Edwardsville Police D.A.R.E. Program History
The Edwardsville Police D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program was established in the spring of 1990, including a total of eight schools in the Edwardsville School District #7. This included both public and private schools, with a total student involvement of approximately four hundred twenty sixth grade students. Participating schools in the program included N.O. Nelson, LeClaire, Columbus, Glen Carbon, Worden, St. Boniface, St. Mary’s, and Trinity Lutheran School.The Edwardsville City Police Department is responsible for the instruction of the D.A.R.E. Program throughout the District and is the primary financial support for the program. Donations from private individuals, business, and civic organizations are used for the promotional materials which enhance the program and are given to the students in the program throughout the year. These donations are also used for sponsoring special events for the D.A.R.E. students during the year, at no cost to the students.
Since the establishment of the Edwardsville Police D.A.R.E. Program, approximately 5500 students have been instructed in the programs 5th/6th-grade core curriculum. These are not the only students that receive the program. Since 1991, grades kindergarten, second and fourth have been instructed in an abbreviated D.A.R.E. Program in the parochial schools, where no substance abuse personnel are available for instruction. These programs assist students at a younger age to make safe decisions about personal safety and are delivered in four and five week segments. Also since 1991, the Edwardsville Police D.A.R.E. Program has expanded to Trinity St. Paul Lutheran School, Hamel/Worden during the fall of 1992 and St. Peter’s Lutheran School, Prairietown, in the spring of 1993, completing all the schools in the Edwardsville School District.
The Edwardsville Police D.A.R.E. program also offers the National D.A.R.E. Parent program. This four part series was designed to provide parenting skills, building a child’s self esteem, recognizing media influences, and developing support systems.
Current Program
The Edwardsville Police Department currently has three certified instructors in the D.A.R.E. curriculum now serving approximately 720 students per class year. With in inception of the Edwardsville Middle School in the fall of 1997 the core class was moved from the sixth grade level to the fifth grade level where it currently is being taught.
Call 692-7544 if you would like to contact the D.A.R.E. office.
You can Email a D.A.R.E. Officers by clicking on their respective names below:
Officer Luther Hardin
Mail for any D.A.R.E. Officer should be sent to:
Edwardsville City Police Department
400 North Main Street
Edwardsville, IL 62025
Scheduled Activities
On September 14, 2003 the Edwardsville Police D.A.R.E. Program will proudly be sponsoring the 12th Annual D.A.R.E. Car Show.
On April 25, 2004 the Edwardsville Police D.A.R.E. Program will proudly be sponsoring the 14th Annual D.A.R.E. Family Picnic.
The purpose of this picnic is to bring families from the Edwardsville School District together for an afternoon of family fun with the police officers. Over 500 families are usually in attendance during the day and enjoy at no cost many different events and activities. More to come………