From the ashes of criminal activity grew a mighty steel dragon...not to mention a two-tier sunset.

The hope now is that those, too, can cultivate into a better future for a handful of young people who found themselves in Butler County Juvenile Court last summer and many more who may follow.

The Associated Artists of Butler County has begun a program geared toward rehabilitating and inspiring court-supervised youngsters through art.

"Here, they can express themselves through creating their artwork," said Larry Sassone, president of AABC.

The program was piloted last summer when eight boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 18 used large clippers and torches to sculpt steel scraps and copper tubing into a dragon and sunset.

"We wanted a medium the kids could really relate to and do a hands-on project," Sassone said. "They really liked it, and it was interesting because for many of the girls it was the first time they had ever held a welder."

The children last year - as well as the upcoming class in June - were all non-violent offenders being supervised because of their past behavior, said Jim Switzert, Butler County juvenile probation officer.

The participants were selected from the nearly 350 juveniles under county supervision based on their interest and available transportation, Switzert said.

This particular program was voluntary, not court ordered. But it came coupled with standard supervision musts, including counseling, community service projects and payment of fines and restitution.

The five-week art program was an "add-on" to what the children would already have been ordered to do, Switzert said.

And, if not for the program, these already at-risk children instead might have spent the summer sitting on the couch or standing on a street corner.

"Any time young offenders become involved in their community, it is a good thing," Switzert said.

The concept, which comes with partial funding from the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts, isn't new.

It's been tried successfully in prisons and rehabilitation programs across the country.

But here, in Butler County, it's a first.

"It was very enlightening," Sassone said. "At first the kids didn't know what to expect."

But Sassone said participants bonded with their instructor, an artist from Latrobe who specialized in metal work.

Each participant made an individual project and contributed to the two group projects, the dragon and dual sun.

The dragon was presented to the Butler County Commissioners, who helped pay for the program. The sun will be presented to AK Steel, which donated some of the materials.

The individual projects went home with the kids - but not before a pizza party/art showing at the Art Center on Main Street.

"That was really their time to shine," Sassone said.

In addition to an appreciation for the arts, the program strives to educate children on career opportunities in art.

It also teaches teamwork, pride in performance and the benefit of setting goals, then reaching them, Sassone said.

The courts have not yet tracked the children in the program to see if they returned to criminal activity.

But Sassone said he knows some of the children definitely returned to the Art Center, because he's seen them personally.

"We don't judge anyone here," Sassone said. "We welcome anyone who likes art."