Tulare County Gang Resistance and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Project

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 curricula help students develop values and practice behaviors that will help them avoid destructive activities. G.R.E.A.T. program staff coordinate project activities with federal, regional, state, and local agencies, as well as individuals from community and civic groups. The goal of the program is to train criminal justice professionals to deliver a school-based curriculum that teaches life-skills competencies, gang awareness, and violence-avoidance techniques.

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors, through the Tulare County Probation Department, will utilize the G.R.E.A.T. grant funds to implement the elementary, middle school, summer, and families components. Within the past year, Tulare County has experienced a 44 percent increase in the number of documented gangs, with an estimated 4,800 active gang members that are becoming more organized, sophisticated, and violent. Through the G.R.E.A.T. program, the probation department aims to reach more than 2,000 students and a minimum of 5 families through the grant period, with the goals of instilling the knowledge, skills, and positive daily interactions with law enforcement personnel that help students resist the pressures and influence of gang activity.

CA/NCF