I remember the first day I came to KYTES (Kensington Youth Theatre and Employment Skills). Being the shy person I was I entered the classroom with my heart pounding, unsure of what I was getting myself into.

Prior to finding KYTES, I was out of school and working. This program, aimed at street-involved youth who have experienced problems including discrimination, racism, and stereotyping, has turned my life around.

The 17-week curriculum combines theatre and academic skills with job training and personal counselling to create a uniquely supportive environment for eighteen youth on the edge. And yes, they even serve breakfast!

On a typical day, many of the students arrive early for a hearty meal before gathering in the classroom at 9:00 a.m. to complete work towards their high school credits. At first, I found it hard adjusting to coming to school early, but now every morning when I reach KYTES, I feel like I'm walking into my second home.

The staff at KYTES doesn't believe in talking down to youth. In most instances, young people are able to voice their own opinions and offer suggestions about the particulars of the program.

Each afternoon, students take part in the theatre program. We are given the chance to explore our inner selves through movement and improvisation, and the performances often take on a hilarious tone.

During the production of our troupe's play, "De Generation Z: All Eyes On Us", one character, Omar, stands on a Plexiglas-covered box and performs a little striptease. As an icebreaker, it couldn't have worked better. Many of the students laughed until they cried.

The theatre program gives us the opportunity to work together and to develop our self-esteem. Under the direction of theatre director, Loree Lawrence, we created and produced our own play based entirely on our improvisations.

Time has passed, and I am now on a regular schedule. I have developed many new friendships and I'm feeling more confident about myself.

Every Thursday, I meet with Leesa Hamilton, the Future Options co-ordinator. She helps to prepare us for when the program ends by registering for high school or job training programs, as well as hooking us up with mentors. Given my interest in journalism, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to meet and job-shadow Kerry Gillespie, a reporter at The Toronto Star.

We are also given life-skills coaching by the counsellor, Mark Caspi, who assists us with travel allowances, welfare, and housing. Above all, he tries to guide us onto the right path. I was never given this type of coaching in a regular high school and it has really helped me.

Preparing nutritious food is a basic life skill, so once a week we get to cook with the chef, Hugh Birch. This hands-on experience is always useful, but, for those who have to eat our meals, it's often a risky business. The humour of meals gone awfully wrong is not intentional, but it does happen. Once, we were fed a Caesar salad with a pink dressing on it. It turned out that someone couldn't resist adding a touch of red food colouring to keep us on our toes.

Even from crazy experiences like that, we grow as individuals. KYTES offers us a space where so-called "at-risk" youth can make positive changes in their lives.

The experience is much more than I could have expected, and I will always be grateful for it.

Kristy-Lynne Brautigam is 19 years old.