SFS officer D.A.R.E.'s to help

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachelle Coleman
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE. Alaska --  The 354th Security Force Squadron stepped up when the president of Ben Eielson Junior High Schools' Parent, Teacher, Student Association was informed that the Alaska State Troopers would no longer be to teach the Drug Abuse Resistance Education course due to lack of funding. 

Since the D.A.R.E. program can only be taught by law enforcement officials Julie Watson, the school's PTSA President, turned to Eielson's security forces squadron. Tech. Sgt. Renee Walker, 354th Security Forces officer, volunteered to teach the 8th grade students about the effects of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs after learning about the fate of the D.A.R.E. program through her commander, Maj. Gerald Mulhollen. 

"As parents we want so much to be able to make our children's decisions for them," said Mrs. Watson, "but in reality, we can only give them the tools they need to be able to make healthy decisions." 

Prior to teaching the D.A.R.E. program, Sergeant Walker attended 80 hours of special training. The course, which is only offered in Anchorage for Alaska officers, covered areas such as child development, classroom management, teaching techniques, and communication skills. 

"The training provided me with the materials to develop lessons," said Sergeant Walker, "The toughest part was adapting my Air Force teaching style to the children's ages." 

Sergeant Walker elected to be the D.A.R.E officer as an extra duty--preparing lesson plans and teaching more than 40 hours during her own time. She taught four 8th grade classes in November and December. Each class lasted two weeks. The D.A.R.E. graduation was held on March 2 and Maj. Mulhollen was a guest speaker alongside Col. Fitzgerald, the school liaison, and Wayne Gerke, school district assistant superintendant, attending as distinguished visitors. 

"She's been involved with children's programs at other bases," said Major Mulhollen of Sergeant Walker, "She's enthusiastic about teaching and she did a wonderful job." 

D.A.R.E. goes beyond traditional drug abuse and violence prevention programs. It gives children the skills needed to recognize and resist the subtle and overt pressures that cause them to experiment with drugs or become involved in gangs or violent activities. 

"The eighth graders really enjoyed Tech. Sgt. Walkers' class," said Mrs. Watson. "They were very involved in the group assignments and case studies and they continually cheered for her during the graduation ceremony." 

As for the future, Tech. Sgt. Walker will happily remain the D.A.R.E. officer. 

"I love seeing the light bulb turn on in somebody's head when they understand something," said Sergeant Walker. "It's also great to see the children put what they learned into use in real world situations."