DARE PROGRAM HELPS KIDS CHOOSE WISELY

Vulcan Advocate -- A program provided in part by schools, in part by police
is asking kids to DARE to do the right thing.

DARE or Define, Assess, Respond and Evaluate is a 'decision-making model'
provided and taught to kids through a 10 week program.

This year the program is being taught by Cst. Carol Blannin of the Vulcan
RCMP in the Lomond and Milo Community Schools.

Emphasizing the alternatives to getting caught in a situation they should
not be in, the program informs students of the risks associated with drugs,
alcohol and tobacco.

Cst. Blannin is pleased with the response that she receives from the target
kids--Grade 4 students.

"Some seem quite amazed when they hear some facts about alcohol, drugs and
tobacco," said Blannin.

"We just want to provide options for them so hopefully in the moment they
will know what else they can do."

Students learn about those options through a series of scenario planning
sessions--a time when Cst. Blannin offers a situation and the students
decide how they would handle it.

It is the "forward thinking" that Blannin notes is so important.

In the Lomond Community School, where students were learning about not only
'peer-pressure' but 'personal-pressure' the students were active in
responding to the DARE program.

"I learned different ways to say no," said Courtney Gillespie.

"We also learned about the effects of alcohol and how advertising tries to
get you to use it,"added Nancy Teichroeb.

The students are also provided the security of anonymity.

The program insists that when students tell a story from their personal
lives the term, 'someone I know' is used rather than explaining the
relationship or providing names.

This allows the kids to tell the truth about things they may not otherwise,
without fear of the police having to get involved, according to Cst. Blannin.

The DARE program will wind up in the next month to month and a half, with
all students who participated getting to enjoy a 'DARE graduation'.