Tulare County Gang Resistance Education & Training (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 Tulare County Probation Department G.R.E.A.T. Project will continue current Level I and Level II components of the G.R.E.A.T. program at seven school sites representing an ongoing partnership with five rural K-8 school districts that run geographically north and south throughout the county and two centrally located unified school districts representing small incorporated cities. The program will complete a total of nine sessions under the Families Component ' two at each of the Unified Schools Districts (Exeter and Farmersville) and one each at the rural K-8 campuses. The G.R.E.A.T. Summer Program will be conducted in partnership with Community Services and Employment Training, Inc., (C-SET), a large, well managed community-based organization active throughout Tulare County. Partner schools are excited about the implementation of the G.R.E.A.T. program at their school sites and have been discussing its merits with other school administrators.

CA/NCF