Free Street
1419 W. BlackhawkChicagoIL60622
773-772-7248773-772-7248

Program: TeenStreet Year Started: 1991 Focus: Multidisciplinary Arts Youth Served: 41 Ages: 14-20 Budget: $73,000 Free Street provides jobs and job training in creative writing, dance, music and theater through its TeenStreet program. The program emphasizes being punctual, taking direction, assuming personal responsibility and working as part of a team. Working under an artistic director, youth create theater pieces based on their lives and views of the world. "The performances are built from the kids' lives, so they get to work out their anger," says Executive Director David Schein. TeenStreet is a two-tiered program with both a summer and year-round ensemble. The summer program runs for 8 weeks. Teens attend 20 hours a week and take part in a rigorous performance schedule of two performances a day during the last half of the session. Participants must audition to become members of the year-round ensemble, which meets 8 hours a week for 5 months. The ensemble performs throughout Chicago and has appeared nationally and internationally as well. TeenStreet is also a jobs program: The Job Training Partnership program pays youth in the summer; Free Street provides wages during the school year. To reinforce the employment training aspect of the program, youth are taught interviewing and other job acquisition skills. In addition, guest artists meet with the ensemble to discuss the entertainment business. "TeenStreet enables kids to face the realities of their lives and know what they have to do to attain better lives for themselves," notes Schein. "Kids learn how to work the system and how to connect with people who have access and can help them." Schein reports that TeenStreet participants are going on to college and successfully building careers.