https://youtu.be/ILD6lZmz0HE Food doesn’t just nourish us — it connects us. Across cultures, perspectives and generations, preparing and sharing meals is a powerful way to strengthen bonds and keep traditions alive. This holiday season, join CoGenerate for an...
Purpose Prize
The Latest from CoGenerate
An end-of-year message from our Co-CEOs: Help us double down on cogeneration
Of all the things that divide us, we see intergenerational connection as the ultimate “short bridge,” in the words of UC Berkeley professor john a. powell. Crossing it brings opportunities to transcend the more difficult divides of race, culture and politics. In the...
In Alaskan Villages, Keeping Musical Traditions Alive Across Generations
We’re partnering with The Eisner Foundation on a new program called Music Across Generations, which explores and celebrates how music brings generations together to bridge divides, create connection, and strengthen communities. This Q&A series shines a light on...
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Dale Bell and Harry Wiland
Purpose Prize Fellow 2007
Using public television to provoke civil discourse and community engagement.
With nearly five decades in visual and performance media, Dale Bell had earned an Academy Award (Woodstock), two Emmy’s, and a Peabody. His longtime colleague, Harry Wiland, had an Emmy-award winning career as a television producer/director and a reputation as a new media innovator in the field of educational courseware. In 1999, the two joined forces to create “media that matters” for Public Broadcasting. In 2003, the two created The Media & Policy Center Foundation with the goal of leveraging media to provoke civil discourse and community engagement, while providing essential media and community action tools to encourage grassroots activism. They did this by creating a media model that not only included a PBS special broadcast but included companion books, action guides, a series of televised town hall meetings and academic symposia. All of which was keyed to an extensive community-based and educational outreach campaign. The initial PBS broadcast acted as the rock in the water, the complimentary media and outreach campaign continued the impact for years after the broadcast, turning it into a public policy initiative. Their first project, “And Thou Shalt Honor,” designed to help people prepare for the economic, emotional, and psychological complexities of family caregiving, aired on PBS in October 2002, was seen by more than 16 million viewers. Today the two are working on “Edens Lost & Found,” a multi-part PBS series highlighting practical solutions to improve the environment and quality of life in cities. The centerpiece of a multimedia program and outreach initiative, this special broadcast will showcase extraordinary community activists as well as forward-thinking professionals who are offering best practice solutions to transform their urban environments. In 2006 the two were honored as the only media professionals to become Ashoka Fellows.