Morgan Hill GREAT 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 Morgan Hill Police Department and the Morgan Hill Unified School District will use these grant funds to implement the Middle School (nearly 2,000 students in the 7th and 8th grade, Elementary School (more than 1,500 students in the 3rd and 4th grade), and Family components of the G.R.E.A.T. Program. The police department will monitor and coordinate the grant in collaboration with the school district and community-based organizations. To identify at-risk youth, MHPD will coordinate the G.R.E.A.T. Program with its other programs, e.g., truancy abatement, juvenile restorative justice, status offenders, referrals for discipline referrals, and after-school activities. The MHPD will evaluate the program using the prescribed goals and performance measures, and pursue sustainment funding from MHUSD, the City of Morgan Hill, and community groups.

CA/NCF