Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Program

The City of Claremont is dedicated to the health, safety, and welfare of our youth. Education is the primary instrument to provide our young people with the tools necessary to become productive citizens.

DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a collaborative effort by certified Claremont police officers, Claremont Unified School educators, our students, and the community, to offer an educational program in the classroom to prevent or reduce drug abuse and violence among children and youth. Our emphasis is to help students recognize and resist the many and subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, inhalants, or other drugs, or to engage in violence.

The DARE program offers preventative strategies to enhance those protective factors-especially bonding to the family, school, and community-which appear to foster the development of resiliency in young people who may be at risk for substance abuse or other problem behaviors. Researchers have identified certain protective and social bonding factors in the family, school, and community, which may foster resiliency in young people, in other words, the capacity of young people for healthy, independent growth in spite of adverse conditions. These strategies focus on the development of social competence, communication skills, self-esteem, empathy, decision-making, conflict resolution, sense of purpose and independence, and positive alternative activities to drug abuse and other destructive behaviors.

DARE offers a variety of interactive, group-participation, cooperative learning activities which are designed to encourage students to solve problems of major importance in their lives. An important element of DARE is the use of student leaders who do not use drugs as positive role models in influencing younger students.

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education core curriculum is taught to all fifth grade students attending any of the seven public schools in Claremont. Over 500 children receive this program each year.

The City of Claremont, the Claremont Unified School District, and the Claremont Police Department are here to serve our youth. Please call us with your comments or questions. You may reach the DARE Officer, Officer Sean Evans, at 909-399-5403.