Canyon School holds DARE graduation

Constable Wright and Canyon School DARE students
T. Lucas photos

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

Canyon School students gathered in the gym on the morning of Friday, May 25 for their DARE Graduation.

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles and first implemented in Alberta in 1995. It is a series of classroom lessons led by police officers that helps to teach children how to resist peer pressure to use drugs or engage in violence.  Parents, teachers and police officers help encourage students to lead a safe healthy lifestyle.

The students participated in a ten week program and then handed in to RCMP Constable Bob Wright posters, 3-D models, films, and slideshows representing what they learned to help them live a drug free life. "It's often their first interaction (with a police office) and it's positive.  It makes a huge difference," said Wright.  "Every year, I'm surprised by how much I learn. I'm consistently learning things from the kids.  One of the biggest things I've learned is you view them at ages 10 - 12 as kids, and sometimes you forget that they are very young adults.  Some of the things they come up with in the final DARE projects are just incredible.  They are motivated, with great potential."  Wright has been running the DARE program in Canyon School for the last six years.

Constable Wright presented certificates and t-shirts to the DARE alumni.  Over the course of the last 6 years, Wright believes he has had over 400 students go through the DARE program.  This will be his last year running the DARE program at Canyon School as he is being reassigned to the Lake Louise area.  Canyon School sees great value in the program and is planning on continuing it.

Related story:  Constable Robert Wright says goodbye to Pincher Creek