Development of DARE New Zealand
Initially established in 1987 after three NZ Police Staff visited the D.A.R.E. USA programme, DARE NZ is a New Zealand designed and developed suite of programmes.
The initial consulting party immediately realised the American programme style and methodology was not appropriate to the New Zealand context. An advisory party was therefore established with representatives from the Police, Department of Education, Department of Health, Drugs Advisory Commitee, NZEI and PPTA to develop a programme wherein PEOs, Parents and the Community could work in partnership with teachers. The programmes were named to indicate their difference to the D.A.R.E. USA programme: "DARE to make a Choice" etc.
Following consultation with practising health education teachers, first drafts were written and trialled in 1989, amended and then retrialed/evaluated by Massey University (Ashcroft and Harper) and the Auckland College of Education (McQueen). Although contextually significantly different to the D.A.R.E. USA programme, Police received approval to use the D.A.R.E. name in their programmes.
- In 1990 the DARE Foundation of New Zealand was established and in 1991 received Lottery funding which was used to publish the Choice programme and resourcing videos.
- DARE to Support Your Kids was launched in 1994 and Caltex sponsored the development of DARE to Drive to Survive which was launched in April 1994.
- Tena Kowhiria and DARE to Make Change were launched in 1996.
- 1998, the Ministry of Education contracted DARE to revise and update Choice, provide teacher training for Tena Kowhiria and conduct Make a Change Facilitator Training. Best Practice research was commissioned (Pickens) for school based drug education and tobacco use prevention as part of the MoE contract.
- 1999, the second edition of Choice was published and the programme divided in two separate age levels as recommended by teachers.
- 2001, Drive to Survive was revised and in 2002 an evaluation was commissioned by Phil A Silva OBE.
- 2003, Support Your Kids was revised.
- 2004, DARE Regional Societies amalgamated to become 25 Regional Incorporated Societies with a defined model Constitution and Rules.
- 2005, rebranding of the organisation to The DARE Foundation - Skills for Life with subsequent disassociation from D.A.R.E. International.
- 2006 - January, following contract termination with TSII rights for Make Change, the community initiative, DARE to be You, was launched.
- 2006 November, the secondary school programme DARE Reducing the Harm was launched.
- 2007 April, DARE to Support your Kids, moved to become a DARE Community programme.
- 2008 March, the community initiative programme for secondary school students - DARE to Move On was launched.
The DARE Foundation has a commitment to on-going programme research and development. In January 2009 DARE commissioned an independent study of The DARE Community programmes - DARE to be You and DARE to Move on, for further information on this report, please look under Evaluations 2009.