Building Strong Foundations
The youth support program is the foundation of our programming and provides youth with the tools, attitudes, and resources that they need to change their lives. From Popular Theatre to bus tickets, this program makes it possible for youth to succeed. The Youth Support Program provides counseling to repair damaged lives, meals to feed hungry bodies, transportation when needed, and other preventative programming. A more recent focus of this program is to fuse technology and narrative by working hands-on with web and communications technology. Our goal is to get youth at risk involved in the digital revolution. 

Inner City Drama Inner City’s popular theater programs address issues such as lack of a formal education, homelessness, substance abuse, violence, racism and other problems that often block young people’s development. Using theater to understand and overcome these issues, helps many to take responsibility for their lives. ICYDA has found that drama performances give youth strength, self-confidence, and hope for the future.   Popular theatre performances are based on the realities and experiences of the group members. Since these plays are based on reality, they do not end in a magical conclusion but illustrate the complex nature of difficult social problems. At the conclusion of each play the audience and actors engage in a search for discussion-based solutions to difficult social issues. Plays were created about prostitution, family violence, substance abuse, racism and many other problems. The creating, performing, and discussion of the plays contributed to the youth’s understanding and overcoming of the issues that they were illustrating in the plays.

Alexina Dalgetty Director of Inner City Drama Alexina has been with ICYDA since 1990. She is program coordinator, and drama and literature consultant. Alexina attended Canada's National Theatre School, is a graduate of the University of Alberta's M.F.A program, is a published playwright and has written scripts for television and movies. Her favorite colour is green.

	This unique program targets homeless youth in Edmonton. The program is built on using  technology combined with Popular Theatre. It  provides high-need youth with the tools and attitudes needed to complete an education program or to secure full time employment. • Click Here to Download a PDF of The Youth In Action Brochure
Negah Tepeh	This program is offered in partnership with Native Counseling Services of Alberta and operates as part of our Youth Support Programming.
Alternatives to Violence	This is a three-phase program developed in cooperation with The Federal Department of Justice’s Community Mobilization and Crime Prevention Program. The program employs the use of narrative for personal and community development. The vehicles are a literacy program developed by Inner City, an interactive web site where youth and community members can share experiences and a youth oriented magazine/newsletter.  The program was written about in the Edmonton Journal.  To view a pdf click here.