Start a D.A.R.E. Program

Thank you for your interest in making a positive difference in the lives of children.  The D.A.R.E. program teaches students good decision-making skills to help them lead safe and responsible lives.

General Information

Founded in 1983 by Los Angeles Police Department, today more than 15,000 D.A.R.E. officers and deputies are in over 10,000 communities nationwide educating America’s youth and serving as the first line of defense in America’s schools.  The D.A.R.E. program is today taught in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and 50+ other countries.  All curricula are science/evidence-based, age appropriate, and written by a national panel of curriculum and prevention experts.  D.A.R.E. curricula meet the core educational standards of health, language arts, and math.  D.A.R.E. also meets the needs of communities and schools as it relates to “bullying.”

Who is a D.A.R.E. Instructor

A D.A.R.E. Instructor must be a uniformed law enforcement officer, meeting the minimum training standards for peace officer status in their state of residence, and who has completed the equivalent of two years as a peace officer with full police powers.  Additionally, the D.A.R.E. Instructor candidate’s employing police agency shall have a memorandum of understanding with concerned school district(s) allowing implementation of D.A.R.E. after completion of the candidate’s training.

The basic 80 hour D.A.R.E. Officer Training (DOT) allows a police officer or sheriff deputy to teach both the elementary curriculum and the middle school curriculum,  as well as the high school curriculum.  D.A.R.E. has new elementary and middle school curriculums, keepin’ it REAL (kiR). The D.A.R.E. kiR middle school curriculum which is an evidence-based program commended by the Surgeon General, Scientific American magazine, the President’s 2017 Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, the National Institute of Justice, the California Healthy Kids Resource Center, and the United Nations.

The Process

If you are a parent or caregiver in a community where D.A.R.E. is already taught, but is not in your school at the present time please contact your school administrator/principal and request the local law enforcement agency begin to teach D.A.R.E. at your school.

If D.A.R.E. is not currently in your community, begin by talking to other like-minded parents and caregivers and approach the local school administrator/principal to discuss your concerns and your interest in the D.A.R.E. program.

Once a school has agreed, contact the local law enforcement agency and request a meeting to discuss those same concerns and your interest in the D.A.R.E. program.  Once the law enforcement agency expresses interest, suggest they contact the Regional Director for your state.  You can also call D.A.R.E. America Headquarters at (800) 223-3273.

Starting a D.A.R.E. Program in Your Community

Some FAQs and Links that will also help you obtain more information on starting a D.A.R.E. program.

The Memorandum of Understanding between the local law enforcement agency and school district is linked here: A Commitment Between Law Enforcement and Education Agencies to Implement D.A.R.E.

The cooperative written agreement can be forwarded to your State D.A.R.E. Coordinator or D.A.R.E. Regional Director together with your DOT training request if needed.

See the D.A.R.E. America D.A.R.E. 2 week Officer Training (DOT) Calendar

Where do I start to get a D.A.R.E. program?

Contact your School Administrator and your local Chief of Police, County Sheriff, Mayor or County Executive requesting in writing that they host a D.A.R.E. program in your school.

What does D.A.R.E. need in writing?

A joint signed agreement by the School Administrator and the host Chief or Sheriff of Law Enforcement Agency presenting D.A.R.E. A sample of this written agreement can be downloaded from here: A Commitment Between Law Enforcement and Education Agencies to Implement D.A.R.E.

What does a D.A.R.E. program cost?

Only the cost of a student’s D.A.R.E. workbook/planner that costs $1.65 for the elementary school workbook; $1.55 for the middle school workbook; and $1.35 for the high school workbook.

Who can present D.A.R.E.?

A uniformed law enforcement officer that’s certified by state and who’s been specially trained to teach D.A.R.E. to your kids.

Where can they be trained?

At a two week D.A.R.E. Officer Training course in your state or in your D.A.R.E. Region. See the training calendar.

What does it cost to train a D.A.R.E. Officer?

Depending on the training site selected, the cost varies from Free to up to $1,000.

What are the length of the D.A.R.E. classes?

The D.A.R.E. elementary and middle school kiR and D.A.R.E. high school curriculums are each comprised of  10 lessons,  designed to be  taught in 45 to 60 minutes based on school scheduling availability. The D.A.R.E. myPlaybook: Core high school curriculum is 4 lessons.

If I need help, who or where do I go?

The State D.A.R.E. Coordinator or the D.A.R.E. America Regional Director responsible for your State.