MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- The Drug Education For Youth program aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii is currently recruiting participants, junior mentors and mentors for its next session.
Children ages 9 to 12, of active-duty service members, retirees and Department of Defense civilians are eligible to register for the program. The deadline to enroll is May 29, 2015.
Established in 1993 by the Navy Drug Demand Reduction Task Force, DEFY teaches children about various topics including substance abuse, bullying and gang culture, while providing them with alternative activities and positive life skills. The nationwide program is free to participants and sponsored by the DoD.
“(DEFY provides children with) a foundation to live healthy, drug-free lives,” said Jessica Burns, the local program coordinator for DEFY. “They’re surrounded by caring adults. Their mentors are there for them, to help (the children) build confidence (and) help them believe that they have a bright future ahead of them.”
This is Burns’ second year as coordinator. Her numerous duties vary, from supervising the staff to planning each session with the children and providing equipment.
During Phase 1, the children will attend the DEFY Summer Leadership Camp from June 22 through 26 and June 29 through July 1, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. During Phase 2, the children will attend a session every third Saturday of the month for nine months, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
While the day begins and ends in building 1095 at the Provost Marshal’s Office, participants will also be spending time off base for field trips. Participants may visit locations such as Kualoa Ranch, Bishop Museum or Sea Life Park.
This coming session, DEFY coordinators and manager Jim Hamachek of Kahuna’s Sports Bar and Grill have worked together so DEFY students can eat lunch from a specially designed menu at Kahuna’s. Though the meals will still be funded through the DEFY program, the arrangement with Kahuna’s allows Burns and the volunteers more time to focus on other activities. Planning, preparing and cleaning up meals for the DEFY participants previously took up a lot of Burns’ time.
The most recent DEFY program session graduated 17 participants, like Kiara Peterson. The 13 year old enrolled in DEFY when her mother heard about the program through a friend.
She said she enjoys learning preventive measures that can help her succeed in the future. While attending DEFY, Peterson said she met new friends and learned about various topics from self-acceptance to making good choices.
“(DEFY) encourages me to be different,” Peterson said. “I’m not going to follow what the crowd does.”
Peterson said one topic she learned more about through DEFY was cyberbullying. She said she didn’t realize it was a problem and found it surprising.
“DEFY will help you make friends over the summer,” Peterson said. “It will let you be who you want to be. We will (accept) you for who you are and who you want to be.”
Additionally, the DEFY program is looking for eight mentors and five junior mentors. Adult mentors must be 18 years or older, and junior mentors must be ages 15 to 17. The application deadline for mentors and junior mentors is Sunday.
“You’re serving as a role model, an advocate, a friend, a guide (and) a counselor,” Burns said. “(Mentors) should be able to have positive relationships with these kids, be able to listen to them, and care about what they’re saying, and communicate with them on a level that they’re going to be able to understand.”
Marc Rivera, a civilian military police officer with PMO, volunteered as a DEFY mentor this past session. The former Honolulu Police Department officer also has experience teaching about drug awareness as a Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer.
“Prepare to be amazed,” Rivera said to those who are considering volunteering as a mentor.
While volunteering, he said he noticed that the children eventually started to confide in him when they had issues they wanted to talk about.
“Be prepared to have an awesome relationship with the kids,” he said. “These kids look up to you as a big brother or big sister.”
Rivera said while he was teaching the children, they were teaching him as well; learning how to work on being patient. He plans to volunteer again.
“The DEFY program is an awesome tool to bestow on these kids,” he said. “What the schools don’t teach, we teach.”
For more information or to apply, call 257-8312 or email Jessica.burns@usmc.mil.