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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- In our continuing efforts to promote the Give Campaign, FOX21 Morning News featured FutureSelf on Wednesday, Dec. 16.

Its goal is to inspire, encourage and keep teens motivated to live a full, worth-while life -- all through the means of art.

Most of the children in the program are from low income and/or disadvantaged homes.

FutureSelf's core programs focus on interdisciplinary arts experiences for youth that encourage creative inquiry and build communication, interpersonal and conflict-management skills.

"Our pilot 'Vocation Innovation' program just formally completed for the summer in September 2009," says Amber Cote, executive director. "We employed 14 homeless and otherwise struggling young people with our organization; teaching them new job skills, providing a weekly paycheck through our partnership with the Pikes Peak Workforce Center and making beautiful original art."

Cote says, although El Paso County has many treatment sites for at-risk youth, there are virtually no art programs associated with them. This, combined with reduced art classes in public and private schools, has left a creative void for young people, especially those at risk.

FutureSelf survey results for the Colorado Council on the Arts funded programs compiled by the National Research Center show that for students in the programs:

* 82 percent are better at taking care of problems without violence or fighting, at taking responsibility for their actions, are more interested in community and world problems and are better at speaking up for people who have been treated unfairly.

* 83 percent feel that they have more control of things that happen to them and that they can make more of a difference.

* 86 percent are better at working as a team and at listening to others.

* 89 percentcare more about others and are better at standing up for what they believe in.

* 90 percent feel better about their future.

* 93 percent are better at setting goals, care more about the feelings of others and get along better with their peers.

* 100 percent learned new artistic skills, use these skills, are better able to express themselves, feel better about themselves and learned that they can do things they didn't think they could do before.

For more information on FutureSelf call 233-4143 or log on to www.futureself.org.