SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — 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 content is 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.
Key milestones include:
• The K–5 curriculum is in its fourth year of implementation and has been officially designated as an evidence-based program on South Dakota’s Evidence-Based Program (EBP) list, opening doors for placement in school districts statewide.
• The 6–12 curriculum was developed using evidence-based practices. The middle school curriculum is in its second year of implementation; the high school curriculum was piloted this year. Emily’s Hope is actively working toward full evidence-based designation through ongoing research.
• To date, the curriculum has been implemented in six states and one foreign country, reaching more than 30,000 students across individual school districts.
Learn more at emilyshopeedu.org.
What This Grant Means for South Dakota
This investment will allow Emily’s Hope to bring structured, science-based prevention education to significantly more classrooms across the state, working in partnership with DSS and prevention resource centers to ensure consistent, community-level implementation. The grant reflects the credibility and results Emily’s Hope has built over years of dedicated work and reinforces the organization’s growing role in South Dakota’s public health infrastructure.
“This funding will allow us to substantially scale prevention education, reaching more students, educators, and families with science-based, life-saving curriculum,” Kennecke added. “It means more young people in South Dakota will have the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy choices. That is everything we have worked toward.”
About Emily’s Hope
Emily’s Hope is a nonprofit organization working to eliminate the stigma surrounding substance use disorder and to save lives through evidence-informed education, compassionate support, and financial assistance for recovery. Founded by award-winning journalist Angela Kennecke after the tragic overdose death of her daughter Emily, the organization has become a national voice for prevention and hope. Emily’s Hope offers a K–12 substance use prevention curriculum used across the country, the Grieving Out Loud podcast, and on-the-ground initiatives such as naloxone distribution, a Post-Overdose Response Team, and a Youth Prevention Coalition in South Dakota. The organization also provides treatment scholarships to help individuals access care. Learn more about Emily’s Hope at emilyshope.charity.
For additional media information, please visit emilyshope.charity/media.