How we connect the dots
Our Mission
Welcome to Connecting The Dots Project (CTDP), where we're all about fostering collaboration and creating a meaningful impact on the environment.
Imagine your unique ideas and skills as individual points on a vast canvas. By connecting these points through idea sharing, resource exchange, and networking, we create a dynamic web of collaboration. Your ideas gain true momentum when shared, and when we combine our collective intellect and resources, concepts transform into real-world solutions.
At CTDP, we aim to be your one-stop hub for sustainability, offering everything you need to spark change:
Sustainability Resources: Discover eco-friendly solutions, best practices, and innovative approaches to environmental challenges.
Networking Hub: Connect directly with like-minded individuals, organizations, and initiatives without intermediaries, boosting efficiency and minimizing disruptions.
Education & Awareness: Access articles, stories, and insights about environmental policies, community efforts, and emerging challenges.
Information Hub: Stay informed with up-to-date news on global and local environmental initiatives, policies, and challenges.
We believe that when dots connect, change happens. Together, we can turn ideas into impactful action for a healthier planet.
1, Community Initiative
Activities
Urban Sunflower Initiative:
We launched an initiative to plant sunflowers in vacant lots in Chicago. Beyond their beauty, sunflowers act as phytoremediators, removing contaminants from polluted city soil. The initiative is about more than planting flowers; it's about reclaiming neglected spaces to create vibrant, safe areas for children to play and residents to connect. Transforming vacant lots into sunflower gardens has fostered community pride and belonging.
Special thanks to Mr. Robert McHugh of Sunflower City, Ms. Gina Jamaison from Kuumba Tre-Ahm Community Garden, Mandy Penksa of Relish Chicago Farm, Garfield Park Community Council, Breakthrough Ministry, and community members.
2, Empowering the Next Generation for a Sustainable Future
3, Sharing Ideas, Perspectives, and Experiences That Inspire Change
We are committed to making an impact. Through seminars, activity sharing, and community engagement, we connect with youth, environmental experts, organizations, and educators to drive meaningful change.
Samantha Rogan and Kana Hutchens recently hosted a seminar, Resilience for All, at the Student Congress at Northeastern University. Drawing from her family's experience with California wildfires, Sam highlighted the urgent need to consider vulnerable populations during evacuations. Her message underscored the importance of supporting people with disabilities in times of crisis.
3, Using Film and Media to Drive Meaningful Change
We use media platforms to raise awareness by creating documentaries on pressing environmental issues and translating these topics into compelling stories for a wide audience.
Our Team
Founder and President: Kana Hutchens
Meet Kana Hutchens, an incoming freshman at Stanford University. Beyond her academic pursuits, she is an accomplished filmmaker whose work has been recognized at over 30 film festivals worldwide, including several Academy Award-qualifying events.
Kana’s passion for environmental advocacy began at a young age after she came across a video of an orangutan defending its home from deforestation. Deeply moved by the urgency of that moment, she went on to found The Connecting The Dots Project—a platform dedicated to education, storytelling, and collaboration for a sustainable future.
Contributing Writer: Kavi Myers
Meet Kavi Myers! He is a high school student and contributing writer for our social media platforms. He joined the board in 2024 and has since written several articles on renewable energy, as well as the economic and political regulations surrounding sustainability. Kavi has a strong interest in entrepreneurship and brings a valuable and unique perspective to CTDP.
