Youth & Community Gang Education

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.

Sarpy County is the third largest county in the state of Nebraska which borders Douglas County, the largest county in Nebraska and Omaha, the largest city in the state. Omaha has had a documented gang presence for decades and the gang presence in Omaha has filtered into Sarpy County, which negatively impacts the youth. An increase in the juvenile population of Sarpy County combined with the unlimited and unstructured time after school, on weekends, and in the summer, has increased the juvenile crime rate in the county. Sarpy County will use FY 2006 G.R.E.A.T. funds to implement and sustain the 13-week middle school and 6-week elementary school curriculums and the G.R.E.A.T. summer components.

CA/NCF