Pubdate: Wed, 16 Oct 2002
Source: Okotoks Western Wheel (CN AB)
Copyright: 2002, Okotoks Western Wheel
Contact:  http://www.westernwheel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1638
Author: Darlene Casten
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

TOWN FORGES AHEAD TO FIND INSTRUCTOR FOR DARE WORKS!

The local DARE Works! Society is hopeful that they are one step closer to 
hiring a part-time instructor to teach their anti-drug and anti-bullying 
curriculum.

The Town of Okotoks has been lobbying the provincial Solicitor General's 
office for over nine months to approve a part-time position on behalf of 
the DARE Works! Society.

Local RCMP member Cst. Geoff Carpenter is currently delivering the DARE 
curriculum to Grade 6 students in the Foothills School Division (FSD).

DARE Works! is looking to expand its program to reach Grade 8 students but 
will need a part-time staff member to take over some Grade 6 classes from 
Carpenter.

Lori Czerwinski, executive director of the DARE Works! Society, said 
expanding the program to include Grade 8 students will help reinforce what 
was taught to students in elementary school.

She said statistics show that the effectiveness of the DARE curriculum 
greatly increases if it is followed up every two years.

'By Grade 8 students are even more vulnerable to peer pressure,' Czerwinski 
explained. 'The real key is to catch the Grade 6 students who have already 
taken the program.'

DARE Works! has been offering the DARE curriculum in local schools for four 
years.

The town is under pressure to find a new instructor soon as training for 
DARE instructors is only offered twice a year. With the next training 
session being held in mid-November the new instructor needs to be hired and 
approved by the Solicitor General's office in the next three weeks.

DARE Works! Society members approached the town late last year with a 
proposal that the town hire a special constable to work primarily as an 
instructor for DARE but also would be qualified to work for the town. DARE 
Canada requires that instructors of their curriculum be sanctioned to 
uphold the law, have two years previous police experience and be a 
uniformed officer.

The special constable would in turn be paid by the DARE Works! Society.

Council agreed unanimously to support the proposal and has since sent two 
letters to the Solicitor General's office asking for their approval of the 
special constable position.

Judy McKay, the assistant director of prevention programs and policing 
services for the Solicitor General's office, has responded negatively to 
the proposal twice.

McKay indicated that the approval for hiring a bylaw enforcement officer is 
based on enforcement needs of the town.

Municipal Manager Will Pearce said he doesn't understand why the Solicitor 
General's office is willing to approve the use of RCMP officers who also 
serve the enforcement needs of the community, but will not approve the 
hiring of a special constable for the same purpose.

Despite the two prior rejections, the town has gone ahead with the hiring 
process and interviewed candidates last week.

'We are trying a different approach,' Czerwinski said. 'We are going 
through the interview process so we will have a name to submit (to the 
Solicitor General).'

Pearce said the town has good reason to be optimistic that the position 
will be approved this time.

At an Alberta Urban Municipality Association (AUMA) earlier this year an 
Okotoks town councillor asked Solicitor General Heather Forsythe why the 
DARE Works! instructor position had been turned down, Pearce said.

According to Pearce, Forsythe responded that her approval of the DARE 
Works! instructor was contingent on the results of an Alberta Learning 
review of the DARE program.

When questioned further Forsythe responded that if the Alberta Learning 
review was favorable she would approve the proposed DARE Works! position.

Since the AUMA conference Czerwinski was told by a Learning Ministry staff 
member that the review has concluded and the DARE program received 
favorable commendations.

Pearce hopes that with the favorable review by the Ministry of Learning and 
the hiring of a qualified candidate the town and the DARE Works! Society 
will get the approval they seek.
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MAP posted-by: Beth