KEARNEY, Nebraska — Northeast Elementary in Kearney has started its new school year and is trying out a program that is new to them but familiar to many: DARE
“I think it falls under the aspect of student safety and just helping our kids make good choices in their lives,” says Catherine Gundersen, Northeast principal.
DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) teaches children to be mindful of drugs and alcohol, but has recently begun to address other issues that children may face.
Kearney police officer and curriculum teacher Boyd Weller said the show also covers topics such as “being a good person, being nice to your family, being nice to your teachers and just being nice to people in public.”
Dare has a controversial history, and many studies question its effectiveness. But program leaders at Northeast are confident about another aspect of the program.
“The most important thing for the Kearney Police Department is to get to these kids. These kids get to know me and will know me their whole lives,” Weller said.
The Kearney Police Department hopes that this experience will help them gain the trust of community members at a young age.
“I did my program over 30 years ago and I still remember the name of my DARE officer,” Weller said.
This way, even if children encounter scenarios that are not covered in their workbooks, they always have another resource at their disposal.
“If they have a problem, I don’t care how old they are, they can come to me and talk to me about it,” Weller said.
Weller will help run the program for fifth-graders at Northeast for 45 minutes a week for ten weeks starting in early September.
