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Have you noticed our new look?
Yes, your one-stop shop for tips, tools, and other materials on how to keep your 8- to 13-year-olds (and the whole family) at a healthy weight—the
We Can!™ Web site—just got a makeover.
The new design brings a fresh perspective and some new additions, just in time to liven up the sometimes dreary, gray fall days.
The new Web site highlights the wonderful things going on in the community sites, showcases our partnerships, and shares our stories with the many groups interested in ways to prevent childhood overweight.
It's all part of an effort to make it easier for you to find what you seek, be it ways to shop more nutritiously; tips on getting your kids up and moving; details on how to bring We Can! to your community; ways you can support our national movement through a partnership; and much more.
So, after you're done reading this quarter's eNewsletter, we invite you to visit the rest of our site to find where these and other stories and resources now "live." You won't be disappointed.
But don't go just yet—there's more exciting news in our fall edition, including:
 A visit by a We Can! site to the White House at the invitation of First Lady Michelle Obama, to speak about the success of its
We Can!-based programs.
Eight regional trainings coming up across the country—find out if there's one near you!
A new partner, Big Green Company, using their special character, the Big Green Rabbit, to spread We Can! messages to kids.
And much more!
Don't hesitate to contact us through the Web site if you have any questions or need materials. And, please keep us posted about all of your We Can!-related activities by filling out the Community Event Reporting Form. Who knows—maybe you'll end up featured on our new Web site!
And speaking of materials, with the end of the year approaching, it's that time again... time to request the new Keep the Beat calendar! The 2010 edition has been redesigned to make it easier than ever for you to create a personalized plan for heart health. Order your copy today!
We look forward to hearing from you, and hope you look forward to our next update.
Happy reading!
'Tis the season... to check out how you can help out your local We Can! community site.
It could be an in-kind donation, or simply spreading the word to folks at your office, in your book club, or at your Saturday or Sunday services. Obesity continues to be a serious public health concern, and the most tempting time of year lurks just around the corner. The more people spreading the We Can! word, the more likely it is to be heard.
You'll be in good company, since the movement keeps gaining momentum, especially when it comes to We Can! Cities and Counties. We now have 17, a number that has more than doubled since January 2008.
Our community site registration also continues at a good pace, with our total number of registered sites clocking in at 1,186, in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and 11 other countries.
So, join the merriment and the movement, and give your whole community the gift of a healthier lifestyle!
And read about some of the great things happening with We Can! all over the map:
The Children's Museum of Manhattan, a We Can! partner since 2008, was recently awarded an $838,000 grant to test out their Early Childhood Obesity Prevention project, an adapted version of the We Can! Parent Program, with a younger audience.
Scholastic and We Can! Partner SUBWAY® Restaurants have announced the winner of the recent Healthy Lifestyles essay contest. Check out the winning essay, by first-grader Joseph Grant.
One of the newest We Can! partners, Big Green Company, is hopping on board with Charley, the Big Green Rabbit. Charley stars in a PBS television series designed to get kids up and moving.
Another of the newest We Can! partners, ODS Health Plan, Inc., has big plans to spread the We Can! word to their members, and hopes to sponsor a regional training next spring.
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We Can! Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition, We Can!, and the We Can! logo are trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS).
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Now that the school year is in full swing, community sites around the country have been ramping up their activities:
• Pittsburgh, PA
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh kicked off the new school year with a Youth Wellness Fair in September. Family activities included karate lessons, yoga, a sports wall, and more.
• Knoxville, TN
Knoxville and Knox County, one of We Can!'s newest City/Counties, earned local media coverage of their efforts to improve the health of children in their community.
• Berrien County, MI
We Can! Healthy Berrien, a We Can! County, has put together some great activities for healthy families—and their work has caught the attention of the media.
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We have two nifty, new, free resources—a guide to help community sites promote their We Can! successes through the media, and an online training for those of you interested in leading a We Can! Parent Program.
1. Reaching the Media: A Toolkit for We Can!™ Communities
The name of the kit pretty much says it all. This new, downloadable guide provides background, pointers, and examples of both materials and ways to build bridges with the media and establish yourself (or another
We Can! programming spokesperson) as a media go-to source.
Review… do… go forth… and good luck!
2. Online training—
We Can!™ Energize Our Families: Parent Program
24 hours a day… 7 days a week… 365 days a year…
That’s how often the condensed but information-rich online Parent Program training is available to you with just a click of your mouse.
All you need is total of about two hours—which you can break up into smaller sessions—to obtain an overview of the Parent Program; a look at key content areas for each of the program’s four sessions; and on-the-ground tips you won’t find anywhere else.
Ready... set… learn!
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We know. It’s hard not to want to stay indoors in your comfy robe, sacked out on the sofa or in front of the computer, when the temperatures drop and the chilly fall rain starts drip, drip, dripping on your roof.
You know better, though. You know that as holiday temptations start singing their siren song, you need to get up, get out and get filled up on more nutritious stuff so that your tummy is less tempted by chewy seasonal treats.
Here are some tips to help the whole family eat right, get more active and minimize time staring at the screen:
Tip #1: You don’t need to go cold turkey when it comes to eating sweets. Just eat them in small amounts—you can cut or share high-calorie foods, like chocolate or cheese, into small pieces and only eat a few bits. To reduce temptation, try not to keep sweets at home unless you really need them for other special events.
Tip #2: Get out your rake and/or dust rag. Get your children to help rake leaves, weed, or plant some bright fall chrysanthemums in your yard. If you don’t have a yard, sweeping or raking leaves on the sidewalk will burn energy, too. So will doing chores, like dusting, indoors.
Tip #3: Instead of doing online shopping, make a trip to the mall and park your car farther out so that you have to walk a bit to get to the stores. If there’s a multi-level parking garage, park on a different floor and use the stairs. It all counts.
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