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Grace Christian Academy elementary students brought their school year to a close with an honor’s award ceremony. But the usual honor roll was not the only thing some students were recognized for, as the fifth-grade class were given certificates for their completion of the CHAMPS (Choosing Healthy Activities and Methods Promoting Safety) program.

This program, administered by the sheriff’s department, was compared to the DARE program by DCSO Captain Michael Cox, though with a broader scope than just drugs. “They’re not just faced with drugs,” Cox said. The program teaches students about not just drugs, but ATV safety, guns and hunting safety, peer pressure, and the dangers of social media. According to Captain Cox, the program is administered in 105 of Georgia’s 159 counties, and has been offered for 19 years in Decatur County. The program is not exclusive to Grace, with the sheriff’s office having administered it to all fifth grade classes in the county. Ordinarily, all classes would have an awards ceremony like GCA, but Cox stated this was put on hold due to COVID, with the plan being to resume it for all schools next year.

“We’re trying to give them a tool to say ‘No’,” Cox said. “It’s not a matter of if, but when someone asks them to do something wrong.”