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Strengthening the Heartland

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Meagan Scott Hoffman and Amber Letcher discuss Strengthening the Heartland material

About the Project

Cultivating holistic rural wellness through free educational resources

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Strengthening the Heartland, 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 (STH) developed through the collaborative efforts of faculty from South Dakota State University Extension and North Dakota State University Extension. With generous grant support from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the mission of STH is to invest in the wellness and prosperity of rural communities across the Dakotas.

Learn More About Our Project

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Strengthening the Heartland director Dr. Kristine Ramsay-Seaner reading LaunchSkills Curriculum

Small Towns. Big Hearts. National 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 7,249 individuals from 63 rural communities across the Dakotas with opioid misuse prevention training.
  • Through our Addiction Conference, 41 professionals provided hour-long sessions to a total of 910 attendees from 29 states.

Learn More About our Project Impact


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Strengthening the Heartland News

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SDSU announces "Healthy Decision-Making" art contest winners

Strengthening the Heartland, 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, has announced the winners of its inaugural "Healthy Decision-Making" art contest.

Free seminars help South Dakotans learn about opioids, prevent misuse

Nearly 2,500 adolescents and adults in rural communities across South Dakota are better prepared to prevent opioid misuse, thanks to free educational seminars provided through SDSU Extension’s Strengthening the Heartland Program.