As our community has grown so to have our problems. Community children were experimenting more with drugs, alcohol and gambling. People began to reach out for help with their family members. So in the summer of 2002, SAFE in conjunction with our community schools created a full year (30 week) comprehensive drug prevention curriculum for 5th thru 12th Graders with the intent of educating our youth to the dangers of addiction. In a world of high technology and fast paced living, every child is at risk for one risky behavior or another.

As the program creators did their research, it became apparent that the best approach in prevention was from a positive, skill building perspective. A full year of Don't do drugs would not work. In addition, alcohol and other drugs were not the only danger to the Brooklyn mid wood community. Gambling and unhealthy eating/body image were identified as two other highly risky behavior in which young people were involved.

Project SAFE has emerged as a complete curriculum, which focuses on life skills such as positive decision-making, peer pressure refusal, communication, coping, and anger management. Students practice positive behaviors within the classroom walls so that when faced with unhealthy behaviors they will know how to make the smart and SAFE choice. Project SAFE's goal is to increase healthy coping skills and behaviors with the intent of decreasing unhealthy ones.