OUTER eastern suburbs teenager Tony says he'll stick around until the end of an intensive eight-week course in the hope that it will help him keep out of trouble.

The 15-year-old said his parents had encouraged him to sign up for Operation Newstart Eastern (ONE) because he was "mucking around" too much at school.

Tony, who loves sports and anything "hands on", has enjoyed the ONE program so far, especially the African drumming, swimming and fitness classes.

He said it had already started to change his outlook on life and how people acted.

The program runs from Tuesdays to Fridays each week, so he still gets to see his friends at his school each Monday.

Tony said he would recommend the program to any young people who were thinking about joining next term.

Last week, the Journal reported that students aged 13-17 who were having problems at school could join the program for one term and take part in activities such as fitness programs, a three-day bushwalk camp, educational sessions and certificate I in vocational preparation at Holmesglen TAFE.

Students have signed up for the program for reasons such as disengagement at school, low self-esteem and bullying.

Speaking at the launch of ONE last week, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland said the course was aimed at supporting the teens and keeping them in the education system, which would in turn make them less likely to come in contact with the criminal justice system.

"It's not easy being a young person in today's society," he said. "There are all sorts of pressures placed on young people and it's easy to blame the individual, but when you understand the circumstances they've come from it paints a very different picture of why some young people get into trouble."