Q:
Who is responsible for the administration, implementation and fundraising
for the Bexar County D.A.R.E. Program?
A:
The
Bexar County
D.A.R.E.
Program is administered, implemented and financially
supported through fundraisers by the
Bexar County
D.A.R.E.
Board of Directors supporting various participating law
enforcement agencies throughout
Bexar County.
This is a non-profit group of prominent citizens from
across Bexar County
who volunteer their time to oversee the
D.A.R.E.
Program in San Antonio and
Bexar County.
Q:
What is the relationship between Quantum (Skyline
Promotionz) and the D.A.R.E. Program?
A:
Quantum is one of
the “New D.A.R.E.
America
approved Fundraising Partners. Skyline Promotionz is a
subsidiary independent company of Quantum. They sell
“Child Safety Identification Kits, toys and other
merchandise. A percentage of the proceeds from the sales
is donated to support the national
D.A.R.E.
program (which benefits every local Community
D.A.R.E.
Program in the United States) and toys and merchandise
can be purchased by local citizens and donated back to
support the annual Bexar
County
D.A.R.E.
to dream and believe Christmas Program. In 2006 over 175
families within San Antonio and
Bexar County
received toys and other presents thanks to Quantum and
Skyline Promotionz.
Q:
Is Quantum (Skyline Promotionz) ripping-off the local
D.A.R.E. Program?
A:
No. As a matter of
fact Skyline Promotionz in addition to donating to
D.A.R.E.
America
and giving the toys and other
merchandise back to the local
Bexar County
D.A.R.E.
program donates an additional 5% of the sales to
Bexar County
D.A.R.E.
Q:
Who are these young people that work for Quantum
(Skyline Promotionz)?
A:
Many are former
D.A.R.E.
Program graduates themselves. Others just average young
people seeking the American
dream and opportunity - trying to earn an honest living
as entrepreneurs through good old
American
“Free Enterprise”. They are committed to being drug and
violence free and to helping other young people like
themselves enjoy a safe, healthy drug and violence life
as well. Like all the rest of us they need to earn a
living to pay the very same expenses we all do in order
to survive. They work long and arduous hours in all
types of weather to earn their pay and in pursuit of
their dreams and in helping others, like our own
Bexar County
D.A.R.E.
Program and the children and citizens it serves. In my
humble opinion we should praise them for “doing the
right things” and setting the “right examples” for other
children and future generations.
Q:
What is the relationship between Premier Books Direct,
Inc. and the D.A.R.E. Program?
A:
Premier Books Direct
Inc. is one of the “New
D.A.R.E.
America
approved Fundraising Partners as well. For every school,
state or county office building and/or corporation that
allows them to set-up a display for one and/or two weeks
Premier Books Direct pays the local Community-based
Bexar County
D.A.R.E.
program $100.00 for each school (or location) that
participates. This is $100.00 on a recurring basis every
time they go back to schools as well.
D.A.R.E.
America
receives a percentage of the sales to support our
national D.A.R.E.
Program. In addition John Kelsey & Debbie Bullard local
Premier Books Direct distributors pay the local
Bexar County
D.A.R.E.
Program an additional percentage from their profits.
Q:
Why does D.A.R.E.
America
receive funding from these
local Community fundraising events?
A:
D.A.R.E.
America
provides support to local Community
D.A.R.E.
Programs throughout the United States. The
D.A.R.E.
Program like any other drug prevention or any program
for that matter is not “FREE” they all cost money
and require funding to sustain and continue their
efforts. For example
D.A.R.E.
America
provides a 33 page full color
inter-active middle/junior high workbook and
D.A.R.E.
Elementary color planner/workbook to local Community
programs for only $ .89 cents per copy, they provide for
the scientific and researched based curriculum
development and up-dates, evaluations and studies for
new curriculums, they help fund start-up cost for new
Community D.A.R.E.
programs providing free workbooks for the first year and
other materials, they provide workbooks, planners and
other lesson materials in both English and Spanish, the
provide annual D.A.R.E.
Officer-instructor and educator training.
D.A.R.E.
America
provides free or cost reduced
regional (state) D.A.R.E.
Officer (certification) Trainings (DOT) all across the
country and a myriad of other tangible Community support
functions. This “WAR on DRUGS” is a national fight
affecting every Community within
America
and every war requires funding.
D.A.R.E.
America
is our “Mother Ship”
in this fight to reduce tobacco, alcohol,
over-the-counter, prescription and illegal drug
use/abuse. Remember drug dealers have no problem funding
getting their drugs onto the streets and in the hands of
our young people. When an agency or Community refuses to
support the national program they are becoming part of
the problem not the solution. To win a war we must be
“UNITED” on all fronts – funding as well! It is all
about “TEAM WORK” and all of us - law enforcement,
schools, Communities and citizens working together to
save our children from becoming victims of drugs and
violence. There is no “I” in TEAM it is simply “Together
Everyone Achieves More” and in this
case our Children because
D.A.R.E. Works and is
making a difference.
Q:
What is the relationship between FW-1 Car Wax and the
D.A.R.E. Program?
A:
FW-1 (Car Wax) is
also one of the “New
D.A.R.E.
America
approved Fundraising Partners as well. For every
Community gas (service) station that allows FW-1
distributors to set-up a display for one week (Monday
through Saturday) FW-1 pays the local Community-based
Bexar
County
D.A.R.E.
program $100.00 for each location that participates.
This is $100.00 on a recurring basis every time they go
back to that service station.
D.A.R.E.
America
receives a percentage of the sales to support our
national D.A.R.E.
Program. Another side benefit from these fundraisers is
that they are creating new local job opportunities for
our local citizens. FW-1 recruits distributors from the
local Communities.
Q:
What is the percentage of crime that is drug related?
A:
National average is
70% to 90% of all crime is drug related.
Q:
How does D.A.R.E.
America
and local D.A.R.E. Programs
benefit from these new fundraising partnerships?
A:
D.A.R.E.
America
and local Community
D.A.R.E. Programs
throughout the United States receive a percentage of
sales and the participating citizens get direct benefit
from a product or service – everyone gets something. It
is a voluntary fundraiser. The
D.A.R.E.
Program like any other program is not “FREE” they
all cost money. Fundraising is very competitive with a
large portion of money being given to medical research
and treatment for alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug
related illnesses and diseases with prevention receiving
minimal or next to nothing. Our society has forgotten
that it is far less expensive to educate and prevent
verse research, treat and rehabilitate. Therefore
education and prevention efforts and programs suffer. It
is the old analogy and a common sense approach that 5%
of something is always better than 100% of nothing. In
lieu of just having its hand out –
D.A.R.E.
it’s self is looking for innovative and effective ways
to secure its own funding. Programs funded by federal
and state grants are short-lived and when the grant
money runs out so does the program. To date
D.A.R.E.
has been around for 24-consecutive years because it has
established it’s self as a Community-based,
Community-supported and Community-funded drug and
violence prevention educational program. It is a model
of democracy showing what can be achieved when national,
state and local Communities all work together to meet a
common threat….in this case drugs and violence that
plague not only our society as a whole, but our most
precious natural resource….our “Children”.
Q:
What are drug offenders costing our citizens?
A:
Look at the average
cost to arrest, book (process into the system),
temporarily detain, adjudicate (trial), further
incarceration (jail or prison) combined with the medical
treatment and rehabilitation offender receives while
incarcerated, and finally cost related to placing that
drug offender for probation. The estimate is as low as
$16,000.00 to as high as $25,000.00 per year, per (each)
offender which is higher than the average mean lower
income for an American
family. It is far less expensive and more cost
advantageous to educate and prevent drug use and abuse
to our taxpayers.
Q:
What are the benefits to our local businesses and
corporations to support the D.A.R.E. Program?
A:
First look at the
cost to local businesses (employers) and corporations in
loss revenue due to employee sick leave, missed work due
to hospitalization or medical-doctor appointments,
decreased productivity, safety accidents, higher medical
related insurance costs, etc., to employees health
affected by tobacco, alcohol, legal and illegal drug
use/abuse and violence. Just look at drunk driving
related incidents and safety accidents related to work
due to alcohol related injuries. Then look at the fact
that juvenile related drug use is down which will have a
significant impact on future employees.
D.A.R.E.
works and has made a difference especially here in
Bexar County
and local stat’s prove it.
D.A.R.E. is not the
“Silver Bullet”, but it is one of the oldest and most
comprehensive drug prevention and education program
within San Antonio and
Bexar County to date.
Q:
What happened to the other San Antonio/Bexar
County drug
prevention and education programs that were allegedly
better than the D.A.R.E. Program?
A:
When you find them
please notify the Bexar
County
Sheriff’s
Office D.A.R.E.
Board because we can not find them either. The reason
being they are gone. They were ineffective and did not
produce any tangible results.
Q:
Why should I as a citizen or business owner support the
D.A.R.E. Program and its fundraisers?
A:
It can best be
summed up by an old colloquialism “It takes a village
(Community) to raise a child”. You can become part of
the solution or remain part of the problem by doing
nothing. We serve (help) others when we give of
ourselves. D.A.R.E.
in past years received some criticisms and has taken
positive corrective action to ensure its curriculums and
message are current, scientific and researched based.
Since 2000 and the release of the “New”
D.A.R.E.
curriculums all independent research, surveys,
evaluations and studies have shown a dynamic improvement
over the past. The current “New”
D.A.R.E.
curriculums are heralded as the most comprehensive and
state-of-the-art drug and violence prevention
educational program in the country to date. In lieu of
trying and then dumping programs as we have done in the
past as a society - the key is to take a program and
through continual evaluation and research make it
better; and to design it to answer the needs of every
Community – which is exactly what
D.A.R.E.
America
has done. A donation, contribution or support of a
D.A.R.E.
fundraiser is an investment in a child’s future to
ensure they are prepared and ready for society.
D.A.R.E.
is helping teach our children the importance of making
their own decisions based on facts and information and
not their peers advice. Its purpose and design is to
help kids make better, safer and healthier choices,
while providing them with essential life skills and
information concerning the harmful affects of tobacco,
alcohol and other drugs.
D.A.R.E. Works!
Q:
Why don’t I hear more about what D.A.R.E. has achieved
or done for the citizens and children in
Bexar County
from our local news media?
A:
That is a good
question that I too would like to have answered. I can
tell you there is a plethora of positive news stories
concerning what Bexar
County
D.A.R.E.
has done that for what ever reason the media refuses to
acknowledge. We have numerous personal success stories
from past D.A.R.E.
graduates, and numerous Community events your
Bexar County
D.A.R.E.
program has supported. One local media news anchor
commented “we have been to a
D.A.R.E.
class and D.A.R.E.
graduations – what else is there” and my answer is a lot
more than what you have reported to the public.
D.A.R.E.
is a lot more that classroom instruction by a law
enforcement officer. It is a commitment to excellence in
serving the citizens (parents), schools, neighborhoods
and Communities throughout San Antonio and
Bexar County.
Another reason is they are all “positive” stories of
our D.A.R.E.
graduates succeeding and making something of
them-selves. Again, just look at the people that work
for and with our new fundraising partners. Mostly young
men and women (many of whom are former
D.A.R.E.
graduates them-selves) who are earning an honest living,
while staying drug and violence free, and serving
(helping) others by assisting in fundraising designed to
benefit the local Community and its children.
D.A.R.E.
has numerous success stories of how many young people
faced adversity and temptation and yet over-came and
made it because of what they learned from and through
D.A.R.E.
Why does the media not report this….you need to call and
ask them. D.A.R.E.
does work and we have numerous success stories to prove
it. The media is not bad by any means – they are simply
convinced that all our citizens want to hear is
“NEGATIVE” news that is the plain and simple truth.
Q: Does the
D.A.R.E . Program really work?
A:
Yes it does! All of the current studies and evaluations of the “New
Curriculums” clearly shows
D.A.R.E
. is working and is making a difference. You can visit
www.dare.com
for more up-dated information and findings.
Q: Why does
the media report that studies show
D.A.R.E . does not work?
A:
As Paul Harvey would say now for the rest of the story. There were a
total of 85 studies/evaluations completed on the old
curriculums. Out of these 85 studies the media focused on
three (3) studies that reflected
D.A.R.E
. did not have a long-term effect on children and some speculation
that
D.A.R.E
. was ineffective in keeping kids from experimenting with drugs. In
all three of these supposedly negative studies it was noted that
D.A.R.E
. did have the best delivery system in
America
– that being law enforcement officers used to teach the
curriculums. The other 82 studies were all positive
that is the real truth. That said for the last six years
consecutively our local media has taken the three (3) negative
studies based on a 12-year old evaluation that is totally outdated
and regenerated the same old information. All of the negative
criticisms have been answered in the development of the new
scientific and researched based
D.A.R.E
. curriculums! None of our local media have accepted the invitation
to come out and evaluate first hand the “New
D.A.R.E .” curriculums.
Q: Is it true
that
D.A.R.E . officers encourage children to inform on their parents?
A:
Nothing is farther from the truth.
D.A.R.E
. Officer/Instructors are not out to gather criminal intelligence on
parents.
D.A.R.E
. Officer/Instructors encourage children to build a solid bond with
their parents and an open dialogue of communication with their
parents. When asked to share stories in the classroom students are
told to follow the
D.A.R.E
. rule that says, “Never use a persons real name or relationship
(I.e. mother, father, Etc.) But to say only “Someone I
know”. This protects the confidentiality relationship
between the student and the officer as well as between the student
and their family members. It leaves the door open to get help where
help is need without criminal prosecution.
D.A.R.E
. Officer/Instructors are here to help the students and their
families not to hurt them.
Q: Does every
student graduate from the
D.A.R.E . Program?
A:
No, if a student does not complete his/her workbook/planner, does
not complete a
D.A.R.E
. Report and/or does not demonstrate an understanding of the
objectives the student does not graduate. This is a decision made
ultimately by the assigned
D.A.R.E
. Officer/Instructor and their decision is final.
D.A.R.E
. is not a silver bullet (answer to all) it is a program
(curriculums) designed to help children make more informed
decisions, to inform them of the harmful affects to themselves as
well as others (consequences) from taking or abusing drugs, and to
help them make safer healthier and positive choices.
Q: Do the
D.A.R.E . Officer/Instructors just teach
D.A.R.E . classes?
A:
No, though teaching
D.A.R.E
. lessons/classes are the primary focus
D.A.R.E
. Officer/Instructors are cross-trained as School
Resource Officers (SRO’s) and Safety Officers (SO’s)
whereby they work with school administrators and
teachers to help keep students secure and safe within
the schools. This is part of the
Sheriff’s
“Home Land Security: initiative.
D.A.R.E
. Officers/Instructors work within the Communities where they teach
to help provide for safer neighborhoods (
Community Policing
) as well as school zones.
D.A.R.E
. Officer/Instructors conduct annual activities and
events for the kids especially during the summer months
to provide positive, drug and violence free environments
whereby the kids can have fun and be safe. For example
the local
Bexar County
D.A.R.E
. Officer/Instructors conduct a summer basketball league –
currently a pilot program that is on going in the Montgomery Area
Neighborhood. A Free Baseball Game at the San Antonio Missions –
D.A.R.E
. Day as well as other events throughout the year.
D.A.R.E
. Officer/Instructors are also the
Sheriff’s
Immediate First Responders for all crisis situations.
Q: Are their
just Deputy Sheriff’s teaching
D.A.R.E . in
San Antonio/Bexar County?
A:
No, we only have eight Deputies as certified
D.A.R.E
. Officer/Instructors. The
Bexar County
Sheriff’s Office
is the lead proponent law enforcement
agency for implementing the
D.A.R.E
. Program.
Sheriff
Lopez initiated “Project Partnership”
and we now have police officers from several
municipalities as well as four school districts – police
officers working with the
Bexar County
D.A.R.E
. Program. We have one officer from
Alamo Heights Police Department, Castle Hills Police Department,
Constable's Office Precinct #1, Constable's Office
Precinct #4, East Central ISD - Police Department, Harlandale ISD - Police
Department, South San Antonio ISD - Police Department, Southside
ISD - Police Department and Fort Sam Houston Military Police/Law
Enforcement Command (Department of Defense Police).
D.A.R.E
. is a “Community PROGRAM” that is Community supported. This
number continues to grow and will continue to expand as more school
districts and municipalities get involved with the
Bexar
County
program.
Q: Does the
Sheriff use
D.A.R.E . a political ploy or as political clout?
A:
Never, the
Sheriff
supports
D.A.R.E
. because he believes in the program and what is does for our
children. When other elected officials attempted to do a way with
the program democrats and republicans alike – he fought to keep
it, as “It was the Right Thing To Do for our Children”. Now we
have one of the model programs in the
United States
today as cited by
D.A.R.E
.
America.
A democrat
sheriff
who hired a card carrying and registered republican as
his
D.A.R.E
.
Coordinator
– political NO – the right thing to do for the
right reason (our children) yes! In addition the
Sheriff
authorized
a bipartisan
citizen board of directors empowered and governed by a
Constitution and Bylaws to oversee the overall
implementation and management of the
Bexar County
D.A.R.E
. Program.
Q:
What is (are) the differences between the old and new
D.A.R.E . curriculums?
A:
The old elementary curriculum was 17-weeks (17-lessons) in length
and the New
D.A.R.E
. curriculum is 9-weeks (9-lessons plus a graduation). The old
curriculum had a lot of information focusing on harmful effects of
drugs whereas the New
D.A.R.E
. curriculum focuses on “Decision - Making” or making more
informed and healthy choices. D.A.R.E. simply reinvented itself
keeping the best of the old and adding New
D.A.R.E
. curriculums (elementary – middle/junior high and high school)
that are interactive, scientific and researched based. Students are
given more realistic (real world) situations to work through and
practice their decision making skills so that they will be better
prepared to face and deal with peer situations in the future. They
learn how their decisions not only affect them but others as well in
addition to learning the consequences of/for their own actions
(responsibility).
Q:
Why is the new
D.A.R.E.
program being undertaken?
A:
D.A.R.E.
America
is focused on harnessing the most effective,
evidence-based approach in developing a new curriculum
for
D.A.R.E.
officers to deliver--one that will have
long-term effectiveness.
The new curriculum will be
subjected to a rigorous evaluation in Communities across
the country. The data must prove that the new curriculum
is effective at preventing drug use before
D.A.R.E.
America
and the University of Akron will recommend.
Q: Who
is designing and evaluating the
D.A.R.E.
program?
A:
The University of Akron is designing and evaluating the
current
D.A.R.E.
approach. Previous evaluations of
D.A.R.E.
are
not relevant to this new research. They have designed an
effective middle school and high school curriculum in an
unbiased fashion so we can know for sure that it is
effective.
Q:
Historically,
D.A.R.E.
had been delivered primarily at the
elementary level. Will elementary
D.A.R.E.
be continued
after the study is completed?
A:
The research will have no implications for the
elementary program, because this study won't examine
elementary
D.A.R.E.
. Instead, this study will focus on
middle school and high school, because previous research
had shown that to be a critical age for drug prevention
efforts. Students, parents, teachers, and principals in
Communities from coast to coast are wildly enthusiastic
about
D.A.R.E.'s elementary
program. The elementary program will continue to be a
vital element in
D.A.R.E.'s K-12 program.
The University of Akron is
currently developing a totally new elementary
D.A.R.E.
curriculum to be ready by next year.
Q:
Do you plan to test your curriculum as delivered by
teachers or other available professionals?
A:
The
University of Akron gave that issue careful
consideration and decided against testing the curriculum
as delivered by teachers alone or by other prevention
professionals alone. Many factors influenced their
decision. Previous research has shown that teachers are
no as effective at delivering prevention curricula,
possibly because they have so many demands on their
time. Other prevention professionals are not widely
available to deliver drug education curricula.
Conversely,
D.A.R.E. officers have
many attributes that make them ideal drug education
professionals. They are selected specifically based on
their 'winning' personalities and high credibility. They
receive intensive instruction in how to deliver the
current
D.A.R.E. curriculum. And they are given release time
from their other duties to deliver the curriculum.
It was decided that testing the
new curriculum with
D.A.R.E. officers alone or in
combination with teachers was the best approach.
Q:
Will this study be longitudinal? How far into the future
will the study and control groups be tracked to
determine if
D.A.R.E.
has long lasting effects on substance
use and abuse?
A:
Yes, the evaluation study will be a five-year
longitudinal. Students will receive the new curriculum
in 7th grade and again in 9th
grade. Students will answer anonymous questions about
their drug use each year through the 11th
grade.
More on the new
D.A.R.E.
Program
This information will provide
additional details to assist in responding to questions
from
D.A.R.E. stakeholders, the media, and the general
public.
Protocol:
All inquiries from the press about
the role of the University of Akron o the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation should be directed to Jessica Hulsey
at (202) 467-8844.
Media Messages:
The newly developed
D.A.R.E.
middle school curriculum gives
D.A.R.E.
a unique opportunity to improve the effectiveness of
drug prevention efforts in Communities across
America.
With funding from the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation, we used the most successful
approaches by the nation's leading researchers to design
a completely new drug and violence prevention curriculum
for middle school and high school students.
D.A.R.E.
has listened to critics, researchers, and developed this
new, improved version of a highly successful and needed
drug-abuse and violence prevention program.
It is difficult to design and
implement a new
D.A.R.E.
message for the 26 million school children in all 50
states and 54 countries that benefit from the
D.A.R.E.
program. It took two years to get it done. But get it
done we did!
D.A.R.E.
wanted to be assured that it took the best, most
relevant criticisms and research to create a revised
curriculum that had sufficient impact and met the
life-skills needed for today's youth.
The prestigious Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation (the largest health organization in
the world) is working with
D.A.R.E.
because, as the largest drug prevention delivery system
in
America, we have the
ability to deliver drug prevention programs in most of
the nation's schools.
D.A.R.E.
is not abandoning the 5th/6th-grade
program. We are revising the middle school program to
reinforce the successful elementary
D.A.R.E. program to
ensure greater impact and long-term positive results.
The elementary program will continue to be a critical
element to
D.A.R.E.'s K-12 curricula.
The University of Akron is
currently in the process of revising
D.A.R.E.'s
elementary program to ensure its compatibility with the
new middle school curriculum.
These steps are not being taken
because the current curriculum is not effective-but
simply the last
D.A.R.E.'s
continual process of improving
D.A.R.E.--this
latest revision will provide the best prevention
education for America's
school children.
The University of Akron, with the
full cooperation of
D.A.R.E.
America,
specifically designed the curriculum to be delivered
exclusively by D.A.R.E.
officers.
D.A.R.E. is critically important
because it is the largest drug prevention delivery
system in the country, reaching approximately 80% of out
nation's 5th and 6th grade
students, and approximately 25% of all middle school
students.
This is arguably the most positive
and significant development for the
D.A.R.E.
program since its inception in 1983.
Did not
find an Answer you wanted?
If No,
Then send us your question by clicking the Button:
For more information contact the
Bexar County
D.A.R.E
.
Coordinator
at
210-379-4919
or go to
www.dare.com.
