The Mancos Public Library will screen "The Homestretch" Thursday, March 19 at 6 p.m.

In the movie, three homeless teens brave Chicago winters, the pressures of high school, and life on the streets to build a brighter future. The Homestretch follows three remarkable homeless teens as they fight to stay in school, graduate and build a more stable future.

Each of these smart, resilient teenagers - Roque, Kasey, and Anthony - challenge stereotypes of homelessness as they work to complete their education while coping with the trauma of being alone and abandoned at an early age. Through haunting images, intimate scenes, and first-person narratives, these teens take us on their journeys of struggle and triumph. As their stories unfold, the film explores their plights within the larger issues of poverty, race, juvenile justice, immigration, foster care, and LGBTQ rights. The Homestretch is part of American Graduate: Let's Make It Happen, a public media initiative supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to help local communities across America address the high school dropout crisis. A co-production of Spargel Productions and Kartemquin Films, The Homestretch premieres on Independent Lens on Monday, April 13, 2015 at 10/9c (check local listings) on PBS.

This free preview screening of "The Homestretch" will be followed by a community discussion.

Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Kasey spent over a year bouncing around between friends, family members, and sleeping on the street after she came out as a lesbian and her family forced her out on her own. Kasey ultimately dropped out of high school her senior year. In the film, Kasey is just entering a new transitional home and is re-enrolled in school. Kasey is a poet, a painter, and a tremendous source of support for her huge network of friends.

Anthony spent his childhood in foster homes and went out on his own at the age of 14. After years of jumping from school to school and being homeless, he is proud to be self-taught. He recently earned his GED and was accepted into the Year Up Chicago Program where he has an internship in telecommunications. A talented poet, rapper, and entrepreneur, Anthony never stops planning and working for success.

Due to immigration complications, Roque was forced to separate from his family and fend for himself beginning in his sophomore year of high school. With an unstable family and housing situation, Roque spent several years drifting until one of his teachers introduced him to Shakespeare and acting and he became inspired to finish high school and go to college. With his teacher's support, he hopes to go into theater and psychology and help others through some of the same challenges he has faced.