D.A.R.E. teaches kids how to recognize and resist the direct and subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs.  And since between 70% and 90% of all crime is drug related, it is absolutely vital that we reach the children of America before it is too late.

“The New D.A.R.E. program is setting the gold standard for the future,” says Charlie Parsons, President and Chief Executive Officer of D.A.R.E. America, “Prevention inside the 21st century school house will need to be diverse, accountable, and mean more things to more people, particularly with the safety issues that have emerged since Columbine and terrorist alerts.  That’s one reason why every New D.A.R.E. officer is also being trained as a certified School Resource Officer (SRO).”

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.

The new D.A.R.E. elementary curriculum has been shortened to nine lessons and a graduation.  Topic areas are more specific to the needs of this age group, with an emphasis on student progression.  While practical, the lessons are also fun.  Students make the lessons come to life while practicing new skills.

Each lesson is structured with Goals and Objectives—in order to meet the National Health Education Standards.  The format of instruction provides practical information throughout the lessons and allows the students to learn from each other.

The lessons on normative beliefs include national data about teen use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs to help children better understand how few of their peers actually do use these substances.

Overview of D.A.R.E. Elementary Lessons

LESSON #1:  Purposes and Overview of D.A.R.E. Program
Students are introduced to the D.A.R.E. program and the D.A.R.E. Decision-Making Model.  Students practice skills used in decision-making and reflect on their learning in their D.A.R.E. Planner.

LESSON #2: Tobacco and You
This lesson focuses on normative beliefs about the use of tobacco by youth.  Tobacco facts are used to design tobacco-warning labels, which are shared with the class.  Journal entries reflect the learning.

LESSON #3: Smoke Screen
Students apply tobacco and marijuana facts in a variety of situations using the D.A.R.E. Decision-Making Model.  Students are introduced to the purpose of advertising.  Journal entries reinforce discussions of the affects tobacco has on the body.

LESSON #4: Alcohol and You
Students work through a normative belief activity about the use of alcohol by youth.  Decision-Making skills are reinforced as students work together solving a variety of situations.  Student journal entries in D.A.RE. Planners reinforce skills.

LESSON #5: The Real Truth
Students are given the opportunity to examine alcohol ads in their environment and apply their learning in a relay race.  Inhalants and their danger are examined.  Journaling processes the new learning.

LESSON #6: Friendship Foundations
In teams, students examine friendship and peer pressure in situational dilemmas using the D.A.R.E. Decision-Making Model.  Journal entries in D.A.R.E. Planner reinforce new learning.

LESSON #7: Putting It Together
Students work with partners to apply assertiveness skills in a think/pair/share methodology.  D.A.R.E. Planner journaling is used to process new skills.

LESSON #8:  Personal Action
Student teams practice decision-making skills as they examine the role of personal peer pressure in their lives.  Students review their D.A.R.E. Planner entries to assist in creating a personal D.A.R.E. report.

LESSON #9: Practice! Practice! Practice!
Students have the opportunity to apply assertive refusal skills along with facts in a spiraling competition.  Personal affirmations about healthy choices are shared from D.A.R.E. reports.

LESSON #10:  Culmination
Students are given the opportunity to make a public statement about their choices to resist drugs and violence in a group assembly.  Students receive D.A.R.E. graduation certificates and celebrate their accomplishments.

D.A.R.E. provides life-skills

D.A.R.E. lesson plans focus on four major areas:

• Providing accurate information about drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
• Teaching students good decision-making skills.
• Showing students how to recognize and resist peer pressure.
• Giving students ideas for positive alternatives to drug use.

D.A.R.E officers work with children to raise their self-esteem, teach them how to make decisions on their own, and help them identify positive alternatives to drugs. Through role-playing, the D.A.R.E., curriculum emphasizes the negative consequences of drug use, and reinforces the skills to resist peer pressure and intimidation.

Key Program Elements

D.A.R.E. is a cooperative effort by the police, schools, parents, and the community - all four working together to help our children make the right choices concerning drug use.

One of the unique features of D.A.R.E. is the use of uniformed police officers as instructors.  D.A.R.E. officers are assigned to a classroom "beat." Gleaming with the latest in prevention science and teaching techniques, D.A.R.E. is reinventing itself as part of a major national research study that promises to help teachers and administrators cope with the thorny issues of school violence, budget cuts, and terrorism.  The need for an effective education program to inoculate students against the threat of drugs is critical to the well being of our children and their future.

What D.A.R.E. is NOT?

Scare tactics - D.A.R.E. relies on accurate information and a straightforward approach.

A "Witch Hunt" - D.A.R.E. Officers NEVER encourage students to "turn in" family or friends who may be breaking the law. 

D.A.R.E. students are taught to say "someone I know . . . " when sharing stories; never using real names.

"Hands on drugs" - How drugs are used (methods) are not taught. Drugs are never taken into a classroom as part of D.A.R.E.