Probation Gang Supervision Unit - GREAT 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 County of San Bernardino will use a portion of its 2007 G.R.E.A.T award to fund three full-time G.R.E.A.T officers, who will implement elementary and middle school components within three regions of the county. The program will also include the summer and families components. The County Probation Department will be the implementing organization and expects to serve approximately 1500 fourth and fifth grade students in the elementary school component. An estimated 1100 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students will participate in the middle school component. The summer program will target 300 students and the families component will be offered throughout the year with 10 families participating in each session.

CA/NCF