Pasco Sheriff's Office 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 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 Pasco County Sheriff's Office will use fiscal year 2008 G.R.E.A.T. funds to support the middle school, elementary, families, and summer components. The G.R.E.A.T. curriculum is currently being offered to all middle schools in the department's jurisdiction. Through the grant, a significant expansion of the existing program is planned, to include additional officers being certified to teach the elementary component in two Title I schools, and also certification to teach the families component. It is anticipated that approximately 200 students will complete the elementary component, while the families component will be offered to 120 families. The summer component will also be expanded to six sites, with a projected number of 700 students between the 4th and 8th grades being served. Field trips will be provided to help enhance teambuilding concepts, promote program lessons, and provide opportunities to take part in activities that may not have been available to the students otherwise.

CA/NCF