Building Stronger Kids

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 goals of the Cape Coral Police Department's G.R.E.A.T. Program are to: form a steering committee representative of the community to begin an aggressive community awareness campaign; train law enforcement officers, school administrators, community leaders and parents in basic gang information and member identification; cross train Street Crimes Officers to act as an ad hoc Gang Unit; aggressively work with other federal, state, and local law enforcement to build enforcement and intelligence gathering capacity; and use the police department's SRO Program as the vehicle for education, awareness, intelligence gathering and intervention in school-based criminal behaviors. The G.R.E.A.T. Middle School curriculum will be taught to 7th grade students within the city and approximately 200-250 students per session will be served through the summer component. Participants of the summer component will largely be referred by their School Resource Officer (SRO)/G.R.E.A.T. Officer, based on observed risk factors, with the remaining slots to be filled on a first come first serve basis. A highlight of the summer program will include a tour of the City government, a meet and great with the Mayor, a tour of the Juvenile Assessment Center, and viewing a live juvenile court session. Other field trips will include the local water park, bowling, baseball game, skating, and a movie. The overall goal of the summer session will be to provide participants with a change of scenery through positive and fun activities and educate them on the consequences of illegal activity and how to practice self control. Grant funding will be used to pay G.R.E.A.T. Officers on an overtime basis to attend graduation ceremonies and other G.R.E.A.T. related activities and classes, travel and training expenses for G.R.E.A.T. Officers, equipment purchases, and supplies and materials for the middle school and summer components.

CA/NCF