Who we are

The Dandelion Project is an intentional learning community reimagining education through self-directed approaches centering on joy, authentic connection, creativity and curiosity, and our collective responsibility toward environmental stewardship and liberation.

 

Our mission is to become an intentional, intergenerational community that learns and unlearns together, growing in our partnerships with young people as they direct their own lives. We are learning how to be in right relationship with ourselves, each other, and the wider world.

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Our vision is to make unschooling a truly viable alternative to any family who wants this way of life. In order to do that, we'll need to become full time, tuition-free, extend to age 18, and provide meals. We envision a future ecosystem of unschooling centers across Philadelphia that support each other through mutual aid practices, bringing our collective best to the families we are serving.

 

We believe unschooling provides the foundational tools and building blocks to intentionally and authentically co-create learning pathways that actively disrupt the colonial mindset and the many systems of oppression that keep us disconnected from ourselves, each other, and our natural environment. 

 

We believe that in order to truly reimagine a future through a liberation lens, it is critical for us adults to do the work of shedding our schoolishness and re-envision what it means to learn and grow as a community.

 

We believe there is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning and do not pretend to have it all figured out. For TDP, we deeply trust that if we show up ready to grow, with a listening and open heart, with the willingness to get messy and be real in our relationships, and a willingness to be accountable and repair when things go awry, that we can grow an intentional community around unschooling that is accessible and supportive to all members.

 

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