Elementary
The Emily’s Hope elementary curriculum is structured to support K-5 students, ensuring a sequential learning process that builds on key prevention principles.
The Curriculum Features:
🧠 Science-Based Learning
Explores how the adolescent brain develops and how substances interfere with critical functions.
🎭 Story-Driven Approach
Uses relatable characters and real-life scenarios to help students connect with the material and apply it to their lives.
🎬 Engaging Multimedia Tools
Includes animations, interactive activities, supportive chapter books and discussion-based lessons.
🤝 Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Integration
Reinforces emotional regulation, goal-setting, and self-advocacy skills.
📚 Teacher-Friendly Resources
Provides comprehensive lesson plans, hands-on activities, and professional development support.
The curriculum is designed for flexible implementation, allowing educators to adapt lessons based on classroom needs while maintaining fidelity to core learning objectives.
Inside the Classroom
Emily’s Hope Teaches Lifelong Decision-Making Skills
By Grade Level
Kindergarten
| Kindergarten Lessons | |||||||
| My Body | My Brain | My Brain on Substances | Your Health / My Health | Medication Safety | Substance Use Disorders | Emotions | Pressures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | |||||
1st Grade
| 1st Grade Lessons | |||||||
| My Body | My Brain | My Brain on Substances | Your Health / My Health | Medication Safety | Substance Use Disorders | Emotions | Pressures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | |||
2nd Grade
| 2nd Grade Lessons | |||||||
| My Body | My Brain | My Brain on Substances | Your Health / My Health | Medication Safety | Substance Use Disorders | Emotions | Pressures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | |||
3rd Grade
| 3rd Grade Lessons | |||||||
| My Body | My Brain | My Brain on Substances | Your Health / My Health | Medication Safety | Substance Use Disorders | Emotions | Pressures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
4th Grade
| 4th Grade Lessons | |||||||
| My Body | My Brain | My Brain on Substances | Your Health / My Health | Medication Safety | Substance Use Disorders | Emotions | Pressures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
5th Grade
| 5th Grade Lessons | |||||||
| My Body | My Brain | My Brain on Substances | Your Health / My Health | Medication Safety | Substance Use Disorders | Emotions | Pressures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Introducing Middle School
The key prevention principles introduced in Elementary continue to be built upon in Middle School.
Two Plans
Emily’s Hope offers two flexible plans for elementary & middle school to meet the needs of your school or district:
RECOMMENDED
Preferred Plan: 1:1 Student Copies
Every student receives their own printed Emily’s Hope Children’s Book or Comic Book to keep.
Encourages personal connection, deeper engagement, and at-home conversations.
Priced per student, per year
Standard Plan: Basic Classroom Access
One classroom copy of the student book per grade level.
Full access to teaching materials through the Teacher Hub.
Priced per student, per year
What’s included in Both Plans:
- Full access to our interactive Teacher Hub, including:
- Web & PDF lesson plans
- Interactive and printable student activities
- Animated video series
- Access to the e-books
- COMING SOON: Translated lessons in Spanish
- Pre- and post-curriculum assessments
- Self-paced Educator Training Center
- A self-paced training center to support educators with new materials regularly added
- Ongoing email support from our team
- Regular content updates based on educator feedback and research
Every School Deserves Access
We know funding can be a challenge. As a nonprofit, we’re committed to keeping this accessible, and we’re here to work with you. Our priority is getting life-saving education into classrooms.
We offer funding guides and financial support. Go to emilyshopeedu.org/funding for details.
Why We Recommend 1:1
When students take their books home, they share what they’ve learned, sparking powerful conversations with families. Educators report higher engagement, better retention, and stronger community impact.
Another option: Some schools purchase 1:1 classroom sets in the first year and then switch to the Standard Plan in future years.
You can also choose a different plan for each grade level.
Teacher Hub
All lessons and activities are easily accessible through our teacher portal. Designed for flexibility, the portal supports different student needs, schedules and learning levels-while helping educators feel confident in guiding the material.
New Research
K-5 Students Show Significant Gains in Health and Safety Knowledge
Up to a
average knowledge gain was achieved by students in kindergarten through 5th grade who participated in the curriculum.
1st Grade students showed a
gain in knowledge about healthy habits and behaviors
2nd Grade students showed a
increase in “consequential thinking” using:
5th Grade students showed a
gain in cause-and-effect reasoning
Research findings in this section have been accepted for publication but have not yet been published. The information presented is subject to change pending final publication.
Additional Resources
Published Research
3rd Grade Pilot – Key Results
- Statistically significant improvements in student knowledge, demonstrated by 21% improvement from baseline to post-curriculum mean scores.
- Higher comprehension of substance use risks, particularly regarding brain function and fentanyl awareness.
- Increased engagement and discussions about drug safety in the classroom and at home.
- Positive counselor and teacher feedback, emphasizing the curriculum’s age appropriateness and impact on student awareness.
Research Studies
Thoelke T, Dittberner M, Gray L, Schweinle W. (2024) “Building Blocks of Prevention: Assessing Substance Use Education Among Third Graders.” International Journal of Addiction Research, 1(1); DOI: 10.61148/ IJAR/012
Edwards, C., & Anand, V. (2023, December). Changes in knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions about substance use among third graders after introduction of substance use prevention curriculum: A pilot study. South Dakota Medicine, 76(12), 534–541.
Development
By employing proven practices in school-based curriculum design1, Emily’s Hope ensures that its educational tools are rooted in evidence-based principles.
Emily’s Hope K-5 Prevention Education Committee
Our dedicated K-5 committee consists of experienced professionals from various fields, including education, medicine, and addiction counseling.
Alignment
Each lesson is aligned with National Health Education Standards2 and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Mindsets and Behaviors3.
Future Directions & Expansion
Following the success of the pilot program, Emily’s Hope is expanding the curriculum to more schools and grade levels, with a focus on:
- Scaling the program to middle and high schools to ensure a comprehensive K-12 prevention pathway.
- Enhancing teacher training through workshops, implementation guides, and fidelity checklists.
- Developing additional materials, including animations and educator support tools.
- Conducting longitudinal research to measure the curriculum’s long-term effects on student behavior and substance use rates.
- Parental Education to inform parents of the dangers of current illicit drug supply and why their children must receive this timely curriculum.
- Benita Manzengo, Molly Stevens. Promising and Best Practices in School-Based Drug Prevention: Evaluation of the Emily’s Hope Pilot Curriculum. Beacom Research Fellows – Augustana Research Institute. 2024 April. ↩︎
- National Consensus for School Health Education. (2022). National Health Education Standards: Model Guidance for Curriculum and Instruction (3rd Edition) www.schoolhealtheducation.org ↩︎
- American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA Content Standards; Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success. Alexandria, VA: Author ↩︎