VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR PROJECT CHARLEY

Spring training will soon begin for 1996-97 Project Charlie volunteers in Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

Project Charlie is a national program that trains community volunteers to teach drug prevention techniques to second and fourth grade students. The next training session will be held April 20 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Riverside Regional Library in Jackson.

The program began operating in 1985 in the Cape Girardeau schools, said sponsor Jana Jateff.

Volunteers spend about 30 minutes each week in a classroom teaching students how to battle drug abuse, she said. The lessons emphasize individual abilities and special skills while teaching about self-esteem, peer pressure, decision-making and consequences.

"We've found that those are the skills needed to train students to stay away from substances," Jateff said, adding that the only requirement for volunteering with Project Charlie is to complete the training class.

For more information, call Jateff at 651-4103 or Pam Brown at 243-8070.