With L.E.A.D., N.J. Students are “Too Good” for Drugs and Violence

L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs and Violence) is the most rapidly growing drug and violence prevention program in the United States, with more than 5,000 certified instructors nationwide. We aim to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve throughout New Jersey and across the nation with our “Too Good for Drugs” and “Too Good for Violence” curricula, developed in partnership with the Mendez Foundation.

With our “In the Classroom” program, trained L.E.A.D. instructors teach students the dangers of drugs and violence using social and emotional learning to help solidify their goal-setting, decision-making, and communication skills through fun, interactive games and lessons. This promotes positive, pro-social attitudes and behaviors while fostering healthy relationships, resistance to substance abuse and conflict, and resistance to peer pressure.

In addition, L.E.A.D.’s “On the Street” program provides instructors and schools with Digital Threat AssessmentⓇ training through its partnership with Safer Schools Together. This training helps schools establish a Digital Behavioral Baseline through a School Safety/Threat Assessment lens and provides practical, ready-to-use skills to identify and respond to concerning behavior on social media.

L.E.A.D.’s programs feature fully scripted lessons, age-appropriate content, assessment and evaluation tools, enhanced cooperative learning, built-in classroom management, a parent/guardian component, and technical program support. Each of our programs has undergone an evaluation study conducted by third-party researchers using randomized treatment-control group designs (pre-test/post-test, 20-week post-test, or one-year follow-up). By conducting this research, L.E.A.D. ensures that instructors have the most tested, proven, and effective anti-drug and anti-violence curricula available for K-12 students.

L.E.A.D.’s mission is to provide students with effective strategies to make good decisions in a complicated world – and to provide the leadership and resources to ensure that law enforcement agencies have the means to partner with educators, community leaders, and families.

We are excited to partner with the NJASA for this year’s School Safety Conference on August 1st and share more of L.E.A.D.’s story and provide examples of the positive impact we are having In the Classroom and On the Street.