City of Newark - Children :: School-Based Programs

D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It is a program designed for K-12, with a parent program too! We in the City of Newark offer the DARE program starting in Kindergarten through the sixth grade. It is an exciting program where students interact with a uniformed police officer in their school classroom. It is a cooperative effort between the City, the Newark Unified School District, and St. Edward School.

The sixth grade curriculum is a seventeen week (semester) long program. The program covers drugs and their influence on the mind and body, consequences (for our actions), peer pressure, self-esteem, assertiveness, stress, stressors, violence, the media, risk (taking a chance), alternatives, and youth gangs.

The program is Community Policing in action. The police department coming together with the school district, parents, and our youth to teach life skills in drug and violence prevention.

Contact: Officer John Boga
510-578-4227
john.boga@newark.org

Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT)

The GREAT program is an innovative approach to community policing that integrates the talents and experience of local law enforcement officers working together with teachers to address the issue of violent crimes and to reduce gang involvement in the school and community. This eight-week program is designed to teach eighth graders to:

An integral part of the GREAT program is the follow-up summer component, which is filled with classroom curriculum and extracurricular activities, which serve to reinforce the program.

Gang Resistance Education and Training/School Resource Officer (SRO)

The SRO would be assigned primarily to Newark Jr. High School as an SRO and GREAT instructor, but would also have the responsibility for the on-site Opportunity School and Bridgepoint High (continuation school). The officer's work hours would be flexible to accommodate the assignment, but would primarily be set for Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., with school holidays off similar to the high school SRO and DARE officer.

GREAT Instruction would occur on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with a minimum of two classes each day. Using this format, the SRO will be able to provide GREAT instruction to a minimum of 720 students. During the remaining non-instruction time, the SRO can deal with law enforcement issues on campus, School Attendance Review Board (SARB) hearings and site visits to Bridgepoint High.

Contact: Officer Carson Thomas
510-793-1400, ext. 714
carson.thomas@newark.org

Tutoring, Educating, Assisting, and Mentoring (TEAM) Volunteer Program

The Newark Unified School District is looking for members of the Community to serve as mentors for the Tutoring, Educating, Assisting, and Mentoring (TEAM) program. This incredible program helps high school students improve in English, Language Arts, and Math by working with a mentor and a small group of other students each week.

If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information, please contact Tim Erwin, TEAM Coordinator, Newark Unified School District, at (510) 818-4226 or terwin@nusd.k12.ca.us.