2007 Philadelphia Police Department 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 Philadelphia Police Department will implement all four G.R.E.A.T. Program components in the upcoming year. The primary focus will be on the Middle School Curriculum and the department expects to impact approximately 5,000 students in at least 25 of the 39 middle schools. The police department will also instruct 1,800 students in the Middle School Curriculum during the Summer Component. This equates to approximately 54 percent of the grade level population in the public middle schools. The Elementary Component will be utilized in smaller public and parochial schools where a full complement of classes for the D.A.R.E. Program is not available within the school. The open time frame will be filled with 4th grade G.R.E.A.T. classes and will address an additional 500 students with this component. Each G.R.E.A.T. Officer will be present at one G.R.E.A.T. school each week, teaching four to five classes, involving 120-150 students. Two sessions will be taught during the year. Most of the classroom participants will be from public schools and live in at-risk neighborhoods. The Summer Component will be conducted in two phases. Phase I will take place in six Department of Recreation Centers over a four-week period. The program will consist of the G.R.E.A.T. Middle School Curriculum, life skills training, safety education, guest speakers, and recreational games and activities. It is expected that 200 students will participate in this phase. Phase II of the Summer Component will run for two weeks and will be conducted at several Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA facilities, and other locations throughout the city. This Phase will operate the same as Phase I and impact approximately 800 students at twelve locations. The Family Component will operate during Phase I of the Summer Component. On a daily basis, the program will be presented to family members and approximately 25 families will be targeted.

CA/NCF