Awesome Foundation - Проекти

Gloucester, MA – GHS Crosswalks/ Unity Inclusion

2024-03-28T00:00:00Z

At the beginning of my junior year in high school, I was asked by one of my teachers and mentors to join an Anti-Defamation League (ADL) peer leader training program. At the time I was not fully aware of what the program was but because my teacher asked, I said yes. Early in the training, I found myself asking what it meant to be part of this program, what difference I could make, and who I could help by being part of the peer leadership program. It was not until day two of the program that I realized the biggest impact I could have on my peers would be to make a visual representation of inclusiveness while walking into our school. After a long year of email correspondences to and from the principal and superintendent of my school district, my plan has finally come to the point where I was able to present my proposal to the school committee in December where they agreed to support my project. Because the school district’s motto is “everyone belongs' ', I have created artwork to welcome everyone into the high school through our crosswalks. The idea is that the first crosswalk will be painted to represent the LGBTQ+ community flag and the second will have a flag to represent each nation in symbolizing our unity. The third flag will represent the many clubs and organizations at Gloucester High. I am confident that my work on this project will pave the way for more of my peers to feel confident in who they are and confirm that everyone belongs.

Portland, OR – H.O.P.E. (Honoring Our Precious Elders)

2024-03-27T00:00:00Z

H.O.P.E.'s project is truly awesome for several compelling reasons: 1. Compassionate support: Offering free year-round yard maintenance to seniors with fixed incomes and limited capabilities demonstrates a profound sense of compassion. The project recognizes the challenges faced by this vulnerable demographic and responds with practical assistance that directly improves their daily lives. 2. Holistic Well-being: Beyond the physical aspect of yard maintenance, H.O.P.E. addresses the holistic well-being of seniors. Providing peace of mind is a powerful outcome, alleviating the stress and burden associated with maintaining outdoor spaces. This contributes.to the overall mental and emotional health of the seniors, fostering a positive and supportive environment. 3. Community Connection: H.O.P.E.'s commitment to establishing a sense of connection with the community is key element that makes the project exceptional. By engaging with seniors regular through yard work, the project not only fulfills a practical need but also combats social isolation. 4. Promoting Aging in Place: Our goal of helping elders age in place aligns with the desires of many seniors to remain in their homes for as long as possible. By providing essential support, H.O.P.E. enable seniors to maintain their independence, preserving the familiarity and comfort of their homes. This contributes to a higher quality of life for seniors and aligns with the principles of dignified aging. 5. Volunteering and Community Engagement: The project's reliance on volunteers to carry out yard maintenance reflects a strong spirit of community engagement. In summary, H.O.P.E.'s project is awesome because it goes beyond the conventional understanding of assistance for seniors. We combine practical help with emotional wellbeing, community connection, and the promotion of aging in place, creating a comprehensive and impactful initiative that truly honor and supports our precious elders.

Fleurieu – Yankalilla Community Garden

2024-03-27T00:00:00Z

Over the last two years a group of passionate community members have been working in collaboration with the Fleurieu Environment Centre and District Council of Yankalilla to bring to life the opportunity of establishing a community garden in the Yankalilla Youth Park. In late 2023 we received approval and a small budget of funds for Council to start the community garden. The goals of the garden include it to be a shared space, open to all community members, with the aim of providing the community with a range of health & wellbeing benefits and sustainable living education opportunities. The garden has been a labor of love for the volunteers who have persisted through the process of seeking approval and consulting the community on their vison for the space. The initial budget provided by the council has allowed for the foundations of the garden to be established and we are now seeking further funding to really get the garden to the point of a functional and flourishing resource for the whole community. Funding for many of the basic martials needed for the garden were not included in the budget provided by the Yankalilla Council and we are now seeking funding from other avenues. We have had excellent community support for this project so far with over 45 people attending our first information session about the garden and almost 30 people registering as volunteers already.

Yerevan – Թոնրատուն՝ դպրոցում

2024-03-27T00:00:00Z

Նախատեսվում է ՄՍԿՀ Հարավային դպրոց-պարտեզի բակում կառուցել թոնրատուն: Թոնատրուն-ծեսերի կենտրոնը կօգնի դպրոցում ուսումնական պարապմունքները, ծեսերն ամբողջական ներկայացնել սովորողներին: Սովորողները տեղում կծանոթանան հին հայկական ավանդույթներին, ծեսերին, միասին լավաշ, գաթա կթխեն, խնոցիով կարագ կպատրաստեն: Լավաշթխիկի ծեսը կրթահամալիրի օրացույցում իր պատվավոր տեղն ունի: Երաժշտության ժամին երգում են հացի արարմանը նվիրված երգեր, պարերգեր պարում, մայրենիի ժամին սովորում երկրագործին նվիրված ստեղծագործություններ: Ծիսական կենտրոնն ամբողջական կդարձնի այս տոնը՝ հացի արարման ծեսը: Դպրոցի բակում շատ ակտիվ գործում է Թատրոն-ավտոբուսը, որը իրականության դարձավ ձեր նախագծի աջակցությամբ, բակում նախատեսվում է ունենալ փոքրիկ ագարակ և փոքրիկ հողակտոր առանձնացնել հողագործության համար, դպրոցում այս ամենն իհարկե իրականացվում է սովորողների հետ միասին: Թոնրատան առկայությունը կամբողջացնի դպրոցական բակային մի միջավայր, որտեղ սովորղը անմիջական մանակցությամբ կարող է ծանաթոնալ հայկական ծիսական տոներին, ավանդույթներին, համայնքային մշակույթին: Ստորև ներկայացնում ենք Թատրոն-ավտոբուսի կայքի հղումը: https://be985.wordpress.com/category/%d5%a9%d5%a1%d5%bf%d6%80%d5%b8%d5%b6%d5%ab-%d5%a8%d5%b6%d5%bf%d6%80%d5%b8%d6%82%d5%a9%d5%b5%d5%a1%d5%b4%d5%a2-%d5%a3%d5%b8%d6%80%d5%ae%d5%b8%d6%82%d5%b6%d5%a5%d5%b8%d6%82%d5%a9%d5%b5%d5%b8%d6%82%d5%b6/ Նաև՝ https://macakyankarine.wordpress.com/2021/01/25/%D5%B0%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%A1%D5%BE%D5%A1%D5%B5%D5%AB%D5%B6-%D5%A4%D5%BA%D6%80%D5%B8%D6%81-%D5%A9%D5%B8%D5%B6%D6%80%D5%A1%D5%BF%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B6/?fbclid=IwAR384BM0i920udsk2e-c-N5BffXq4iFUMyYY0bPQ-_OQ3OrGmjKtTUy4nQY

Georgetown, MA – Georgetown School's Lockdown Reunification Kits

2024-03-27T00:00:00Z

As the School Resource Officer for the Georgetown Schools, School Safety is my number one priority. If a serious event such as an active shooter ever occurred in town, the aftermath of reunifying students with their parents is crucial. These reunification kits are equipped with items such as safety vests, information cards to be filled out by parents (so they can provide demographics of the child they are picking up) caution tape, first aid kids, clip boards, binders that provide different officers with specific roles to play in the reunification process. Plus many other important items The reunification process is the second most important event after a critical incident. Having these kits will allow for a smooth and safe transition from school to parents.

State College, PA – Calm Corners

2024-03-27T00:00:00Z

We think that this is an awesome project because it’s for our school. We want to support everyone in our school with mindfulness activities and supplies. We will use some of the money to fund a Family Engagement Night at our school. We will make glitter jars, a calming tool, on this night and do some mindfulness activities. We will use the rest of the money to buy sensory and calming tools for our school. These include noise cancelling headphones to help us focus when the classroom is noisy. We will also buy wobble pads, stress calming strips, sensory textured pillows, and sensory toys. These will help us to better focus and to work through the times when we have strong emotions. We want as many classrooms as possible to be able to have a Calm Corner. This is a quiet place where these tools will be kept and we can use them when we need them. It would be helpful for our community to have tools to help us with stress, encourage kindness, and build self-control. This is important so that we can handle stress when we need it. Learning how to use these tools allows us to practice when we are calm. This is our awesome project! -From the awesomely calm Room 201

Brumadinho (Неактивен) – cafe com suculentas

2024-03-26T00:00:00Z

o projeto visa reunir pessoas da comunidade do tejuco, para se encontrarem na sede da associação, para uma roda de conversa (terapia, socialização, inclusão,), para pessoas de todas as idades, objetivo, aprender a cultivar as suculentas, classificar e vender, faremos uma feira para exposição e venda das suculentas. o projeto terá dois (2) encontros por semana e por quatro semanas

Portland, OR – Hygiene for the homeless

2024-03-26T00:00:00Z

I live in Portland, Oregon, which has a homeless population of over 6000 people.* Our community often provides generous donations for this population, usually consisting of necessary items such as food and clothing. But people often forget the need for essential hygiene items. Being homeless does not mean the need for hygiene is absent. In cold weather especially, dry skin can be very uncomfortable, even painful. To help meet this need, I have been making simple hygiene products from scratch, using all natural ingredients, packaging them in small plastic containers, and donating them to homeless shelters. I source the most inexpensive ingredients available without sacrificing quality. So far, using an initial expenditure of $34, I have produced 32 ounces (2 pints) of skin lotion, body butter, and lotion bars and a dozen lip balms. As a comparison, 2 pints of commercial skin lotion cost an average of $26 at retail price,** and the average retail price of 12 lip balms is $34.20 ($2.85 each).*** Another urgent need is menstrual hygiene supplies. For $78, I can assemble 10 “menstrual kits.” These consist of enough sanitary pads and tampons for the length of an average menstrual period, plus a supply of sanitary wipes. As a treat, a chocolate is included in each kit. I have also made 1 dozen containers of natural fluoride-free toothpaste, which can be rubbed directly on the teeth without the need for a toothbrush (although toothbrushes are included), and 1 dozen containers of natural deodorant. *https://www.portland.gov/wheeler/homelessness **https://www.statista.com/statistics/1058129/price-of-leading-us-body-lotion-brands/ ***https://www.statista.com/statistics/938825/us-prices-of-leading-lip-balm-treatment-brands/

Chicago, IL – The Black & Brown Femme Film Festival

2024-03-26T00:00:00Z

Our Awesome Project is the Black & Brown Femme Film Festival. Did you know that only 10% of film festival submissions are accepted? Leaving 90% of filmmakers without a venue to showcase their films. And the numbers are even less for filmmakers of color. And even **less** for women-identifying filmmakers. Submitting to film festivals is strategic and very expensive. Many filmmakers are either part time workers, gig workers or work in underpaid industries because the flexibility to create art is more important than pay. BBFF, has two goals. We aim to lighten the burden of expensive film festival submissions by offering a submission free festival just for femme filmmakers of color. Let us explain some more. The Black & Brown Femme Films organization wants every filmmaker to experience the excitement of having their films shown in a dark movie theater on a 400ft screen. It's the best feeling in the world for a filmmaker!! The absolute best! The Black & Brown Femme Film Festival embraces the inclusive nature of the term "femme". Our organization welcomes filmmakers of any gender who connect with and embody feminine characteristics. Through an empowering and nurturing community, we elevate underrepresented talents in cinema. We are the only film festival in the country that focus on femme filmmakers of color and we DO NOT charge those filmmakers submission fees to enter. We believe that resources should flow back into the creative process, not into financing film festivals.

Washington, DC – Melanie the Violinist’s Black Musician Academy

2024-03-25T00:00:00Z

In June 2024, during Black Music Month, I will launch Melanie the Violinist’s Black Musician Academy (hereinafter “Academy”) which will educate underserved youth from Wards 7 and 8 on the history, impact, and repertoire of Black classical composers. The remarkable contributions of Black classical composers has historically been suppressed. During this four week Academy, participants will learn about the lives of musicians such as Florence Price, Joseph Bologne, Clarence Cameron White, and Scott Joplin, be introduced to their repertoire, and complete activities to apply the knowledge learned. At the conclusion of the Academy, participants will have the opportunity to perform a piece of their choosing composed by one of the Black musicians covered during the Academy.

Brumadinho (Неактивен) – Oficina de tapete terapêutico

2024-03-21T00:00:00Z

O projeto oficina de tapetes terapêuticos visa acolher mulheres com objetivo de ensinar a fazer tapetes, Almofadas e pufs ,colaborando com o meio Ambiente na reciclagem do material que iria para o lixo, poluindo o solo, além de ajudar a tirar as mulheres da depressão e terem uma fonte de renda. O dinheiro será usado na compra do material a ser usado, aviamentos, grampos de madeira e tecidos de almofadas e base para os tapetes. A Nina é artesã, com barraca na feira em Brumadinho e trabalha a 10 anos com retalhos, e reformas de sofás ,confecção de baús e pufs com restos de guarda roupas. Ela gosta de ensinar seu ofício e já tem alunas que estão até querendo comprar máquina de costura para iniciar como fonte de renda e isso me da grande satisfação e alegria por estar dando frutos.

Miami, FL – Weekly Art Classes for Homeless Children

2024-03-21T00:00:00Z

I am seeking funding to teach a season of art classes for children at Chapman Paternships Homeless Shelter with projects that cover self expression, art techniques, emotional health, and sustainable practices. Students would be given the opportunity to make art in a safe space with their peers on a weekly basis for a full season, culminating in a student exhibition and party with the shelter families. Much of these children have no other access to arts programming with this program serving as their first in depth foray into art making. These diverse classes are eager to make art and learn about various techniques with a dedicated instructor. Students at Chapman range in age from 3 to 17 and come from a variety of backgrounds with many students being BIPOC. My class program for the shelter is created with their needs and situation in mind, and fully tailored to their interests. My classes not only provide a space for exploration and expression, but lead to noticeable boosts in confidence, expanded vocabulary, and general optimism. Classes include painting, fiber art, collage, sculpture, print making, dyeing, illustration, and more. I expect attendance of 20+ students per class with an estimated total outreach of 100+ students over the season. I have a wonderful relationship with the shelter and their staff culminated over last year as I taught at the shelter in conjunction with my 2023 ProjectArt residency (which I organized). The shelter has extremely limited funding for arts programming, but they've been requesting my classes since ProjectArt ended last July 2023. It would be a huge honor to go back and teach a program that I design for the shelter. Beyond it having a positive impact on the children it has indelibly impacted my personal professional art practice in innumerable ways. Images from past programming and workshops are linked below https://www.pangeakalivirga.com/ecotopiafamilyphotoalbum https://www.pangeakalivirga.com/workshops

Kingston – Medieval Magic: Reaching Experiential Parity

2024-03-21T00:00:00Z

The Medieval Magic project aims to provide an enriching field trip to Medieval Times for my 28 students and their families at a significantly subsidized rate, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility. This transcendent experience goes beyond a traditional outing, offering students a chance to broaden their horizons and create enduring memories with their families. Many students face financial constraints that limit exposure to such enriching experiences, hindering participation in costly field trips or family outings. This initiative not only breaks down financial barriers but also destigmatizes perceived economic disparities within our community and educational context. It fosters equity, reinforcing the belief that every student, regardless of economic background, deserves access to transformative educational experiences. Beyond this, my students and their families will be given the significant opportunity to create core memories with each other, something that is not always possible due to financial barriers and circumstances of life. The trip aligns with the Ontario Social Studies curriculum, integrating seamlessly with the overall and specific expectations (A1: Application, A2: Inquiry, A3: Context). Beyond academics, it has the potential to reshape students' perceptions of the educational system, instilling the belief that they are entitled to such experiences. This initiative seeks to empower students, fostering a positive shift in their outlook on education and affirming their rightful place in a diverse and inclusive educational landscape. The lasting impact of this trip will resonate through the classroom, families, and the school community. Younger students will recognize the possibility of similar opportunities, contributing to a positive educational culture. Your support for this endeavor will significantly contribute to the realization of these transformative goals, leaving an indelible impact on the lives of the students and their families involved.

Lake Mac – ROTARY LAKE MAC AUTUMN FAIR

2024-03-20T00:00:00Z

On Saturday 4th May 2024, the combined Rotary Clubs of Lake Macquarie supported by Lake Macquarie City Council will present the 4th annual Lake Mac Autumn Fair at Speers Point Park. Thousands of members of the Lake Macquarie community, and beyond, have attended this event over the past three years.

Oahu, HI – Hana Noeau: All Things Ulana Lauahala

2024-03-20T00:00:00Z

Aloha! My name is Naomi Nascimento and I am a Native Hawaiian lauhala weaver on the island of Oahu. Lauhala weaving is a cultural art that we almost lost and thankfully by the grace of dedicated weavers who were willing to teach the art outside of their ohana (family) the Native Hawaiian artform is still here with us. I am working to perpetuate lauahala weaving and in particular teach people who are ultimately interested in papale (hat) weaving. Through my experiences teaching small classes and workshops the interest in learning to weave is in our communities, but there is a barrier to weaving which is gathering and prepping lauhala. Lauahala gathering and prep takes hours on end of hard work, we gather from the tree, clean off debris, remove thorns, softening process, and then roll into a kuka'a (wheel) for storage. I am finding that people do not know how to do these things and which tools are best to use and in turn are not able to weave without the lauhala.

Pittsburgh, PA – String Quartet in a Historic Artistic Church

2024-03-18T00:00:00Z

‘Beneath the Quiet Heaven of your Eyes’ (2024) is an hour long string quartet with low frequency drones to be performed in near darkness at the historic St. Nicholas Croatian Church in Millvale, PA. Each member of the quartet plays along with a guide track video that projects colors of light (derived from the murals of Maxo Vanka) to illuminate the performer’s area and provide a reference pitch for their specific notes. The video serves both as theatrical element and score in lieu of a traditionally notated score. The piece is conceived specifically for a multi-level scaffolding setup, with one performer on each level. The Society to Save Maxo Vanka, whose mission in part is to help bring a new, younger audience to the murals and energize his art in the region and beyond, has already presented concerts in the space. This would be the first work created specifically for the murals (and tied directly to the unique performance opportunities afforded by the restoration scaffolding). The work is dedicated to legendary Pittsburgh composer and educator, Mathew Rosenblum, who has been hugely influential to both the composer and performers, as a small token of thanks in the year of his retirement from the University of Pittsburgh.

Poughkeepsie, NY – Kintsugi

2024-03-18T00:00:00Z

Hello! I am an Art Therapist that recently found my passion of how best to share my love of group facilitation & art making with the world. From Covid, started my business of Hudson Valley Kintsugi. Merging the essence of the ancient art of kintsugi, with a workshop based experience. During the workshop, participants learn about the history of kintsugi, and then experience the act of breaking a bowl, painting it to show ownership and make it their own, and then joining the bowl back together with gold. Often times we do not know how strong we are until we are put up to the challenge. That quite literally we are stronger in the places we are broken. This is what I love to share with the community, the idea of merging art and our life experiences. During the workshop I share ideas for self reflection, offer space for participants to talk about their journeys, and learn something new.

Cass Clay – Relief Shop

2024-03-15T00:00:00Z

Our free essential needs shopping mission has served FMWF since Jan 2021 and serves an average of 200 families each season. We use a Points Per Household System to maintain an equitable system of giving that is flexible for the clients and service providers who work with us. Households are able to shop for clothing, shoes, small household items and hygiene bags and supplies. We now have 2 new sites opening in South Fargo at Roots Hair N Soul and another location in West Fargo at Church of God's Word right near Sandy's Donuts. We are in talks with the City of Moorhead to open a 3rd location later this year that will be our main operating point for the tri-city area.

St. Paul, MN – Let's Go Outside!

2024-03-14T00:00:00Z

Congratulations to the sixth grade students at Creative Arts Secondary School. AwesomeStPaul's March grant is helping fund overnight gear for their field trip to Wolf Ridge Environmental Center in Finland, MN. Deborah Karp-Castrenze explained, "We will build community, extend classroom learning into an outdoor environment, and foster environmental stewardship by taking our 60 sixth-grade students on a 3-day, 2-night field trip to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, MN. This will take place April 3-5, 2024. The primary focus of this overnight adventure is to embody our school’s Core Values: “We are creative. We support each other. We are good at what we do.” Taking learning and creativity out of the traditional classroom environment both fulfills our goals and supports our students in new ways of meaning-making and healthy risk-taking. On the pristine grounds at Wolf Ridge, bordered by rivers, lakes, streams and expansive views of Lake Superior, students will learn how to be creative with paper making, block printing and earth works - art made in the outdoors using earthly materials. They will practice supporting each other at a high-ropes course, a campfire improv, and while geo-caching in a forest environment. Away from city light pollution, our urban youth will explore the starry nights through an astronomy class and learn about the Ojibwe people during a Heritage class. For some of our students, this will be their first time overnight away from their families. For many of our students, it will be their first time immersed in an unspoiled, natural environment. Our students will be chaperoned by their teaching team of 5 licensed educators that they learn from every day and with whom they have built trust and community, as well as a group of parent volunteers. We want our students to enjoy their time and make life-long memories as they explore, discover, and learn outdoors."

Westminster, MD – Digital Enablement for Hist Westminster Cemetery

2024-03-13T00:00:00Z

Approximately 6000 records of graves will be entered into a digital database along with recent historical information about citizens of the community. Digital layers of Civil War battle and burials from an engagement (Corbitt's Charge), Rev War burials, African American burials and notable local graves will be crafted into tour routes where there are none now. A specific layer of veterans will be created for the nearly 500 graves of vets we have now. Additionally, a website, phone app and genealogical information will be combined for maximum public use online. This will be very useful in honoring the graves of veterans on Memorial Day.

On the Water – Kingston Waterway Adventure Tours

2024-03-13T00:00:00Z

With the goal of helping people connect more deeply with the surrounding waterways, I am restoring an awesome 1960's guide-boat, converting her to electric propulsion and outfitting her with an immersive sound system for the purpose of providing 2 unique experiences along the Hudson River in upstate New York (Kingston): The Hudson River Maritime History Tour & The Sound Bath. The first experience is a guided tour of the Kingston Rondout creek and nearby Hudson River, exploring the maritime history of these famous waterways (once the thoroughfare of between the eastern seaboard, the great lakes and the Mississippi river. This tour will include a dynamic (and fun!) sound design, bringing the passengers back in time onto wooden explorer ships, massive barges and the wooden canoes of those who were here long before it was called "America". With original music, spatial sound design and lively narration by the captain, this hour-long tour will give folks a unique glimpse into a port and her river unlike any other. The second experience of the project will be an immersive "sound bath" meditation along the Hudson River, with the sounds of nature (wind, water, weather, birds, insects & animals) interspersed within an original score of contemplative drones designed to evoke an underwater world (tides, eddies, surges, whales, plankton & air). All of this presented through a dynamic, multichannel surround sound system, with the intention of providing a rich environment to view and contemplate the surrounding beauty of the Hudson River. I believe that we have become de-sensitized to our waterways... what were once the veins of American trade and the lifeblood for the native people who came before us, have become something to be viewed from a distance, or experienced on fast-moving, thrill-seeking vessels. I hope to create a new kind of way to experience the magnificent Hudson River that will help to create a more palpable understanding of the importance of our waterways.

Cleveland, OH – Reading Rehabilitation

2024-03-13T00:00:00Z

I am a teacher at the Juvenile Detention Center. Unfortunately, incarceration leaves my students with a lot of downtime. Fortunately, they become avid readers while here. Many of my students are below grade level in reading and I love to offer them high interest/low readability books. The kids will check books out of my classroom library (which I have built using my personal funds and donations from friends) and take books back to their rooms to read at night. My students will put their names on a waiting list to be next in line to check out a classroom favorite (many Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Bluford novels). Reading is the key to a successful future for my students. Reading and academic success go hand in hand. The Department of Justice states, “The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure.” If I can help my students increase their literacy level while they are with me, they will go back to school more confident and ready to achieve. According to a special report, Early Warning, from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, “…the process of dropping out begins long before high school. It stems from loss of interest in middle school, often triggered by retention in grade…and that, in a great many cases, is the result of not being able to read proficiently as early as fourth grade.” I want to build a larger library, with more choices, and a reading program that will entice my students to read more and become more successful in their educational programs. Students will be offered incentives for books read and book reports completed. They will be able to earn bookmarks, stickers, pencils, and a pizza party to celebrate their achievements. Certificates will be given to them that they can present to their parents and judges. I want to be able to build a reading corner with a shelf overflowing with teen novels. I want students to learn to love reading as much as I do.

Cleveland, OH – Slavic Village Bike Fix-a-thon

2024-03-13T00:00:00Z

Bikes are an important part of our neighborhood dynamics. Many people in our neighborhood cannot afford a vehicle and must use alternative transportation. Also, with screens being such an issue in the lives of children, bike use is a great way to encourage them to leave the screens behind. Our neighborhood Bike-a-thon is designed to help locals with minor repairs of their bikes in an effort to help encourage them to ride their bikes. We hope to bring in a bike coop who, for a flat fee, will repair 60 bikes. We are also looking into buying helmets to pass out as well as supplying items to decorate the kids’ bikes.

Cleveland, OH – Cleveland Sews' Community Sew-A-Thon

2024-03-13T00:00:00Z

Cleveland Sews first piloted the idea for social manufacturing with a Community Sew-A-Thon in 2018. The event partnered with Burten, Bell, Carr's community radio station, WOVU, and brought together community members to make winter hats and scarves for underserved youth in the Kinsman neighborhood of Cleveland. Annually, similar events took place as blanket drives, where fleece blankets were made and distributed to low-income seniors, un-housed individuals, and newly settled refugees. In May of 2024, Cleveland Sews will host their largest Sew-A-Thon event in partnership with St. Vincent Charity Community Health Center. Taking drapery that once hung in the hospital, Cleveland Sews will bring together community members to cut and sew reusable tote bags at scale for St. Vincent's Mission Kitchen and Pantry program. This endeavor is led by a participatory community leadership committee of the new Stitching Committee, which represents a diverse sector of the community. Long term, through the partnership with St. Vincent Charity, Cleveland Sews is able to align mission interest to share and increase joint capacity and create a re-manufacturing hub in the now vacant hospital that serves residents of the central neighborhood and participants of St. Vincent Charity's programs. Central to this project is the effort to disrupt traditional ways of manufacturing and consumeristic thinking by creating a culture around repair, mending, upcycling and redistribution. This sustainable model for a new artistic and creative manufacturing, diverts waste that would otherwise be headed to the landfill and creates more equity and accessibility to resources and education, while addressing sustainability goals of the city and county. The Sew-A-Thon will be the launch of this catalytic project by upcycling material that has such a significant historical connection to the community. The most beautiful part is community will come together to transform it and give it back to the community.

Ipswich, MA – 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY PARADE AND EVENTS

2024-03-12T00:00:00Z

The VFW Post 1093, American Legion Post 80, PLAV and AMVETS have joined together with the Town Manager, Chief of Police, Chief of Fire Department, Select Board, Bank Gloucester, Brookline Bank, Rotary, Masons, Ipswich Fish & Game Club, Ipswich Public Schools and individual citizens with the focus to bring a respectful and honorable recognition to those who participated in the D-Day Invasion some 80 years ago in Normandy, France. There are three concerts scheduled as part of our fundraising program. All funds raised will go to the expense associated with hiring marching bands, paying for local high school bands transportation costs, etc. All funds are audited and controlled by the two banks mentioned above. We are working with Veterans organizations, High Schools, Civic Organizations and others throughout Essex County. Our focus is to have an education opportunity and patriotic event that will be memorable for all Essex County citizens.

Philadelphia, PA – Benches for Neighborhood Garden

2024-03-12T00:00:00Z

Philadelphia Scenic Works (PSW) is a non-profit woodshop located in North Kensington in Philadelphia, an area with vibrant population but an extreme lack of historical investment. So, residents have taken it upon themselves to beautify the neighborhood. One such resident - Gloria "Smooches" Cartagena - has been working for the past few years to beautify the corner lot outside her house. A few years ago, PSW helped by building a fence for the lot and providing decorative wood decals. Smooches enlisted neighborhood kids paint flower boxes, and got a mural painted on the wall. In the summer she brings out planter boxes and gardens. She calls it the "butterfly garden" because of the butterfly decals and the butterflies on the mural. We would like to continue to enhance this outdoor space by building and installing some benches for residents to sit. The space is nice and well used during the warmer months, but it needs places to sit and enjoy it.

Orlando, FL – ArtReach Orlando Youth Gallery

2024-03-11T00:00:00Z

Arts on Arlington is a renovated 10,000 square-foot building home to McRae Art Studios and ArtReach Orlando's Community Classroom. Adjacent to our classroom, is studio space for our Artist-in-Residence. Our Artist-in-Residence program is an effort to support emerging artists to develop their practice and engage with youth in the community. An empty studio is available and ArtReach Orlando is interested in transforming the space into a Youth Gallery. Not only will seeing their works framed and mounted in a gallery be empowering for our young artists, it will serve as a tool for sharing our impact and fundraising. ArtReach is often asked for gallery displays around the community. A permanent gallery in our space will serve as a tool for curating this work, displaying art for our youth and community members first, and then traveling the art around the community. This includes the EBI gallery space in Winter Park, the Winter Park Health Wellness Center, Orlando Family Stage, and Science Center to name a few.

Santa Cruz, CA – Earth Month - River Exhibit & Upcycle Festival

2024-03-10T00:00:00Z

A collective of 6 diverse community-activist artists @ the Tannery Arts Center are planning an Earth Month celebration of the San Lorenzo River. This will be a curated, community-based River Exhibit, open to all ages and all artistic experience. We have an open call right now, Our exhibit will be for the month of April. In addition, we will host a First Friday Art Reception as well as an Earth Day Upcycle Festival. We don't charge entry fees or sales fees, but for this exhibit, we are asking participating artists who sell their work to give the Coastal Watershed Council 20%. We want to engage the Santa Cruz community to think about and take action to care for this river that gives us 70% of our drinking water and is home to thousands of delightful creatures.

Vegan (Неактивен) – Help Secondhand Stories Grow!

2024-03-10T00:00:00Z

Secondhand Stories is a registered non-profit chicken sanctuary and online used-book shop based in Rideau Lakes, just outside of Ottawa. Our mission is to provide a loving forever home to abandoned, abused, and neglected farmed animals. We have 19 very special rescue chickens. We accept donations of gently used books from the community and resell them on our website to help raise funds for our sanctuary. It is a passion project that aims to bring the reading and animal-loving community together to make a positive impact.

Newburgh, NY – The Very Hungry Caterpillar Puppet Show!

2024-03-10T00:00:00Z

Little Friends Learning Loft at the Newburgh JCC would love to invite you to an Eric Carle-inspired puppet show presented by Rockefeller Productions with handmade puppets. The Storytime presentation of each story runs approximately 12-15 minutes with professional actors and a few small props will present a theatrical, story-time style reading of the selected Eric Carle stories. After the performance, there is also an opportunity to take pictures with Hungry Caterpillar. It is a perfect, up-close, and engaging performance for little ones!

Newmarket – Celebrate Life Birthday Program

2024-03-07T00:00:00Z

This organization is starting a new Birthday celebration program to provide an equal opportunity to low income families and children including seniors to be able to celebrate birthdays and life among family and friends. We launched our first Birthday program on Feb 10 2024 in Co-op residential building in Newmarket. We celebrated all children, youth, seniors whose Birthdays fall in Month of February. The program was a tremendous success with great attendance of over 70 people. We expect to have a lot more households attend each month. We include a large cake serving 80+ people, pizza slices, birthday balloons, chips and juice box for everyone. After the cake celebration, the participants engage in Arts and Crafts activities decorating seasonal items and crafts to celebrate and socialize with family and friends. The first program held this weekend helped a lot of children come together. We had seniors, disabled individuals, youth and adults in attendance. There were 8 people whose birthdays were celebrated with the cake and pizza party followed by Art activities and educational books for each youth aged 1-25. These low income families do not have an opportunity to celebrate life and feel the happiness of a birthday cake and party celebration. This program is important to reduce harmful effects of poverty on mental health. The youth felt happy, satisfied and walked out with newly created crafts and books to get inspired in school and at workplace. This increase self confidence and self worth of the families. It is important to carry on this program once a month to celebrate all who are less fortunate and need happiness in their lives. We continue to raise funds for this awesome program and hopeful that your grant can support us.

Glasgow – Glasgow Menopause Social

2024-03-06T00:00:00Z

Currently, there are no menopause support groups in the G13/G14 area. We would like to offer a Menopause Social for a 10 week block. The area around Whiteinch Community Centre is among the poorest in the city. Women, in particular women from the BAME community, do not talk openly about menstrual health because of cultural taboos. Profound poverty can also lead to social isolation. We would like to encourage participation and build connections between women of all backgrounds, cultures and faiths as this something that connects us all. In sharing experiences, symptoms and treatments women will be able to share how they were supported by their healthcare provider, encouraging other women to seek support. In our experience we have found that many women do not even consider that their symptoms or poor health might be related to peri-menopause or menopause and often symptoms can be easily treated with HRT. We make it clear that we are not offering medical advice and that we only signpost and offer support to women who don't have the confidence to advocate on their own behalf. Providing women with a safe space, in a supportive atmosphere where we can talk and provide refreshments, will help build connections withing and between communities.

Sydney – If/When

2024-03-06T00:00:00Z

If/When is a 6-minute stop-motion animation about lonely Ollie - born with a unique time-traveling condition who struggles to make lasting connections; until they meet Az - with her grey restless eyes, who are worth trying to defy the universe for. If/When is about fighting to be with our loved ones and holding onto them for as long as we can. We’re proud to share that our inclusive crew is primarily made of women and non-binary crew members. This story is adapted for the animated screen by Courtney Westbrook and is based on the original short story by Richie Black. Not only is our story awesome, but our emphasis on creating a warm and positive environment that is female focused. The labour of love involved with handcrafting has become increasingly valuable in an AI obsessed world. If/When has completed production on our lead puppets ‘Ollie’ and ‘Az’ and major set design. We are moving into the stage where we are making the last of our sets and getting ready to start camera tests. As our sets and puppets are completely handcrafted they require very particular materials to work for the animation process, as well as the overall aesthetic. Keeping this in mind, we’ve adopted a sustainable approach by selecting materials from 'Reverse Garbage' who extends their lifecycle and diverts them from landfills. Additionally we utilise landfill diverted paper wherever possible for set construction and puppet creation. We’ve conducted extensive research into animation, female and LGBTQIA+ focused grants; however due to the nature of the industry they are few and far between. When we came across The Awesome Foundation we were excited that projects would be judged based on the merit of how they create a positive and lasting impact on the Sydney community. Our Director, Courtney’s hope for If/When was to hire a female identifying crew to help create equity on and off Australian screens. Likewise, we have also created learning opportunities in a variety of roles: bringing on board art, production and sound trainees to gain mentoring experience. The Awesome Foundation will be a significant help in bringing our characters from the page to the screen with intricate backdrops and complex puppet designs. It will enable us to move into the next stage of production involving camera and animation tests. Overall, our commitment to sustainability goes beyond just the choice of materials, it encompasses the entire production process from design to disposal. By prioritising environmental responsibility we aim to create a positive impact both within our project and the broader community. If/When hopes to shine a light on animation, mental health issues, and women and non-binary representation within the film industry. Our aim is to show this film at festivals and hope that its impact will continue to be felt for many years to come, giving hope to those lost or seeking comfort.

Rockport, MA – Neuro-Health through Native Gardens

2024-03-05T00:00:00Z

Supportive Living, Inc. (SLI) provides affordable, supportive housing to brain injury survivors. SLI’s Cape Ann facility, Old Farm Rockport, is a renovation of the historic Old Farm Inn at Halibut Point, which opened to residents in 2014 and houses 8 local, low-income residents. SLI offers neuro-wellness programs to over 150 individuals living with brain injury and other neurological conditions each year, providing recreation and fitness opportunities designed to improve physical, cognitive, emotional and social wellness. Programs include: Neuro-Fit, an evidence-based assisted exercise program serving 100 individuals each year at the Cape Ann YMCA; music, art, dancing and yoga classes led by professional instructors; enrichment events in collaboration with Rockport Music and Halibut Point State Park; and Flower Buds, a therapeutic horticultural program engaging clients and volunteers in assembling bouquets from flowers grown on-site to deliver to community recipients. Flower Buds participants have demonstrated improved physical, social and emotional wellness by engaging with nature, using their hands and senses, having a sense of purpose, working as a team, engaging with volunteers and spending time outdoors. Based on the success of Flower Buds, SLI proposes a new therapeutic horticultural project—Neuro-Health through Native Gardens. This project will engage at least 50 individuals living with neurological conditions and 50 local volunteers who will work with a native plant specialist to establish a meadow of native flowers and grasses on 15K sq. ft. of street-facing land at Old Farm Rockport. The native plant specialist will plant in the spring and fall, and nurture the plantings during the season with volunteer support from the Boy Scouts. This new, highly-visible, outdoor space will promote the value of native plant habitats and be used for nature-based, neuro-health programs for an increasing number of people on Cape Ann living with neurological conditions.

San Francisco, CA – Wheelchair modding workshop

2024-03-05T00:00:00Z

I'd like to host a workshop at the Independent Living Resource Center SF, that will be hands on DIY creating custom wheelchair modifications like cup holders, cane and crutch holders, specialized bags and pouches, lights, backup or dashcams, and charger mods. This will be cohosted along with Vince Lopez and Marisol Ferrante, who do repair and assistive tech lending librarianship at ILRCSF. At the workshop there will also be a show and tell as we gather information on what other wheelchair user attendees have invented to mod or enhance their chairs. All workshop DIY projects will be published on GOAT's web site (Grassroots Open Assistive Tech). Future workshops will likely rotate between Bay Area locations (at Ed Roberts campus, at ILRCSF, at the Disability Cultural Center once it's open in 2025, and at various hacker and maker spaces)

Brumadinho (Неактивен) – Homenagem ao Cacique Merong Kamakã Mongoio

2024-03-04T00:00:00Z

É com muito pesar que o Cacique Merong, virou encantado no dia 04/03. O mesmo deixou órfão seu povo. Nas palavras da associada guardiã da Nossa Cidade, Hélcia Veriato: "Quando matavam os parentes próximos, eu perguntava para o Merong como ele estava e ele me dizia sempre a mesma coisa: "Minha irmã, não dá tempo de chorar, guerreira. Eles seguem nos matando e temos que ser fortes para seguir resistindo e lutando pra viver." Gente, esse é um dos ensinamentos dele. Transformar o luto em luta!💪🏼/ Aprendi com o Merong que não dá nem tempo de chorar as perdas pois a luta continua! Com o coração apertado pela perda de um amigo, um grande homem, um forte e jovem guerreiro, que somei forças junto aos meus colegas de Fundo Regenerativo de Brumadinho para apoiá-los nesse momento. Recebam o pão para fortalecer vocês na data de hoje! E ninguém solta a mão de ninguém, porque nenhum de nós é melhor que todos nós juntos!" Nas palavras da associada colaboradora da Nossa Cidade, Maria dos Anjos: "com meu coração indígena da região de poté de Minas ,hoje pulsando mais forte em ver a dor dessa tribo, que aqui está para cuidar da mãe terra e desfrutar do que nos foi dado por Deus, quero dizer que quando se vai um indígena, fica a certeza de que fez sua parte e contribuiu para nossa preservação, pois a determinação, sabedoria e vivência permanecerão para sempre nesta terra. Deus os fortaleçam para seguir em frente. PARABÉNS a família pela cultura de Guerreiro na vida desse jovem, que influenciou pessoas e que continuará encantado no nosso meio como um exemplo de coragem em defesa do seu povo." Tocados em enviar nossa solidariedade e contribuir para a despedida de nosso amigo Merong, liderança indígena pertencente ao povo Pataxó-hã-hã-hãe, líder da comunidade Kamakã Mongoio, conhecido nacionalmente pela sua atuação na defesa do direito dos povos indígenas aos seus territórios tradicionais, enviamos uma humilde oferta de mantimentos para não deixar faltar o alimento pra tribo, o café e o lanche no seu velório.

Los Angeles, CA – Pirates Wanted

2024-03-03T00:00:00Z

Pirates Wanted is an immersive and interactive experience performing aboard the American Pride, the 130-ft, 3-masted tall ship operated by the Los Angeles Maritime Institute in San Pedro. Pirates Wanted started from the simple idea of "what if we did an immersive show on an actual ship?" Over the last year and a half, this thought transformed and grew into the magical explosion of adventure, love, and diversity that is Pirates Wanted. Through the lens of a colorful and queer pirate crew, Pirates Wanted! embraces the idea that everyone can be a pirate. The casting and storyline of the project specifically highlights people from historically marginalized groups (i.e. BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+). Pirates Wanted tells the story of Captain Souvanna, a fierce queer woman of color who is trying to make her mark in the Golden Age of Piracy. This wild and wacky crew will first attempt to steal a ship from the British Royal Navy and then turn a ship full of landlubbers (the audience) into actual seaworthy pirates just in time to prove their worthiness to the Great Pirate Council once and for all. However, this is not the only challenge of the night as the threat of sirens comes to light and rumors of mutiny abound. It's up to the audience to decide whether this crew will sink or swim as they navigate these unfamiliar waters. The amazing thing about immersive theatre is how it pulls audiences directly into the world and gives them the ability to affect that world. Pirates Wanted is highly interactive, with audience members directly working with the characters to influence the narrative and change the ending of the show night after night. It’s this kind of direct engagement that can have an impact on how people see the world and navigate through new experiences and ideas. A show like this, with this level of interactivity and storytelling on a ship has not been done on this scale in LA before, and we need all the support and funding possible to make it happen.

Durham, NC – 2024 Wellness & Vision Board Party

2024-03-01T00:00:00Z

Our awesome project's mission is to merge community, vision, and networking to the Durham and the surrounding areas. Last year I attended a Vision Board Event and casted my vision for Lex Go Hiking, a non profit organization that specialises in bringing the community together through hiking experiences. At the moment I was afraid to Bet on myself and create a vision for it however because of the environment of the event Ib decided to GO FOR IT, and through that experience this year I've accomplished more than half of the things I had a vision for. I want to create that experience for our community! Sometimes we need an experience to push us to our goals and believe in ourselves. This project will impact others to dream again and dream big while incorporate a wellness component. We'll provide: Supplies Food & Beverages Ice Breakers Champagne Toast Photo Op Station 2 local business to highlight Wellness Tools and Message to bring into 2024 Raffles & Giveaways Mixer/Networking to end @lexgohiking on Instagram & Tik Tok

Rhode Island – Winslow Gardens Elders Theater Club

2024-03-01T00:00:00Z

Awesome Foundation Rhode Island's first grant is being issued to Elder Residents at Winslow Gardens in East Providence, who recently started a theater club to preform for their neighbors, other seniors, and the public. Winslow Gardens is an assisted living community that houses over 200 elders, most of whom are on Medicaid and over 80 years old. The theater club is a resident-led club, where the residents get to write, act, and direct a play themselves. The members choose and design the costumes, do each other’s make-up, and make props together. The plays are preformed on the Winslow Gardens dining room and are usually organized with a resident/staff showing, and a family and friends showing. After their recent first performance, one elder star reported, “the play inspired us to feel young again, to be creative. For most of us, this was the first time we were ever in a play. We never thought we would be able to do anything like this, until the club started.” The club will be using funds to assist with A/V needs, costuming, and snacks.

Liverpool (Неактивен) – Liverpool Architecture Foundation 2024 / LAF24

2024-03-01T00:00:00Z

Liverpool Architecture Festival 2024 (LAF24) will be hosted from 1st to 30th June 2024 inclusive, delivering over 100 free-to-attend events. These events will include walking and building tours, workshops, and symposiums for young people and families, academics, students and professionals, and community groups throughout the Liverpool City Region. LAF24 will be titled 'Neighbourhood' with the intention of connecting people with their local built environment, and engaging with the architecture that is closest to them, with a focus on the key values of inclusivity, climate and community. There will be an emphasis on physical participatory events where we encourage people to participate, and learn about their local built environment throughout the six boroughs of St. Helens, Sefton, Knowsley, Halton, Wirral and Liverpool. LAF24 will be the third iteration, with LAF21, and LAF22 having been successfully delivered in October 2021, and June 2022 respectively. Previous Festival brochures can be found on our website: https://www.laf-uk.com/ The funding will be utilised to deliver free architecture walking tours for 4 local community groups within the Liverpool City Region, one each week of the Festival. The expertly guided 2-hour tours will be in a location of the group’s choice and curated to engage communities with their local architecture and neighbourhoods. LAF will work with a diverse range of community groups. Each tour will accommodate 25 people at a cost of £125. The allocated £500 funding would deliver the tours for 100.

North Minneapolis, MN – G.L.O Girls Living Out Loud

2024-03-01T00:00:00Z

G.L.O Girls living out loud is a nonprofit girls summer program that consists of 9 weeks of meetings that involve fun focus activities that will encourage girls to thrive in building community skills healthy expression and using their creativity to live confident and honor themselves as growing young ladies inside and out! Girls living out loud aims to provide a safe nutrient environment for girls aged 10 to 13 to explore their creativity build self-expression and develop healthy habits through meditation journaling cooking and dance our program fosters emotional intelligence self-confidence and resilience equipting girls to navigate challenges of adolescence and beyond. The program objective is to encourage self-expression and creativity through various art forms develop healthy coping mechanisms and stress management techniques through meditation and journaling Foster physical activity and expression through dance cultivate a supportive community for girls to share experiences and build relationships and sisterhood.

Gloucester, MA – Giving Meadows at Blackburn Circle/Burnhams Field

2024-02-29T00:00:00Z

Cape Ann is one of the few service stops in the vast Gulf of Maine on a migration superhighway north and south. Research has revealed that the resting and feeding habitat for migratory birds is dwindling rapidly. According to a leading entomologist, Doug Tallamy, the need has never been more urgent to address the loss of biodiversity. For example, bird populations have declined by almost a third in the past half century, according to a 2019 study. Despite this grave news we can all pitch in and do something to help. Our group’s goal is to create more diverse habitats for migrating and non-migrating species to attract a myriad of bugs that they can feed on and food sources through plants. In 2022 I partnered with the Department of Transportation to adopt the Blackburn Circle and transform it into a better ecosystem. The Blackburn Circle rotary is a parcel of land which consists primarily of turf-grass that requires mowing and fertilization. In September and October of 2022 ten community volunteers gathered to help plant out a 7,500 square foot meadow in the middle of the rotary. Over half of the plants were donated by these avid native plant enthusiasts who are growing and sharing these plants to the community free of charge minimizing costs and plastic waste and making it easier to say ‘YES’ to planting natives. The plants were put directly into the organic herbicide treated grass which was rototilled prior to planting. This minimized labor and the need to haul material off-site and maximized using the decomposing turf as mulch for the planted meadow. Because Blackburn Circle is inaccessible to the public we partnered with Backyard Growers and the City of Gloucester at Burnham's Field Park to establish an educational native meadow which began in the Spring of 2023. The projects will evolve and expand over the next two to three years and we hope to partner with Black Earth Compost and the Cape Ann YMCA to create new meadows in 2024 and beyond.

Ottawa – Giggles4Health

2024-02-29T00:00:00Z

February’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Jocelyn Umengan to support Giggles4Health, her initiative to enhance mental wellness through the magic of laughter. “In a world where daily pressures often overshadow our need for joy and connection,” explains Jocelyn, “Giggles4Health strives to be a sanctuary where the community can gather, share laughs, and revel in the profound simplicity of happiness.” “At the heart of this venture are thoughtfully curated events,” she continues, “each designed to uplift spirits and forge lasting connections — all free of charge. From the lighthearted banter of ‘Silly Dad Joke Sessions’ to the stress-free mingling of ‘Speed Friending with a Twist’ and the nostalgic joy of ‘Minute to Win It Games,’ these gatherings transcend mere entertainment. They are a deliberate exploration into the realms of mental wellness, providing participants with a respite from life's demands.” “Laughter is a shared language,” says Jocelyn, “and the pursuit of mental well-being is a collective journey.” Jocelyn is a marketing professional and social media guru. You can join one of her events at [meetup.com/giggles-4-health] (https://www.meetup.com/giggles-4-health).

New York City, NY – Help Tami fight the Ambalo Bros and tell her story

2024-02-29T00:00:00Z

Ten years ago, Tami Green was biking in East New York, Brooklyn and came across an abandoned house in disrepair. Tami was homeless at the time and living in her storage unit nearby so when she learned from neighbors that the previous owner had passed away three years prior and lay vacant, she decided to move in and fix it up - she replaced stolen copper lines, fixed the roof and removed a dangerous tree. She also became a beloved community leader who organizes block cleanups and food and backpack giveaways. Tami is now fighting eviction from property speculators who have purchased the property. The East New York Community Land Trust is a grassroots, people of color-led non-profit organization founded by community residents dedicated to preserving affordability for future generations and providing a vehicle to create generational wealth. _"Tami is such a precious part of our community and we cannot let her be evicted by these speculators who have made a profitable business off of stealing deeds, displacing residents and destabilizing Black and Brown neighborhoods across New York City. We will send a message to all speculators trying to prey on working class people in our community and across NYC."_ The ENY CLT are currently helping Tami with her legal battle and will use this AwesomeNYC grant to to hire filmmaker Ifeyinwa Arinze to create a short video about Tami’s fight to help spread the word about Tami's story and the work the ENY CLT is doing to keep New Yorkers in their neighborhoods. This project is about neighbors coming together to take community control of land and housing and we're excited to help them tell that story. * [Learn more about the ENY CLT on their website](https://www.eastnewyorkclt.org/) * [Read about Tami's Story](https://www.brooklynpaper.com/woman-claimed-east-new-york-house-fights/) * [Follow ENY CLT on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/EastNewYorkCLT/)

Toronto – Cornell Community Iftaar

2024-02-29T00:00:00Z

Cornell Public School, in collaboration with the Cornell Parent Council, is holding its second annual community iftaar on March 28, 2024. Open to all students' and their families, our community comes together for "iftaar", a meal which marks the breaking of the fast during Ramadan, a holy of month of fasting for Muslims. Our school has a high population of Muslim students, and we feel it is important that our students feel connected to their school community, and see themselves reflected in the experiences and events held at Cornell. Our school also serves a high population of low-income families, many of whom are refugees or new immigrants. We work hard to offer this event free of charge for students and their families so that it is accessible to all. Last year we held our first ever iftaar which serviced 800 attendees. Students and their families enjoyed a hot meal, refreshments, and motivating speeches by community leaders, politicians, and educators. This year we hope to continue the tradition of holding a community iftaar, bringing together our Cornell families in joy and belonging.

Disability – Campaign Co-Create, Not Confine

2024-02-29T00:00:00Z

Co-Create, Not Confine is a campaign focused on disabled researchers/scientists which is created by disabled researchers. This campaign will focus on co-designing with disabled researchers/scientists from lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) to better understand the barriers they face as they navigate academic space as well as seek advice/guidance on creating inclusive space (eg: topics of resource allocation, navigation in labs, infrastructure, etc). This discussion will take place through focus group sessions by recruiting disabled researchers and making sure to have representatives from different LMICs. Their inputs from the focus group session will be further evaluated, made public, and presented to larger groups (stakeholders, different lab directors, etc) to understand how these can be better implemented further by a roundtable discussion. There will also be a dedicated website that will be up and running soon to make this campaign public. The aim behind this initiative has been a product of ongoing discussions around accessibility concerns as well as to further create and encourage more disabled researchers to thrive in academia, especially those from developing nations as they continue to remain underrepresented. Additionally, my own lived experience with discrimination as a disabled researcher in labs made me not only voice out but also remind me how many others like me have been discouraged from to continuing grow in this space. This campaign is a must and the need to discuss this is of importance. Diversity does not end at inclusivity, it also begins when there is accommodation made in place. To understand this better, the voices of the disabled community are significant and essential to shed more light. Note: The website for this is under construction **What our grantee is saying:** "Receiving the Awesome Disability Grant is going to make a huge difference. It is not just supporting the campaign "Co-Create, Not Confine," but also embracing the disability community's potential to co-create and advocate together for better space for and by the disabled community. This grant fuels the fight for equal opportunity in academic spaces, allowing us to champion and echo the voices of disabled researchers, especially those from underrepresented regions. With the grant, we are one step closer to dismantling barriers and creating a thriving, diverse, and inclusive scientific landscape for all."

San Antonio, TX – Mujeres Cycling

2024-02-29T00:00:00Z

Mujeres Cycling is a developmental training team in San Antonio, TX. WTFNB cyclists are extremely under-represented in our community; It’s our mission to offer training, support and guidance to all WTFNB (regardless of level or speed) who want to advance in their cycling hobby.

San Antonio, TX – Wild at Heart

2024-02-29T00:00:00Z

Wild at Heart's pre-k program offers a free nature-based weekly program for underserved children (ages 3-5) and their families in San Antonio. The program meets once a week in monthly sessions (year-round). The group size is small (8 seats) in order to maintain a quality experience. The program is designed to each child's entire family including both parents and all siblings as to eliminate barriers in program participation and to create an opportunity to a shared family experience. Each session is two hours long and includes story time, a nature walk, and a process art activity. We also provide a healthy breakfast for both children and their families because we know nourishment is essential to learning and caregiving as well as a positive experience. The class is designed and lead by a master teacher (MEd level educator) and is accompanied by one to two Master Naturalist volunteers. To target underserved communities, we strategically market to neighborhoods and schools of low social-economic status. We track targeting by collecting demographic information at registration. We aim to maintain our current target of 75% of our participants being from a low income background, with 100% being non-white. For our pre-k program, we measure program impact through surveys which are conducted before and after participation and collect testimonials from individual participants to capture stories of impact. We also conduct collective case studies for academic research on equity and closing the nature gap. We know that transportation can be a barrier to access nature and programming which is why Wild at Heart also offers Drop-in program to activate sites so that we can "bring nature" to underserved communities. We offer a one-time drop-in program at a different site location within San Antonio each month. Each program offers a high-quality nature-based activity. We have partnered with Parks and Rec and Haven for our Hope for Drop-In program.

Georgetown, MA – Community CPR/First aid

2024-02-28T00:00:00Z

I have provided licensed childcare in my Georgetown home for 31 years. Because of my profession, I have taken CPR and first aid for all of those years as required. But I have seen how people can panic when an emergency arises and would love the opportunity to help them gain knowledge that will aid them when this happens. About 25 years ago, I worked with the Red Cross to bring a training to Georgetown. This was a full certification program and about 30 people got trained but it was a lot of hours and over two nights. I reached out to the Chief McKay a few months back and asked if there were a way to work Awesome Georgetown and his department to again offer a program for the community. Though he was very interested, it was decided that a full certification program would be difficult. He said he would talk to his team and try to come up with an alternative. Well, they did it!! We have the possibility of training 40 people in a pilot program. This will not be a training for people who need a full certificate. It will be a basics training, covering Infant/Child/Adult CPR, choking, AED and first aid for community members. Full proposal from Chief McKay is available but I need an email to send it to.

State College, PA – OUR JOURNEYS: Voices of Bellefonte’s Youth

2024-02-28T00:00:00Z

OUR JOURNEYS is a student directed, trauma-informed language & visual arts program for underserved youth who attend the Bellefonte Youth Center (BYC). Over 7 months this year, the program is engaging youth in creating 2 major collaborative art projects: 1) an illustrated book of poems & stories, and 2) a large indoor mural based on these writings. OUR JOURNEYS consists of two distinct seasons of weekly programming: SPRING: Over 10 weeks in spring, youth who self-select to attend the BYC’s weekly Imagination Club for 5–11-year-olds are working with Teaching Artist & poet Abby Minor to explore different modes of storytelling. Expanding our notions of what counts as literacy, each week we tell & act out stories; create visual art; take field trips & engage in place-based writing; and use audio recording equipment to capture our collaborative poems. These diverse approaches to literacy—including physical movement, visual tools, & audio recording—invite all youth to feel welcome in the creative writing process. This season of programming will culminate in an illustrated book of writings which we’ll publish and celebrate at the end of April. SUMMER: During 12 summer weeks, youth who attend Imagination Club will work with local Teaching Artist & painter Elody Gyekis to design & create an indoor mural at BYC based on stories developed in the spring. This summer program will continue to invite youth to engage in diverse literacy practices, incorporating creative writing into the design process. We’ll celebrate the completion of the mural in August. Over both seasons, we’ve designed OUR JOURNEY workshops to meet the needs of a wide range of learning styles, personalities, experiences, & interests among the students who come through the doors at BYC—a center with a long history in Centre County of providing a safe, supervised environment for kids where they can be with friends, get a meal, find help with homework, and participate in fun and meaningful programming.

Chicago, IL – Martial Arts & Self Defense for Refugee Kids

2024-02-27T00:00:00Z

I am working to create a martial arts and self defense program for refugee children and teens. I began this program months ago, when Chicago's refugee population skyrocketed and I noticed an increase in young refugees with very few positive outlets. I welcomed several youth into my gym, Mission MMA and Fitness, and quickly learned of the growing need. I decided to launch a more formal program to better reach and serve these youth. This program will be open children and teenagers who arrived to the US as refugees or asylum-seekers. All participants will be given martial arts gear and access to classes 3x/wk. Classes will include kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and self-defense, with a special women-only self defense program for young women and girls. This program has the potential to reach hundreds of Chicago youth! Our team is excited to welcome these kids into our gym community as soon as we have the funds to make it happen.

Washington, DC – DC Black Liberation School

2024-02-26T00:00:00Z

Libereaders along with Serve Your City will hold a 6-week Black Liberation school designed to provide DC youth (middle school/early high school) with an in-depth understanding of Black liberation, social justice, and advocacy. Participants will engage in interactive lessons, discussions, and activities to develop a strong foundation in these critical areas. DC needs to do this because it would foster an understanding of Black history, culture, and identity – particularly as it relates to DC, encourage critical thinking and discussions about racial justice, develop leadership skills for advocating for change, and create a sense of community and empowerment among participants. All of this will strengthen and enrich youth in the DC Community.