FY 2009 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 coordinates 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 El Rancho Unified School District will use the G.R.E.A.T. funds to implement the middle school, families, and summer components with an emphasis of reaching students entering the sixth grade during the 2009/2010 school year. To ensure high-risk youth are served, the district will apply a number of effective indicators to identify participants. This will include academic credit deficiency, poor attendance, truancy, failing grades, excessive behavior issues, and referrals from school administrators. The summer component will be offered as an extension of the district's summer school program. Students demonstrating continued behavioral issues or low performance in school following the completion of the core curriculum will be eligible for participation. Activities will include outdoor activities and field trips. The families component will be available to parents in need of additional support for troubled youth. The program will be coordinated with community based organizations that will offer additional services that include parenting classes and counseling services.

CA/NCF