every child gets the healthy food they need, every day. Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters�, an integral part of the No Kid Hungry campaign, teaches families at risk of hunger how to get more food for their money and better nourishment from those foods. Volunteer culinary and nutrition experts lead six-week cooking and nutrition courses and hour-long Shopping Matters grocery store tours where participants learn how to select nutritious and low-cost ingredients and prepare them in delicious and healthy ways.

SPARK�
http://www.sparkpe.org external disclaimer
SPARK is a research-based, public health organization dedicated to creating, implementing, and evaluating programs that promote lifelong wellness. The organization collaborates with We Can! to increase physical activity, one of three critical behaviors for helping keep the whole family at a healthy weight.

The original SPARK study began examining the importance of elementary physical activity in 1989, with support from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, in conjunction with San Diego State University. Since then, SPARK has reached more than 100,000 teachers and youth leaders, striving to foster both environmental and behavioral change by disseminating evidence-based physical activity programs that provide curricula, staff development, extensive follow-up support, and equipment to teachers of pre-K through 12th grade students, nationally and globally.

SPARK was identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a national model for programs designed to increase physical activity and combat childhood obesity in School-Based Physical Education: An Action Guide, and was listed as a recommended model program in Fighting Obesity: What Works, What's Promising by the HSC Foundation.

SUBWAY� restaurants
http://www.subwaykids.com external disclaimer
The SUBWAY^® restaurant chain is one of the world's largest franchises, with more than 30,000 locations in 87 countries. It is committed to improving children's nutrition through its FRESH FIT FOR KIDS� program and is extending that commitment through a partnership with We Can!. The partnership takes the form of a co-branded marketing campaign that encourages kids to play more, eat right, and push away the screen.

As part of its commitment to the campaign, SUBWAY^® is profiling We Can! messages about energy balance on SUBWAY^® restaurant doors and in other materials; providing funding for We Can! community site trainings; and promoting We Can! through Scholastic, Inc. Scholastic is distributing print and online materials to teachers and parents, including a "U R What U Eat" poster, reproducible activities for students, and send-home tip sheets for parents.

Scholastic's involvement alone has helped spread the We Can! message to more than 65,000 educators and 7.8 million subscribers to Scholastic Parent and Child, and has made some 3.25 million impressions through digital outreach.

TOPS Club, Inc.
http://www.tops.org external disclaimer
TOPS Club, Inc., (Take Off Pounds Sensibly or TOPS) is a nonprofit, noncommercial, weight-loss support organization based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with chapters located worldwide. Its two-fold objective is to encourage healthy lifestyles through weight-management support groups and to sponsor obesity research.

Univision Communications Inc.
http://www.univision.net/corp/intro.jsp external disclaimer
Univision Communications Inc. is the leading Spanish-language media company in the United States. Television operations include the Univision Network, TeleFutura Network, Galavisi�n, and Univision and TeleFutura Television Groups. Univision also owns and operates Univision Radio, Univision Music Group, and Univision Online. We Can! media partnership activities support Univision's "Salud es Vida... Ent�rate!" (Lead a Healthy Life... Get the Facts!), a multi-year campaign to effect positive change in health behavior by educating, assisting, and engaging the Hispanic community on the importance of healthy lifestyles, access to care, early detection, and aggressive management of chronic illnesses and risk factors.

UPMC Health Plan, Inc.
http://www.upmchealthplan.com external disclaimer
UPMC Health Plan is owned by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), one of the nation's top-ranked health systems. As part of an integrated health care delivery system, UPMC Health Plan partners with UPMC and community network providers to improve clinical outcomes as well as the health of the greater community. UPMC Health Plan is using We Can! to link clinical and community efforts to help families maintain a healthy lifestyle in Pittsburgh and Armstrong County, Pennsylvania external disclaimer . The Health Plan has devoted a special section on its website to the We Can! Pittsburgh initiative. It is also a partner with the We Can! HEALTHY Armstrong program, a county-wide, school-based wellness initiative working to prevent childhood overweight in Armstrong County.

List of National Partners

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