Close-up photo of 4 healthy kids

Curricula and Toolkits

The curricula and toolkits* on this page are designed to help you run and evaluate your We Can!® program. In addition, you will find resources to enhance your programming, report your activities to We Can! staff, and  work with ethnically diverse populations, including African Americans, Latino/Hispanic Americans, Alaskan Natives, American Indians, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Other Pacific Islanders.

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We Can! Community Site Program Materials

We Can! Energize Our Families: Parent Program (Curriculum)

Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active!® – A Curriculum for Youth

CATCH® Kids Club – A Curriculum for Youth

S.M.A.R.T. (Student Media Awareness to Reduce Television) – A Curriculum for Youth

SPARK™

Materials for Ethnically Diverse Populations

 

We Can! Community Site Program Materials

We Can! Energize Our Community: Toolkit for Action

 This toolkit gives community planners a one-stop shop of planning tools, reproducible materials, and a free copy of We Can! Energize Our Families: Curriculum for Parents and Caregivers. It incorporates dynamic activities for parents to encourage a healthy weight in their family.

We Can! Families Finding the Balance: A Parent Handbook

This We Can! resource offers practical tips to help parents help their families find the right balance of eating well and being physically active to maintain a healthy weight. The Parent Handbook received the 2005 NIH Plain Language Award for an Outstanding Plain Language Product.

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We Can! Energize Our Families: Parent Program (Curriculum)

This curriculum for parents is available in four- and six-lesson versions. Both versions include activities that help parents encourage a healthy weight in their family.

We Can! Energize Our Families: Parent Program – A Leader’s Guide

This is the four-lesson version of the curriculum for parents and caregivers.

We Can! Energize Our Families: Curriculum for Parents and Caregivers

This is the six-lesson version of the curriculum for parents and caregivers.

We Can! Energize Our Families: A Family Guide

This guide contains all of the handouts and activity sheets that are used during the four sessions of the We Can! Parent Program.

We Can! Energize Our Families: Parent Program Online Training

This online training introduces you to the four-session curriculum found in the Leader’s Guide. The training is divided into nine chapters and takes approximately two-hours to complete. In addition, registered dietitians and certified health education specialists (CHES) may apply for and receive 2 and 3 hours of continuing education credits respectively.

We Can! Parent Program Evaluation: “Tell Us What You Think”

Program facilitators can use this worksheet to collect pre- and post-program data from participants.

We Can! Parent Program Evaluation – Instructions for Facilitators

This document provides instructions for facilitators to evaluate their We Can! parent program implementations.

We Can! Parent Program Certificate of Completion

Download and print this certificate for parent program participants who complete the course.

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Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active!® – A Curriculum for Youth

A 10-lesson curriculum funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) that focuses on helping young people ages 11 to 13 understand the connections between media and health.

Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! – Program Packet

The Program Packet includes everything an activity leader needs to conduct the program: the facilitator's guide (available in PDF from this page), the video (VHS and DVD formats), and the program poster.

Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! – Packet for Training Program Facilitators

This packet includes everything needed to conduct full day and half day train-the-trainer sessions for Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active!  The Training Guide Packet includes both full-day and half-day training guides, a CD-ROM of presentations used in the training, and complete sets of handouts for facilitator trainees.

Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! Fact Sheet

This fact sheet provides background on the NICHD's Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! program. You can also order the fact sheet online.

Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! Questionnaire (Evaluation Tool)

Use this questionnaire to evaluate your Media Smart Youth programming.

Youth Curriculum Evaluation: Instructions for Facilitators

 This document provides instructions for facilitators to evaluate any of the We Can! youth curricula, which include CATCH® Kids Club, Media-Smart Youth, and S.M.A.R.T.

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CATCH® Kids Club – A Curriculum for Youth

The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH), an NHLBI-funded study, created a school health education curriculum designed to motivate heart-healthy behavior in children in grades K-5 in after-school and summer camp settings.

CATCH Kids Club materials are available at a discounted rate from Flaghouse at www.flaghouse.com or (800) 793-7900. If you are interested in running CATCH Kids Club, consider ordering the following items:

  • Activity Box and Nutrition Manual (Item #W12931)
  • Activity Box (Item #W11483)
  • Nutrition Manual (Item #W12909)

For more information, contact Peter Cribb or Joey Walker at:

The Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research
7329 N. MoPac, Suite 204
Austin, TX 78731
(512) 346-6163

CATCH Kids Club Questionnaire (Evaluation Tool)

Use this tool to evaluate your CATCH Kids Club programming.

Youth Curriculum Evaluation:  Instructions for Facilitators

This document provides instructions for facilitators to evaluate any of the We Can! youth curricula, which include CATCH Kids Club, Media Smart Youth, and S.M.A.R.T.

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S.M.A.R.T. (Student Media Awareness to Reduce Television) – A Curriculum for Youth

S.M.A.R.T. is a 3rd to 4th grade classroom curriculum that motivates children to reduce their television watching and video game usage. The curriculum is intended to be used over the course of the school year and includes all the lesson plans and tools needed to implement the program. For more information or to order the curriculum (Teachers Manual and CD-ROM ), please contact:

The Health Promotion Resource Center

Stanford Prevention Research Center
211 Quarry Road, Suite 229
Stanford, CA 94305-5705

http://notv.stanford.edu/ (650) 723-0003

S.M.A.R.T. Questionnaire (Evaluation Tool)

Use this questionnaire to evaluate your S.M.A.R.T. programming.

Youth Curriculum Evaluation: Instructions for Facilitators

 This document provides instructions for facilitators to evaluate any of the We Can! youth curricula, which include CATCH Kids Club, Media Smart Youth, and S.M.A.R.T.  

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SPARK™

SPARK PE and SPARK After School curricula are designed to promote physical activity in youth from K–12, and ages 5–14, respectively. The programs include curricula, training, equipment, and follow-up support components.

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. Today, the organization offers research-based physical education/activity programs that have been proven effective in both urban and rural areas, and with a variety of cultures and demographics, and have been disseminated to some 100,000 educators globally. The effectiveness of SPARK programs has been reported in some 45 publications; positive effects of SPARK have been documented in:

  • Academic achievement
  • Increased moderate to vigorous physical activity in students
  • Fitness achievement
  • Sport skills development
  • Enjoyment of PE
  • Improved teacher instruction

We Can! community sites can purchase SPARK materials at a discount through School Specialty. SPARK also provides a number of free resources to We Can! community sites, including webinars, monthly eNewsletters, blogs, grant resources, guidance on standards alignment, publications, and more. Visit www.sparkpe.org/resources for details, or contact the organization for general information at:

1-800-SPARK-PE (1-800-772-7573)
E-mail: spark@sparkpe.org
http://www.sparkpe.org

*Note: All We Can! materials, aside from three of the four youth curricula—CATCH Kids Club, SPARK, and Student Media Awareness to Reduce Television (S.M.A.R.T.)—are produced by the Federal government without copyright. Feel free to use any information that we provide, but we request that you cite the NHLBI (as a part of the NIH and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), and the source document. If you make any implications or draw any conclusions that are not in the original document, please state this in your publication. In addition, the material should not be used in any direct or indirect product endorsement.

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Materials for Ethnically Diverse Populations

African American Population

The following materials have been developed for African American audiences. You can also find additional resources for African American audiences on the NHLBI Web site.

On the Move to Better Heart Health for African Americans

This resource from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is a culturally appropriate educational booklet for African Americans on heart healthy living. In an easy-to-read format, the booklet provides concise information on heart disease and its risk factors. It explains heart attack signs and how to respond to them, as well as how to reduce risk factors for heart disease, prevent and control high blood pressure, lower blood cholesterol, prevent and control diabetes, manage weight, and stop smoking. Includes an action plan and tip sheet.

Heart Healthy Home Cooking African American Stylewith Every Heartbeat is Life

Prepare your favorite African American dishes in ways that protect you and your family from heart disease and stroke. This NHLBI cookbook provides recipes for 26 tested and tasty favorite African American dishes.

Every Heartbeat is Life: Community Health Worker's Manual for African Americans

A 12-lesson course on heart health education specifically created  by the NHLBI for the African American community. Complete with activities, group idea starters, and reproducible handouts. Ready to assemble in a binder, with dividers for each section.

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Latino/Hispanic Population

The following materials have been developed for Latino/Hispanic audiences. You can also find additional resources for Latino/Hispanic audiences on the NHLBI Web Site, as well as We Can! resources in Spanish in the Spanish-language section of this Web site.

Healthy Hearts, Healthy HomesDo You Need to Lose Weight?/Corazones sanos, hogares saludables¿Necesita bajar de peso?

This booklet is part of the NHLBI-created series called "Healthy Hearts, Healthy Homes." This booklet deals with overweight and obesity. Explains how to know if you need to lose weight for your health, and steps to help you lose weight. In English and Spanish. /Este folleto forma parte de una serie llamada "Corazones sanos, hogares saludables." El folleto se refiere al sobrepeso y la obesidad. Le explica cómo saber si necesita bajar de peso por razones de salud y le ayuda a lograrlo. En inglés y español.

Healthy Hearts, Healthy HomesKeep the Beat: Control Your High Blood Pressure/Corazones sanos, hogares saludablesCuide su vida: Controle su presión arterial alta

This booklet is part of the NHLBI-created series called "Healthy Hearts, Healthy Homes." This booklet deals with high blood pressure. Explains what blood pressure numbers mean, and what risk factors you need to monitor to prevent and treat this dangerous condition. In English and Spanish. / Este folleto forma parte de una serie llamada "Corazones sanos, hogares saludables." El folleto se refiere a la tensión arterial alta. Le explica qué significan las cifras en que se mide la tensión arterial y los factores de riesgo que usted debe controlar para prevenir y tratar este peligroso problema de salud. En inglés y español.

Your Heart, Your Life: A Community Health Worker’s Manual for the Hispanic Community

The Your Heart, Your Life: A Community Health Worker's Manual, available in English and Spanish, offers a 11-session course especially for the Latino community. This NHLBI manual is flexible; the choice is yours to either teach the course in its entirety or to focus on one or more individual sessions. Use the many exercises, handouts, and group activities to encourage understanding, skill-building, self-assessment, and goal-setting. The manual includes culturally appropriate teaching scripts and interactive activities such as telenovelas, photonovelas, role plays, problem-solving, and discussions. Latino role models and family contexts appear throughout.

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American Indian and Alaskan Native Population

The following materials have been developed American Indian and Alaskan Native audiences. You can also find additional resources for American Indian and Alaskan Native audiences on the NHLBI Web site.

Honoring the Gift of Heart Health: A Heart Health Educator’s Manual for American Indians

A comprehensive, culturally appropriate 10-lesson course on heart-health education for the American Indian community, produced by the NHLBI. Filled with skill-building activities, reproducible handouts, and idea starters. Two appendices cover activities for training Heart Health Educators to implement the program, and An American Indian Family’s Journey to heart health, told with heart healthy recipes for each family member’s favorite foods.

Honoring the Gift of Heart Health: A Heart Health Educator’s Manual for Alaska Natives

A comprehensive, culturally appropriate 10-lesson course on heart-health education for the Alaskan Native community, from the NHLBI. Filled with skill-building activities, reproducible handouts, and idea starters. Two appendices cover activities for training Heart Health Educators to implement the program, and A Native Alaskan Family’s Journey to heart health, told with heart healthy recipes for each family member’s favorite foods.

Your Heart, Your Drum: Strengthening the Heartbeat of American Indians and Native Alaskans (video)

This 10-minute motivational video focuses on the problem of cardiovascular disease in Native American and Alaska Native people and how they can deal with the major risk factors for it. Produced by the NHLBI, it is filmed with people from the tribal communities of the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico, the Ponca in Oklahoma, and the Bristol Bay area in Alaska, but it is appropriate for use with all tribes.

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Asian American/ Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander Population

The following materials have been developed for Asian American/Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander audiences. You can also find additional resources for these audiences on the NHLBI Web site.

Healthy Heart, Healthy Family: A Community Health Worker's Manual for the Filipino Community

Use this NHLBI manual for the 12-session program that helps families in the Filipino community acquire life skills that foster heart health. The manual includes scripts and training tips to guide community health workers. Each session is filled with issue-oriented interactive learning activities. In English.

Healthy Heart, Healthy FamilyPicture Cards for Community Health Workers/Puso Mo, Buhay MoMga Larawan Para sa mga Manggagawa sa Pangkalusugang Pampamayanan

Part of the 12-session program that helps families in the Filipino community acquire life skills that foster heart health. This excellent illustrated teaching tool from the NHLBI accompanies the manual for community health workers. It includes colorfully illustrated picture cards and stand with scripts in English and Tagalog to reinforce the key messages.

Healthy Heart, Healthy FamilyKeep the Beat: Aim for a Healthy Weight/Malusog na Puso, Malusog na PamilyaSumabay sa Galaw: Gawing Hangarin ang Isang Malusog na Timbang

This NHLBI booklet is part of a series called "Healthy Heart, Healthy Family", that presents important information about a specific risk factor for heart disease in a user-friendly and clear manner for Filipinos. This booklet deals with overweight and obesity and explains how to know if you need to lose weight for your health, and steps to help you lose weight. Provides ideas on how your family work together to achieve healthy weights. In English and Tagalog.

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Last Updated: May 8, 2012

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