D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a Police Officer-led, in-classroom anti-drug, anti-gang, anti-violence program which is presented to Greenfield and Whitnall School District students. D.A.R.E.'s primary mission is to provide children with the information and skills they need to live drug-and-violence-free lives. Additionally, it establishes positive relationships between students and law enforcement, teachers, parents, and other community leaders. These efforts are reinforced through projects such as the D.A.R.E. Scholarship Fund and the D.A.R.E. Project Vehicle

Founded in September, 1983, D.A.R.E. originated as a cooperative effort of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Its innovative and highly effective curriculum was developed by LAUSD health education specialists. Police officers receive 80 hours of special training to be equipped with all the tools they need to teach a course in drug resistance and violence avoidance techniques.

D.A.R.E. Lessons Focus On:

• providing accurate information about alcohol and drugs
• teaching students decision-making skills
• showing them how to resist peer pressure
• giving them ideas for alternatives to drug use, violence and drugs

D.A.R.E.'s impact on reducing substance abuse among young people is well -documented both in terms of quantitative studies verifying D.A.R.E.'s successes and in terms of real-life experiences of D.A.R.E. students. More than 20 studies from around the country cite D.A.R.E. as an excellent substance abuse prevention program. Many of these studies clearly demonstrate D.A.R.E .'s effectiveness in preventing drug, alcohol, and tobacco use.

The D.A.R.E. curriculum is supervised by D.A.R.E. America, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Currently D.A.R.E. is taught in all 50 states, US Department of Defense Schools worldwide, and 40 countries around the world. There are nearly 25,000 police officers trained as D.A.R.E. instructors.

D.A.R.E. America has an extensive website which provides activities and information for students and adults.