History

Poe Center History Highlights

The Poe Center began as an idea of the Wake County Medical Society Auxiliary (now the Alliance) in the early 1980s. This group of Wake County physicians’ spouses saw a need for preventive health education in the community and wanted to support schools and organizations in fulfilling that need. They had first-hand knowledge of the detrimental effects of chronic preventable diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, through their volunteer work at hospitals and health clinics.

Passionate and determined to make a difference, these women began to explore the idea of developing a health-education exhibit. They worked through a committee of local health officers and hired a designer to create an exhibit on the human heart. This first exhibit was installed at the North Carolina Museum of Natural History in downtown Raleigh and was well received by visitors. Based on the success of this first health education exhibit, the Alliance began to work towards building a free-standing center in Raleigh dedicated to health-education.

Since opening its doors in 1991, the Poe Center has provided health science education to more than 1.3 million North Carolina children, youth, and adults at our facility in Raleigh and in schools and communities across the state reaching constituents from 93 of NC’s 100 counties. Our staff also works to improve health through community partnerships, events, serving on community coalitions, social marketing campaigns, and enhancing community environment.

The Founding Years

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1980

The inaugural meeting commences on January 10th.

1981

Exploration of funding begins.

1982

Commitment from North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences to provide space and time for a “seed exhibit.”

1983

  • Funding approved from the Wake County Medical Society Auxiliary.
  • Center endorsed by Wake County Medical Society.

1984

  • Funding is received from the Wake County delegation of the North Carolina Legislature.
  • “Seed exhibit” opens at the Museum of Natural Sciences on September 27th.
  • An Executive Committee is formed with six officers: Faye Miller and Dianna Burroughs, Co-Chairs; Charles Wood and Barbara Page, Advisors; Mary Rendleman, Secretary; and Eloise Cofer, Treasurer.

1985

  • Decision made by Health Education Center on May 6th to become a separate organization with its own governing board and membership.
  • By-laws and Articles of Incorporation set on November 22nd, making it the Center for Health Education, Inc.

1986

Helen Majors becomes first full-term President on May 5th after the incorporation.

1987

  • Jean Poe Smith and her niece, Jean Poe Martin, meet with Helen Majors in May regarding the property/potential site for the health education facility.
  • The decision is made by the Executive Committee that a completely separate, free-standing facility is critical to the success of the Center for Health Education, Inc.
  • On October 12th, the first office opens at Project Enlightenment.

1988

On January 19th, land from Jean Poe Smith and her husband, Gordon Smith, Jr., is deeded to the Center for Health Education, Inc.
  • The Center moves to a new office at 7700 Six Forks Road in Raleigh and holds their first annual meeting on May 10th.
  • On December 6th the Center relocates to Bullard Court due to extensive tornado damage.

1989

On June 20th, the Center was officially named the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education.
  • A building campaign led by Dr. Vartan Davidian and Dr. Blake Garside raises over six million dollars for construction.
  • Dr. Thomas B. Dameron, Jr. is named chairman of the Campaign Steering Committee.

The 1990s

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1990

  • Actor Louis Gossett, Jr. helps kick off the Three Million Dollar Campaign event.
  • On May 21st, the first Distinguished Service Award is given to Faye L. Miller. The annual award now bears her name.

1991

The Poe Center’s new facility opens with four fully-equipped teaching theaters – General Health, Family Life, Drug Education, and Dental Health.
  • On November 21st the Center welcomes its first field trip. Seventy students from Sampson Middle School christen the new Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education.
  • Executive Director Paula Hildebrand Collins is hired.
  • An event honoring Jean Poe Smith, daughter of Alice Aycock Poe, and her husband Gordon Smith, Jr., celebrates their dedication of the land that is home to the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education.

1992

  • Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust awards $120,000 for the Poe Center’s Health Educators.
  • Gordon Smith Award established to perpetuate the Gordon Smith Jr. legacy.
  • The Antique Show is dedicated to raising funds for the Poe Center for the next five years raising $60,000 per year.
  • The Nutrition Theater exhibits are installed and ready for teaching in April.

1993

Governor Hunt dedicates the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education to the people of North Carolina.
  • The Poe Center receives a $260,000 federal grant and a pledge from WakeMed Health & Hospitals to provide building and grounds maintenance.

1994

The Poe Center’s curriculum offers 26 different health education programs.

1996

New Executive Director, Pam Kohl, is hired.

1997

  • 23,000 students attend programs at the Poe Center thanks to new contracts with Wake County Public Schools, Orange County Public Schools, and Think First Foundation.
  • Girl Talk, Poe’s adolescent development workshop for mothers and daughters, is introduced.

1998

  • Over 40,000 participants from 57 counties attend the Poe Center’s programs.
  • New breast health program is created through a grant from Susan B. Komen of the Triangle.
  • In an effort to extend Poe's reach across the state, off-site programs are developed for schools and organizations that are unable to travel to the Poe Center.

1999

  • Dr. Henry Zaytoun, Jr. becomes Committee Chair of the “Bring Health to Life!” capital campaign, which raises $2.4 million dollars.
  • The Poe Center is asked to coordinate the NC Five A Day Nutrition Challenge – a statewide initiative.
  • Smart Start of Wake County funds Sheriff Tuffy Tooth, an outreach teaching model designed for preschool dental health education.

The 2000s

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2000

  • A partnership with Duke Health Raleigh Hospital and the Fenwick Foundation creates “Really Awesome Health – for Rolesville.”

2001

The Poe Center celebrates its 10th anniversary. 440,471 children and adults have participated in Poe’s health education programs to date.
  • The NC General Assembly approves state funding for the Poe Center thanks to State Representative Edd Nye’s leadership.
  • First Ready, Set…Poe! Sunset 5K and Family Festival is held at Cameron Village.

2002

  • The Cranium Connection exhibit officially premieres at the “Cerebral Soiree Under the Skull” with a ribbon cutting by Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue.
  • Websites “poehealth.org” and “healthyteachers.org” are launched.

2003

Groundbreaking ceremony for a new playground is held.

2004

  • WakeMed’s PlayWELL Park at Poe is opened with a three-day celebration.
  • New CEO Sheila Ryba is hired.
  • New mission and vision statements, along with a new logo, are adopted by the Board of Directors.

2006

Since opening, the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education has provided programming to over 675,000 participants in 62 counties across North Carolina.
  • Poe receives legislative appropriation for the next four years supporting the operating and programmatic needs across the state.
  • Summer day camp program is introduced. Four week-long programs are offered.
  • The Wholesome Routines program is implemented. It is Poe’s first comprehensive, school- and research-based, continuous nutrition and physical activity education program.
  • Thanks to a contract with the North Carolina Department of Social Services, nutrition & physical activity programs are made available at no cost to qualifying schools.
  • A partnership is established with the North Carolina PTA and NC Healthy Schools.

2007

The Association of Fundraising Professionals – Triangle Chapter names the Poe Center as the Most Outstanding Nonprofit Organization of the Year. 
  • As a result of Poe’s efforts to make all programs available in Spanish, eight programs were delivered in Spanish during the 2006-2007 school year.
  • The Board of Directors appoints Kim Raynor, Poe Center Vice President of Business Development, Interim CEO as they conducted an executive search for a new CEO.

2008

  • Cargill donates $30,000 for the purchase of two vans to support Poe’s efforts to offer programs offsite. 
  • Vice President of Business Development Kim Raynor wins a Triangle Business Journal Women in Business Award for Nonprofit Leadership. This is in recognition of her services as Interim Chief Executive Officer during an eight-month CEO search.
  • Pam Highsmith joins the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education as Chief Executive Officer on March 27, 2008.
  • Poe hosts the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation commission to Build a Healthier America in June 2008 and participates in a round table discussion about health issues facing America’s youth with experts from across the United States.
  • The Eagle Award is presented to the Poe Center by the North Carolina Alliance for Healthy Communities. The award recognizes a corporation, organization or individual that exemplifies innovative programs that improve the health of North Carolina communities.
  • Drugs Uncovered: What Parents Need to Know! is launched as the Poe Center’s first program for adults. The program educates adults on current drug trends, signs of substance use, and how to talk to children about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

2009

  • The North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund awards a grant to provide Tobacco. Reality. Unfiltered (TRU) leadership and support in Wake County.
  • Really Awesome Health (RAH) for Rolesville Elementary School and Wholesome Routines programs are recognized with the Duke Raleigh's 2009 AHA Nova Awards, which honors local partnerships that improve community health.

The 2010s

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2010

Grace Edwards Aycock Nelson bequeaths more than $88,000 to the Poe Center in her will.

2011

The Poe Center celebrates its 20th anniversary. 903,015 youth and adults have participated in Poe’s health education programs.
  • The Poe and Grow Garden is established in PlayWELL Park on September 11th’s National Day of Service.
  • TAM, Poe’s Talking Anatomical Mannequin in the General Health Theater, is updated thanks to a $25,000 gift from Dr. Robert P. and Helen Majors 
  • Ann Rollins is named Executive Director after serving as interim executive director since May 2010.
  • The Teen Health Advisory Council is founded as an initiative to positively impact the health of Wake County residents. The mission: to construct healthier and more equitable Wake County policies, programs, and organizations.
  • Don't Stand By: Be a H.E.R.O. Poe's first bullying prevention program, is introduced.

2012

  • An interactive touch-screen exhibit is added to the lobby’s independent learning stations. Mounted on a six-foot tall statue of Poe’s mascot, Seymour Poe, the exhibit focuses on bicycle safety and the dangers of tobacco use.
  • Dr. Robert P. and Helen Majors donate to the Poe Center one of their life insurance policies in honor of Helen (and Faye Miller).

2013

  • Faye Lee Miller, one of the Poe Center’s founding patrons, died on Tuesday, January 22, 2013. Faye was instrumental in establishing the Sunnybrook Road facility in Raleigh. The Poe Center establishes the annual Faye L. Miller Service Award to honor Faye’s commitment to the health and well-being of North Carolina children, youth, and their families.
  • The Poe Young Professional Network is formed to support fundraising, volunteer services, and professional development for local young professionals. The group hosts its first fundraising event in February 2013 with great success.
  • Poe’s free lunch summer program is launched in partnership with Wake County Public School System’s Summer Food Service Program. Every Wednesday, kids under 18 received a free lunch, along with fun health education activities, at PlayWELL Park.  
  • Bullying Uncovered, Poe’s adult workshop on how positive adult modeling and school climate reduces bullying, is introduced.

2014

In May 2014, the Poe Center serves its one millionth North Carolinian since opening its doors in 1991. 
  • Thanks to a contract with Alliance Behavioral Healthcare, The Lead Empower Achieve with Poe (LEAP) program is established to provide intensive, small-group substance use prevention education to at-risk youth in Wake County.
  • The Poe Center launches its annual summer nutrition and physical activity social marketing ad campaign, “Move More” in Bladen, Columbus, Halifax, Sampson, Wake, and Warren Counties.

2015

  • Through a grant from the Susan G. Komen NC Triangle to Coast, the Poe Center employs a lay educator model to increase women’s knowledge about breast health awareness and screening referrals in Halifax County. This project served more than 800 women.
  • Cooking Matters, a new 6-week series of cooking classes, is implemented at Fort Bragg. The nationally-recognized curriculum helps families to get the most nutrition out of limited budgets.
  • The Poe Center celebrates the conclusion of a successful four-year teen outreach program focused on pregnancy prevention in Halifax County.
  • #YouthCulture is launched to empower parents and guardians by providing insight into the environment and culture surrounding youth. The four-part series covers substance use, Internet safety, sexting, and healthy dating relationships.
  • The Dental Health theater is upgraded with improved technology and interactive displays thanks to a generous donation from Dr. Durgesh Kudchadkar, a former staff member and pediatric dentist.
  • The Poe & Grow online garden, Poe’s second interactive online exhibit, is created to support schools and communities with creating their own garden-education programs.
  • The Poe Center reinstates its NC State Field Education Program and to allow college students to engage in hands-on experience in health education.

2016

1,104,812 children and adults have participated in Poe’s health education programs.  The Poe Center celebrates its 25th anniversary at our Sunnybrook Rd location.  
  • The year-long 25th anniversary celebration included a nutrition and physical activity challenge with Miss NC 2015 Kate Peacock and NC schools, commemorative mural by NC artist Nick Bragg, and fundraising gala. 
  • An interactive online version of the 25th anniversary mural is created so that anyone can enjoy the beauty and symbolism of this one-of-a-kind artwork. The interactive mural is Poe’s third online interactive exhibit.

2017

  • Guy Talk, Poe’s adolescent development program for boys in 5th-8th grades and their parent/trusted adult, is introduced.  
  • $100,000 in new playground equipment is installed at PlayWELL Park and a new outdoor classroom for garden-education programs is constructed thanks to a partnership with KaBOOM! and MetLife Foundation.
  • A stunning two-story mural depicting the growing seasons and beneficial invertebrates and pollinators is added to Poe’s outdoor teaching garden thanks to a partnership with Raleigh Mural Project’s artist Sean Kernick. 
  • Giant 3D metal sculptures of fruits and vegetables are installed at the Poe Center’s entrance encouraging visitors and passersby to “Eat More Fruits & Vegetables.” 
  • Plans for CookWELL Kitchen, a teaching theater, begin thanks to a partnership with the Raleigh Chamber’s Leadership Raleigh.

2018

  • An online interactive version of CookWELL Kitchen launches in March 2018. The webpage highlights food safety and will expand to include recipes, local food, and school connections.
  • The Poe Center officially opens the GrowWELL teaching garden – finalizing the outdoor theater with a safety fence. 
  • The CookWELL Kitchen opens for Poe’s new cooking-education programs. Program participants learn essential cooking and kitchen safety skills while preparing budget-friendly dishes in this unique teaching space.
  • The Lock Your Meds social marketing campaign launches in Wake and Johnston counties.  
  • Through a new partnership with SAS Curriculum Pathways, Poe provides classroom teachers across North Carolina (and beyond) health science resources to supplement classroom education.

2019

  • A youth-led Wake County Community Partnership hosts the first Tobacco-Free Community Forum. Featuring an expert-led review of current trends and statistics of electronic nicotine delivery system (vape) use, the forum also offered panels with youth, education, community, municipal, housing, and business leaders. Over 200 community members were given tools and resources to start addressing tobacco product use in their community.
  • The Substance Use Prevention theater is renovated thanks to the generous support of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. New STEM-themed exhibits are installed to teach brain health, science, and refusal skills, and to empower students to make healthy choices.

The 2020s

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2020

  • In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff quickly adapted Poe’s curriculum to a live, online format, allowing the center to continue offering educators access to critical health education programs. Health-education is now available in three convenient formats: in-person at the Poe Center, in classrooms and communities, and online.
  • Thanks to a partnership with Bee Downtown, an educational apiary consisting of three honeybee hives, along with an adjacent teaching space, pollinator garden, and indoor “All About Bees” exhibit is established. Children can learn the importance of pollinators, specifically honeybees, for growing food, gardening, and our environment.
  • Two community coalition coordinator positions are established to work with coalitions in Fuquay-Varina and Smithfield on reducing youth substance use.
  • Poe’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee is created to strengthen Poe’s efforts to combat racism and create a more intentionally inclusive culture for staff, participants, and constituents.

2021

The Poe Center celebrates its 30th anniversary. Over 1.35 million children, youth, and adults have participated in programs since inception.
  • Executive Director Ann Rollins wins the 2021 Women in Business Award for Nonprofit Leadership from the Triangle Business Journal and WakeEd Partnership Stars of Education award for community service.
  • MindWELL Mental Wellness, Poe’s ninth program area, is established to address the growing number of youth experiencing mental health crises. Programs are designed to equip participants with social and emotional strategies to help cope with difficult or traumatic situations and build resiliency. 
  • Poe produces its first social marketing ad campaign, #PoeFit, to promote nutrition, physical activity, and gardening. Programming commences in Bladen, Chatham, Cumberland, Edgecombe, Halifax, Harnett, Johnston, Nash, Sampson, Vance, Wake, Warren, and Wilson counties.
  • In recognition for using public art as an innovative approach to health education, the City of Raleigh’s Appearance Commission honors Poe with the 2021 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Community Appearance.

2022

  • Thanks to a grant from 21st Century, over 120 high school students participated in a new after-school program at East Wake, Enloe, Southeast, and Wake Early College high schools. This program emphasized building health-focused skills such as CPR/First Aid certifications, provided the opportunity to explore health-science careers through educational field trips and offered academic support.
  • The Poe Center’s website received a fresh modern makeover, complete with vibrant photos and mobile-friendly responsive navigation. Highlights include an easy-to-search program directory for scheduling field trips and a resource directory of health-education material compiled by the Poe Center's expert health educators.

2023

  • The Poe Center’s PlayWELL Park welcomed its latest addition, the MindWELL Garden and Labyrinth. Developed to support children’s mental health in a peaceful natural setting, the garden features a wheelchair-accessible trail that meanders through a shady garden and an activity station with suggestions for self-care and acts of kindness.
  • Thanks to the generosity of donors and grants, the Virtual Field Trip was developed to provide an immersive online experience our health-education programs. Accessible from anywhere, users can learn more about the brain with an augmented reality version of our Cranium Connection, access videos and online activities from virtual teaching theaters, take a fruit and veggie selfie, and so much more.

2024

  • The Family Theater receives a $130,000 renovation featuring interactive elements including a 3-D exhibit of the uterus demonstrating the menstrual cycle. The revitalization maximizes student interest and engagement with the goal of enhancing the learning process for human development and reproductive health.
  • Using Fortnite's educational platform, the Poe Center introduces the "Neural Fortification” video game. This FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND Fortnite Island allows players to practice making smart nutritional, social, and growth mindset choices as they complete fun challenges. Play it today!