A pair of local programs bring young people together who have brothers or sisters with autism or other special needs to talk and socialize. The Young Sibshops accommodate children ages 4 to 7. A separate group, Sibshops, is for those ages 8 to 13.

When 18-year-old playwright Kelly Lusk wrote his award-winning play "We, The Boys," he envisioned how he wanted his audience to react. But after it was staged at the Indiana Repertory Theatre, attendees had other ideas.

Chris Woods used to be a below-average student; now he makes the honor roll. He says he used to have a "ghetto mentality," but now he's sympathetic and compassionate. The 18-year-old once fought in the streets for neighborhood pride; now he mentors younger kids. How was Woods, once a struggling student and now a sophomore at Herron High School, able to turn his life around? He credits the Christian youth organization Young Life.

Jennifer Jones has been politically active since she was a high school freshman. Since then, she has worked passionately for the Democratic Party. She sees no problem with continuing her activism after high school, as she will be attending American University in Washington, D.C., in the fall.