Junior Players was at the forefront of prevention programs, using the arts as a means of transforming the lives of youth. Junior Players provides free on-going, long-term after-school and summer arts education programs in local recreation and cultural centers, elementary, middle and high schools, and through social service agencies serving youth at risk. Junior Players' Discover Shakespeare! program combines the best of Dallas-area high-school acting talent with the professional skills of the Shakespeare Festival staff in a teen production of Shakespeare presented in free performances at Samuell-Grand Park. In collaboration with a variety of youth organizations, Junior Players arts programs work with at-risk youth. These teens are challenged to write about their life experiences, create and perform their own productions, and resolve their conflicts through communication in a non-violent manner