I wanted to take a moment, with only 5 days left in our campaign, to share why directing "Know How" has meant so much to me and changed my life in many ways. When I began this journey nearly 3 years ago I had no idea I was going to meet some of the best friends I’ve ever had and that the experience would forever change my world view. 

In retrospect, it’s easy to get nostalgic about the sleepless days and nights, the harrowing moments when all seemed lost during production, and the tragic triumphs where the youth’s performances made us all stop, look, and reflect on our world. It’s easy to wish for those days back and for how alive we all felt in the moment of creation. Those were the days where we were on a mission few knew about, and our goal was to make sure these hidden stories were told honestly, truly, and sincerely- when Deshawn or Gabby or Claribelle cried, we all did; when they laughed, we did too. For some of us the changes we experienced were happening right then and there on the set; for others they were happening at home later that night or the following week when we had time to pause. 

We were breaking new ground, telling stories where foster care youth were not only empowered to write their own life stories and act in them, but also confronted themselves, their triumphs, failures, and fears all at once. A teacher of mine once said, “Only connect, that’s all you have to do.” He meant that our primary responsibility as filmmakers is to connect with audiences. He'd say it every single week in class, write it on the board, and around the end of the year he told us, “It’s hard to remember what teachers say, but if there’s one thing you should take away more than anything else from film school it’s this - only connect.” The youth in “Know How” delivered on that promise, and they took all of us with them for the ride. 

I feel so fortunate to count myself among the people whose lives were touched by such special youth. I’m excited for others to experience their vision as well. It's through this completely collaborative project that I've been humbled and excited to find new answers to questions about the value of life and the art of storytelling. 

Here we are years later, only a few days away from successfully funding the last stages of the film – thanks to you! - and I couldn’t be prouder. 

Because we’re standing at the edge of a cliff getting ready to jump off to the next stage - film festivals and distribution - please make one last ask to your friends and networks. Blog, tweet, and post about “Know How.” Show your solidarity for the next 5 days by making this your cover image. Help us meet our new stretch goal! 

And if you have a minute to do just a little bit more, vote for us on Indie Wire before Monday at 11am. We were recently nominated as Project of the Week on their site and your vote can help us win! The film that gets the most votes receives some valuable assistance and is eligible for the Project of the Month contest later in June. It also gains us some very important attention for the film. 

Thank you again for giving us the opportunity to finish “Know How.” Let’s go forward together and evoke real change for foster care youth.