Emily’s Hope, South Dakota’s leading nonprofit dedicated to substance use prevention, naloxone distribution, and post-overdose response, has been approved for a major grant through the South Dakota Opioid Settlement Fund. The award establishes a budget of up to $518,418 to support a Transformative Project expanding the organization’s evidence-based Substance Use Prevention Curriculum to schools across the state.
The project is a collaboration with the South Dakota Department of Social Services (DSS) and Prevention Resource Centers across South Dakota, positioning Emily’s Hope as a key partner in the state’s long-term strategy to prevent substance misuse before it starts.
“In 2019, I simply asked people to help me build something that could save lives, and the response was overwhelming,” said Angela Kennecke, Founder and CEO of Emily’s Hope. “Addiction medicine physicians, substance use disorder counselors, educators, school counselors, and so many others stepped forward. What we built together—as a community, out of love and loss—is now reaching tens of thousands of students and has earned the trust of the state of South Dakota. This grant is a powerful vote of confidence in every person who believed in this work from the very beginning.”
About the Curriculum
Emily’s Hope has developed a comprehensive K–12 substance use prevention curriculum that is already making a measurable difference across South Dakota and beyond. The curriculum was built by a panel of experts, including addiction medicine physicians, substance use disorder counselors, educators, and school counselors, ensuring its contentis clinically grounded and classroom-ready.
The K–8 books in the curriculum were written by Kennecke herself and illustrated by Abby Groth, Emily’s sister and a professional animator and illustrator who graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. The curriculum’s development was supported by grants from the South Dakota Department of Social Services Opioid Settlement Fund, the Sioux Falls Community Foundation, and the South Dakota Community Foundation.