Rich Seaberg Speaks on TASD D.A.R.E. Program

At the April 13 Rotary Club Luncheon at Purkey's Pink Apple, Tunkhannock Area School Resource Officer Rich Seaberg spoke to the club about the D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program that he provides to 5th graders in the Tunkhannock Area School District. The D.A.R.E. program is a police-based course meant as a class-room experience to teach students good decision making, helps them define problems and make responsible/good choices at a young age. The course provides practice responding to good and bad pressure, including peer pressure, and teaches them how to be a positive peer pressure for their families and friends.

Pres. Ann Way presented Rich with a check for $1,500 to fund an award for the best end-of-course D.A.R.E. essay and t-shirts to be given to the students when they graduate from the program. Rich invited all Tunkhannock Rotarians to attend the graduation on Friday Apr 21 at 1:30 at the Middle School auditorium.

Rich then spoke about the mentor program where high school students go to the Middle School and discuss topics directly with the kids. The students will talk about things with the mentors that they may not discuss with Rich. The mentors also talk with the kids about the good and bad things that happened to them in class.

L to R: D.A.R.E mentors Paul DeMarco, Brian Muckin, RaeAnn Carpenter and Saira Gamez

Brian Muckin, who is one of the Senior Mentors, talked about why he got involved. He wants to teach the kids about his experiences in Middle School and wants to positively impact the kids’ lives like he was impacted back in 5^th grade.