The Gloucester Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program and Deputies for Education scholarship committee partner to present annual D.A.R.E. scholarships. Scholarship winners may apply awards to costs at any two or four year accredited higher education institution.
The 2017 Dare Scholarship recipients were announced this month. Sydney Cook was awarded $3,000. Both Skyler Bauman and Mariah Rubbicco were given $1,000. The scholarship received by Rubbicco was presented in memory and honor of Trooper Chad Dermeyer by Mr. Bill Johnson, owner of the Johnson Law Center.
To be eligible to apply, high school seniors had to be certificate-holding D.A.R.E. graduates. In addition, students were required to be drug free, hold a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and have a clean criminal record. The 2017 D.A.R.E. essay had the following topic: How has D.A.R.E. impacted my life and how I will use these skills to contribute to society?
Along with the essay, scholarship applicants were asked to share their academic, leadership and community achievements. The deadline for this year’s scholarship applications was April 14, 2017. To review the full Gloucester Sheriff’s Office D.A.R.E. Scholarship Program application and review process, refer to the Gloucester Sheriff’s Office D.A.R.E. Scholarship 2017 Fact Sheet.
D.A.R.E. is a collaborative effort by certified law enforcement officers, educators, students, parents and community members to offer an educational classroom program which prevents or reduces drug abuse and violence among children and youth. The law enforcement-led program helps students recognize and resist the many direct and subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with drugs or engage in violence. “Dare to Be Yourself; Dare to Be Drug and Violence Free!” is the D.A.R.E. pledge.
D.A.R.E. aims to foster resiliency in at-risk young people by encouraging bonding within the family, school and community, through research-driven approaches. These strategies focus on the development of social competence, communication skills, self-esteem, empathy, decision-making, conflict resolution, sense of purpose and independence and positive alternative activities to drug abuse and other destructive behaviors.
Contact D.A.R.E. instructor Master Deputy Cindy Saulman regarding questions, concerns or monetary contributions.