D.A.R.E. is a substance abuse prevention program developed to teach kids to respect others and choose to lead lives free from violence, substance use, and other dangerous behaviors. The Penn-Trafford School District, in partnership with the Penn Township Police, utilizes the D.A.R.E. curriculum in all of its elementary schools.
Officer Chad Meyers of the Penn Township Police taught D.A.R.E. lessons to all the district’s 2nd-grade and 5th-grade students during the 2020-2021 academic school year. The 5th-grade D.A.R.E. program concluded with an essay contest.
To celebrate the students’ pledge to be drug-free, Officer Meyers presented every 5th-grade student with a T-shirt. He also selected one winner from each 5th-grade class whose essay best expressed what they learned from D.A.R.E. The winners (and a friend) all joined Officer Meyers for a bowling party at Lokay Lanes.
Winners of the essay contest were:
Sunrise Estates Elementary – Isabella Botti and Mia Mastro
Trafford Elementary – Gino Pecora and Armondo Capdevila
McCullough Elementary – Olivia Wilczynski, Sophie McManus, and Nicholas Bearley
Level Green Elementary – Ella Driskill and Ava Kohan
Harrison Park Elementary - Erik Gunstrom, Joseph Aquino, and Lauren Veyo