Fifth-grade students at several Caddo Parish schools celebrated the successful completion of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program with graduation ceremonies, according to Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr.

Students from Calvary Baptist Academy, Donnie Bickham Middle School, St. John Berchmans Catholic School, North Caddo Middle School, Walnut Hill Middle School, and LA Key Academy participated in the program. Over several months, Caddo Parish D.A.R.E. Deputies Felisa Leary, John Childress, and Timothy Young worked with students on building self-esteem, resisting unwanted peer pressure, and identifying healthy alternatives to drugs, alcohol, violence, and gangs.

The curriculum included interactive activities and classroom discussions, allowing students to ask questions about peer pressure and drug-related issues. As part of the program’s completion requirements, each student wrote an essay explaining how D.A.R.E. could benefit them in their daily lives and in the future.

The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office thanked participating schools for their support in bringing the D.A.R.E. program to students and emphasized that the collaboration helps equip young people with skills to make positive decisions moving forward.