How to use this sample press release template
- Add the details of your school’s implementation in the press release template below, and include a quote from an administrator.
- Be sure to have someone in the contact space who is readily available and responsive.
- Circulate to your press outlets and include the release as a blog on your website and promote socially. Edit so that it makes sense for your community.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
[SCHOOL MEDIA CONTACT NAME, TITLE, SCHOOL NAME]
[EMAIL ADDRESS]
[PHONE NUMBER]
Anna Fey, Marketing Manager, Emily’s Hope
annafey@emilyshope.charity
(605) 940-3504
[SCHOOL NAME] to Implement Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum
[CITY], [STATE] – [DATE] – [SCHOOL NAME] is proud to announce the implementation of the Emily’s Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum, starting in the 2023/2024 school year.
This innovative, research-backed curriculum provides age-appropriate education about substances and their effects on the brain, body, and life. Its goal is to equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to make healthy choices and prevent substance abuse.
As the number one killer of individuals aged 18-45, fentanyl is an imminent threat to public health.
Emily’s Hope, the organization behind the curriculum, was established by renowned broadcast journalist Angela Kennecke. Her mission is to raise awareness about this critical issue. Kennecke’s life took an unexpected turn when her daughter, Emily, died from fentanyl poisoning at the young age of 21. Emily had no idea that she was taking fentanyl, and Angela was left to grapple with the devastating loss of her beloved daughter. Angela’s unwavering response to this tragedy has been to turn heartbreak into action.
“A fervent desire burns within me to equip every child with the knowledge necessary to avoid addiction through our Emily’s Hope Prevention Curriculum,” said Kennecke, who now runs the organization full-time at CEO.
This curriculum is part of her commitment to preventing similar incidents from happening to other families. Students at [SCHOOL NAME] will learn the science, social, and health aspects of substance use, dealing with difficult emotions, and the entire family’s wellness.
Emily’s Hope’s team of medical, education, and addiction specialists are committed to providing tools for schools to reduce the number of overdose deaths in the United States.
“School-based programs focusing on children from early development through elementary and middle school are needed to achieve long-term preventative goals and a real public health impact,” Vivek Anand, MD, Attending Physician, Avera Behavioral Health Hospital, Attending Physician, Avera Addiction Care Center and Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota.
The K-5 curriculum launched nationally in the 2023/2024 school year, while a middle & high school curriculum is in the works for subsequent years.
For more information, please contact [SCHOOL’S MEDIA CONTACT INFO] or Anna Fey, Director of Marketing at Emily’s Hope.
About [SCHOOL NAME]
[Add your school’s boilerplate, or a small description of your school]
About Emily’s Hope
Emily’s Hope is a non-profit organization dedicated to removing the stigma of substance use disorder through awareness, education, and prevention; and removing financial barriers for treatment and recovery. Founded by Angela Kennecke in memory of her daughter Emily, Emily’s Hope has helped more than 350 people enter recovery and has developed a prevention education curriculum for students K-12.
Editor/Producer Note:
Angela Kennecke, CEO and Founder of Emily’s Hope is available for interviews on the overdose crisis. Angela has been featured on NBC Nightly News, ABC World News Tonight, CBS This Morning, NewsNation, and dozens of other national outlets.
Over the last decade, Angela has focused many of her stories on the growing opioid crisis. Tragically, her 21-year-old daughter, Emily, died of a fentanyl overdose. In the wake of this personal loss, Angela has taken Emily’s story nationwide and even internationally. She speaks tirelessly about the issues surrounding opioid addiction, a parent’s frustration, and a sense of helplessness, all from the perspective of a mother who has lost her child.
