Each day after school, millions of children go home to an empty house. The lack of supervision and productive activities has led many children down a path of trouble, often leading to activities involving violence and drugs. With the current state of the economy, many schools across the nation are struggling to support after-school programs that work to keep kids safe and drug-free. One program, however, that is going strong is D.A.R.E. Dance, an after-school program designed to give students an alternative to risky behavior through physical activity.

The brainchild of Georgetown alumna Jill Roberts (COL ’95), D.A.R.E. Dance is now in its 10th year of providing kids a fun and healthy way to spend their time after school. With a passion for dance and community service, Roberts has been devoted to the program since its inception and has watched it successfully grow from her initial proposal.

After graduating from the university in 1995, Roberts worked full time as an administrative officer in the psychology department before becoming the director of dean’s affairs for the McDonough School of Business. At the same time, she taught dance at various studios in the District. After nearly five years at the university, however, she knew she wanted a change.

“I wanted to try to find a way to combine my love for dance and my desire to keep my hands in a business venture, while serving the community,” Roberts said. She decided to leave her full-time position “with the goal of putting my full attention in creating and getting proposals out to develop a dance program.”

With a clear goal in mind, the challenge came in developing a way for it to become a reality. After multiple meetings with different outlets, the stars finally aligned when Roberts met Glenn Levant, president of D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) America, by chance at a charity event. The initial meeting led to further conversations and ultimately the acceptance of her proposal for a dance program. D.A.R.E. Dance began in January 2000 with Roberts overseeing the pilot program on the East Coast.

That was 10 years ago, and today the program’s success is a testimony to Roberts’ commitment and passion. In the beginning, about 125 students participated in the program in five cities; today the program has expanded to provide over 4,000 students a year in 25 cities nationwide the opportunity to participate in the after-school dance classes. The program has even extended internationally to St. Kitts and St. Nevis. With its success, Roberts has since been promoted to the national director for D.A.R.E.’s after-school programs, D.A.R.E. Dance and Youth Advisory Board.
Students between the ages of eight and 14 are the primary participants in the program. They come from all different ethnic backgrounds to spend time with their friends after school involved in a healthy, safe activity. For many, the dance classes keep them occupied at a time when they would otherwise be alone.

“These are critical hours,” Roberts said, “because parents are generally not yet home from work and kids are often looking for something to do. The program exposes students to professional dance through a kickoff assembly, free dance classes focusing on various styles of dance and performance opportunities at their school and often within the community.”

In order to maintain the program, funding is very important. The current economic climate has certainly posed financial challenges, but the current locations continue to do well financially. Even with a waitlist of over 100 locations, however, expansion of the program is at a standstill.
“Our goal is to always maintain quality programs over quantity and to show students that they can truly find happiness in working with each other and expressing themselves in a healthy way,” Roberts said. Unless the current budget expands, the national director prefers to ensure the long-term security of her current locations rather than investing money into new ones.

Since the program’s founding, Roberts has watched it touch the lives of thousands of kids. Each of the stories has a place in her heart, but there is one in particular that has stayed with her. Once when she told a young boy in Venice, Calif., “You’re a good kid, I want to see you succeed,” she was surprised by his response: “You think I’m a good kid, I’ve always been told I’m a bad kid.” Roberts recognized how valuable encouragement is in a child’s life.

“These kids need positive reinforcement … something hopeful to hold onto. That very student came back as an assistant for my tap dance class the following year. There are dozens of stories like this from the regional directors and teachers each year. We not only teach dance classes, but we help to empower youth by giving them self-confidence, team-building skills and a healthy activity.”

Students and their parents are not the only ones grateful to Roberts for the development of this program. In August 2009 the Georgetown alumna was awarded with the President’s Call to Service Award by President Obama. The award is given annually to honor volunteers who devote much of their time each year to helping others.

For Roberts, the achievement “reminded me that what I do is so unique and special … In any case, I was so excited and could hardly believe that I was selected for such a high-profile award. I felt completely honored to be in this position.”

Roberts credits her Georgetown education for helping her get to this point. “Because of the diverse student body and being in Washington, D.C., I learned a great deal about society in general and specific issues in our local D.C. community. Also, in being surrounded by such motivated individuals, my time at Georgetown really did show me that I could do anything if I put my mind and heart to it.”

After 10 years of dancing, D.A.R.E. Dance has evolved from a simple idea into a program devoted to providing kids with a positive way to spend their afternoons. Not only have students learned to dance, but they have also gained confidence while learning about the importance of making good choices. The program’s endurance proves that Roberts has indeed acheived her initial goal.

Those interested in learning more about the program can visit www.dare.org or contact Jill Roberts at jill.roberts@dare.org.