His pro-active approach to keeping children among positive influences mirrors the Indiana Democratic Party's pledge to always place children's needs above all else. The O'Bannon administration has successfully created after-school programs in Hoosier schools. The Safe Haven project offers children, whose parents work during the afternoons, a positive, educational environment during the hours statistics show crime is most likely to be committed. Also under the program, every school district is encouraged to appoint a school safety specialist to ensure that students have a safe environment in which to learn. Funding also was made available to communities that organized a School Safety Commission to create school safety and violence prevention programs.
All students can succeed when placed in the appropriate academic environment.
Higher Education Indiana Democrats can indeed be proud of the fine institutions of higher learning dispersed geographically throughout the state. Students from every region of the state have the opportunity to attend a higher education campus near their city of residence. The system is designed for working students who would otherwise not be able to take continuing education courses because of time constraints and financial liability. In the Fall of 2000, community college sites are scheduled to open in Gary, Lafayette, Indianapolis and Evansville. In the program's second year, community college sites are scheduled to open in Muncie, Anderson and Marion.