2006 G.R.E.A.T. Program

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 Birmingham proposes to implement G.R.E.A.T with a focus on fourth and sixth grade students in the middle schools. This program will serve approximately two thousand adults and students.

The G.R.E.A.T. classes will be taught in two semesters and a summer session. An average of five classes a day, four days a week, and one hour per class is taught. This is the grantee's strategy and sequence for accomplishing the objectives within the twelve month period. The G.R.E.A.T. implementation lesson plan will cover; 1) Teaching student the truth about gangs, 2) How to make good decisions, 3) How to deal with Peer Pressure, and 4) How to set realistic Goals. The City of Birmingham's G.R.E.A.T. implementation plan will identify at-risk youth and work closely with them in order to provide education about alternatives to gangs and violence.

CA/NCF