|
|
|
After the Village of Downers Grove cut its DARE program, St. Joseph School students were tasked with finding ways to bring it back.
Terese Burk, an eighth-grade teacher, thought it would be a great opportunity for her class to see how the village government works, and with Drug Abuse Resistance Education program being a proposed cut, the lesson would hit home.
“This is a great opportunity for the kids to see how the village works, the government in general and it was DARE related,” Burk said. “I feel that schools could cover civic and political science a little more so I am bringing it into my classroom.”
The classroom was split into six different groups, each of which constituted one “council member.”
The groups had to decide what they would do as that council person while the Downers Grove Village Council was discussing budget cuts in the end of November.
Erin Gentile, 14, said the students wanted to have a debate in class over which programs should be kept and which should be cut.
“We had a list of things and what they cost throughout the year,” Erin said. “If we kept something we had to come up with the money somehow. It is hard to budget — there is so much you want to keep and so little money you have.”
Each group found a way to keep DARE, which meant cutting other programs they deemed not as important or adding cost for residents and business owners.
Sarena Martinez, 13, said her group came up with the idea for every household and business to donate $21 annually to keep DARE.
“DARE costs $503,000 and if we had the $21 we would raise $516,000,” Sarena said. “I think they would participate, we would send a letter to explain why we would keep the program.”
The students agreed keeping DARE was important for the next generations because it is an essential part of their education.
“If your parents tell you, it gets mixed in with all the other requests and when an officer tells you, you think it’s more important to remember,” Erin said.
Burk said the students learned how to compromise and reached a better understanding of local government.
“This whole process really got their brains going,” Burk said. “The kids realized it is not very easy and that in politics you have to make concessions and compromise.”
After the Village of Downers Grove cut its DARE program, St. Joseph School students were tasked with finding ways to bring it back.
Terese Burk, an eighth-grade teacher, thought it would be a great opportunity for her class to see how the village government works, and with Drug Abuse Resistance Education program being a proposed cut, the lesson would hit home.
“This is a great opportunity for the kids to see how the village works, the government in general and it was DARE related,” Burk said. “I feel that schools could cover civic and political science a little more so I am bringing it into my classroom.”
The classroom was split into six different groups, each of which constituted one “council member.”
The groups had to decide what they would do as that council person while the Downers Grove Village Council was discussing budget cuts in the end of November.
Erin Gentile, 14, said the students wanted to have a debate in class over which programs should be kept and which should be cut.
“We had a list of things and what they cost throughout the year,” Erin said. “If we kept something we had to come up with the money somehow. It is hard to budget — there is so much you want to keep and so little money you have.”
Each group found a way to keep DARE, which meant cutting other programs they deemed not as important or adding cost for residents and business owners.
Sarena Martinez, 13, said her group came up with the idea for every household and business to donate $21 annually to keep DARE.
“DARE costs $503,000 and if we had the $21 we would raise $516,000,” Sarena said. “I think they would participate, we would send a letter to explain why we would keep the program.”
The students agreed keeping DARE was important for the next generations because it is an essential part of their education.
“If your parents tell you, it gets mixed in with all the other requests and when an officer tells you, you think it’s more important to remember,” Erin said.
Burk said the students learned how to compromise and reached a better understanding of local government.
“This whole process really got their brains going,” Burk said. “The kids realized it is not very easy and that in politics you have to make concessions and compromise.”
