“She said she believed the entire state of Hawaiʻi public schools needed this.”
How it happened
“We were unexpectedly interrupted in the fall of 2024. I met the former retired Deputy Superintendent of the Hawaiʻi Department of Education. She said she believed the entire state of Hawaiʻi public schools needed this. I got to present it to the current Superintendent Hayashi. After my presentation, he said he wanted to roll it out statewide. But public schools don’t separate boys and girls, so we needed a co-ed version. We paused Brave & Bold and put the gas pedal on Brave Together.
For a whole year Phyllis Unebasami joined our team and wrote all of the teacher lessons for the Brave Together co-ed version. She is a top curriculum designer in our state, and a wonderful Christian woman. The Hawaiʻi Brave Together three-article booklet was reviewed and approved by the Hawaiʻi Department of Education for the state’s Sexual Violence Prevention Initiative.”
Recognition
- The Hawaiʻi Brave Together three-article booklet was reviewed and approved by the Hawaiʻi Department of Education for the state’s Sexual Violence Prevention Initiative.
- Teacher lessons written by Phyllis Unebasami, retired Hawaiʻi Deputy Superintendent of the Department of Education and a leading curriculum designer in the state
- 2023 Outstanding Advocate for the Children and Youth of Hawaiʻi, awarded to Releasing Generations by Hawaiʻi’s Governor and Honolulu’s Mayor for the development of the Brave Series
Vol. 1 · Faith 
Vol. 2 · Classic 
Vol. 3 · Faith 
Vol. 4 · Classic
What is inside
How the four volumes work
- Written for co-ed classrooms, because public schools do not separate boys and girls.
- Volumes 1 through 3 build identity, emotional health, self-worth, healthy relationships, and vision for your life.
- Volume 4 covers pornography, sexual violence, and sex trafficking in age-appropriate ways.
- More than 80 lessons with slide decks, in a faith edition and a non-faith edition. The non-faith edition is the one behind the booklet the Department of Education reviewed and approved.
The full account of the series, from the 2019 assignment through the vision and the two and a half years of production, is on the Brave Series hub.
The golden thread
“There is a golden thread of bringing restoration, healing, and encouragement to the heart. If you don’t believe that you are valuable, you will not believe that the dreams in your heart are valuable. I make a case for knowing your value, and throughout pretty much everything that I do, there is that golden thread of bringing restoration, healing, and encouragement to people’s hearts.”
A public school cannot teach faith, but it can teach a student that they are worth protecting. Brave Together carries the same conviction into a classroom that could not have received it any other way.
Where it is being used
In the field
- The Hawaiʻi Brave Together three-article booklet was reviewed and approved by the Hawaiʻi Department of Education for the state’s Sexual Violence Prevention Initiative.
- Piloted in the Philippines, at a South Carolina Christian school, and at a Native American reservation school.
- Used by safe houses that rehabilitate and restore trafficked victims, as a resource for healing and restoration with traumatized youth and adults.
What people say
“When first introduced to the materials, I found them breathtaking and unlike anything I had seen. The Brave Series equips young people with the tools to navigate challenges, make informed decisions, and step confidently into their potential by addressing critical topics like self-worth, healthy relationships, and personal responsibility.”
“The Brave Series is a groundbreaking, survivor-informed resource that empowers youth with confidence, resilience, and the tools to safeguard themselves from exploitation. Its engaging, age-appropriate approach builds self-worth and inspires leadership, making it an essential prevention tool for protecting and uplifting the next generation.”
Buy at thebraveseries.com
Where the thread leads
“The golden thread is like the spine. It runs through everything I do and teach and coach and speak on. And it culminates in embracing your brave purpose. And living it out.”
If you are ready to walk this out yourself, Michele coaches authors through the Brave Purpose Author Method.
Bring Brave Together to your school.
The Hawaiʻi Brave Together three-article booklet was reviewed and approved by the Hawaiʻi Department of Education for the state’s Sexual Violence Prevention Initiative, and the curriculum is being piloted internationally. Tell Michele about your school or district and she will walk you through it.
- Based in
- Honolulu, HI