Activate America® Strategic Partnerships

Steps to a HealthierUS

In September 2004, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson awarded a $2 million cooperative agreement to the national office of the YMCA (YMCA of the USA) to help build strong partnerships with local YMCAs in Steps Communities in order to promote better health and prevent disease among all Americans. The grants, which are to be distributed over four years, are part of President George W. Bush's Steps to a HealthierUS initiative, which aims to help Americans live longer, healthier lives by reducing the burden of diabetes, overweight, obesity and asthma and by addressing three related risk factors -- physical inactivity, poor nutrition and tobacco use.

National Association of Chronic Disease Directors: Promoting Health. Preventing DiseaseCenters For Disease Control And Prevention


YMCA/STEPS Community Collaboratives Evaluation Report 2004-2008

Since the YMCA/Steps National Partnership began in 2004, the collaborative approach has built local synergy, linked content experts, and engaged national partners to concentrate on some of the most pressing health issues in the country. Together, national and local partners used evidence-based public health programs to address risk factors including poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and tobacco use.

This evaluation report describes the YMCA/Steps National Partnership and focuses on the experiences and achievements of the YMCA/Steps Community Collaboratives between 2004 and 2008. The report introduces some of the fundamental concepts underlying the partnership’s success, highlights the partnership’s accomplishments, and shares the post-project evaluation results.

YMCA/STEPS Collaborative Projects: Success Stories

YMCA/Steps Success Stories profiles 11 YMCA/Steps Community Collaborative partnerships as they identify community needs and build programs that will lead to a healthier community. Additionally, all 40 YMCA/Steps Community Collaborative projects across the country are summarized. In reading this document you will gain insight into the YMCA/Steps Community Collaborative partnerships and learn more about what it takes to successfully build a community-based partnership and how to address community needs.

YMCA/STEPS Collaborative Projects: Case Narratives

This report gives a detailed look into the work of six YMCA/Steps collaborations, highlighting the successes, challenges and lessons learned in each of these communities. While there is still much to learn, these communities are on the frontlines in leading the journey to reduce the effects of our country's major health risk factors.

Progress of YMCA/Steps Community collaborative projects

Partnership In FY2008 YMCA of the USA entered the fourth year of it's partnership with the CDC Steps Program. Changes were made in the focus of the community partnerships to reflect the policy and environmental strategies of the CDC's Steps Program. Recognizing that many YMCA/Steps partnerships had differing capacity and capability to do this type of work, applicants were eligible to apply for one of two levels of funding. The following community progress reports detail action plans and how these funds are being put to use.

Steps to a HealthierUS

October 5-7, 2005, Black Mountain, NC

In October 2005, YMCA of the USA and the Chronic Disease Directors hosted a YMCA/Steps workshop at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in North Carolina where 16 new YMCAs and Steps Communities came together to design plans for their collaborative projects. These new YMCA/Steps Community collaborative projects join the original 25 YMCA/Steps Community collaborative projects that have already been implemented throughout the country and are making significant progress.

Steps to a HealthierUS

January 5-7, 2005, Houston, TX

In January 2005, YMCA of the USA was joined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Chronic Disease Directors in hosting a YMCA/Steps workshop with the current Steps Communities and YMCAs that serve those communities.

PowerPoint templates for Steps communities to customize to tell the story of their YMCA/Steps partnerships.