By Felicia A. Petro

Allied News Staff Writer

A Grove City policeman is taking D.A.R.E. to a new level.

Officer Nathan Spiker, 28, began leading the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program for Grove City schools, replacing long-time D.A.R.E. leader, Officer Mark Jaskowak, this year.

“He’s made it pretty easy for me to step in and take over,” Spiker said.

“Mark was an awesome teacher and the kids are disappointed he’s not going to be there. They loved him.”

However, the new leader has brought some fresh ideas to the D.A.R.E. program that students are excited about this year as well.

Spiker has chosen a group of 12 seventh graders to be peer leaders at Grove City Middle School for a new program called “Keeping it Real.”

“The emphasis is really on teenagers telling other teenagers about drugs, peer pressure and making good decisions,” Spiker said.

“Before it was police officers and teachers telling kids what they could and could not do. It’s a new thing to get kids and parents involved.”

D.A.R.E. also reaches out to kindergarten, first, third and sixth grades. Talk about resisting drugs begins in third grade. D.A.R.E. runs from January to April, with Spiker teaching workshops in each grade level at different times.

The seventh graders went through a D.A.R.E. workbook with Spiker every day for two weeks last month. Spiker taught ten, seventh grade classes daily during that time, a total of 70 classes for the two weeks, he noted.

The 12 peer group members were chosen based on how well they did during the study. “They exhibited gifts to be leaders,” Spiker said.

For Jordyn Wyllie, 12, being a peer leader was a way for her to be a “role model” to her younger classmates, she said. “I think that alone will help me stay away (from drugs) because I wouldn’t want to not be a role model,” she added.