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 Hopewell Township Police Department
DARE Program graduates enjoy a cooling shower
at the annual DARE picnic
D A R E
DARE, which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is a collaborative program in which local law enforcement and local schools join together to educate students about the personal and social consequences of substance abuse and violence.
The DARE curriculum is designed to be delivered sequentially from grades K-12. First developed in 1983, DARE has undergone multiple revisions as research findings increased knowledge of effective substance abuse prevention among school-aged youth.
The Hopewell Township Police Department has been teaching the DARE Program since 1990. Currently four officers are certified in the core DARE curriculum instruction and are active in every school in the Hopewell Valley Regional School District. Success of the program has been a result of the Hopewell Township Police Department, the Hopewell Valley Regional School District and parents all working collectively toward a common goal.
Hopewell Township DARE officers teach the 5th grade classes a 10-week course that usually runs from January through May. Additionally, 2 weeks have recently been added to address bullying issues among youth. Upon completion of the DARE course a graduation ceremony is conducted in each of four elementary schools. Graduation is followed up by a picnic at the Washington Crossing State Park that is attended by all of the graduating 5th graders and their families.
For more information about the Hopewell Township Police Department’s DARE program please contact any of the officers listed below or visit these websites:
WWW.DARENJ.COM, WWW.DARE.COM, WWW.MONITORINGTHEFUTURE.ORG
Hopewell Elementary School DARE Officer Michael Toth, 737-3100, ext 557
Bear Tavern Elementary School Officer Joseph McNeil, 737-3100, ext 521
Stony Brook Elementary School Officer Sara Erwin 737-3100, ext 562
Tollgate Grammar School Officer Kevin Koveloski 737-3100, ext 550
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