Poe Center for Health Education

Raise your hands if you love dental health 🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏿🙋🏾‍♀️🦷. The Kids Excel Summer Camp had a fun time at the Poe Center learning all about how to care for their teeth and how to eat a rainbow everyday. 🌈

Want to visit us for a program? Visit our website to plan a program today: www.poehealth.org/plan-a-program/

Don't wait - get your tickets to our Annual Meeting and secure your spot. This year's event, Youth Mental Health: Promoting Well-Being and Safety, takes place September 4-6:

- 📅🏆Join us on Wednesday, September 4 for a V.I.P. Reception & Annual Meeting as we recognize incoming and outgoing Board Members and honor those who contribute to children’s health and education in NC.

- 📅📚Sign up for one of two Professional Development Opportunities on Thursday, September 5: Youth Mental Health First Aid or Question. Persuade. Refer.

- 📅💬And join us for our Health Education Conference with Keynote and Moderated Panel on Friday, September 6, featuring breakfast, networking, keynote speaker, expert panel, and how to use this important information day-to-day.

Register and learn more: https://www.poehealth.org/events/annual-meeting-2024

Our Family Life Theater Grand Re-opening was a success! Guests gathered to witness the ribbon-cutting and unveiling of the newly-renovated theater, featuring:
- Scientifically accurate, interactive, state-of-the-art 3-D/touchscreen exhibit of the uterus
- Body systems displays with technologically advanced graphics and lighting
- Updated interactive elements, and more!

The Family Life theater renovations were made possible thanks to the generosity of the Mead Family Foundation.

Thanks to partners, community members, collaborators, and staff who attended this wonderful event to celebrate a space that will be used to educate children, youth, and families of North Carolina for years to come.

Fighting food-insecurity is no easy feat. Urban Community AgriNomics (UCAN) shares with our expert health educator how they uplift their community through gardening, restoring history, and creating resilience in the Durham community. WATCH HERE:

Community Spotlight: Fast Facts & A Farm Tour with UCAN Urban Community AgroNomics, known as UCAN, has been “Growing Communities One Seed at a Time!” since 2016. UCAN empowers Durham families with access to resources to grow their own healthy food using sustainable practices in a supportive environment. Their historical land hosts The Catawba Trail F...

We served 314 meals at our PlayWELL Park this summer during our "Eat Lunch with Poe" ☀️🍽️. Thank you to all the staff, volunteers, and partner organizations for a successful summer of fun and lunch with the community. 🎉

❗💡❗ It’s Fun Fact Friday! The sun is back out, just in time for the weekend. ☀️ Don't forget these keys safety tips 👍🏻 to make sure you stay healthy during outdoor activities. 😎

Learn how to stay cool, hydrated, and safe in the sun:

Are you coming to our Annual Meeting? This year's event, Youth Mental Health: Promoting Well-Being and Safety, takes place September 4-6 and will focus on emerging information on youth mental health and well-being, the impact, and what we all can do about it.

Meet the Keynote Speaker: Victor Armstrong, MSW, Vice President of Health Equity & Engagement with the American Foundation for Su***de Prevention.

In his professional career spanning over 30 years, Mr. Armstrong has held many prestigious roles including serving as North Carolina’s inaugural Chief Health Equity Officer; Director of the NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services; and Vice President of Behavioral Health with Atrium Health, NC’s largest hospital system. He has worked as an AFSP volunteer on eliminating stigma and spreading the word that no one should “suffer in silence.” Mr. Armstrong has been the recipient of numerous awards including an award from Mental Health America Outstanding Mental Health Leadership.

Read Mr. Armstrong’s full bio and register for the Annual Meeting and Conference here: https://www.poehealth.org/events/annual-meeting-2024/

Whether rain or shine come have Lunch with Poe: Kids Eat FREE at PlayWELL Park with us tomorrow! Join us for fun activities with North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences , and Muddy the Mudcat!
✨Don't miss Lunch with Poe, TOMORROW, Wednesday, August 7 at PlayWELL Park at the Poe Center (or indoors if it rains).✨

📅📍Activities from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., and lunch will be served between 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lunch is FREE for youth 18 and under. See you there!
https://www.poehealth.org/events/lunch-with-poe-kids-eat-free-at-playwell-park-08-07-2024/

Ark Childcare Center visited the Poe Center last week. Participants learned all about how to care for their teeth 🦷 in our Super Smiles program. Then, they learned about healthy foods and MyPlate in Healthy Habits🍎🥦🍞🍗🥛. A visit to the Cranium Connection 🧠 completed the visit, teaching participants how to care for their growing brains.

Want to visit us for a program? Visit our website to plan a program today: www.poehealth.org/plan-a-program/

📅📍Mark your calendars and make plans to attend our 2024 Annual Meeting and Conference, Youth Mental Health: Promoting Well-Being and Safety.

Join the Poe Center in our continued efforts to support the mental health and well-being of youth. The conference will focus on emerging information on youth mental health, the impact, and what we can do about it. Hear from experts in the field who are problem-solving and taking steps to help young people stay safe and experience healthy development, and who will give guidance on how to support our youth every day and in times of high need.

The events will be held on September 4, 5, and 6 in Raleigh, NC at various locations.
Full locations, event details, and registration: https://www.poehealth.org/events/annual-meeting-2024/

Do you have bored teens or tweens in the house during these dog days of summer? ☀️🌡️ Need an indoor activity to beat the heat? Give the Poe Center's new Fortnite-based healthy choices video game "Neural Fortification" a try!

Designed for middle - high school students, players embark on a journey to make healthy nutrition, social, and growth mindset choices that fortify a resilient mind. Challenges empower players to make connections between their choices and brain health putting them in charge of their own neural development.

Try it today!
https://www.fortnite.com//9234-5216-0921
Fortnite Island Code = 9234-5216-0921

Neural Fortification🧠 9234-5216-0921 by horizonpro - Fortnite Come play Neural Fortification🧠 by horizonpro in Fortnite Creative. Enter the map code 9234-5216-0921 and start playing now!

Lunch with Poe: Kids Eat FREE at PlayWELL Park was so much fun last week! Join us TODAY for fun activities with Marbles Kids Museum, and reading resources from Wake Up and Read!

✨Don't miss Lunch with Poe, TODAY, Wednesday, July 31 at PlayWELL Park at the Poe Center.✨
📅📍Activities from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., and lunch will be served between 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lunch is FREE for youth 18 and under. See you there!

Students from our 21st Century After School Program at Southeast Raleigh High School have completed a new mini-library, which is NOW OPEN at Fuller Elementary 📚🎉. Stop by to grab a book and see our students' beautiful art.

Thank you to Wake Up and Read for helping support this student project.

Our garlic is finally ready🧄! Join our educators as they harvest garlic at the Poe Center. Garlic allows for plenty of family fun in the garden, where everyone can learn how to braid. In the kitchen, we’ll make toum, a delicious Lebanese garlic sauce, perfect for dipping veggies or as a sauce served with kebabs. WATCH HERE:

Garlic: Harvesting, Braiding, and Making Toum Garlic is ready at the Poe Center’s GrowWELL Garden. Learn when to harvest garlic, how to harvest garlic, and how to braid garlic for the curing process. Braiding garlic is a fun family activity and can help you organize and store garlic. Join us in the CookWELL Kitchen to learn how to make garlic...

Lunch with Poe: Kids Eat FREE at PlayWELL Park was a BLAST last week! Join us tomorrow to plant seeds and do a MindWELL Walk in our Park and MindWELL Garden & Labyrinth. Plus, meet Emerald Pine the Tooth Fairy. 🧚

Don't miss this week's Lunch with Poe, on Wednesday, July 24 at PlayWELL Park at the Poe Center. Activities from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., and lunch will be served between 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lunch is FREE for youth 18 and under. See you there!

https://www.poehealth.org/events/lunch-with-poe-kids-eat-free-at-playwell-park-07-24-2024

July's session of Healthy Habits Camp was so much fun. Wrapping up on Friday, the week was filled with games, healthy snacktivities, crafts, science experiments, and even bubbles🫧!

Campers loved trying recipes such as DIY ranch dressing and hummus, dipping yummy veggies in and learning about MyPlate. A Rube Goldberg machine craft challenged campers to think like scientists. Campers did yoga🧘, played indoor and outdoor group games⚽️, and learned about staying active and what makes a healthy snack or meal🍎. Campers also learned and played in the GrowWELL Garden, ending the week with a water-games Field Day🌊🌞🌻.

Thank you ❤️ to all of our volunteers and staff who make Healthy Habits Camp special each year.

NEW BLOG POST: Managing Childhood Anxiety
By Jessica L. Tomasula, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, Owner, LiveWell Psychology PLLC, WakeMed Pediatric Weight Management

It is no surprise that rates of anxiety for children and adolescents have more than doubled since the onset of COVID-19. Nearly one in five youth now struggle with anxiety symptoms and that one may be in your family. This prompts the question, “What can I do?” Here are a few practical tips to help answer that question. READ MORE:

Managing Childhood Anxiety It is no surprise that rates of anxiety for children and adolescents have more than doubled since the onset of COVID-19. Nearly one in five youth now struggle with anxiety symptoms and that one may be in your family. This prompts the question, “What can I do?” Here are a few practical tips to he...

Lunch with Poe: Kids Eat FREE at PlayWELL Park was a BLAST last week! Join us this week for a honey tasting 🍯 😋 with Bee Downtown tomorrow.

Don't miss this week's Lunch with Poe, on Wednesday, July 17 at PlayWELL Park at the Poe Center. Activities from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., and lunch will be served between 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lunch is FREE for youth 18 and under. See you there!

More info: https://www.poehealth.org/events/lunch-with-poe-kids-eat-free-at-playwell-park-07-17-2024/

When it's this hot outside, you need something fun indoors to keep your teens entertained - or as we like to say EDU-tained. Give the Poe Center's new Fortnite-based healthy choices video game "Neural Fortification" a try!

Designed for middle - high school students, players embark on a journey to make healthy nutrition, social, and growth mindset choices that fortify a resilient mind. Challenges empower players to make connections between their choices and brain health putting them in charge of their own neural development.
Try it today!

https://www.fortnite.com//9234-5216-0921
Fortnite Island Code = 9234-5216-0921

Neural Fortification🧠 9234-5216-0921 by horizonpro - Fortnite Come play Neural Fortification🧠 by horizonpro in Fortnite Creative. Enter the map code 9234-5216-0921 and start playing now!

The sun is out 🌞, which means it's time for walks 🚶🏿‍♀️ in the park and biking in your neighborhood 🚲. Stay safe while out and about by drinking plenty of water and following the pedestrian and biking safety tips we've linked below. ⤵️

Lunch with Poe: Kids Eat FREE at PlayWELL Park was a BLAST last week! Yummy meals were served, we read about children's mental health, and did some relaxing yoga 🧘🏽.

Don't miss this week's Lunch with Poe, on Wednesday, July 10 at PlayWELL Park at the Poe Center. Activities from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., and lunch will be served between 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lunch is FREE for youth 18 and under. See you there!

More info: https://www.poehealth.org/events/lunch-with-poe-kids-eat-free-at-playwell-park-07-10-2024/

Registration is now OPEN for our 2024 Annual Meeting and Conference, Youth Mental Health: Promoting Well-Being and Safety.

Join the Poe Center in our continued efforts to support the mental health and well-being of youth. The conference will focus on emerging information on youth mental health, the impact, and what we can do about it. Hear from experts in the field who are problem-solving and taking steps to help young people stay safe and experience healthy development, and who will give guidance on how to support our youth every day and in times of high need.

The events will be held on September 4, 5, and 6 in Raleigh, NC at various locations.
Full locations, event details, and registration:

Poe Center 2024 Annual Meeting & Conference ‹ View All Events Poe Center 2024 Annual Meeting & Conference September 4, 2024 - September 6, 2024 All Day 2024 Annual Meeting and Conference 2024 Annual Meeting and Conference September 4-6, 2024 Register Here September 4-6, 2024 Register HereSchedule of Events | Meet the Keynote Speaker | Meet ...

Earlier this summer, volunteers from Crossrope Jump Ropes came to the Poe Center to help beautify our campus. Volunteers cleaned up the CookWELL Kitchen, leaving it spotless and ready for our campers and program participants to use. Volunteers also helped mulch PlayWELL Park, a much-needed task. Thanks for your efforts, Crossrope!

It’s Thoughtful Thursday 🫂❤️ with the Poe Center. Preventing bullying starts with a core of accepting and respecting differences in others. Read for more information on how to celebrate differences below:

Did you see the Poe Center on CBS 17? For their Founders' Day, volunteers from CBS 17 stopped by PlayWELL Park to beautify the park and speak with our own Ann Rollins about the exciting future of PlayWELL Park! We plan to update the Park with DNA-shaped climbing structures 🧬, cell-shaped equipment 🧫🔬, an updated Lickity Split Slide 😎, refreshes to the RIb Rise 🦴 and Between the Ears Zipline 👂, and more. Check out the segment below 📺🎥!

Want to support our PlayWELL Park renovations? Visit poehealth.org and click "donate."

The Poe Center for Health Education CBS 17 Cares! Station employees volunteered at The Poe Center as we learned about their awesome educational mission and big fundraising goal for beautiful PlayWELL Park.

Lunch with Poe: Kids Eat FREE at PlayWELL Park was a BLAST last week! Yummy meals were served, Ray F. Sun stopped by with his fruit & veggie friends ☀️🍎🍑🍅, and Marbles Kids Museum brought engaging, fun activities to PlayWELL Park 😊.

Don't miss this week's Lunch with Poe, on Wednesday, July 3 at PlayWELL Park at the Poe Center. Activities from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., and lunch will be served between 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lunch is FREE for youth 18 and under. See you there!

More info: www.poehealth.org/events/lunch-with-poe-kids-eat-free-at-playwell-park-07-03-2024/

Registration is now OPEN for our 2024 Annual Meeting and Conference, Youth Mental Health: Promoting Well-Being and Safety.

Join the Poe Center in our continued efforts to support the mental health and well-being of youth. The conference will focus on emerging information on youth mental health, the impact, and what we can do about it. Hear from experts in the field who are problem-solving and taking steps to help young people stay safe and experience healthy development, and who will give guidance on how to support our youth every day and in times of high need.

The events will be held on September 4, 5, and 6 in Raleigh, NC at various locations.
Full locations, event details, and registration: https://www.poehealth.org/events/annual-meeting-2024/

We had such a blast at Healthy Habits Camp. This week was filled with healthy snacks, science experiments, games, and laughs. Highlights of the week included making a tropic green smoothie 🌴, animal yoga 🦁, and campers learning how to make their own paper garden pots 🪴. We ended the week with an exciting water-filled field day ☀️🌊.

Thank you ❤️ to all of our volunteers and staff who make this camp special each year.

SENIOR STUDENT VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: I am Julian Goodman, and I graduated from Enloe High School this month. I have been a student volunteer at Poe Center for Health Education for the past 3 years. I have learned a lot about the importance of making effective and healthy decisions, such as learning about the harmful effects of drugs, alcohol, and to***co, which lead to unhealthy choices.

One of the highlights of my volunteer experience was taking on the task of capturing pictures and videos of Healthy Habits summer campers. Then, I used those photos and videos along with graphics and editing to produce an end-of-camp video, presenting it to campers and their caregivers.

My next journey in life is continuing my education at the college level at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. My intended major is Business Administration with a concentration on Marketing, Entrepreneur, and Real Estate Development. I am also interested in earning my MBA after college. I am proud to continue my baseball at the college level. I have been playing baseball since I was 4 years old.

This summer, I plan to prepare for college and assist in coaching a baseball team.
I am most excited to learn and grow into the next chapter of my life. I am excited to attend college and especially HBCU (Historically Black College University) and to be a 3rd generation to attend & graduate from Morehouse College. I know I have the support and love of my family and the torch has been passed to me to continue to lead and learn and reach back to help others.

Thank you, Poe Center for Health Education for the opportunity to volunteer.

Have Lunch with Poe: Kids Eat FREE at PlayWELL Park starts TOMORROW! 🍓🍇🥦🍏

Come to PlayWELL Park tomorrow, June 26, for free lunch for youth 18 and under, plus fun health education activities and special guests!

Where: PlayWELL Park at the Poe Center, 224 Sunnybrook Road, Raleigh, NC 27610
When: Lunch will be served between 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Who: Youth 18 and under

See you there!

Lunch with Poe: Kids Eat FREE at PlayWELL Park - Poe Center for Health Education NC Join us this summer for lunch (provided at no cost) and fun health-themed activities. Wednesdays June 26 - August 7 between 11 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.