The performances were personal and poignant. One teen's spoken word piece expressed the feelings of worthlessness that accompanied her periods of homelessness and drug-dealing, and recounted her successful battle to regain control of her life, and her pride. Another young woman spoke about the influence of the media on her ideas, ranging from body image to the glorification of drugs and violence. Throughout the night, many of the pieces made clear the important role that Teen Empowerment had played in the lives of the young performers.

Performances were interspersed with messages from staff and board members. Lauren Lapat, who sits on the board, spoke to the audience about the importance of supporting the group's programming. "A lot of funding is at risk for youth programs," she told the audience, managing to maintain the event's upbeat tone. She went on to talk about the impact of the group's programs. "75 dollars will fund 3 days of youth leadership training," she said, giving audience members an idea of the impact of their contributions.

A sheet passed out to attendees gave a more detailed account of the financial troubles that could affect the organization. $2 million in state funding for youth programs, which supports Teen Empowerment and similar organizations, is at risk for being severely reduced or eliminated. The handout encouraged people to contact state representatives before the budget is finalized.

Stephanie Berkowitz, Director of Fundraising for Teen Empowerment, said that the organization plans to host approximately 3 small fundraisers like this one per year. They are also implementing a fundraising strategy that she described as grassroots, creating a program called "Friends of TE". The initiative aims to collect smaller donations from a large number of people, forming more widespread community engagement.

Next up on the group's programming agenda is hiring its summer group of youth leaders. Past issues addressed by these groups have included teen summer employment and police-youth relations, but the group members will get to decide for themselves which issue to take on.

After the official program ended, a band led by Teen Empowerment's executive director and founder Stanley Pollock took the stage, treating the audience to yet another display of the organization's creative talent.