For Immediate Release: Community Leaders Raise Over $105K for Health Education

For Immediate Release

Communication Senior Director

j.bell@poehealth.org

Poe Center celebrates 35 years of health education, reaching

1.75 million children, youth, and adults across North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. – More than 150 business and community leaders gathered at the Poe Center for Health Education on September 17 to celebrate the organization's 35th anniversary, raising more than $105,000 to support health-science education for more than 2,100 children and youth across North Carolina.

The anniversary celebration featured a silent auction, annual awards ceremony and live cooking demonstration. Guests also explored the Poe Center's interactive health education theaters and were among the first to experience Wired: The Teen Brain Experience, a new brain-science exhibit designed for middle and high school students.

"The Poe Center's success depends on community support," said Executive Director Ann Rollins. "When people come together to invest in the physical and mental well-being of our children and communities, the entire state benefits. None of this would be possible without our generous sponsors and donors."

Twenty-two local businesses, foundations and individuals sponsored the anniversary celebration, along with over 50 of the Poe Center's annual partners.

35 Years of Health Education Across North Carolina

Since opening in 1991, the Poe Center has reached more than 1.75 million children, youth, and adults in 97 North Carolina counties. Through interactive programs, educational resources, and community partnerships, the Center addresses a broad range of health topics, including nutrition and physical activity, adolescent development, substance use prevention, dental health, bullying prevention, mental wellness, illness and injury prevention, and cooking and gardening education.

In the past year alone, more than 63,000 children and adults participated in Poe Center programs, while the Center's popular social media and online videos reached an additional 4 million people. More than 87% of children who participate in Poe Center programs report making positive behavior changes as a result.

"The Poe Center's program MythBusters has had a wonderful impact on my seventh graders," said a teacher from Warren County Middle School. "I'm seeing much more intentionality in their health choices, from choosing better fuel during lunch to showing deeper empathy in their peer interactions."

The Poe Center's approach combines health education with hands-on, immersive experiences designed to help children and families turn knowledge into healthy choices. The new brain-science experience for middle and high school students is the Poe Center's latest innovative program. Using projection mapping and real-life teen scenarios, the experience takes viewers on a journey through the developing brain and explores how everyday choices can shape its development.

Schools and organizations can book from more than 50 Poe Center programs at poehealth.org. The Center also provides free educational resources and videos online and offers workshops and community events throughout the year.

PoeFest Continues the 35th Anniversary Celebration

The public is invited to continue celebrating the Poe Center's 35th anniversary at PoeFest, the Center's annual open house, on Saturday, October 10, from 1–4 p.m. The free community event will feature opportunities for families to explore the Poe Center's interactive health education experiences and learn more about healthy living.

PoeFest is free and open to the public. Event details are available here.

Video highlights of the event may be downloaded and used for reporting.

About the Poe Center

The Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and empowering North Carolina’s children, youth, and their families to make choices that increase positive health behaviors. Since establishing its Raleigh campus in 1991, the Poe Center has provided health education to over 1.7 million people throughout North Carolina. By engaging in fun, highly interactive lessons, preschoolers through twelfth graders receive information that follows the NC DPI Healthful Living Essential Standards on a variety of health topics, including nutrition, physical activity, cooking, gardening, dental health, general health, family life, bullying prevention, substance use prevention, and mental health. For additional information about the Poe Center, please visit www.poehealth.org.

The Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education

224 Sunnybrook Road, Raleigh, NC 27610

(919) 231-4006 | (866) 402-4799 | info@poehealth.org