PR03-008

Date:

March 11, 2003

 
G.R.E.A.T. Popularity Soars Through Fulton; Four City Schools Sign For National Gang Resistance Training
 

Four middle schools in Atlanta are saying “no” to gangs and gang activity. As a result of growing popularity and a nationally revised 13-week curriculum, uniformed deputies from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office are once again entering the classrooms to teach middle school aged children the consequences of joining a gang.

For the next several weeks, seventh grade students at Parks, Walden, Bunche and Coan middle schools will receive specialized classroom instruction on how to avoid the pressure of becoming a gang member. The national Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program, taught locally by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, teaches students constructive ways of dealing with peer pressure, while boosting self-esteem and encouraging them to become positive role models in their school and communities. Through a series of structured roll-play scenarios, students are placed in a variety of situations which require decision making skills. As a result, students are better equipped to develop a positive solution as opposed to making an impulsive choice.

G.R.E.A.T. is sponsored by the United States Office of Treasury, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has been a member of the G.R.E.A.T. family of law enforcement agencies since 1994. The program is currently taught in 48 states.

For more information about the G.R.E.A.T. program, including class schedules and times, please contact Sergeant Clarence Huber at (404) 730-4148. Sergeant Huber can also be reached on his digital pager at (404) 742-6798.