Contact: Dinah Winnick Communications Manager University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) 410-455-8117 dwinnick@umbc.edu The UMBC Choice Program will host “Baltimore Youth in Action”—an evening highlighting the voices of area youth—at the Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts on April 28, 2012, 5:30-9:00 p.m. The event is funded by the Marguerite Casey Foundation’s Equal Voices Youth Empowerment Project, which seeks to inspire and enable young people to be change agents in their communities. “Baltimore Youth in Action” is youth-driven and community-supported. One goal of the UMBC Choice Program is to empower participants as self-advocates and city youth have played a central role in planning this event. The organizers emphasize that local youth offer unique perspectives and can be a powerful resource for the city of Baltimore. This program leverages support from diverse local partners, including the Safe and Sound Campaign, Single Carrot Theater, Class Acts Arts and Hand in Hand. The evening will begin with a screening of the 17-minute film “Maria Full of Hope” (view trailer). Theatrical performances by participating children and teens, conveying their experiences, dreams and concerns as young Baltimore residents, will follow. After the performances, on-site youth ambassadors will help attendees connect with city and state officials to share their thoughts on challenges facing children and families in Maryland, focusing on the issue of youth incarceration. A gallery at the Institute will display a related mural and multimedia artwork through 9:00 p.m. The Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts is located at 1500 Harlem Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21217. To learn more about “Baltimore Youth in Action” contact Danielle Yurchinkonis, program coordinator, at dy@umbc.edu, or visit Facebook. To learn more about UMBC’s Choice Program, contact Director LaMar Davis at ladavis@umbc.edu or visit www.choiceprograms.org.