Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center is run by and for the El Barrio community, an area of San Antonio with public housing, latchkey children, drugs, violence and school dropouts. The Center provides an extensive range of programs that stress Latino heritage. Grupo Animo, a multidisciplinary theater program, engages youth in issue-oriented theater. Working 5 to 7 days a week during the summer, participants write and produce a play. The work is done through workshops, individual writing assignments and collaboration with a well-known guest director, who comes for a 1-month residency. During the school year, Grupo Animo tours the play to 12 to 15 community sites. Participants continue to meet twice a month for discussions and to work with visiting artists. Twelve summer performances take place at the historic Guadalupe Theater. "The future of our community is in the hands of youngsters," says Executive Director Pedro Rodriguez. "We have to work hard and have a can-do attitude." Through Grupo Animo, San Antonio youth have a community program on which to rely year-round. At the Center, they are exposed to professionals from around the country and to positive role models. "The staff has witnessed that just being around other kids, all thinking about positive things, has had a good impact on the participants," says Rodriguez.