ATF teaches Denver students with a mission of gang resistance

Nicole Fierro
·2 min read
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DENVER (KDVR) — Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are heading into Denver classrooms, working with elementary and middle school students in hopes of preventing gang and youth violence.

At Munroe Elementary School, class was in session when FOX31 visited last week. But the man leading the course was ATF Special Agent Joesph Acosta.

“What are some of the things we have in common?” Acosta asked the fourth and fifth grade students. “Today’s lesson is we’re all in this together. We’re going to talk about similarities and differences we have in ourself, we’re going to talk about respect.”

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Acosta teaches the GREAT program, short for Gang Resistance Education and Training. The GREAT curriculum covers violence prevention, conflict resolution techniques, decision making, goal setting and problem-solving skills.

“These are all just lessons that are good for this age — fifth graders, fourth graders at this point in their life,” Acosta said.

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According to the ATF, the elementary school curriculum is a six-week interactive session for fourth and fifth graders with an emphasis on family involvement. The middle school session lasts for 13 weeks and includes lessons on the relationship between crime, violence, drug abuse and gangs.

“I think just having Officer Joe in the classroom has certainly made them more comfortable, comfortable around police,” Munroe Elementary teacher Leon Hayes said, adding: “They’ve especially used a lot of the strategies that he has given them, especially when some conflicts come up between students.”

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This is the second time Acosta led the GREAT program at a local school.

“We all want the same things, whether you are law enforcement or in education, we all want to see the kids of Denver do well,” Acosta said.

The graduation celebration for Munroe’s GREAT program is on Thursday.

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