Washington, D.C. … Payne Elementary in Washington, DC was selected as the kick-off location for the DEA Educational Foundation’s nation-wide Youth Dance Program. The free after-school dance program will launch on May 16th at 10am. DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart will be speaking at the event to help celebrate the new program under the DEA Educational Foundation. There will be a dance performance for students, faculty, and invited community guests. Dance company partners include Joy of Motion, CityDance Ensemble, and Culture Shock.

The DEA Youth Dance Program is a free after-school dance program started under the umbrella of D.A.R.E. America in 1999, and moved to the D.E.A. Educational Foundation effective immediately. The alignment with the DEA Educational Foundation will allow the dance program to maintain current programming in 25 cities for thousands of at-risk students across the United States, as well as grow to support its extensive waitlist.

“This is an incredible opportunity and I’m thrilled that the DEA Educational Foundation voted to acquire the Youth Dance Program,” said Jill Roberts, National Director of the DEA Youth Dance Program. “D.A.R.E. America was a tremendous place for us to be for over 12 years, however, now being aligned with the DEA Educational Foundation and its very powerful name and mission, will allow us to reach even more kids, educating them about drug abuse prevention through the healthy outlet of dance.”

The after-school dance program created and managed by Roberts has grown to be the most successful after-school dance program in the United States positively influencing thousands of students each year by providing the healthy outlet of dance. Roberts, a former professional dancer, authority in after-school programs and drug education won the President’s Volunteer Service Award from President Obama in 2009, in part, because of the dance program and her commitment to kids.

“The mission, brand, and long-term goals of the DEA Educational Foundation are in alignment with the dance program,” said Bill Alden, Chairman and CEO of the DEA Educational Foundation. “The board is enthusiastic about providing a quality dance program as an alternative to drugs and negative behaviors for at-risk children in 25 cities in the United States.”

The Youth Dance Program will maintain its partnerships with many of the same foundations, sponsors, and dance companies from the past.

About the DEA Youth Dance Program (DEA YDP) Curriculum:

The DEA YDP services grade-levels that are selected by the school’s administration. Students attend in-school assemblies where they participate in a program led by a professional dance company. The dance company combines their art with a drug abuse and violence prevention theme, demonstrates different styles of dance, speaks to the students as role models, and asks student volunteers to join them on stage and participate in movement during the assembly. Interested students are then permitted to register for free ten-week after-school programs each semester including a variety of hip-hop, jazz, tap, ballet, modern and other world dance forms led by the dance company. Students continue to receive drug abuse prevention materials and engage with their peers and role models in prevention discussions. At the end of the program, students perform in a community or school performance setting, bringing family and other students together. Finally, scholarship opportunities in dance are available to students with an acute interest and dedication to the DEA YDP. Scholarship programs are offered locally so that students are able to participate easily.

Ten programs are launching in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. in the spring of 2012.

Anticipated cities for programs in 2013 include:  Aurora, IL; Annapolis, MD; Arlington, VA; Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Chula Vista, CA; Cicero, IL; Fairfax, VA; Falls Church, VA; Gardena, CA; Houston, TX; Jersey City, NJ; Los Angeles, CA; Long Beach, CA; Monterey, CA; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; Newark, NJ; Northridge, CA; Oaklawn, IL; Pacific Grove, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Port Huron, MI; San Antonio, TX; San Francisco, CA; San Diego, CA; Seattle, WA; Shepardstown, WV; Silver Spring, MD; Tampa, FL; Van Nuys, CA; Venice, CA; and Washington, D.C.

For more information, visit www.deaeducationalfoundation.org.

Contact: Jill Roberts
Phone: 202-669-7630
jill.roberts@deamuseum.org

Download: Press Release | Media Advisory Launch at Payne Elementary

Welcome to the DEA Educational Foundation

Welcome to the DEA Educational Foundation’s web site. Established in 2001, the DEA Educational Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit educational organization that exists to support the DEA Museum. Read More

DONOR SPOTLIGHT: Youth Rescue Initiative

When the campaign to bring Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause to New Orleans got underway, the Youth Rescue Initiative (YRI) became the first major sponsor of the exhibit. Why? Because Jim Bernazzani “gets it.” Read More

The Rx Factor Exhibit

The Rx Factor: the Drug Dealer is Closer Than You Think mobile exhibit builds upon the commitment of the DEA Museum and the DEA Educational Foundation to provide the absolute finest method of drug abuse education possible. Learn More

DEA Youth Dance Program

The DEA Youth Dance Program, a part of the DEA Educational Foundation, was established to empower kids by providing a free and positive after school alternative to drugs through the fun, healthy, and expressive art form of dance. Read More

March 30, 2001 Update: Take Back poster is now available to download. Please use the poster to publicize the event with your friends and community.

The DEA Educational Foundation is asking for your help. As you know, prescription drugs are being misused and abused at alarming rates throughout the United States. As part of our efforts to address this problem, DEA will be collecting potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction at sites nationwide on Saturday, October 29, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time, all over the United States. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Website

Collection sites can be found by going to http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/takeback/. This site will be continuously updated with new take-back locations.

For more on the event, view the gallery.

The DEA Educational Foundation has been approved to participate in the 2011 Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area (CFCNCA). For those of you not familiar with this campaign, the Combined Federal Campaign is the world’s largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign, with more that 300 CFC’s throughout the country and internationally to help to raise millions of dollars each year.

Pledges made by Federal employees during the campaign season (September 1st to Dec. 15th) support eligible non-profit organizations that provide health and human service benefits throughout the world.

In the 2009 Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area, Federal employees pledged more than $66.5 million to help people and communities in need through the 4,000 local, national and international participating charitable organizations. The CFCNCA achieved its record-breaking success due to the deep commitment of employees throughout the Federal government who gave their time and talent to keep the campaign a high priority.

The DEA Educational Foundation is proud to participate in the CFCNCA, and we certainly hope that Federal employees please consider the Foundation as a deserving recipient of their generosity. To make a larger impact in fighting drug abuse through education, we need everyone’s support. Don’t forget our CFC Number is 17007. If you have additional questions, please contact Bill Alden at bill.alden@deamuseum.org, or call him at 540-729-2551.

The event will be held on Thursday, September 30, 2010, in Washington, DC at the JW Marriott Hotel, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. VIP Reception is at 6PM, followed by the Dinner & Program at 7PM.

Learn more about the event:

Sponsorship Levels »
Lifetime Achievement Award Initiative »