The City of Austin's Youth at Arts program gives children an opportunity to learn about the arts and build self-esteem by developing their creative abilities. The program includes more than a dozen activities for youth ages 3-19 at locations all over the city. Two of the programs are Graffiti as Art and the Texas Young Playwrights Program. Graffiti as Art looks at the artistic merit of graffiti and helps youth learn how to draw distinctions between vandalizing and creating art. Working with well-respected muralists and graffiti artists, participants gain an historical understanding of graffiti and create murals and other works at sites throughout the city. The Texas Young Playwrights Program works with youth at the Arts Center and at housing projects, high schools and recreation centers around Austin. With assistance from the University of Texas' Department of Theatre and Dance and the Capitol City Playhouse, students learn about scriptwriting. Each develops a one-act play about issues of concern. The studentsÌ plays are produced and critiqued by theater professionals during the Texas Young Playwrights Festival. The programs range in duration from 1 intensive week to 3 months, depending on the host site.