Pubdate: Sat, 16 Jun 2007 Source: Packet & Times (CN ON) Copyright: 2007 Osprey Media Group Inc. Contact: http://www.orilliapacket.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2397 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) STUDENTS DARE TO SPEAK OUT Contest Winners Wrote About Drug Dangers Three Grade 6 students were congratulated yesterday for their awareness of drug-abuse issues. Katelyn Ayers, Kyla Young and Genevieve Bates all took part in the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program and wrote reports on what they learned. A total of 640 students from 18 area elementary schools completed the 10-week program. The best essays from each school, more than 80 in total, were judged by Chuck Vanhuizen of Safety Net, an organization focused on children's safety and a big supporter of DARE. "(DARE) gives students powerful tools to help make the best decisions in life," Vanhuizen said. Ayers, from Marchmont Public School, won first prize for her essay about two girls who discover drugs and drug paraphernalia during a horseback ride, and how they appropriately handle the situation. Ayers said she found the DARE program valuable. "I learned a lot, and I think what I learned will help me make decisions in the future," she said. For first place, Ayers received a new laptop computer and printer. The second-place essay, written by Kyla Young of Rama Central Public School, focused on the facts, statistics, dangers and effects of drugs and alcohol. She stressed the importance of programs like DARE for children. "We're at the age where we have to make a lot of decisions, like saying no to drugs and alcohol," Young said. Third place went to Genevieve Bates from Uptergrove Public School for her essay on the difficulty of making choices and the importance of problem solving. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek