SOCIAL VIDEO CONTENT | Ford | Go Further Stories

Shakespeare In Prison

Two days every week, Frannie Shepherd-Bates goes to prison. She is the founder of Shakespeare in Prison. A skilled theater major, she uses her talents to teach Shakespearian plays to the women incarcerated at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility.

To learn more about Shakespeare in Prison, go to detroitpublictheatre.org. 

My Role: Art Director
ACD/CW: Nick Allen
Production Company: Gentleman Scholar 

Teaching Gardens

Kelly Meyer founded Teaching Gardens to teach children better nutrition. Since that first garden it has grown into something even bigger.

One third of all U.S. children are overweight or obese as a result of poor nutrition. According to the LA Daily News, the nutrition deficiencies are so severe in South Central Los Angeles the life expectancy is 12 years less than in a more affluent community a mere 12 miles away. For Kelly, a child-nutrition activist, this staggering fact made her decide to fight back against this growing epidemic. Teaching Gardens and has since been adopted by the American Heart Association and has grown into a nationwide flourishing program. 

To learn more about Teaching Gardens, go to heart.org/teachinggardens.

My Role: Art Director
ACD/CW: Nick Allen
Director: Cassidy Gearhart
Production Company: The Public Record

Protecting Our Great Lakes

Jeff Guy and four friends decided it was time to stand up for the health and preservation of the Great Lakes they love. So they took to their stand-up paddleboards. 

By being the first - ever to make the 60-mile trek across Lake Michigan, this team of paddleboarders was able to go even further by bringing awareness to all the environmental issues that plague the Great Lakes. And, to date, raise almost $8,000 to help benefit Alliance for the Great Lakes, a nonprofit that’s dedicated to cleaning up the pollution in our lakes and preserving them for future generations.

To learn more about this team of paddleboarders, go to standupforgreatlakes.com.

To learn more about Alliance for the Great Lakes, go to greatlakes.org.

My Role: Art Director
CW: Cristina Lorenzetti
Director: Stephen McGee
Production Company: Great Guns

Driving Blind

Justin and Tod Purvis are going blind. They were diagnosed with a rare genetic disease, Choroideremia. When their sight was given a timeline they asked themselves (and others): What would you want to see if you knew you were going blind? 

It's this question that led to a 13,000 mile documented road trip entitled "Driving Blind". The journey not only transformed them, but also changed the way we look at those afflicted with the disease. Their groundbreaking documentary is helping to raise awareness and funds to ensure that we can one day find a cure.

My Role: Art Director
ACD/CW: Nick Allen
Director: Brian James Griffo
Production Company: Perfect Karma Productions