The Delaware National Guard, in partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the City of Wilmington and the Delaware State Police, recently conducted a Drug Education For Youth camp at the Bethany Beach Training Site. This camp is designed for children from the Weed and Seed sites in the City of Wilmington. Additionally, a grant was obtained in order to allow children from Kent and Sussex County to participate in the DEFY camp.

Drug Education For Youth is a unique, comprehensive and multi-phased, one-year program. It strengthens protective factors and reduces risk factors that scientific research has directly linked to adolescent alcohol and drug abuse, school failure, delinquency and violence, explained Col. Edward Smith, who initiated the Delaware National Guard's involvement with this program five years ago.

Drug Education For Youth is a two phase program. Phase I is the Leadership camp held at the Delaware National Guard's Bethany Beach Training Facility. The camp is a five day residential leadership training camp experience that kicks off the DEFY program. Phase I is structured to provide a focused classroom learning environment that teaches hard skills and training in leadership, team building, conflict resolution, goal setting and increasing self-confidence. Each summer, approximately 80 kids from across the state participate in this camp. Activities include a tour of Dover’s Air Force Base, a day at the Killens Pond Waterpark, Low ROPES training, drug education classes, team building activities, a tour of the Indian River Inlet Coast guard station, safety awareness classes and a trip to the beach.

More than 60 volunteers from the Delaware National Guard, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Delaware State Police assisted in this year’s camp.

Phase II of DEFY is the follow-on mentoring phase. Beginning in October, the DEFY youth are matched with an adult mentor team once a month throughout the school year. Mentoring events are structured to provide reinforcement of skills, techniques and procedures initially taught in the Leadership Camp. The events are also structured to provide a showcase for the role models represented in each program by the DEFY adults. Some examples of these activities include going to a 76ers basketball game, visiting local museums, and holding bonfires with hayrides.