Foothills School Division Councillors raised concerns at their last meeting over the continuation of the D.A.R.E. program for 2018/19 school year, after the RCMP officer who taught the program had to step away from the role.

D.A.R.E Program Foothills Executive Director Laurie McCreary says she's confident the program will resume, with new instructors on the way.

"I'm very optimistic that we will have new officers, they won't be able to go into training until December, which means they won't be able to teach until after New Years. We've had really really good interest in training other D.A.R.E officers, it's a sigh of relief, we are still breathing and I don't see an issue moving forward."

McCreary says the training program is a little out of the way.

"This particular course is a two week program. In December we will be sending officers to the Ontario Provincial Police Province, they'll need to learn how to teach the program appropriately. It used to be the R.C.M.P division in Alberta taught it, but they have chosen not to offer the training anymore."

McCreary says she doesn't see an end to the program and says D.A.R.E has been, and will continue to be part of the Foothills.

"I think that we are unique, in that we make sure it's delivered in every last school in the division, and have done so since 1999."

Founded in 1983 in Los Angeles, the D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), program was a collaborative education program for youth in school.

Working closely with law enforcement and local school boards, the program seeks to teach kids about the dangers of drugs, but also encourages them to make healthy, autonomous choices.

More information on the D.A.R.E program, can be found on the D.A.R.E Foothills website.

 

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