Teaching the GREAT Program in Cumberland County

The Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program is a life-skills competency program designed to provide students with the skills they need to avoid gang pressure and youth violence. G.R.E.A.T.'s violence prevention curriculum helps students develop values and practice behaviors that will assist them to avoid destructive activities. The G.R.E.A.T. program coordinates with federal, regional, state and local agencies, as well as individuals from community and civic groups. The goal of the G.R.E.A.T. program is to train law enforcement officers in a school-based curriculum in which the officers provide instruction to school-aged children in life skill competencies, gang awareness, and anti-violence techniques. Training in the core G.R.E.A.T. program is provided to officers from any state or local law enforcement agency.

The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement to a population of 321,819 in an area of 658 square miles'a mix of urban, suburban, and rural. A great deal of community and school violence can be attributed to youth gang violence. Over the past year the Cumberland County School System has seen a rise in gang related incidents.
The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office will continue to use its FY06 GREAT funding to teach GREAT to the middle school students, and will increase the number of elementary school students that receive the GREAT training. The Parent Teacher Association of the county schools will help publicize the camp, raise and administer donations, and participate as volunteers in the various classes and activities conducted during the camp. The camp will consist of instruction in the GREAT Core Curriculum, games, field trips, poster contest, and a lesson in rocket building. The purpose for this camp is to allow at risk youths the chance to participate in team building exercises, which in turn will help reduce negative behaviors.

CA/NCF