Often young people are forced to confront the uglier side of life by dealing with poverty, prejudice, crime, broken homes, low self-esteem and poor or non-existent role models. Whatever dreams and talents they have can be eclipsed by a sense of ever-growing frustration and despair. Young men and women in our programs discover disciplines that allow them to express themselves artistically in a way that also allows them to channel pent-up emotions in a positive direction.