The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program will return to the district’s six elementary schools
The Washington Township Public Schools and the Washington Township Police Department will join forces and return the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program to the district’s six elementary schools for the start of the 2017–18 school year.
The nationwide D.A.R.E. program, which was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles, brings local police officers, who have undergone special training in the areas of child development, classroom management, teaching techniques and communication skills, into classrooms to speak and work with students to develop safe and healthy lifestyles. Topics covered include: tobacco, alcohol, drugs, bullying and anti-social behavior, and different types of pressure. D.A.R.E. sessions are interactive and provide a range of learning opportunities through individual activities, teamwork, discussions and role-play.
“We are grateful to the Washington Township Police Department for partnering with us and are pleased to be bring the D.A.R.E. program back to our schools,” District Elementary Education Director Gretchen Gerber said. “Because of their stature in our community, police officers can effectively deliver crucial, often lifesaving, lessons to our students on the perils of drugs and alcohol, the importance of healthy choices, and strategies for developing self-esteem, goal-setting, and self-responsibility.”
