Each year, North Carolina Cooperative Extension recognizes outstanding faculty, staff, and teams for their contribution to the citizens of North Carolina. It’s not every year, however, that a collaborative effort between NC 4-H, FCS, NC State University, ECU, and UTK is awarded the Research Friend of Extension Award for going above and beyond in their work with middle school youth and their caregivers. (The acronyms are a quiz - check your answers below!)
Empowering Youth and Families Program (EYFP) has engaged over 100 families across two states in an effort to build a new research-informed program to help youth and their caregivers make healthy choices for prevention and for their mental and physical health. Families learn together first and then step out to educate their neighbors in a way that is unique to their community. To date, close to 15,000 community members have been reached in 16 centers in North Carolina and Tennessee.
EYFP team members are truly honored and humbled to be recognized for their collective efforts. The curriculum designed for use within EYFP, Powerful Families, Powerful Communities, is nearing the end of its pilot status and will be widely available to the larger prevention community upon publication. For more information, visit our website.
Amy Chilcote (PI)
Dr. Autumn Guin (Co-PI)
Anne Greenaway (Co-PI) serves as EYFP Instructional Coordinator
Dr. Kimberly Allen (Co-PI) serves as Family Life Specialist
Dr. Maru Gonzalez serves as Youth Development Specialist
Dr. Sarah Kotzian serves as Community Events Specialist
Kenan Bridges is the 4-H Healthy Living Coordinator
Tabitha Barnes is the 4-H Communications Specialist
Niki Maness is the EYFP Program Assistant in Yancey and Mitchell Counties
Carla Adams is the EYFP Program Assistant in Burke County
Adrienne Williams is the Program Assistant in Nash County
Lee Stiles is the EYFP Program Assistant in Onslow and Carteret Counties
*Alex Kissinger was the EYFP Program Assistant in Ashe and Allegheny Counties
*Sara Little was the EYFP Program Assistant in Montgomery County
*Haylee Allen was the EYFP Program Assistant in New Hanover and Brunswick Counties
* has left EYFP since the award was submitted
EYFP is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Rural Health and Safety Initiative and by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Grants.
