Emily’s Hope Launches Full K–8 Substance Use Prevention Curriculum

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Emily’s Hope, a South Dakota-based nonprofit working to end the stigma of substance use disorder and prevent future deaths from overdose and fentanyl poisonings, has officially launched its comprehensive K–8 Substance Use Prevention Curriculum, now available for schools across the country. The latest milestone: a robust middle school curriculum (grades 6–8), publicly released after a successful pilot year.

This new middle school offering builds on the success of Emily’s Hope’s K–5 curriculum, which is now recognized as evidence-based following publication in multiple peer-reviewed medical journals, including South Dakota Medicine, the International Journal of Addiction Research, and the upcoming American Journal on Addictions.

Students at Viborg-Hurley are taught the Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum.

The Emily’s Hope curriculum is unique in its depth, creativity, and developmental approach—equipping students as young as kindergarten with vital knowledge about their bodies and brains, while empowering them with the decision-making skills and emotional tools to avoid substance use in the future.

“Our mission has always been to save lives by getting upstream—preventing substance use before it begins,” said Angela Kennecke, founder of Emily’s Hope and mother of Emily Groth, who died of fentanyl poisoning in 2018. “We’re now proud to offer schools a full K–8 curriculum grounded in science, compassion, and real-world impact.”

Rich, Age-Appropriate Content from K to 8

The curriculum covers a wide range of topics across grade levels:

K–2: Body systems, healthy habits, emotional regulation, and medication safety
3–5: Brain development, decision-making, substance refusal strategies, and empathy
6–8: Peer pressure, naloxone use, brain science and adolescent change, social media safety, and substance use disorder as a disease

Middle school students explore these topics through original animations and comics featuring relatable characters like Emily, Eduardo, Sam, Latisha, and Kareem—keeping engagement high while reinforcing real-world application. These tools have already been used successfully by pilot schools in the Midwest and beyond.

Research-Backed and Classroom-Tested

Multiple independent studies of the K–5 curriculum demonstrate statistically significant gains in student knowledge of brain function, emotional regulation, medication safety, and health decision-making. The most recent study found:

Up to 57% increase in healthy habit knowledge
52% improvement in consequential thinking skills
Evidence of increased protective factors to prevent future substance use

Participating educators across five U.S. states and one school in Uganda report the curriculum is easy to implement, well-received by students, and adaptable to diverse classroom settings.

“There is nothing else exactly like this available to schools,” said Val Peters, Director of Education at Emily’s Hope. “We are giving teachers and students a practical, age-appropriate way to start conversations that can literally save lives.”

Now Available Nationwide

Emily’s Hope invites elementary and middle schools nationwide to preview the full K–8 curriculum and enroll for the 2025-26 academic year. Training, lesson materials, books, educator guides, and family engagement tools are included.

To learn more or request access, visit emilyshopeedu.org.

Note to Editors/Producers

Our lessons included animated videos to help explain topics. You can find our media kit with examples of the animations, classroom video, logos and more here.

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.