D.A.R.E. / G.R.E.A.T.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) is designed to teach the students how to say no to drugs, how to make good decisions and the consequences of making decisions. The program is taught at the elementary school level for students in either Grade 5 or 6. The lessons are taught by a police officer.

The programs’ 16 week curriculum allows students to learn about drugs, how they affect the body, the consequences of choosing or not choosing to do drugs, how to make good decisions and what alternatives they have.

Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) is a life-skills competency program designed to provide students with the skills they need to avoid gang pressure and youth violence. The program is taught at the junior high level for students in either Grade 7 or 8.

The programs’ 13 week curriculum teaches students: truths about gangs and violence; roles in their families, schools and communities; goal-setting tips; how to make G.R.E.A.T. decisions; community skills; empathy for others; responding to peer pressure; anger management; and resolving conflicts.

In a national evaluation, students that participated in the G.R.E.A.T. program, had lower rates of victimization, had more negative views about gangs, more favorable attitudes towards the police, more peers involved in pro-social activities and lower levels of involvement in risk seeking behaviors.