Project EMPOWER (Education Means Power)
Buncombe County’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative.
Services:
- 2003-2018: Provision of services to teens, male and female, of all socio-economic status, to prevent teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS/STIs and to increase the drop out retention rate. African American youth and teens were the primary focus based on the teen pregnancy rate
- Evidence-based curriculum was implemented during school hours through the Asheville City Schools District and through the Asheville City Schools Foundation’s In Real Life (IRL) program after-school hours at designated approved schools. serves
*** Project EMPOWER’s current focus is to impact/reduce the opioid crisis in Buncombe County-currently in partnership with RHA Partnership for a Substance Free Youth and other collaborative partnerships.
Project EMPOWER Community Advisory Council
Seth Bellamy, Student and Representative for RHA Partnership for a Substance Free Youth
Philip Cooper, Change Agent Cooper LLC
Johnnie Grant, The Urban News
Dr. Randall Johnson, Asheville City Schools District
Mr. Devin Lipford & WNCAP
Rasheeda McDaniel, Buncombe County Health & Human Service