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About the Project

Meet our Collaborative

Strengthening the Heartland Team posed in front of a brick wall

About our Team

Our interdisciplinary team brings a broad range of experience. We equip teachers, counselors, and other professionals who work with rural youth free professional development opportunities and resources. Our passion for serving rural communities for a healthier tomorrow drives everything we do.

Meet our Team


Who We Are | Video Series


Program Highlights

Laptop with promotional graphic for David Sheff Webinar Event

Speaker Series

Support for practitioners and human service professionals experiencing burnout has always been an important topic, but even more so during and following the pandemic. A high-profile speaker series including presentations by New York Times Bestselling authors Anne Lamott, Nora McInerny, and David Sheff, among others, provided professionals with strategies for cultivating resiliency and self-care. 857 participants attended live, while recordings have received over 20,000 views.

Watch the David Sheff Event Recording

Woman on laptop with event details for Facts on Fentanyl Webinar

Webinar Series

High quality, on-demand, virtual professional development opportunities are often limited. To increase accessibility, two webinar series were implemented focused on positive youth development and substance misuse. 28, hour- long webinars were facilitated by national experts. Webinars have reached 1,900 live participants, with recordings viewed 37,023 times.

View our YouTube Channel

Map of communities reached in North and South Dakota

In Person Adult and Youth Programming

33 professionals were trained to facilitate a one-hour, one-touch opioid misuse prevention program. This is (NOT) About Drugs, aimed at youth, and The Opioid Public Health Health Crisis, for adults, address opioid misuse, risk factors, and suggested prevention methods.

“Your organization is doing some amazing things that I hope to bring to our reservation communities!”

- OPHC PRESENTATION ATTENDEE

Educational Resources

Our team created and distributed highly requested print resources to hundreds of schools across the Dakotas.
Popular resources included:

  • Coping Skills Pocket Guide: A 3 inch x 3 inch guide containing practical tips for managing stress.
  • Self-care Hacks Bookmark: A bookmark offering healthy tips for handling stressful situations.
Stacks of Strengthening the Heartland's Coping Skills Pocket Guide on a table

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