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Founded in 1983 by the Los Angeles Police Department, today more than 15,000 D.A.R.E. officers and deputies are in over 10,000 communities nationwide, including throughout Mississippi, educating America’s youth and serving as the first line of defense in America’s schools. The D.A.R.E. program is taught in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and more than 50 countries worldwide. All D.A.R.E. curricula are science/evidence-based, age-appropriate, and written by a national panel of curriculum and prevention experts. The curricula meet the core educational standards of health, language arts, and math. D.A.R.E. also addresses community and school needs regarding bullying prevention.
A D.A.R.E. Instructor must be a uniformed law enforcement officer, meeting the minimum training standards for peace officer status in Mississippi, and who has completed at least two years of service as a peace officer with full police powers. Additionally, the D.A.R.E. Instructor candidate’s employing agency must have a memorandum of understanding with the school district(s) in the area to implement D.A.R.E. after the candidate completes their training.
The basic 80-hour D.A.R.E. Officer Training (DOT) qualifies officers to teach the elementary, middle school, and high school curricula. D.A.R.E. Mississippi uses the "Keepin’ it REAL" (kiR) program, a science-based curriculum for middle schools, commended by the Surgeon General, Scientific American, and national bodies such as the National Institute of Justice and the United Nations.
If you are a parent or caregiver in a community where D.A.R.E. is offered but not yet at your school, contact your school administrator or principal and ask them to bring D.A.R.E. to your school.
If D.A.R.E. is not available in your area, start by talking to other parents and caregivers. Then, approach your local school administrator or principal with your request for D.A.R.E. to be introduced.
Once the school shows interest, reach out to your local law enforcement agency to schedule a meeting to discuss the program. If the law enforcement agency is also interested, they can contact the Regional Director for Mississippi or call D.A.R.E. America Headquarters at (800) 223-3273 for further assistance.
For more information, consult these FAQs and links to help start a D.A.R.E. program:
Contact your school administrator and local Chief of Police, County Sheriff, Mayor, or County Executive to request that they host a D.A.R.E. program at your school. Ensure you submit the request in writing.
A signed joint agreement between the school administrator and the Chief of Police or County Sheriff to implement D.A.R.E.
The cost is primarily for the student workbook/planner:
D.A.R.E. is presented by a uniformed law enforcement officer who has been certified by the state and specially trained to teach the program to students.
Training is available through a two-week D.A.R.E. Officer Training course held in Mississippi.
Training costs vary, ranging from free to up to $1,000 depending on the location.
For further assistance, contact the Mississippi State D.A.R.E. Coordinator or the D.A.R.E. America Regional Director for Mississippi.