Hispanic youth have an outlet to express themselves, develop cultural pride and receive the mentoring and guidance they need to be successful in school and life because of the ALPHA TEEN Theater program. During the school year, the teens attend the program twice weekly after school for 1 hour of academic tutoring and 1 hour of theater work. The teens do theater exercises under the guidance of an artistic director. The theater work helps them develop decision-making skills, address social issues, improve coping skills and build their self-esteem. The teens write five scripts based on issues or conflicts in their own lives. They perform these and other skits before audiences of peers in community settings. ALPHA makes a commitment to work with youth until they are accepted into college. An intensive, 8-week summer program also is offered to these youth, with a shared focus on academic and theater skills.