WRight Directions is a program designed to use writing as a tool for at-risk youths. The program is intended to help kids use their emotions in a constructive manner. Some of the issues our program deals with are: teen violence, including gang membership, teen addictions, street crime and teen victims of abuse. The targeted geographic area will begin in Santa Monica and eventually branch out to the greater Los Angeles area.

A staff of writers, teachers and coaches will be provided to help teens with literacy and learning. Students will learn to use their emotions constructively to create poetry, rap, spoken-word and other forms of creative writing. The youth program will be conducted at recreation and community centers.

    There are about 75 Blood gangs, 21 Crips gangs and 500 Hispanic gangs while Asian gangs are on the rise with an estimated 20,000 members. The 18th Street gang is considered by some experts to be the largest gang in Los Angeles. Clearly, there is a need for a systematic and therapeutic intervention. Many of the kids who join gangs need support and under-standing—not incarceration. Working with gang members will give the team access to younger at-risk kids in the community and may be able to prevent tomorrow's teens from joining gangs.

    The project will be multi-faceted. We intend to work with the entire family as a unit to promote healthy communication and expression. Education will be a primary mission of WRight Directions, fostering understanding of mental and physical health and well-being. Our staff will serve as coaches to give at-risk families the tools to deal with their problems—the primary tool that will be utilized is the written word.

    WRight Directions' staff will also be available to work in hospitals and substance abuse facilities. Often families faced with trauma need ways to express their grief and understand their pain. Our staff will be available for personal and group seminars. Today's health care providers do a fine job of treating disease but not such a good job of treating the whole person. Our organization will teach people how to deal with their illness on an individual level and as a group. We will address quality-of-life issues through education and writing workshops.