Sioux Falls, SD – September 22, 2025 – Emily’s Hope has been selected by the Mary Chilton DAR Foundation as the recipient of the prestigious Dorothy Day Davenport Grant, an annual award of $50,000. The funding will bring Emily’s Hope’s K–12 Substance Use Prevention Curriculum to Sioux Falls schools and after-school programs during the 2025–2026 school year.
The Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum was developed by a team of educators, medical professionals, and prevention specialists to give students age-appropriate, science-based lessons about the brain, healthy decision-making, and the risks of substance use. The curriculum includes storybooks, lesson plans, activities, and animations tailored to each grade level. It has already been successfully implemented in schools across multiple states and is now available to schools in the Sioux Falls area. Several after-school programs in the district have also begun using the curriculum, providing early prevention tools for local youth.
With this grant, Emily’s Hope will provide curriculum materials, teacher training, and classroom resources free of charge, removing financial barriers and equipping Sioux Falls educators to deliver life-saving prevention education. The project aims to help students build resilience, understand how substances affect the brain and body, and make informed, healthy choices.
“The support of the Mary Chilton DAR Foundation allows us to give Sioux Falls’ students access to prevention education that can change—and even save—lives,” said Angela Kennecke, CEO and founder of Emily’s Hope. “This is an investment in the future of our children and our community.”
The Dorothy Day Davenport Grant is awarded annually to projects that accomplish or significantly advance local missions in historic preservation, education, or patriotic service. This year’s award will be officially presented to Emily’s Hope at the Mary Chilton Chapter NSDAR meeting on October 14, 2025.
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.
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