La Crosse Area Law Enforcment Collaborative G.R.E.A.T. Project

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 City of La Crosse Police Department proposes to use its G.R.E.A.T. grant for a collaborative G.R.E.A.T. program. The La Crosse G.R.E.A.T. collaborative law enforcement agencies consist of the La Crosse Police Department, La Crosse County Sheriff's Department and the Onalaska Police Department. Together they will utilize a comprehensive community based approach to implement all four components of the G.R.E.A.T. program (Elementary School, Middle School, Summer School, and Families). This collaborative project will include three law enforcement agencies, five public schools, La Crosse area private catholic schools, as well as community partnerships with the La Crosse area Boys and Girls Club and the University of Wisconsin ' La Crosse National Youth Sports Program. In an effort to reach the youtha t highest risk, the agencies will coordinate with the partner school districts to identify youth that exhibit risk factors and funnel those youth, along with their families, into the summer and families components.

CA/NCF