Youth Empowerment Group’s mission
Youth Empowerment Group strengthens youth mental, social, behavioral, and physical health by equipping Weld County schools and youth-serving organizations with free, research-backed life skill curriculums that help young people build resilience, confidence, healthy relationships, and the skills they need to thrive in school and life.
Believing that every young person deserves access to these life skills crucial for well-being and success today, licensed curriculums are also available nationally.
Powering success in youth—through the organizations that serve them.
The nonprofit Youth Empowerment Group (YEG) is comprised of volunteer professionals in mental health, education, and medicine in Colorado. Starting with their premier PowerUp Girls for Life program and incorporating in 2018, grant awards funded the production of PowerUp Co-Ed, a video-based mental, social, and behavioral health life skill curriculum for 5th through 12th-graders.
Both curriculums are phasing in authentic youth from our national firm project speaking about mental health and life to seize the power of peer-to-peer support and influence. Curriculums are now available for free use within Weld County, Colorado and licensed use nationwide. Twelve of the 22 co-ed curriculum sessions have now been modified for children as young as age 9.
Youth Empowerment Group is a Colorado 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation
Our All-Volunteer Team of Experts
LAURIE BERDAHL, MD
Executive Director, Board Chair, Curriculum Writer and Producer
Retired obstetrics and gynecology physician, speaker on adolescent wellness & parenting
Co-Producer, US National Youth film project, “Growing Up is Harder Than Ever” featured in Time Magazine and co-author of the book, WARNING SIGNS: How to Protect Your Kids from Becoming Victims or Perpetrators of Violence and Aggression, Chicago Review Press
MD, ABD PhD Genetics, University of Iowa
Greeley, CO
AMIE CIEMINSKI, EdD, MA
Officer, Treasurer, Research Coordinator, Outreach Liaison
Associate Professor, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, University of Northern Colorado
Ed.D, University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, CO
BRIAN D JOHNSON, PhD
Curriculum Advisor, Research Team Member
Licensed Child & Adolescent Psychologist, Graduate Professor of Counseling Psychology, Psychological Services Clinic Director, Department of Applied Psychology and Counselor Education, College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, University of Northern Colorado
Co-author of the book, WARNING SIGNS: How to Protect Your Kids from Becoming Victims or Perpetrators of Violence and Aggression, Chicago Review Press
PhD, Counseling Psychology, University of Iowa
Greeley, CO
LAISSA PRATI, PhD, MA
Curriculum Advisor, Research Team Coordinator, Latina Cultural Advisory Committee Chair
Licensed, multilingual (including Spanish) Psychologist in private practice
MA, Social and Institutional Psychology
PhD, Psychology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Fort Collins, CO
MEG SPENCER, MA
Board of Directors, Curriculum Advisor, Outreach Team member
Faculty Coach, Aims Community College, Retired
Writer
MA, English
Greeley, CO
JAVONDAI ANDERSON, MA
Curriculum advisor
School Counselor, Christa McAuliffe K-8 Stem Academy
MA, School Counseling
Greeley, CO
SHERRI DENNSTEDT, EdD, MA
Board of Directors, Research Team Member
Site Professor, CU Denver Teacher Candidate Program
Educational Consultant, Savvas Learning Company
EdD, Educational Reform and Equity, MA, Education: Leadership for Innovation and Change, MA, Interdisciplinary Studies for Secondary Science Teachers
Denver, CO
KERRY R. LUKE, PsyD
Curriculum Advisor
Licensed Psychologist in private practice
https://bodyappreciationandself-kindness.com/
Doctorate, Clinical Psychology, Xavier University
Erie, CO
TERRY ANDERSON, MS
Curriculum Advisor, Outreach Team member
Dean of Allied Health and Wellness
Aims Community College
Greeley, CO
JENNIFER GRAY, PhD
Officer, Secretary, Curriculum Advisor
Licensed School Psychologist
School Psychology Intern Supervisor, Denver Public Schools, and serves youth in private practice
PhD, School Psychology, Texas A&M University
Firestone, CO