Denise Continenza

Denise has been with Penn State Extension since 2001.  She serves as an extension educator with the Food, Families, and Communities unit based in Lehigh County.  Her primary programming area is in Family Well-being.  Denise develops and teaches educational programs on parenting, youth resilience, school readiness, drug and alcohol prevention, and mental wellness.  She is a certified instructor for Mental Health First Aid.

Denise is a prevention affiliate with the Penn State Prevention Research Center.  In this capacity, she helps communities and schools address substance abuse prevention through the implementation of evidence-based programs.  She also coordinates the work of the Communities That Care (CTC) model in two communities in her county and assists others with using data to guide their prevention efforts.

Prior to working for Penn State Extension, Denise spent 11 years with Community Services for Children, Inc./Head Start of the Lehigh Valley.  She served in several capacities including home-based parent educator, family engagement coordinator, and coordinator for the Head Start-child care collaboration project.

. She bases all her work on a strong belief that stable families and vibrant communities create resilient youth.