Sarpy County G.R.E.A.T. 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.

Sarpy County is the fastest growing county in Nebraska. Omaha has had a documented gang presence for decades and the gang presence in Omaha has filtered into Sarpy County. 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 factored into the increase of crime in the county. Sarpy County will use the Fiscal Year 2007 G.R.E.A.T. funds to implement and sustain the 13-week middle school, 6-week elementary school, and summer components. The program expects to serve approximately 100 fourth graders in the elementary school component, 1513 seventh and 413 eighth graders in the middle school component, and 280 youth in the summer program.

CA/NCF