Who We Are
Our youth are in crisis, facing more challenges than ever. You can make a positive impact by volunteering with us!
Youth Empowerment Group (YEG) is a Colorado 501(c)(3) nonprofit comprised of volunteer mental health, education, and medical professionals dedicated to promoting the well-being and success of youth with our PowerUp life skill programs. We developed and offer two free programs to community groups, youth organizations, and schools who use them to empower tweens and teens within Weld County.
- LAURIE BERDAHL, MD, Executive Director, Retired Greeley OB-GYN physician, speaker and author on adolescent wellness & parenting, Psychology Today blogger
- AMIE CIEMINSKI, EdD, MA, Associate Professor, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, University of Northern Colorado
- BRIAN D JOHNSON, PhD, Licensed Child & Adolescent Psychologist, Graduate Professor of Counseling Psychology, Psychological Services Clinic Director, University of Northern Colorado
- LAISSA PRATI, PhD, MA, Licensed, multilingual (including Spanish) Psychologist in private practice
- MEG SPENCER, MA, Writer, editor, retired Faculty Coach, Aims Community College
- JAVONDAI ANDERSON, MA, School Counselor, Christa McAuliffe K-8 Stem Academy
- SHERRI DENNSTEDT, EdD, MA, Site Professor, CU Denver Teacher Candidate Program, Educational Consultant for Savvas Learning Company
- KERRY R. LUKE, PsyD, Licensed Psychologist in private practice
- TERRY ANDERSON, MS, Dean of Allied Health and Wellness, Aims Community College
- JENNIFER GRAY, PhD, Licensed School Psychologist, School Psychology Intern Supervisor, Denver Public Schools, and serves youth in private practice
- Sabine Moriyama, BS, CNA, Weld County District 6 middle school science educator
What We Do
Youth Empowerment Group’s nonprofit mission is to promote mental, behavioral, and social health, safety, equality, healthy relationships, and academic and life success in youth by providing our easy-to-use, evidence-based video life skill programs with engaging activities and fun games to youth-serving organizations, community and parent groups, and schools as curriculums.
After successfully piloting our premier life skill program for girls in 2018 through 2020, multiple grant awards from The Weld Trust and other supporters helped fund the production of a new parallel program for 5th through 12th-grade boys and girls named PowerUp Co-Ed, as well as an enhanced version of PowerUp Girls for Life.
In 2023, we co-produced a national youth interview film project, “Growing Up is Harder Than Ever” featured in Time Magazine and clips are being incorporated into video lessons to 
harness the power of peer-to-peer influence and support.
Our first PowerUp programs led by community members serving middle schoolers was a big success in 2024. Surveys from this innovative program model showed that community groups can now directly impact youth outcomes while fostering youth optimism about the future and connection to community.
PowerUp Co-Ed served boys and girls ages 9 to 12 throughout Weld County as part of Aims Community College's College for Kids program in June of 2025. Our goal is to keep expanding to reach more youth and you can provide crucial help by signing up for one of our new volunteer roles!
