PROGRAM TEACHES YOUTH TO HAVE GREAT SUMMER

As summer vacation moves a little closer to its end, the GREAT Summer Program is gearing up for its final week.

GREAT is a gang resistance, education and training program designed for elementary students. It is sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Police Department and Caring Communities.

The final program will be Tuesday through Thursday at the Cape Civic Center. Students meet from 12:45 to 3:45 p.m. for lessons about the dangers of drugs and alcohol as well as hearing from guest speakers and competing in team games.

Train engineers Charles Rowe and Clarence Walker and Librarian Donna Wigfall will be guest speakers for the week. The three-day program is designed for children in the Washington School neighborhood.

There have been other GREAT programs for the summer, to help students learn how to be more responsible members of their communities. Lessons focus on self-improvement skills like learning to set goals, develop conflict resolution skills and explore the impact of violence on the quality of life.

Guest speakers during earlier sessions have included staff members from Stage One Hair School, Veterinarian Wanda Pipkin, radio disc jockey Mat Michaels and Southeast Missouri State University Basketball Coach Gary Garner and Tom Shubert, assistant coach. Miss Missouri Patryce "Patches" King also have visited with the youth.

Officer Ike Hammonds said the GREAT Summer Program offers some positive lessons for the youth while allowing police officers a chance to interact with them.

GREAT is open to students who will enter the 4th, 5th and 6th grades in the fall. More than 75 youth have already participated at May Green, Jefferson and Franklin neighborhood sites.