activities · 4
what they do
direct service · 3
- Cookbook Publishing and Nutrition Education MaterialsAuthored and published more than 15 bestselling cookbooks, including "Think Outside The Lunchbox" with 250 plant-nutritious recipes, which have collectively sold over 2 million copies to support healthy eating and nutrition education.
- Health and Wellness Expos Free Community Health ScreeningsOrganizes free, large-scale Health and Wellness Expos in dozens of cities nationwide annually, featuring family engagement activities such as sports demonstrations, cooking demos, entertainment, and giveaways to promote public awareness of heart and chronic disease prevention. The first expo was held in Mesa, Arizona in October 2009, and events continue to be hosted in partnership with entities like the Arizona Department of Education, with attendance expected at over 3,000 for single events.
- Hip-Hop Healthy Heart Program™ and School Curriculum Childhood Obesity Prevention ProgramsImplements the Hip-Hop Healthy Heart Program™, a comprehensive health literacy curriculum for children, across 34 states through schools and e-learning platforms. Also created an elementary school health and wellness curriculum and designs culturally responsive programs tailored to community input to improve access to health and wellness resources for diverse families.
capacity building · 1
- Teacher Training and Capacity Building Career Pathways Development & Workforce AlignmentPartnered with Rio Salado College in 2011 to offer teacher training coursework, building educator capacity to deliver health and wellness education.
strategies · 8
how they think
Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any to see the full field of orgs running the same approach.
- Circle of Wellness model for community-wide health education circle_of_wellnessThe organization uses a "Circle of Wellness" theory of action, where wellness education starts with trained educators and parents, spreads to children, then extends to families and the broader community, creating a self-reinforcing, sustainable cycle of health behavior change.
- Clap4Health℠ campaign using acupressure-based movement acupressure theoryThe Clap4Health℠ initiative uses clapping as a physical activity grounded in Acupressure Theory to stimulate wellness, combining it with fundraising and fitness goals to promote physical education and health awareness in schools and homes.
- Community Health Expos as integrated education platforms community health exposHealth & Wellness Expos serve as multi-service platforms that combine education, awareness, and engagement to teach communities about heart disease prevention, healthy living, and wellness, supported by volunteer involvement.
- Culturally responsive programming for inclusive health outreach culturally_responsive_programmingShape Up US tailors its health and wellness curriculum using community input and culturally responsive practices to ensure relevance, accessibility, and engagement across diverse populations.
- Event-based volunteer engagement for program scalability event-based volunteer engagementVolunteers are strategically engaged in multiple roles during Health and Wellness Expos to expand operational capacity and enhance attendee experience, enabling broader community reach without proportional increases in staffing.
- Integration of health education into school and community systems health-education-integrationBy partnering with education agencies and embedding wellness curricula—such as the Hip Hop Healthy Heart Program—into schools and distance learning, the organization ensures scalable, system-aligned delivery of health literacy using train-the-trainer and personalized learning models.
- Three-pronged Awareness, Education, Action model for health promotion awareness, education, action modelShape Up US employs a structured methodology that first raises awareness, then delivers targeted education, and finally prompts behavioral action to drive measurable improvements in cardiovascular health, nutrition, physical activity, and mental/emotional well-being across populations.
- Walking-based wellness initiatives to promote physical activity walking-based_wellnessThe organization leverages accessible, low-barrier walking programs like "EAT RIGHT, MOVE MORE Walking Program" and "Clap4Health℠" to encourage sustained physical activity among children and families, integrating movement into daily routines as a core component of holistic wellness.
named programs · 6
what they call their work
Clap4Health℠ Fundraiser
An innovative movement for wellness.
Eat Right, Move More Walking Program – Walk Your Way to Health and Fitness
A program designed to encourage healthy eating and increased physical activity through walking.
IMPACT program (Increasing Movement and Physical Activity for Children and Teachers)
A program implemented in schools to improve staff and student health through physical activity and integration of health and wellness into the curriculum.
Minutes Out of Your Seat (MOYS) National Contest
An initiative funded by the NCAA Final Four that promotes engagement through movement-driven learning.
The Hip-Hop Healthy Heart Program™ for Children
A comprehensive healthy literacy education curriculum/resources (mind, body & emotion) created to “Build A Culture of Health” through educational systems, e-learning platforms, and directly into homes.
Walk with a Doc program
A monthly program where a doctor walks with patients to teach key health concepts and promote exercise as medicine.
relationships · 30
who they work with
- Active Schools Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- American Medical College of Homeopathy (AMCofH) Partner — Jyl Steinback serves as Director of Partnerships for AMCofH, indicating an organizational affiliation.
- Arizona Department of Education Partner — Partnered with Shape Up US Inc to co-host a family engagement event focused on health and education.
- Bragg Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- CY Young Lions Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- Catalina Foothills Unified School District Partner — Supported Shape Up US Inc's family engagement event through participation and collaboration.
- Engaging Education Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- FC Tucson Partner — Participated in Shape Up US Inc's event with soccer-related activities and entertainment.
- FFC Movement Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- Forward Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- Gopher Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- Jigsaw Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- NHEG Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- Ninja Warrior Obstacle Course Partner — Partnered to feature an obstacle course for youth ages 5-17 at Health & Wellness Expos.
- Nordic Walking Nations Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- PBNet Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- Papa Murphy’s Partner — Supported volunteers at Shape Up US Inc's event by providing meals.
- Phoenix Institute of Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture (PIHMA) Partner — Jyl Steinback serves as Director of Partnerships for PIHMA, indicating an organizational affiliation.
- Rio Salado College Partner — Partnered to offer teacher training coursework in 2011.
- Safeway Partner — Provided water and ice for Shape Up US Inc's community event.
- Sprouts Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- Talos Moon Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner, offering a discount to Shape Up US supporters.
- UFE Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- University of Arizona Athletics Partner — Provided mascot appearances and athletic engagement at Shape Up US Inc's event.
- Ventana Vista Elementary School Partner — Participated in Shape Up US Inc's community event as a supporting school.
- Vitamix Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- Zacks Partner — Listed as a supporting business partner.
- health advocates Partner — Works with health advocates who share a commitment to equity and inclusiveness in wellness programming.
- local community organizations Partner — Partners with local community organizations to deliver health and wellness resources.
- schools Partner — Collaborates with schools as part of a broad network of partners to advance equity and inclusiveness in health and wellness programming.