The St. Louis County Police Department is phasing out its Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program as it shifts resources to other community initiatives. As a result, the Rockwood School District is replacing D.A.R.E. with the Botvin LifeSkills Training program for middle school students. The change will take for the 2020-2021 school year.

The LifeSkills Training program focuses on equipping students with skills related to personal self-management, social interactions and drug resistance. The goal is to help them enhance their self-esteem, develop problem-solving abilities, reduce stress and anxiety, and manage anger for better mental health. Additionally, students work on overcoming shyness, communicating clearly, building relationships and avoiding violence. Finally, as with the D.A.R.E. Program, students learn techniques to resist the pressures to use tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

Rockwood Drug-Free Coalition Coordinator Lili Schliesser said the LifeSkills Training program will look very similar to D.A.R.E.

“We’re going to keep everything in place,” she said. “The officers that have been teaching D.A.R.E. will continue to teach prevention programs for fifth-graders. (The program) will continue to be 10 weeks long. Students will still have graduations where parents can come.”

Schliesser said that, when the district started researching DARE replacements, the Botvin LifeSkills Training program had the highest ratings as far as outcomes for students.

The district will hold two days of training sessions, July 23 and 24, for school resource officers to prepare them to teach the LifeSkills system once the school year starts in August.

“The LifeSkills program is based on personal development and mental health that will lead to making positive choices,” Schliesser said. “When we’re looking at prevention education – especially at the younger level – when it’s a skill-based program, this is more effective than saying, ‘Here’s a substance, and here’s why it’s bad.’ Through this approach, we’re preparing kids more for when they’re going to encounter drugs and alcohol.”