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 city of Sunnyside, with the Sunnyside Police Department, will use its fiscal year 2008 G.R.E.A.T. award to implement the elementary, middle school, summer, and families components. Two G.R.E.A.T. officers will teach the six-week elementary school curriculum in English and Spanish to 450 third graders and 500 fourth graders. The officers will deliver the 13-week middle school program to 426 sixth graders in English and Spanish. The six-lesson families component, offered in both English and Spanish, will be provided four times during the grant period, reaching a total of 40 families. Participants will be families with children in the middle school or elementary school programs. The summer component, comprised of a G.R.E.A.T. camp, will be offered three times to a total of 75 students. The component will also be offered to an estimated 222 students in summer school.

Grant funds will be applied towards salaries, overtime, and fringe benefits for the G.R.E.A.T. officers and supervisory staff, as well as travel costs to the G.R.E.A.T. national conference, supplies, and student incentives.

CA/NCF