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SALINEVILLE -- The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Program has expanded at Southern Local Elementary School to now include younger students.
Led by Columbiana County Sheriff's Deputy Jen Tucker, who serves as DARE officer, the program not only benefits fifth- and sixth-graders, but now involves both second and fourth grades.
DARE teaches elementary students about making good choices, such as staying away from drugs.
Deputy Tucker began working with second-graders in the fall and returned to speak with fifth- and sixth-graders on Jan. 4. The series is scheduled to continue each Wednesday through mid-February, and then she will talk to fourth-graders during April and May.
The topic of discussion was "Keeping It Real," and provides students with options and skills to get out of certain situations. She stressed that all choices have consequences.
"Every decision we make is going to impact other people. The decisions you make today are going to affect your kids," she said, citing how drug use could lead to felony charges, which in turn could negatively impact career choices in the future. "Every choice you make, you have to think about what the consequences are."
The fifth- and sixth-grade students listened to her presentation and completed assignments which answered questions about choices they would make in certain scenarios.
Larry Rudloff, guidance counselor at Southern Elementary, said Tucker approached him last year about expanding the program and school officials were more than willing to accommodate the move.
"DARE training is more involved and she adapted it to the other grades. She felt it would be beneficial and we would have kids who will have it for at least three years," Rudloff said, adding the program would impact approximately 240 students.
The DARE Program is funded through the Columbiana County Sheriff's Office and this is Tucker's second year as a DARE officer. She also oversees a similar program at Crestview Elementary and noted that she has also addressed second- and fourth-graders there. The deputy said she alters the program based upon the grade levels and the change at SLES has been positive thus far.
"The second-graders loved it," she said.