Humble ISD 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 Humble Independent School District (ISD) will use its Fiscal Year 2008 G.R.E.A.T. grant to educate middle school students in life skills to help them avoid engaging in delinquent behavior and violence to solve problems. Humble ISD will implement the middle school and summer components. Two G.R.E.A.T. officers will teach lessons to at least 2,600 students at seven middle schools. Each G.R.E.A.T. officer will teach two entire implementation rounds per middle school (one in the Fall and one in the Spring) through the students' required seventh grade health course. Both G.R.E.A.T. officers will develop and implement a three-week summer component, targeting 120 at-risk middle school students. The camp will last from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day and will focus on G.R.E.A.T. lessons such as conflict resolution, career exploration, self-image, and positive character development. The Humble ISD Police Department will collaborate with the Y.M.C.A., Houston Mayor White's Anti-Gang Task Force, Lone Star College, Saldivar's Side Kicks, Wal-Mart, and Chick-Fil-A to implement the summer program.

CA/NCF