Pubdate: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 Source: Mesabi Daily News (MN) Copyright: 2006 Mesabi Daily News Contact: http://www.virginiamn.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2565 Author: Jim Romsaas Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) D.A.R.E. TO BE INVOLVED Officer Glad To Be Working With Classes VIRGINIA -- Officer Tim Koivunen doesn't need much convincing to teach his Drug Abuse Resistance Education classes in Virginia and Eveleth-Gilbert these days. He is greeted by high fives and in turn asks them what day it is. "D.A.R.E. Day!" they shout to the instructor of the 11-week program. In the beginning, "I was a little apprehensive about it," Koivunen, a 13-year veteran of the Virginia Police Department, said about taking over the program. He replaced Dennis Benz, who moved into a detective's position. Since then the father of two has developed great relationships with the kids. "It's the best thing I've ever done," he said. "I'm just having a great time doing this." In a fifth-grade classroom recently in Virginia, Koivunen and the students practiced responding confidently to different situations they might encounter. They included copying someone else's homework, taking money off a teacher's desk, being offered a cigarette or stealing a wallet out of a backpack. The students had learned their lessons well. A better solution to copying the homework was "ask the teacher (for assistance) or I can help you," one student said. Stealing wasn't the proper thing to do, either. "I don't think stealing will be worth it," another student said. The students' eyes lit up as they went over the topics with Koivunen, exchanged the high fives and received "Say No to Drugs" stickers from the officer. Each interaction with the students makes the experience worthwhile, just like some of his coworkers predicted. "They said it would be a life changing experience." Koivunen has made the impact in the fifth grade (the focus of the program) and also in the other grades where he gives parts of the program. When not in the Eveleth-Gilbert and Virginia elementary buildings, he is working on D.A.R.E. fund-raisers like the curling bonspiel, golf tournament and spaghetti feeds. He is also in the high schools and at community events making presentations on the dangers of methamphetamine. Meth wasn't initially part of the 10-week D.A.R.E. program, but it was added and the class was extended to 11 weeks. While the parents, schools and Police Department have all cooperatively made D.A.R.E. a success, he said peer pressure is the No. 1 reason people starting using. Koivunen wants all the kids to be prepared for that pressure, as well. He said every student will be approached to try something before they leave the school setting. The question about the overall success of D.A.R.E. comes up periodically and Koivunen stands firmly behind his program. "Until someone can give me an answer that definitely works, we have to keep trying." It's not about D.A.R.E. anyway, he said. "It's about the relationship with the kids." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom