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2010-2011 D.A.R.E. Graduating Class

DARE poster - by  Maya McHugh - who got 11th place in the statewide poster competition

Best DARE essay - by  Jackson Fenner

Best DARE essay - by  Linnea Gesch

• D.A.R.E. is a preventative education program originally developed by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Unified School District in 1983. The goal was to find an alternative technique to curb drug use. The program was so successful that it is now being taught worldwide.
• D.A.R.E. was introduced to Cook County in 1992, being taught by Deputy Tim Weitz until 2000. Since then I, Chief Deputy Leif Lunde, have been teaching the program. The D.A.R.E. curriculum is currently only being taught at the elementary level; at Sawtooth, Great Expectations, Birch Grove, and Oshki-Ogimaag elementary schools. D.A.R.E. is currently being taught in the third and fifth grade classes, with the focus of the program geared to the fifth grade level.
• D.A.R.E. is not the solution to all drug abuse problems. However, it is an opportunity for law enforcement to educate children on the dangers involved with drug abuse. Another unique opportunity provided by the D.A.R.E. program is children being able to speak freely with law enforcement, in a neutral setting.