DARE was introduced into the Nixa schools by the Nixa Police Department at the beginning of the 1991 semester. The program is directed towards students at the fifth-grade level. Officer Brent Forgey has been the Nixa DARE Officer since 1994.
Since its inception, the DARE curriculum reaches over 400 fifth grade students per year, with visitations and instruction to kindergarten through fourth grade.
Many experts in education and medicine believe substance abuse prevention must begin early. DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) targets students when they are vulnerable to try drugs or alcohol. The DARE lessons help children build their self-esteem, manage stress, foresee behavioral consequences, resist pro-drug media messages, and identify alternatives to drug use. It doesn’t just tell them to say ”NO,” it teaches them how to say ”NO.”
Junior High DARE
Junior High DARE is taught to Nixa 7th graders. It consists of 10 lessons with a graduation party & video for all graduates. Junior High DARE reinforces the core lessons taught in fifth grade and reconnects the students with all the techniques and values learned.
For further information on DARE, contact Officer Forgey.
To watch Nixa’s PSA about their DARE program and for Officer Forgey’s contact information click HERE.