Recently, two Cheatham County School Resource Officers completed D.A.R.E. schooling in Cookeville, Tennessee.
Steven Wright completed a 40-hour recertification from September 28 to October 2, and Tashia Biggs completed an 80-hour certification from September 28 through October 9.
By attending this course together, Biggs and Wright made D.A.R.E. history.
The duo from Cheatham County was told that it was the first time that a D.A.R.E. officer (Wright) was in the same training class as a former student (Biggs). Wright was Biggs' D.A.R.E. officer when she was in sixth grade.
The extensive and thorough program was divided into elementary, middle, high school sections which were each composed of 10 lessons, each designed to support the the DARE decision-making model: D= define the problem, A= assess, what are my choices? R= respond, make a choice; E= evaluate, did I make a good choice? This model is emphasized in every aspect of life so students can resist things like: risky situations, peer pressure, and bullying.
"The lessons do not focus on saying no to drugs, but rather skills and confidence to make responsible decisions. This would naturally lead into not wanting to be involved with drugs or violence (bullying) because of good decision making," Wright said.
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