Banning middle school students to present anti-gang program mural Wednesday

Students at a Banning middle school have completed a colorful mural of hand prints on ceramic tiles for an anti-gang education program.

The Gang Resistance Education And Training program mural will be displayed during a presentation at Coombs Intermediate School at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. The school is at 1151 W. Wilson St.

Banning police Detective Doug Monte, who teaches the GREAT program, challenged sixth-grade students to come up with a project to improve their school. Students voted to make a mural consisting of their handprints on ceramic tiles, police said.

All 385 students participating in the program, their teachers and Banning police dog Zorro contributed prints to the mural.

The mural covers the west wall of the locker room building. Donations making the mural possible came from local businesses including Bear Creek Pottery, Home Depot of Beaumont, Tilden-Coil Constructors and Keith Peace Tile, Inc.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com