Teens have issues! They talk about suicide and war. They experiment with drugs, drinking and smoking. Their lives may have been touched by abuse, gangs, or guns. Young people worry about these issues and many others as they work out their emerging identities and race toward their futures. This article discusses how the teachers in Voyager House (Flushing, Queens, New York) strive to help their students address these issues. The author describes a series of lessons designed with a dual focus: communicating with imagery, and basic instruction on design, composition, and color. The project uses student-designed billboards to enhance students' understanding of how to communicate messages and emotions with few or no words.