Washington State Patrol (WSP) Trooper Villanueva had the honor of celebrating 42 fifth-grade students who graduated from his first ever Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) keepin' it REAL Program yesterday at Liberty Christian School in Richland, Wash.
Trooper Villanueva became a certified D.A.R.E. instructor in 2022. As of right now, he is the only D.A.R.E. certified instructor in the agency.
The new D.A.R.E. program graduates received a T-shirt and certificate for their hard work, marking the completion of the 10-week curriculum. A few students read their D.A.R.E. essays aloud to the audience, where they shared what they learned and what the program meant to them.
At the end of the ceremony, a student from each class won a DAREN Lion, D.A.R.E.'s stuffed animal mascot.
Over the course of 10 weeks, the students learned about:
- The harmful effects of drugs/alcohol
- Risk and consequences
- Peer pressure
- Dealing with stressful situations
- Basics of communication
- Nonverbal communication and listening
- Bullying
- Helping others
- Being a good person
The students practiced situations based on what they learned during each lesson. Students use the D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model (DDMM) to assist in the situational questions. The DDMM requires students to Define (problem), Assess (What are your choices?), Respond (Make a choice), and Evaluate (Did you make the right decision?).
The D.A.R.E. program instills confidence in students when they face challenging situations in day-to-life; skills they can use for the rest of their lives.
"I love the keepin' it REAL aspect of D.A.R.E. because I get to share real-life situations that will mesh well with the lesson for the week," said Trooper Villanueva.
Trooper Villanueva was transitioning out of the U.S. Navy in Jacksonville, Fl., when his contract ended in 2018. With the support of his wife and daughter, the family took a risk and moved to Washington State.
"Ultimately, the risk I took had a positive outcome and I am here today to be able to teach D.A.R.E. and make a positive impact on students," Trooper Villanueva said.
During the Risk and Consequences lesson, Trooper Villanueva went over the definitions of risk and consequences with the students and then talked about how consequences are not always negative; there can also be positive consequences.
"To make it relatable to them, we discussed the example of positive or negative consequences of whether or not they complete their homework," Trooper Villanueva said.
Trooper Villanueva will continue to teach D.A.R.E. to fifth-grade classes at Liberty Christian School next school year. Additionally, he will be bringing the D.A.R.E. program to four new schools in the Prosser and Richland School Districts in the fall of 2023.
We would like to thank Principal BJur, teachers Mrs. Jensen and Mrs. Piper, and the rest of the staff at Liberty Christian School for inviting Trooper Villanueva into the classroom to teach their students.
To read more about D.A.R.E. and Trooper Villanueva's journey to becoming a D.A.R.E. instructor, click here.
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