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CHICAGO--"In my school people get away with bringing drugs and knives into school because there are just not enough good security officers. This leads to a lot of violence in and around school, which is usually gang related. It makes it really hard to focus and learn." Jessica Hughes, a student of Chicago's Kelly High School, spoke for many in the audience at a public meeting in May when the Brighton Park Youth Council held their first public meeting.

More than 150 teens gathered to denounce government efforts to stop drugs, gangs, and violence as ineffective. The youth announced their own initiatives to take on the war against drugs in their community, and also proposed their own solutions to neighborhood problems.

"The government spends billions of dollars every year on anti-drug advertisements and drug education. I don't think these programs really work. They should be asking us, the teens, about what programs would help to keep teens off of drugs and away from gangs," said Gilberto Gonzalez, a leader of the Brighton Park Youth Council.

Representatives from federal and state elected officials agreed at the meeting to work with the group on state scholarship and mentoring programs to encourage teens to stay away from gangs and drugs. They also received support on a badly needed youth center for the neighborhood and a teen pregnancy education program.

The youth also unveiled their new portable mural, which is a vibrant collage showing the past, present, and future of the working class, southwest side Brighton Park neighborhood. They began the project by researching the history of the neighborhood and getting oral histories from residents, and then collaborated with mural artist Chris Silva from the Chicago Public Art Group to design and paint the mural.

Youth leaders from the group believe the mural will help educate the community about the group and attract their peers into the group. "I grew up in Brighton Park and have seen my friends turn to gangs and drugs," group leader Cesar Maldonado said. "I want to be a part of the solution, and get other people involved in what we're doing. We're not going to just sit back and let the violence, drugs and gang, teen pregnancy problems take over our neighborhood."