Jefferson County School District GREAT Officer 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 Jefferson County School District will use $57,630 of Fiscal Year (FY) Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) funding to suppress, intervene, and prevent gang pressure and youth violence. Funds will be used to hire one full-time G.R.E.A.T. officer to teach the appropriate curriculum to 485 students enrolled in grades four and five and 690 students enrolled in grades six through eight. A school resource officer will also receive G.R.E.A.T. training and will then be assigned to teach the curriculum to 1,899 students in the high school. Additionally, funds will go to support curriculum for families with children between the ages of 10 to 14 who are in need of positive family functioning. There will be one G.R.E.A.T. Officer assigned to facilitate this training.

CA/NCF