Missouri D.A.R.E. Officers Association Recognizes Officers in 2008

The Missouri D.A.R.E. (MDOA) Conference was held in St. Louis from July 28 thru August 1, 2008. Officer Stan Belk, Harrisonville Police Department, was given the President's Award, Teacher Jamie Kahle, Pettis County R-XII was named Educator Of The Year, Officer John Warner, Columbia Police Department, was given the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Officer Kathy Kelly was named D.A.R.E. Officer Of The Year.

2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Drug use among 12-17 year olds decline 15% since 2002.

Charlie Parsons D.A.R.E. America president says "this is real progress, although we cannot take complete credit, there is no question that D.A.R.E. is a key component of the efforts made to achieve these results."

D.A.R.E. WILL REACH MILLIONS OF CHILDREN WITH DRUG AND

VIOLENCE RESISTANCE SKILLS IN 2005

This year, millions of school children around the world will benefit from D.A.R.E., the very popular program that gives youngsters the skills they need to make healthy decisions to refuse drugs and violence. D.A.R.E. began in 1983 in Los Angeles and has grown to be implemented in more than half of our nation’s school districts as well as in 54 countries around the world.

D.A.R.E. programs are provided by trained law enforcement officers who guide students through a series of classroom lessons that teach kindergarten through 12^th grade children refusal skills to resist drugs and violence. In 1983 the program, was developed by the Los Angeles Police Department in collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District and initially focused only on elementary school children. It has now been expanded to include middle school and high school students and all of their parents.

D.A.R.E. America Launched to Meet Demand

Overwhelming national and international demand for D.A.R.E. led to the creation of national non-profit organizations – D.A.R.E. America. D.A.R.E. America serves as a headquarters and resource to communities, helping establish and improve local D.A.R.E. programs. Specifically, D.A.R.E. America provides:

Ø Officer training

Ø Supports the development and evaluation of the D.A.R.E. curriculum

Ø Provides student educational materials

Ø Monitors instructional standards

Ø Creates national awareness for D.A.R.E.

D.A.R.E. has been lauded by three presidential administrations, congressmen, governors and state legislators. Since 1988, one day each year has been declared National D.A.R.E. Day by Presidential Proclamation. State legislatures have joined with the President and Congress by proclaiming D.A.R.E. Day within their respective states.

D.A.R.E. Programs Are Unique

D.A.R.E. goes beyond traditional prevention programs by teaching children refusal skills to make healthy decisions about drugs and violence. This is accomplished through a dynamic series of highly interactive lessons in which group problems solving is practiced in a variety of ways. Covering the elementary, middle and high schools with sequential instruction, the D.A.R.E. programs assure reinforcement of key learnings at vital points in the education process. In additions, there is a D.A.R.E. Parent Program that complements the students’ learning.

Veteran Officers and Deputies Are Assigned Classroom “Beats”

The D.A.R.E. curricula is designed to be taught by police officers whose training and experience gives them a unique and realistic perspective on the vital need for students to practice strong resistance skills. Prior to entering the D.A.R.E. program, officers undergo 80 intensive hours of specialized training in areas such as child development, classroom management, active learning techniques and communication skills. Forty hours of additional training are provided to experienced D.A.R.E. officers to assure their successful implementation of the high school curriculum.

In many communities, the D.A.R.E. program functions as a cornerstone of community policing. With limited resources, many law enforcement agencies support the presence of D.A.R.E. officers in schools and see their “beat” as a first line of communication and trust for their communities. D.A.R.E. officers bridge a unique role in that they interact with both school and family issues that are often particular to specific neighborhoods.

D.A.R.E. – The New Program

Many experts in education and research believe learning refusal skills must begin early. D.A.R.E. helps children practice a variety of refusal skills and strategies as they deal with a spiraling set of authentic problems and situations. Through the use of a very practical decision-making model. Students explore normative beliefs about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, discuss alternatives – all of which is accomplished in a highly interactive learning style. Specifically, the New D.A.R.E. is based on the following principles:

Ø Research-based: information is to be gained via inquiry and group problem-solving

Ø Problem Driven: content and activities around pressure to use alcohol, tobacco and drugs

These problems are authentic and easy for the students to relate to.

Ø Interactive: students are actively engaged in critical thinking, role-playing and problem solving

Ø Spiral Structure: the concepts and skills are practiced in more and more complex situations

Ø Active Learning: activities use extensive student engagement in the problems solving process

The D.A.R.E. program is divided into five components:

K-4^th grade visitations: This acquaints children with the D.A.R.E. officer and lays the groundwork for the 10 lessons they will receive in 5^th grade.

New Elementary Program: This new D.A.R.E. curriculum challenges students by having them participate in active learning. The benefit to the students is the strong foundation of decision-making skills that they apply to real life situations about the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and inhalants. These important decision-making skills are acted on through a spiraling set of group and paired activities. The students are actively engaged as they learn how to cope with the pressures associated with adolescence.

New Middle School Program: This new program draws on what we have learned from our research about the elements of effective prevention by addressing the normative beliefs, personal attitudes and problem solving and resistance skills of students. It provides specific information about the consequences of substance abuse and the role and influence of peers and advertising in affecting normative beliefs. The new middle school program is designed to reduce the use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs, as well as prevent violence among our nation's youth. Its impact is being assessed through a rigorous, scientific evaluation.

High School: These seven lessons combine all the previously learned values and experiences and applies them to real life situations, teaching young adults the value of staying drug free. The curriculum is currently under rigorous evaluation by the Institute for Health and Social Policy at the University of Akron.

Parent Program: The D.A.R.E. Parent Education Program consists of five lessons, which provide parents with relevant information about drugs, drug use and experimentation, violence and parenting skills.

D.A.R.E. + P.L.U.S.

In 1993, D.A.R.E. America pioneered a new program, D.A.R.E. + P.L.U.S. (Playing and Learning Under Supervising), an on-campus, after school program that offers middle and junior high school student the opportunity to be involved in a variety of positive, enjoyable alternative activities.

D.A.R.E. WORKBOOK DISTRIBUTION

The Missouri Police Chiefs Charitable Foundation distributed DARE workbooks (5,000 elementary and 7,000 middle school) to some of the agencies that were unable to get “free” workbooks last year. A cost of $10.00 per case (amount to cover shipping cost) was requested. That supply was offered to agencies that had not received books from the MPCCF first distribution two years ago. The following agencies requested and will be invoiced for the workbooks:

Taney Co. S/D – 200

Cameron PD – 500

Pettis Co. S/D – 500

Crestwood PD – 600

Crystal City PD – 400

Palmyra PD – 500

Cottleville PD – 500

Carl Junction PD – 500

Boone Co. S/D – 600

Kansas City PD – 2000 (all middle school)

O’Fallon PD – 2000 (all middle school)

Sedalia PD – 500

Independence PD – 1000 (all middle school)

Troy PD – 200

Sullivan PD – 500

Marshall PD – 1400 (all middle school)

MPCCF is currently out of DARE Elementary and Middle School workbooks. If a supply of workbooks are received, your agency will be notified by e-mail.