UPMC Health Plan to host training session on child health- We Can!

UPMC Health Plan will host a two-day training session designed to teach community leaders about We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) April 27-28, 2010, at Marriott City Center Hotel, Uptown.

We Can! is a national movement of families and communities that promotes healthy weight in children ages 8-13 through improved food choices, increased physical activity, and reduced screen time (TV, computers, and video games).

We Can! was developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We Can! is unique among existing youth obesity-prevention initiatives in its focus on reaching parents and families as a primary group for influencing young people. Currently, more than 1,000 community sites across the country have registered to run programs.

NIH representatives will conduct the sessions, which are designed to train community leaders how to improve children's health by teaching them to make healthy food choices and to become more physically active.

Participants in the training session will learn how to plan and start a We Can! community program, how to implement the program's science-based curricula for parents as well as youth, and how to build and sustain successful We Can! partnerships with local organizations. Participants will also hear from local Pittsburgh organizations that will share their We Can! success stories.

"As an organization, we are concerned about childhood obesity in our community and we like to show our support for programs that help children improve food choices, increase physical activity, and reduce screen time in front of TVs, computers, and video games," said Diane P. Holder, President and CEO of UPMC Health Plan, a corporate partner of We Can! and a co-sponsor of the training session along with Subway® restaurants. "We Can! is the kind of program that can make a difference in our community."

The interactive training session is targeted toward people who work in parks and recreation departments, schools, after-school programs, youth-serving organizations, public health departments, hospitals and health systems, faith-based organizations, and worksites and will offer networking opportunities for all community members concerned about the growing problem of childhood obesity.

The training meets the requirements for Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing reaccreditation, and health care professionals who register for the course will be eligible for 0.9 continuing education units (CEUs) which equate to 9.75 contact hours.

Registration deadline is April 16, 2010. There is a $50 registration fee for the session, but some scholarships are available. For more information about the Pittsburgh training event or to register, go to www.wecantrainings.org.