Miami-Dade County Public Schools / Project GREAT

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 Miami-Dade County Public School System has agreed to facilitate the G.R.E.A.T. Program with Miami-Dade Schools Police Department (MDSPD) to ensure this program can reach those children in neighborhoods and schools found by the Miami Partnership for Action in Communities Task Force (MPACT) to be at greatest risk. MDSPD has strategically chosen three culturally diverse officers to be trained in the application of all four G.R.E.A.T. programs and to administer these programs full-time for the duration of the grant. These officers will teach the G.R.E.A.T. middle and elementary programs in the Miami-Dade County Public School System and conduct the G.R.E.A.T. summer and parent programs in Project MPACT facilities.

CA/NCF