FY 2008 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 Lawrence Township Police Department will utilize G.R.E.A.T. funds to implement the middle school, families, and summer components in an effort to prevent the negative influences of gangs that actively recruit students from area schools. Through the grant, the middle school component will be provided to approximately 298 seventh graders, while the families component is expected to reach 32 families in order to foster positive family relationships through better communication and decision-making skills. The summer component will be offered to 30 at-risk students identified by school personnel and/or law enforcement to enhance and build upon the core curriculum offered during the school year, as well as provide a structured program that offers opportunities for social, cognitive, and interpersonal growth among youth participants.

CA/NCF