About SEE to ACT

Group of people outdoors, with some wearing headphones, interacting, and a person operating a camera on a tripod.

Our story

In the wake of the devastating Uvalde, Texas school shooting, founders Hayden Yates and Dee Hunnicutt Rodriguez knew that traditional responses weren't enough. They saw a profound, urgent need to inspire hope, foster genuine human connection, and spark systemic change for a generation processing deep trauma.

They asked a simple question: What happens when we give youth the tools to tell their own stories?

Out of that question, SEE to ACT was born. We realized that cinema has the unique power to bridge gaps, heal wounds, and give young people a platform where they are finally seen and heard. What started as a response to a tragedy has grown into a movement dedicated to transforming pain into purpose through the art of film.

Group of 15 people, mostly young adults, smiling and posing together in a dimly lit room, some making playful gestures.

SEE to ACT’s Origin Story

Trauma-Informed Filmmaking

We don't just teach technical camera skills; we create a safe, supportive environment where students can process their lived experiences and translate complex emotions into cinematic art.

How We Build the Future

Trauma-Informed Filmmaking

We don't just teach technical camera skills; we create a safe, supportive environment where students can process their lived experiences and translate complex emotions into cinematic art.

Restorative Justice Approach

We believe in accountability, healing, and community integration. By focusing on restorative practices, we help justice-impacted and vulnerable youth find a new direction and repair their connection to the world around them.

Creative Agency & Autonomy

From script writing to the final edit, our students are in the driver's seat. Handing over creative control builds real-world confidence, leadership, and a sense of deep personal pride.

A man with a backwards cap and yellow shirt standing outdoors, talking to two children, one wearing a pink hoodie and the other in black. The children are listening, and the setting appears to be a parking lot with a brick wall, cars, and a dumpster in the background.
People inside a building looking out through large open garage doors at a parking lot with a pickup truck, basketball hoop, brick wall, trees, and blue sky outside.
Group of people outdoors, one person sitting on a bench holding a large map, others standing nearby, some with cameras, in a natural setting with trees and a clear blue sky.

“Our goal in teaching storytelling through filmmaking is for young people to express themselves through the lens of a CAMERA, not to become headlines through the barrel of a GUN. We want our youths to TELL their story, and not BE the story.”

—Hayden de Maisoneuve Yates (Executive Director)