REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Informational Report - New 4th Grade Program (BRAVE) in Partnership with Santa Clara Unified School District
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Deliver and Enhance High Quality Efficient Services and Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
The Drug Abuse Resistance Education America (D.A.R.E.) program was developed in 1983 in response to the War on Drugs and to Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" philosophy.
For approximately 40 years, the Police Department has maintained a non-enforcement related presence within the local private and public schools to offer D.A.R.E. in 5th grade classrooms. The program taught youth to lead safe, healthy and responsible drug-free lives. Meanwhile, the Police Department has focused on building trust, breaking down barriers, promoting a sense of community between young people and law enforcement. In turn, D.A.R.E. has served as the conduit to open dialogue and establish partnerships between law enforcement and teachers/school administrators, as well as actively engage with the youth in the community and their families.
DISCUSSION
Over the years, there have been inquiries about the effectiveness of the D.A.R.E. curriculum, particularly the pace at which it reflects the evolving laws (e.g., growth, sales, and use of marijuana; vaping) and changing experiences and attitudes of young people (e.g., body image, cyberbullying, pornography/sex trafficking/sexting, school shootings, etc.). All D.A.R.E. content is proprietary and may not be altered without written permission from D.A.R.E. America.
Today's children face an ever-growing set of obstacles and dangers driven by a range of social, economic, environmental and psychological factors. Largely as a result of the pandemic, Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) staff and administrators shared their concerns surrounding new challenges faced by students and the resulting behaviors being exhibited in the classroom.
Preliminary discussions between SCUSD, Police Department and...
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