Gang Resistance Education and Training 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 Albuquerque will utilize the FY 2010 G.R.E.A.T. Evaluation Sites Program funds to teach the G.R.E.A.T middle school and summer components during the 2010-2011 school year. The FY 2010 G.R.E.A.T. evaluation site will assist the G.R.E.A.T. evaluator with the data collection process, which is critical to the program's evaluation, by gaining the cooperation of schools in their respective cities. Because the evaluation site is teaching multiple components of the program, this level of funding will allow them to continue supporting the non-school based summer component, in addition to the school-based middle school component.

The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) and the Albuquerque Public School District (APS) are committed to working together to create safer schools and communities by building positive relationships among law enforcement, families, and youth through the implementation of a cost-effective Level II (middle and summer program) G.R.E.A.T. Program. The mission of APS is to increase student achievement through a standards based learning environment supported by a system of continuous improvement.

The middle school component will target 1000 middle school students from seventeen middle schools. School Resource Officers will make every attempt to teach the curriculum to all 6th grade students; however, in schools with large populations, higher risk students will be targeted first. The summer program will target 200 summer program youth from the target area. The program will build on the school-based curriculum by offering students an opportunity to enhance their social skills, giving them alternatives to gang involvement, and adding structure to the summer months. In order to target more high-risk youth, the program has switched from using one site to moving to seven high-risk areas.

In addition to the required G.R.E.A.T. components for Level II funding, APD will implement after school programs for 20-30 students at selected schools. The after-school programs will support the local school district in an effort to promote academic achievement, school safety, youth development and prevention.

CA/NCF