Phoenix Police Department 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.

The Phoenix Police Department intends to utilize its 2007 G.R.E.A.T. award funds to conduct four component programs, the Elementary School, Middle School, Summer, and Families components. The G.R.E.A.T. elementary school curriculum is a skills-based curriculum designed to produce knowledge with attitudinal and behavioral changes through the use of facilitative teaching, positive behavioral rehearsal, cooperative and interactive learning techniques and extended teacher activities. Moreover, the Middle School curriculum is also skills-based and designed to produce knowledge with attitudinal and behavioral changes through the use of facilitative teaching, positive behavioral rehearsal, cooperative and interactive learning techniques and extended teacher activities. The focus of the 13-week, school-based education component is to help 6th and 7th grade students develop skills to assist them in making good positive decisions when faced with the difficult challenges of growing up in an increasingly dangerous society. Additionally, the Summer Component is another community partnership effort between local law enforcement and the schools. It is a five to eight week educational and recreational program designed to provide 6th, 7th or 8th grade students with positive alternatives to negative behavior and gang involvement during the summer months. Finally, the G.R.E.A.T. Families Program is designed to engage families as part of community policing efforts to reduce crime and delinquency and to promote positive relations and provide resource information for families. The six-session family curriculum uses group interaction, activities and skills practice to engage parents and their children ages 10-14 in order to foster a more positive family functioning.

CA/NCF