Outagamie County Sheriff's Department 2007-2008 G.R.E.A.T. Program to Teach the Elementary, Middle, Families and Summer Components

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 County of Outagamie will use this grant to teach the G.R.E.A.T. program in the summer component, families component, elementary schools, and middle schools. During the grant period, Outagamie County deputies will teach the middle school component at seven middle schools reaching 390 students, Outagamie County Secure Detention reaching 120 students, and the Boys & Girls Club reaching 30 students. The elementary component will be taught at fifteen elementary schools reaching 925 students. The G.R.E.A.T. curriculum will be taught to entire elementary and middle school classes to not only target the highest risk students, but to be proactive by giving students the tools they need to resist gangs and to make good life choices. The families and summer components will be conducted during the summer months and will be taught to 36 families and 80 students, respectively.

CA/NCF