Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2006, $56,538)
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 Clarksville and the Clarksville Police Department's strategy is to deal with gang activity centered on two fronts: Enforcement and Prevention. On the enforcement side, our department tracks gang activity and membership and pursues traditional law enforcement practices in dealing with gang-related crimes. Regarding the prevention aspect, the focus of this project, is the G.R.E.A.T. program. The program in Clarksville consists of the mandatory 13 week seventh grade middle school curriculum, and beginning in the spring of 2006, a pilot of a six week fourth grade elementary curriculum will be implemented as will a Summer Program.
CA/NCF