Current Projects:

There are events in our lives that define us. My experience as Brad’s girlfriend is one. You know you don’t ever fall in love with the idea that you are going to get hurt. If you were asked “Would you date someone who hit you?” you wouldn’t say yes, I wouldn’t say yes. But that’s not how it works. It doesn’t start with hitting. It starts like any other boyfriend/girlfriend thing. Brad was funny. He was nice. He did all the right things and said all the right things. I felt special and pretty and important. He was nice to me and my mom fell in love with him.

We dated for awhile before things slowly started to change. It started with teasing. I was a clutz or shouldn’t I lose a little weight. I just brushed it off and Brad just kept it up. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I’d told him that it wasn’t okay to call me clutzy or to tell me I needed to go on a diet. Would it have stopped the rest? I don’t know. It doesn’t do me much good to dwell on the what ifs. I’ve learned that there was really nothing I could have done to change who Brad was.

What makes this project different:

The Faythe Project is a teen dating violence initiative that includes a comprehensive integrated curriculum that will be provided to middle schools. The package will include a short film, a one act play and plans for lessons in key courses from English to Health.

Based on the short story written and illustrated by a high school student, Understanding Faith delves into the violent high school dating relationship between Faith and Brad, including all of the accompanying emotions and turmoil. The author takes the reader on a journey about developing faith in yourself. Teen dating violence is a number one concern among teenagers and educators in the United States and a growing problem. Infinite Spectrum Productions has optioned this story and is working with the student author, Amber Steele, to adapt the story for film. The final product will include not only a film based on the original story, Understanding Faith, but an educational curriculm that can be used to instruct teachers and students on violence in teen dating.