She Said Yes
Parents, teachers and youth—ALL a part of the solution
Cassie Bernall, a 17-year-old junior at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, was a typical teen having a typical day when two classmates put a gun to her head and asked her if she believed in God. She said yes.

The story of Cassie’s courage in the face of death has led many to call her a martyr, but a far more remarkable story was left untold—until this video.

Not long before her death, Cassie had been on the same destructive path as those who killed her. Angry and depressed, she rejected her family and sought comfort in drugs, witchcraft, and violent fantasies. She Said Yes: The Video Documentary is the story of the courageous steps her parents took to help their troubled teenager—and of the triumphant transformation Cassie made in herself.

Produced by Active Parenting founder Dr. Michael Popkin and award-winning director Kathy Vander, the video includes interviews with Cassie’s parents, friends and others influential in her extraordinary story.

The video documentary is available in two editions: one for faith-based audiences (31 min.) and one for secular audiences, including public schools (25 min.)

A She Said Yes group discussion program helps parents, teens and youth leaders address such critical issues as:

• How to keep youth from going down destructive paths
• How to recognize signs of violence in troubled teens—and how to intervene
• How to decide when to search a teen's room or locker
• How to help youths deal with unhealthy influences from peers, media and negative role models
• What to do when a fellow student behaves in a threatening way
• How to have the courage to make positive life changes
• How to resolve conflicts nonviolently
• How a strong church youth group can help teens cope with the pressures of adolescence (faith edition only)
• Helping young people develop courage and strengthen their faith (faith edition only)

The accompanying Discussion Guide is divided into three sections, one each for leading:

• a parenting group
• a youth group
• teacher/youth worker in-service.
• a combination of any of these groups

She Said Yes is powerful, versatile and has an intense impact on everyone involved in preventing youth violence.

Lessons from Littleton
A video showing how courageous and
compassionate teens helped a troubled girl

Two editions: one for faith-based audiences and one for secular audiences, including public schools.

While filming She Said Yes —the story of Columbine victim Cassie Bernall, a troubled teen who was able to turn her life around—we discovered another story with lasting impact: the story of teens reaching out and helping others.

Lessons from Littleton goes behind the headlines of the Columbine High School shootings and reveals the stories of teenagers whose quiet courage and compassion made a life-changing difference in the life of Cassie Bernall, one of the victims. Seventeen-year-old Cassie had been a troubled teenager and the students who reached out to her in ordinary ways—in high school classrooms and hallways and a church youth group—helped change her life.

This 25-minute video emphasizes the importance of reaching out to troubled teens. Dr. Michael Popkin, founder and president of Active Parenting Publishers, explains: “In my years working with teens as a therapist I saw firsthand their often courageous struggle with frustration, anger and hurt. The ones that seemed to triumph and turn their lives around most often had the support of family and friends and a strong and loving community.”

In Lessons From Littleton, viewers will meet:

• Teens Reaching Out to Teens: Columbine students and members of Cassie's youth group talk about meeting Cassie Bernall for the first time and why it was difficult to approach her. At one point Cassie was very much like the young men who shot her—she ran with a tough crowd and was into drugs, witchcraft, hate and violence. When her parents pulled her out of her former high school and away from her violent friends she was angry, lonely and suicidal. But befriending Cassie wasn't easy. Her tough, sullen attitude scared away many teens. Yet Amanda, Craig, Cassandra, Shauna, Jordan and Erika saw beneath Cassie's rough exterior and made courageous efforts to talk with and listen to her. When they took the time to listen they found a serious, reflective teenager who was searching to understand herself and overcome her past behavior.
• A Friend Reaching Out to a Friend: Jaime, an open-minded teen at Cassie's new school, tells how she decided to find a way to connect with Cassie and help her change her outlook. Her candid observations reveal a young woman who would not give up on a hurting girl.
• Teens Reaching Out to the Community: Through her church youth group Cassie got involved with an inner-city homeless shelter where she shared her experiences with drugs and witchcraft. The director of the shelter and homeless people who knew Cassie share what they learned from the open and giving young woman and what she learned from them.

Lessons From Littleton comes with suggested questions to spark discussion among teens, youth leaders and parents about:

• reaching out to people in need
• confronting fears
• knowing how to get help when needed
• feeling compassion for others
• making a difference by getting involved

Two editions: faith and secular. The video is available in two editions: one for faith-based audiences and one for secular audiences, including public schools.

Use Lessons From Littleton to change attitudes—and change lives.