D.A.R.E.

The D.A.R.E. Program

Dare logoThe Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program was started by a group of Los Angeles police officers and schoolteachers who were concerned because kids were taking drugs. These drugs were destroying kids’ lives. The police officers and schoolteachers joined forces and launched D.A.R.E. to teach kids about the dangers of drugs and violence and how to protect themselves from it.

The police wanted to steer kids away from dangerous drugs and help them make smart choices, like playing sports and starting hobbies instead of using drugs and hanging out on the streets.

D.A.R.E. was born in Los Angeles, California in 1983 and now is taught in all 50 states in the U.S., as well as in 53 countries. All in all, the D.A.R.E. program will reach 50 million children around the world this year alone.

D.A.R.E. and Hanover Middle School

D.A.R.E. is taught by selected police officers that are required to go through two weeks of intense training to prepare them to teach the "core curriculum". This curriculum is aimed at the fifth grade level and is presented as 17 consecutive weekly sessions with each lasting approximately 45 minutes. The advantage of police officers being in school is their ability to spend free time out of the classroom building rapport with the students. This is accomplished by spending time on the playground during recess, joining the students in the cafeteria for lunch and attending other school functions and assemblies. This is actually an crucial part of the program.

Picture of officer with two Dare program students The Hanover Police D.A.R.E. program was implemented at the Hanover Police Department in September of 1987. Hanover was proud to be one of the first police departments in the state to start this revolutionary program that is currently provided to all fifth grade students at the Hanover Middle School. While this only covers the core curriculum, the Hanover Police Department is in the process of expanding the program to the kindergarten through third grade levels.

The D.A.R.E. Program is funded by a state grant as well as from the donations of private businesses and citizens. Hanover D.A.R.E. is always looking for financial support as it is the only means to expand the program and reach out to more youngsters. The D.A.R.E. Summer Day Program, the annual trip to the Pawtucket Red Sox baseball game and the outing to the Ringling Brothers Circus at the Fleet Center are only the start of a rich and successful tradition that the Hanover Police Department and the Hanover D.A.R.E. program continues to offer the youth of Hanover.

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