BURLINGTON, VT - Aug. 22, 2002 - Project Harmony and the City of Burlington are proud to announce their collaboration on the Drug Enforcement and Prevention Program for Siberian Youth (DEPSY), which will bring a group of seven Russians to Vermont in December of 2002 and send a total of 10 representatives of the Burlington Police Department, the Burlington School District, and members of the community to Russia in February and April of 2003.

The Drug Enforcement and Prevention Program will facilitate a healthy exchange of best practices that the City of Burlington has implemented to help youth make healthy life decisions. The four-phase exchange program will begin on October 1 and conclude on June 30, 2003. The two-week US-based phase in December will give the Russian delegation the opportunity to visit Burlington schools, to see community-police partnerships in action, and to learn about City Administration's role in youth development. In addition, the program will help create collaborative partnerships between Burlington and the Siberian cities of Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Ulan-Ude.

Police Chief Alana Ennis, Mayor Peter Clavelle, and Superintendent Lyman Amsden have been critical supporters of this program since the development stage in January of 2002.

"Thanks to funding from the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, this program provides a wonderful opportunity for participants from two sides of the globe to share drug-prevention strategies and curricula, develop themselves professionally, and learn about each other's cultures," commented Mayor Clavelle.

Chief Ennis said, "This is an extraordinary opportunity for very diverse communities to learn from each other. We are gratified that we can participate in both hosting and visiting our counterparts in another part of the world."

Superintendent Amsden stated, "Collaboration in Burlington and around the globe is key to creating the best systems we can."

The seven Russian delegates will be hosted by families from the Burlington area during the two-week program. The host family experience allows Russian participants a first-hand look at everyday life in the United States. Past exchange participants have cited the professional and personal ties developed during the host-family stay as one of the most valuable parts of their trip.

In February, a group of six people from Burlington will travel to Irkutsk, Russia to observe how a juvenile drug-prevention curriculum has been implemented in Siberian schools. The delegation will also interact with their Russian colleagues about ways to prevent and combat juvenile crime and to discuss issues that are affecting youth in the United States and Russia today.

In April, a group of four professionals will travel from Burlington to Russia to evaluate the effectiveness of the in-school drug-prevention curriculum in schools in Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Ulan-Ude. Both Burlington delegations will stay with local host families.

DEPSY is administered by Project Harmony, a not-for-profit organization based in Waitsfield, and it is funded by the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.