Dear We Can!™
Posted October 2, 2007

 

Dear We Can!,

I work in our county health department and am interested in bringing We Can! to our schools this fall. Have other community sites done this?

 

Great question! Yes, We Can! has helped health departments collaborate with school systems in a number of ways. For example, some health departments have had great success running We Can! youth and parent programs at local schools. As a matter of fact, a community site in Boston recently had success working with schools. Read more about the Boston site's activities.

Here are several other ways that health departments have worked with school staff, students, and PTAs in We Can! communities across the nation:

• Training school nurses, nutritionists, and mental health teams in We Can! curricula
• Keeping students active with an elementary school walking program
• Organizing a walking school bus or other programs like Safe Routes to School
• Working with principals to get the Parent Program incorporated into school wellness policies
• Meeting with superintendents to present We Can! as an option to enact school wellness policies
• Distributing We Can! materials, including Parent Handbooks, to parents at school meetings and preventive health screening events
• Including We Can! information in school-related communications, such as newsletters and calendars.

Be sure to consider the four “P’s” when collaborating with your local schools:

• PEOPLE—Example: Think about who you’re trying to reach and how to best keep them informed.
• PROGRAMS—Example: Identify barriers for program participation and brainstorm solutions.
• PUBLIC VISIBILITY— Example: Before you begin your program, host a kickoff event to raise awareness in your community.
• PARTNERING—Example: Brainstorm list of possible partners that can help your efforts to get We Can! into schools.

Good luck with your programming,
We Can!

 

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