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Strengthening the Heartland

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Meagan Scott Hoffman and Amber Letcher discuss Strengthening the Heartland material
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About the Project
Cultivating holistic rural wellness through free educational resources

Strengthening the Heartland is a program created by South Dakota State University Extension and North Dakota State University Extension to invest in the wellness and prosperity of rural communities across the Dakotas.

Strengthening the Heartland developed through the collaborative efforts of faculty from the two extensions. The program is supported by generous grants from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Learn More About Our Project
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LaunchSkills Educational Products

To lead successful lives, young adults need a range of essential skills, such as how to use a credit card or handle conflict with a roommate. Amid the abundance of information on the internet, there is a major gap in the skill sets of today’s teens. High school students lack the practical life skills to thrive in the 21st century.
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2026 Launch Fellowship

The Launch Fellowship offers a yearlong mentorship program for rural, middle school counselors responsible for career exploration in the classroom.
Strengthening the Heartland director Dr. Kristine Ramsay-Seaner reading LaunchSkills Curriculum
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Small Towns. Big Hearts.
Project Impact
Through our work, we believe that educating communities of all sizes, even the smallest, can have a big impact. Through our programming, we've been able to impact communities of all sizes.
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63 rural communities across the Dakotas
7,249 individuals from 63 rural communities across the Dakotas participated in our opioid misuse prevention training.
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Nationwide Addictions Training
Through our Addiction Conference, 41 professionals provided hourlong sessions to a total of 910 attendees from 29 states.
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36 States
36 states have been impacted through our programming and educational resources.

Testimonial

Thank you for the event! I learned a lot and was instantly able to begin direct application, which I so appreciate. Thank you!
Attendee of How to Use Creative Approaches to Engage with Youth
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This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award No. 2024-41520-43155.

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Strengthening the Heartland
Physical Address
1145 Medary Ave.
Brookings, SD 57007
Mailing Address
Wenona Hall 314, Box 507
Brookings, SD 57007
Hours
Mon - Fri: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
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