by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Dec 05/97) - Yellowknife RCMP are challenging elementary school students.

It is a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program aimed at keeping youngsters off drugs. It will be launched after Christmas.

Three Yellowknife RCMP officers will be learning to teach the program in early February in Edmonton.

"I heard about the program a year ago. I was very impressed by it," said Cpl. Len Del Pino, RCMP Drug Awareness Co-ordinator for the NWT. "The biggest stumbling block was being able to find the money," he added.

To train officers, the RCMP detachment needed to find corporate sponsorship. It will cost approximately $1,200 for each officer to go to Edmonton to attend the 80-hour course in February.

First Air is paying for the flights to Edmonton and the Elks Lodge is footing the bill for tuition.

The course will enable officers to teach DARE for an hour a day each week for 17 weeks, focusing on students in grades 5 and 6.

As well as arranging the financing, Del Pino had to check with his commanding officer that officers interested in the training course weren't transferred during the 17 weeks.

"Kids get to know the officer on a personal note," he said.

Del Pino also requested that each officer write a 1,000-word essay explaining why they wanted to teach the program.

Schools must commit 17 hours of classroom time to the program. So far, Ecole St. Joseph and Weledeh have signed on. The public schools hope to have space available next year.

The Dare Program began in 1983 in Los Angeles, Calif. It is being offered for the first time next year in the NWT.

Over the 17 weeks, students will learn about the effects of mind-altering drugs, the consequences of taking them, ways to say no, building self-esteem, saying yes to positive alternatives and how to take a stand.

At the end of the course a graduation ceremony is held. Students receive a workbook and a T-shirt and medallions are handed out to the top students in each class.