Youth Empowerment Group’s mission
To promote mental, behavioral, and social health, equality, safety, healthy relationships, and academic and life success in youth by creating and providing easy-to-use, evidence-based video life skill curriculums and programs to schools, youth organizations, community groups, and families
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 Colorado in 2018, YEG’s multiple grant awards have helped fund the production of a video-based mental and social health life skill curriculum (or program) for 4th through 12th-grade boys and girls named PowerUp as well as an enhanced version of PowerUp Girls for Life that is now available for licensed use nationwide.
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
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
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 in Private Practice
PhD, School Psychology, Texas A&M University
Firestone, CO