Founded in 2004, Teen HYPE (Helping Youth by Providing Education) empowers urban youth to thrive while strengthening their community.
The organization provides cultural, educational and personal enrichment experiences to help teens make positive choices, improve their quality of life and become leaders in their schools and communities.
Teen HYPE has a number of outreach programs designed to educate youth and give them an outlet to avoid destructive behaviors and learn to handle certain situations in a safe environment.
“The value of Teen HYPE for Detroit teens is our holistic approach to youth development. Our ultimate focus is to get teens ready for the world. We offer programs that focus on the whole individual, including sexual health, positive relationships and education. Through our Peer Education Program, Teen HYPE uses the stage to help teens get ready for the next stage in life,” said Ambra Redrick, Teen HYPE executive director and co-founder.
On Thursday and Friday, March 20-21, Teen HYPE presents its 10th anniversary play, “Secrets,” taking place at the Millennium Center. Since 2004, Teen HYPE’s signature youth theater production has educated metro Detroit youth, both onstage and off, about the extreme social challenges facing urban teens: gang violence, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, domestic violence and the spread of HIV.
“‘Secrets’ is really all about sexual abuse. In the U.S., one in four teenage girls and one in six teenage boys are victims of sexual abuse,” said Redrick.
“At Teen HYPE, we believe it’s important to create a safe place for young people to have conversations about sexual abuse and resources where they can seek help.”
A production of Teen HYPE’s Peer Education Program, this year’s play showcases the writing talents of several of the organization’s peer educators: Akil Alvin (alum and 2013 Teen HYPE’s Best Actor award winner), Shantinque Clark (alum), Tiffany Hubbard, Betty Pride (alum) and Deanna Watson. This written-by-the-youth-for-the-youth play also stars Teen HYPE’s peer educators, as with all of the plays produced by the 501(C)(3).
“Secrets” sets out to empower urban youth to become ready for the world using relatable storytelling that captures one’s emotions through humor and disturbing truth,” said Redrick. “This year’s play promises to be a landmark production.
“Our 2014 community play celebrates 10 years of tremendous achievement. In that time, Teen HYPE has helped hundreds of our alumni become ready for the world — ready to attend college, ready to gain steady employment, ready to enter healthy relationships, ready to experience financial stability and so on.
“You name it and we’ve prepared our teens for it. We focus on developing the whole individual as opposed to only one aspect of their lives.”
Once again featuring the directorial talents of Henri Franklin (“Days of our Lives,” Project Theater Company and several of Teen HYPE’s plays), “Secrets” highlights the wisdom of Teen HYPE’s youth, focusing on the negative consequences that unfold when we are less than transparent or honest.
“This play represents extremely progressive thinking by our writers and actors,” Redrick said.
“It isn’t until later in life that individuals may experience how keeping secrets can lead to disappointing affects — feelings of shame or unfulfilled aspirations.
“We encourage parents and young people alike to see this play. We strive to present how liberating it is to bring our secrets out of the darkness and into the light.”
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