Youth from low-income families across Montgomery County will have a chance to shine on stage this summer through Team of Stars.

About 40 campers in grades six through nine are taking part in the free theater-training program, which is managed by the Housing Opportunities Commission, an agency that provides affordable housing and services to low- and moderate-income families in the county.

The students work with professional directors, stage managers and a choreographer, and a group of eight teen mentors pitch in to coach them on their acting techniques as well. Project Change, the Musical Theater Center and the Conflict Resolution Center partnered to create the camp, which began June 20 and concludes on Friday with a performance of the musical “West Side Story’’ that is open to the public.

In addition to learning about the basics of theatre performance and production, the campers soaked up lessons about bullying, peer pressure, prejudice, gangs, stereotyping and racial discrimination along the way.

Jasmine Sanchez, 11, of Gaithersburg said she applied for the program because she is interested in singing, acting and dancing.

“It’s been very interesting and fun,” she said. “Plus the play teaches us about educational stuff, like the different styles of clothing and dancing in the 1950s, and also how to act with emotion and body language.”

Kyshaun Drakes, 11, of Silver Spring said although he has sung at his church and done a few school plays, he is improving his singing skills by learning how to hold notes.

“It’s been a great learning experience, and if they do this again next year, I will definitely be back,” he said.

Drakes said he is enjoying “West Side Story,” not only because of the action and upbeat music, but also because of the subject matter.

“In the play there is bullying and two rival gangs, and I see that in school and in neighborhoods a lot,” he said. “This is helpful, because it teaches us how bullying affects people and different ways people react to it.”

Although this is the first year of the program, the collaboration of many different organizations, including the local business community, has made it successful, said Project Change Executive Director Robyn Holstein-Glass.

“The kids are gaining experience about all the details that go into a production,” Holstein-Glass said. “Things ranging from how quiet you have to be backstage to how much you have to project your voice when you are on stage. It’s been an exciting progress for them to get a global view of the teamwork needed to make something special happen.”

Kristina Friedgen, who is the director and choreographer, joined the program through her involvement at the Musical Theatre Center.

“This has been a very interesting program, because most of the kids have never performed at all,” she said.

Friedgen said the show is slightly adapted to be more relatable to the campers. For example, the “America” musical number has been converted into a step dance.

“Those changes help to make the story more relatable to their world,” she said. “And the themes of the show help the kids deal with conflict and make good life decisions.”

Although the production portion of the program will be completed this week, camp leaders plan to visit the HOC communities during the next few months to meet with the campers and follow up on lessons learned.

The program was made possible by a $150,000 Team Up grant from the Trawick Foundation and its funding partners, the Mead Family Foundation, the Polinger Family Foundation, the Harman Family Foundation and Montgomery County Government.

Project Change was first founded in 1998 by four Sherwood High School students to provide safe social activities for teens in the Olney area. It is a youth/adult partnership dedicated to promoting opportunities for youth to be engaged in and contribute to their community.

It has since expanded to include students from other area high schools.

The Team of Stars will perform “West Side Story’’ at 2 p.m. Thursday in a dress rehearsal and at 6 p.m. Friday for a final performance.Both performances will take place in the Olney Theatre Center’s Historic Theatre, located at 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road. Performances are free and open to the public, and no tickets are required.

thogan@gazette.net