The Dandelion, often considered a weed by western gardeners, is actually an important source of nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies worldwide. It is considered a medicinal herb in Europe and the east; rich in vitamins, made into salads and wines, and drunk to purify the blood. The dandelion embodies the “roots and wings” ethos of The Dandelion Project. Rooted in firm nutrient rich ethics, our airborne seeds travel the winds hundreds if not thousands of miles to germinate the hearts and minds of people across the globe.

The Dandelion Project seeks out and promotes grass roots community based environmentalists, activists, and humanitarians –the true movers and shakers of the world. We provide them with skilled videographers, storytellers, and editors to aid in their missions. The results are fruitful, powerful, entertaining, educational productions and programming that encourage global awareness, action, and the growing trend of voluntourism.

Planting Seeds of Positive Change - Our Goals

This is the ethos of The Dandelion Project. We believe that media arts plays a crucial role in planting the seeds of change. In the wake of blockbuster hits like Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, Leonardo’s DiCaprio’s 11th Hour, and Discovery’s new Discovery Green we believe intellectual audiences have reached the “tipping point,” the idea that individuals are finally actively looking for ways to act responsibly and make changes for the better, that their decisions are catalyzing a change in public attitudes exponentially and for the better. Current trends in “green” programming illustrate exactly that. This is the foundation of the Dandelion Project. We aim to drive people from awareness to action; to convert them from passive viewers to active stewards. Television entertainment and a strong web presence are our vehicles.

Our strategies are supported by research that goes beyond traditional analyses about what people think to include how people think. We believe people are moved to action through fundamental and proven strategies of influence. In his best selling book Influence, Robert B. Cialdini, PhD. points to similarity, social proof, and contact/cooperation as powerful tools of influence. We chose characters in It’s Your World that our viewers can relate to thus engaging the powers of influence through similarity and social proof. If the audience relates to the characters, statistics show, they are more apt to respond positively to the material. This is also why we chose to focus on grass-roots activists and community leaders rather than public celebrities. Employing the proven concepts of social proof we feel our viewers will be more inclined to move to action based on their intimate relationships with the characters and featured subjects; the social proof, “If they are like us and doing it, and we like them and relate to them, then maybe we should do it to.”

And finally to break down the walls of “us and them” we employ the ideas of contact and cooperation. We put our program hosts and crew in situations deep into other cultures to address issues and engage in problem solving techniques because we believe these global issues belong to us as a human race regardless of cultural differences, geographical locations, religious dispositions, or ethnic backgrounds. We believe that we are all spokes in a giant wheel and only with all the spokes will the wheel continue to roll forward; thus, we build bridges between distant communities and cultures, and through the arts and creative storytelling bring us all a bit closer together as we collaborate and strive for true ethical and responsible progress.

Our strategies keep people moving forward from awareness towards action and never leave them hanging. They empower viewers to make informed judgments and conscious decisions. Key messages on important issues are repeated throughout the program. And our programming not only offers solutions but also offers opportunities for life-changing hands-on experience in the field with featured organizations. In the end our viewers feel a connectedness through positive associations; they feel a part of a larger community with common goals reinforcing motivation and the power of action.