Students watch a short film, Barrio de Paz by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, which tells the story of peace worker Nelsa Libertad Curbelo and the city's gang youth, who have left behind a life of crime to come together and provide services to their struggling community. Loved like a mother, Nelsa has helped the gangs channel their need for unity, structure, and love into the power to participate in society.

In this lesson, students explore how respect, trust, and love can transform youth violence. Through classroom discussion, students examine reasons why young people join gangs and ways those instincts can become the foundation for creative participation in society. Reflective writing prompts are also included for students to demonstrate their understanding of the story.