Oakland Police Department 2008 G.R.E.A.T. Grant 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 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 Oakland Police Department (OPD) will use its fiscal year 2008 G.R.E.A.T. grant to collaborate with the Oakland Police Activities League (Oakland PAL) to implement the elementary, middle school, and summer components. Four elementary and four middle schools throughout Oakland that have a significant gang presence, high violent crime rate, and high proportion of youth homicides will be targeted to receive the curricula. Five OPD officers will teach the program, beginning in mid-September 2008, to approximately 360 students. The summer component will target at-risk youth and will be held at the Oakland PAL Center and the M. Robinson'Baker YMCA facility. The summer component is expected to reach approximately 180 middle and elementary school students who reside in areas known for being hot spots of gang activity. The summer component will be incorporated into the regular summer curriculum offered by Oakland PAL, which operates after school and weekend programs for at-risk youth and seeks to foster a positive police presence in the community.

CA/NCF