35th Anniversary Celebration
Celebrating Healthy Minds & Healthy Bodies
September 17 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
SAVE THE DATE
35th Anniversary Celebration
Celebrating Healthy Minds & Healthy Bodies
Poe Center for Health Education
Thursday, September 17, 2026
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Registration coming soon
Join the Board of Directors, staff, and friends of the Poe Center for Health Education as we celebrate 35 years of visionary health education in North Carolina.
Since opening our doors in 1991, the Poe Center has helped make our state healthier by empowering children, youth, and adults with the knowledge and confidence to build lifelong habits that support both mental and physical well-being.
Join us to celebrate the power of healthy minds and healthy bodies. During the evening, we will unveil an exciting new program, designed especially for middle and high school students, in our iconic Cranium Connection exhibit.
Celebrate with a lively silent auction, a signature cocktail, and an exclusive first look at the newly enhanced Cranium Connection.
35 Years of Healthy Minds & Healthy Bodies
Planning Committee
Megan Lumley, Co-Chair
Scott Manning, Co-Chair
Ann Rollins, Executive Director
Jennifer Grady
Abigail Quesinberry
Heather Reynolds
Jennifer Bell, Staff
Kim Whitley, Staff
Silent Auction Committee
Lauren Dickson
Jennifer Grady
Callie Hammer, Staff
The Cranium Connection
When visitors enter the Poe Center, they are immediately greeted by the Poe Center’s iconic Cranium Connection exhibit, a 12-foot-tall head in the center of the lobby. Introduced in 2002, this immersive “brain theater” invites children to enter behind the ear and step into a cave-like space in which their “head voice” demonstrates how the brain works.
Thanks to the generous support of Diana and Betsy Mead of the Mead Family Foundation, the Poe Center is introducing a second brain-science program designed specifically for middle and high-school students. “Cranium Connection: Part 2” follows teenagers through various scenarios, demonstrating how everyday choices influence brain development and empowering them to take charge of their mental well-being. Projection-mapping technology illuminates different regions of the brain as various activities engage them.
Explore the Cranium Connection
Explore the Cranium Connection now with the augmented-reality version.
Become a Sponsor
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
Email Development Senior Director Kim Whitley for more information.
