Youth Prevention Coalition
A Drug-Free Communities coalition in partnership with Sioux Falls leaders across 12 sectors, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
At Emily’s Hope, we believe that prevention is key to breaking the cycle of substance use disorder. That’s why we launched the Emily’s Hope Youth Prevention Coalition, a community-driven initiative dedicated to preventing youth substance use in Sioux Falls.
Through collaboration with local leaders, schools, businesses, healthcare providers, and parents, we’re creating lasting change by educating, empowering, and equipping youth with the tools they need to make healthy choices. With support from the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program grant, we’re building on our proven prevention efforts to address the unique challenges facing our community.
Together, we can create a future where fewer young people are impacted by substance use.
Initiatives
Public Service Announcement Campaign
The Emily’s Hope Youth Prevention Coalition was awarded the 2025 Vern Eide Mitsubishi Tradition of Caring Grant by KELOLAND Media Group. This grant provides thousands of dollars worth of free advertising on KELO-TV and KELOLAND.com.
The first of four TV spots aired in January and February 2025 telling the story of 15-year-old Kelcy Orr who died in 2023 after taking what she thought was a prescription pill, but it ended up being a deadly dose of fentanyl.
PSA Partners
Emily’s Hope Youth Art Competition
The Emily’s Hope Youth Prevention Coalition invites students to participate in our Emily’s Hope Youth Art Competition! This event will feature the amazing creativity of students from all public and private middle and high schools in Sioux Falls. We also have an open category for home school students.
The art will be promoting a drug- and alcohol-free, healthy lifestyle.
The submitted art will be judged, and winners will be selected from each school. The winners from our event will receive a trophy, courtesy of JD’s House of Trophies, and our runner-up artists will receive a certificate of recognition.
The event is April 24, 2025 at 6 p.m. at the Washington Pavilion.
All submitted artwork will be displayed at the Washington Pavilion through April 27th. The winning art will be displayed at the Charlotte Carver Gallery at City Hall in early May!
Artwork must be submitted to your art teacher by April 10. Participants in the open category can submit to Kayli: kayli@emilyshope.charity.
Event Sponsors
Youth Empowerment Clubs
Emily’s Hope Youth Empowerment Club isn’t just another school program—it’s a movement that gives students the knowledge, confidence, and tools to take charge of their future. This club is designed to engage and inspire students through interactive activities, real-world discussions, and meaningful leadership opportunities, all centered around substance use prevention and making healthy choices.
We have many more initiatives planned. Check back for details!
Coalition Updates
Coalition Members
- Mollie Kruse/Washington High School
- Remington Reilly/West Central Middle Schooler
- Cindy Reilly/Drug & Alcohol Counselor, Emily’s Hope Volunteer and Parent
- Karen Dumdie/Owner, Autoland
- Anna Peters Kruse/KELOLAND Media Group
- Dr. Tracy Vik/Sioux Falls Public Schools
- Paula Clary/Community Learning Centers of Sioux Falls
- Chris Matson/Church on the Street
- Aaron Jensen/Sioux Falls Police
- Dr. Paul Amundson/Sioux Falls Downtown Rotary
- Dr. Shannon Emry/Pediatrician, Midwest Street Medicine
- Nikki Schoffelman/Urban Indian Health
- Diane Eide/South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care
- Matt Tribble/Public Health Analyst Overdose Response Strategy, CDC Foundation
- Steve Ardis/State Coordinator, Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas
- Amber Overweg /Drug Demand Reduction Outreach Program Manager, South Dakota National Guard
- Dawn Marie Johnson/Vice President of the Sioux Falls School Board
About the Emily’s Hope Youth Prevention Coalition
Emily’s Hope is proud to announce that it has been awarded a significant grant from the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program to establish the Emily’s Hope Youth Prevention Coalition. This vital funding, amounting to $125,000 per year over the next five years, will support Emily’s Hope in leading a comprehensive community effort to prevent substance use among youth in Sioux Falls.
The DFC Support Program, created in 1997, is the nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent youth substance use. By requiring the involvement of twelve key community sectors—including youth, parents, businesses, media, schools, and law enforcement—the program ensures a holistic approach to addressing the local challenges of substance use. Emily’s Hope will leverage this structure to create a safer and healthier environment for Sioux Falls’ youth.
Angela Kennecke, CEO and Founder of Emily’s Hope, expressed her gratitude for the support and the opportunity to lead such an impactful initiative. “This funding allows us to build on our existing efforts to educate and protect our youth from the dangers of substance use. The Emily’s Hope Youth Prevention Coalition will bring together diverse voices from across our community to create sustainable, evidence-based solutions that not only prevent substance use but also empower our youth to make healthy choices.”
The Emily’s Hope Youth Prevention Coalition aligns seamlessly with Emily’s Hope’s core mission of prevention. Since its inception, Emily’s Hope has been dedicated to reducing the stigma of substance use disorder through education, awareness, and prevention efforts. The organization has already made significant strides in this area, having developed a comprehensive K-12 Substance Use Prevention Curriculum that is currently being implemented in schools across multiple states. This curriculum forms the educational backbone of our prevention strategy, providing students with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed, healthy decisions.
The Youth Prevention Coalition, under the leadership of Emily’s Hope, will address the rising challenges of substance misuse in Sioux Falls, focusing on a wide range of substances including alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamine, nicotine, and prescription drugs, particularly opioids. Recent data highlights the urgent need for these efforts, with Sioux Falls experiencing a significant increase in methamphetamine availability and youth substance use rates that exceed national averages in certain categories.
Emily’s Hope Youth Prevention Coalition’s strategies include a diverse set of activities designed to provide information, build skills, offer support, enhance access to resources, and change both community environments and policies. Key initiatives will include public service announcements, peer mentorship programs, digital literacy campaigns, and the development of a resource directory and mobile app to connect youth and families with essential services.
The coalition is composed of dedicated community members and experts, including representatives from local schools, healthcare, law enforcement, media, and youth organizations. This diverse coalition ensures that every aspect of the community is engaged in the fight against youth substance use.
“The strength of the Emily’s Hope Youth Prevention Coalition lies in its members,” said Kennecke. “We are uniting professionals and passionate individuals from all walks of life to work together for the common goal of protecting our youth. This collaborative approach is crucial to achieving the long-term reductions in substance use that our community desperately needs.”
Emily’s Hope has a proven track record of success in substance use prevention, education, and recovery support. The organization’s initiatives, such as its K-12 Substance Use Prevention Curriculum and Post-Overdose Response Team, have already made significant impacts in the region. The Emily’s Hope Youth Prevention Coalition will build on these foundations, ensuring that Sioux Falls becomes a model for other communities striving to reduce youth substance use.
This webpage is supported by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award funded by ONDCP. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ONDCP, CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.