The Novi Police Department has taught the nationally recognized Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) course since 1989. D.A.R.E.- now operating in 80% of all school districts around the country and reaching over 36 million young people-is the most extensive substance abuse prevention delivery system in the country. Novi Police Detectives teach D.A.R.E. to 6th grade students at Novi Meadows and 5th grade students at Hickory Woods, Thornton Creek and Meadowbrook Elementary Schools. Thousands of children have participated in the program since 1989. On average there are approximately 28 children in each class taught.

The Elementary D.A.R.E. curriculum challenges students by having them participate in active learning. The benefit to the students is the strong foundation of decision-making skills that they apply to real life situations about the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and inhalants. The students are actively engaged as they learn how to cope with the pressures associated with adolescence.

The middle school curriculum was also introduced at the Novi Middle School for the 1998-1999 school year. This D.A.R.E. block of instruction, entitled "Take Charge of Your Life" is taught in the eighth grade elective class entitled "Skills for Adolescence."

Novi continues to lead the State of Michigan in the effort to curb youth drug use when in the fall of 1998, D.A.R.E. was taught in the Novi High School for the first time. Novi is one of only a handful of police departments in the state that teach D.A.R.E. at the senior high school level. The aim of the senior high school D.A.R.E. program is to reinforce the skills students need to enable them (1) to act in their own best interest when facing high-risk, low-gain choices and (2) to resist peer pressure and other influences in making their personal choices. Equal emphasis is placed on helping students to recognize and cope with feelings of anger without causing harm to themselves or others and without resorting to violence or the use of alcohol and drugs. Over 350 ninth grade students at Novi High School receive this area of instruction every year.

To learn more about the DARE program, please visit the National DARE website.