Since 1989, Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) has provided Overland Park children with information and skills needed to live drug- and violence-free lives.

D.A.R.E. officers now instruct this curriculum in more than 30 area schools, both public and private.

The D.A.R.E. program maintains positive relationships between law enforcement, students, teachers, parents and other members of the community. Trained police officers teach lessons that focus on:

• Providing accurate information about drugs and alcohol.
• Teaching decision-making skills and resistance techniques against peer pressure.
• Ideas for alternatives to drug use and violence.

D.A.R.E. also helps children build their self esteem, manage stress and anger, foresee behavioral consequences, and find a way to say "no" to the temptations of drug abuse and violence.

The D.A.R.E. curriculum is offered to all elementary schools in Overland Park. The elementary curriculum includes four visits to students in kindergarten through fourth-grade.

The core curriculum is delivered to the last elementary grade, either fifth- or sixth-grade, depending on the school district.

Kindergarten through fourth-grade visits acquaint students with the D.A.R.E. officer and provide a foundation for future lessons in the fifth- or sixth-grade.

Effective interaction also is a major part of the program. Officers interact with students during lunch, recess, school functions and outside activities at their respective schools.

Although officers salaries are funded by the police department's annual budget, other items such as workbooks, videos, and other supplies which enhance the program, including the promotion of outside activities for D.A.R.E. students, are costly.

Private and corporate donations to the Overland Park Police Department's D.A.R.E. Unit make the overall quality of D.A.R.E. even more meaningful for students.