Emily's Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum

Emily’s Hope 6-12 Prevention Education Committee

At Emily’s Hope, our mission is to provide evidence-based substance use prevention education for children, teaching them about their brains and how to protect them from harmful substances. Our dedicated middle and high school committee consists of experienced professionals from various fields, including education, medicine, and addiction counseling.

The Emily’s Hope 6-12 Substance Use Prevention Curriculum is supported by the South Dakota Opioid Settlement Fund – Community Grant Program.

Angela Kennecke

Angela Kennecke

President, CEO, and Founder of Emily’s Hope

Dr. Vivek Anand, MD

Dr. Vivek Anand, MD

Attending Physician at Avera Behavioral Health Hospital and Avera Addiction Care Center, Associate Professor at Department of Psychiatry, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota

Barbara Avery-Sterud

Dr. Barbara Avery-Sterud

Retired Sioux Falls School District Administrator

Benjamin Benson

Sanford Promise Lab Educator

Abby Danko

Abby Danko

School Counselor, Baltic School District

Dr. Melissa "Mo" Dittberner

Dr. Melissa “Mo” Dittberner

Professor of Addiction Counseling and Prevention at the University of South Dakota, Board Member of Emily’s Hope

Anna Fey

Anna Fey

Executive Assistant and Marketing Manager at Emily’s Hope

Lindsey Gray

Lindsey Gray

5th Grade Teacher at All City Elementary and Curriculum Development and Research at Emily’s Hope

Jill Hall

Special Education Teacher, Patrick Henry Middle School

Dr. Sandra Henry

Dr. Sandra Henry

Retired Sioux Falls School District Middle School Curriculum Coordinator

Linden Hiller, member of emily's hope education prevention committee

Linden Hiller

4th Grade Teacher at Anne Sullivan Elementary

Katherine Newhouse, member of emily's hope education prevention committee

Katherine Newhouse

West Lyon High School Agriculture Education / FFA

Tammy Nold, member of emily's hope education prevention committee

Tammy Nold

High School Counselor, Washington High School

Dody Otten, member of emily's hope education prevention committee

Dody Otten

High School Teacher, Washington High School

Valerie Peters, member of emily's hope education prevention committee

Valerie Peters

Director of Education, Emily’s Hope

Cindy Reilly member of emily's hope education prevention committee

Cindy Reilly

Licensed Addictions Counselor

Dawn Soulek

Clinical Social Worker – Avera Medical Group

Tiffany Thoelke member of emily's hope education prevention committee

Tiffany Thoelke

Addiction and Psychology Major at the University of South Dakota

Dr. Tracy Vik member of emily's hope education prevention committee

Dr. Tracy Vik

Principal at Sonia Sotomayor Elementary

Our committee members bring their unique expertise and perspectives to the development and implementation of the Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum. Together, we are committed to giving students the knowledge and tools they need to make healthy choices and combat substance abuse.