Partnership for a Brighter Future

The OJJDP FY 09 Earmarks Programs further the Department's mission by providing grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, to organizations identified in the Explanatory Statement Regarding H.R. 1105 (Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009), 155 Cong. Rec. H1653 (daily ed. Feb. 23, 2009) (statement by Rep. Obey, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the House).

This initiative called 'Partnership for a Brighter Future,' will coordinate the efforts of six separate group's intent on providing an intensive, alternative method to keep children in school by providing them with the necessary support and skills to do so.

1. The Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program of the Pawtucket Police Department is embedded in the three junior high schools in the City of Pawtucket. The ability of the G.R.E.A.T. officers to impact this impressionable group of children is essential to providing the youth with the mental capacity and self-esteem to overcome peer pressure to drop out of school, join the many street gangs, and become entangled in a life of crime. A total of $192,480.00 from this grant will be dedicated to funding the salaries of three G.R.E.A.T. officer positions.

2. The Boys and Girls Club of Pawtucket will operate an after-school program that will provide homework groups and tutoring for children. The focus of this element is to reinforce the academics being taught in the schools with an emphasis on building the children's confidence and understanding of the subject matter. This program will operate four hours per day for forty-two weeks, which coincides with the school year. In addition to academics this will incorporate the use of field trips, exercise and providing nutritional snack to the participants. A total of $70,450.00 of this grant will be used to fund the salaries and benefits of those exclusively associated with the program, supplies, food, and travel.

3. The Cape Verdean American Cultural Development (C.A.C.D.) group will expose children in the target group to a myriad of musical and artistic opportunities. This will be accomplished through the instruction of use of musical instruments and the art of Capoeira. The program will be further complimented with the inclusion of field trips. A total of $52,190.00 of this grant will be utilized to fund the cost of instruments, lessons, field trips, and salaries for facilitators. NCA/NCF