Joshua Ojo sang “I Have A Dream” with musician Jessie Holdenat during last year’s Teen Empowerment Somerville Youth Peace Conference. — Photo by Pamela Cyran

The eighth annual Teen Empowerment Somerville Youth Peace Conference takes place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at the East Somerville Community School (50 Cross St.). This year’s theme is “Rising from the Ashes: Movement of Improvement.” Tickets are $3 and can purchased at the TE office at 165 Broadway or from TE youth organizers.

The event will feature original performances by Somerville teens based on their own lives, as well as a jobs and services fair. Attendees will share their experiences in an open-mic “Hope and Healing Ceremony.” The conference will examine teen violence, substance abuse, immigration, bullying, homelessness and other issues.

Inspiration for the conference comes from Teen Empowerment Boston’s annual Youth Peace Conference, which began in 1993 as a way to bring together Boston teens to help solve the epidemic of gang violence occurring at the time. That first conference produced a lasting truce among five rival gangs and set the stage for a dramatic improvement in the lives of thousands of youth.

Founded in 1992, The Center for Teen Empowerment, Inc. seeks to empower youth and adults as agents of positive individual, institutional and social change. Each year, TE youth conduct over 150 initiatives involving some 6,000 youth and adults. For more information, visit www.teenempowerment.org.

Conference schedule

5 p.m.: Doors open, ice cream reception, and the Jobs and Services Fair

6:15 p.m.: Conference Stage Show.  Using original theater, dance, rap, speeches and spoken word, the entirely youth-performed stage show highlights the lives of Somerville youth: their concerns and struggles with family issues, substance abuse, education, violence and other issues. The show will be introduced by Mayor Joe Curtatone.

8 p.m. (approximately): Hope and Healing Ceremony. The stage show continues with an open-mic speak-out in which attendees can speak about their experiences and hopes for the future.