Go to school. Get good grades. Kids have to maintain at least a 2.0 grade-point average or they cannot participate in performances. Stay out of trouble. Students can have no more than two administrative referrals in one semester, must respect teachers and peers, and cannot be involved in gangs.
Research shows that children, especially adolescents, crave excitement and group activity.
If they can't find it in structured programs, they become far more likely to find it in gangs. The students in the Mid-City Breakers tend to be those who are not participating in sports or other extracurricular activities, due to lack of funds or interest, Sepulveda notes. He has created a program that kids look forward to because it involves an activity that naturally draws them. This means they show up every day and follow Sepulveda's rules. It shouldn't be more of the same.