DICF's dance and music education programs provide creative incentives for students of all ages, races and socio-economic backgrounds to help them increase their self-esteem, cultural pride, artistic growth and establish a strong commitment to themselves. DICF provides all families with the "Arts Advantage" that will help to level the learning field and encourage them to pursue higher goals. Arts programs can effect meaningful, positive change in the lives of young people most at risk beyond academic success. Researchers found that when compared to groups of young people not involved in an arts program, participants in youth arts programs showed: 1. Better attitudes toward themselves and their role in the world; 2. Less criminal conduct, and juvenile delinquency; 3. An increased ability to express anger appropriately and to communicate effectively with both peers and adults; and 4. An increased ability to stick with a complex task through its completion. Approximately 43.2% of Alexandria city's 128,283 person population is heavily represented by African-Americans or Blacks, Asians, Hispanics and Latinos. Of these groups, the Virginia Department of Education reported that 5,510 school aged children qualified and received free or reduced lunch through their public school in 2003. These statistics indicate a large population of "at risk" youth in need of affordable programs that will stimulate their creativity and have the potential to influence their outlook on the future. Further, DICF's goal is to use our programs to unify our communities by promoting the acceptance of minority participation in the arts, as well as a more diverse society of spectators. Dream in Color's overall vision is to use the uplifting spirit of dance and music to empower the next generation to make a more productive contribution to society, actively lead their peers and cultivate a more inclusive nation - one that fully accepts and appreciates the richness and unity that diversity conveys.