Awesome Foundation - Проекти

New York City, NY – The Open Plant Community Biology Project

2019-03-27T00:00:00Z

AwesomeNYC is excited to support the Open Plant Community Project with a grant of $1,000 to fund the scientific mentorship and guidance they need to prepare their research into the use of liverwort plants in the production of insulin for the upcoming Open Plant Forum to be held in July 2019. _We are a community project at Genspace, the world’s first community biology lab, based in Brooklyn, NY. Genspace provides an avenue for everyday people to participate in advancing science: members of our group are people from the community who don’t have access to academic or corporate labs and are passionate about collaborating to push research forward and make the world a better place._ _Our Open Plant Project was inspired by the Open Plant Research Centre in the United Kingdom and seeks to make plant research more accessible, approachable, and open source. We hope to be the first Open Plant group in the United States._ _We are applying to the Awesome Foundation to support us in developing our community plant science research project so that we can bring it to an international Forum held by the Open Plant Research Centre in July 2019._ _Right now, our group is working hard to find ways to create more sustainable and affordable insulin production using liverwort plants. Insulin is a valuable protein that is essential to 387 million people worldwide diagnosed with diabetes. We are the only community biology lab participating - all others are from major research universities - and so we operate in a very DIY manner, funding everything ourselves. Through this project we hope to teach members skills in plant tissue culture, advance plant research, and inspire the public to explore ideas about plants in ways they never imagined before._ _The DIY biology community is endlessly curious, cooperative, resourceful, and diverse. We collaborate globally but focus locally - on the needs of our neighborhoods and communities. With the support of the Awesome Foundation, we can show that when everyday people come together in pursuit of cutting edge scientific research, they are capable of discovering things that make the world a better place. This will make our community more awesome by inspiring us to reach farther, think bigger, come together, and break down the Ivy Tower barriers to scientific curiosity and discovery._

Portland, OR – OurBrella

2019-03-27T00:00:00Z

OurBrella is an open-source project with the goal of serving and empowering our houseless community in Portland and beyond. By utilizing an online network, as well as all-terrain, gas-free ground transportation, we will connect businesses such as restaurants with abundance with the people who need it most, those who live outside with scarcity. The mode of transportation is a cargo bike equipped with an umbrella, and room for serving, battery power and storage. Those who operate the bikes will be able to refer to an online map and identify nearby businesses with some excess goods to offer. Businesses can offer a specific pick-up window of time, GPS location, and choose to interact with the operator or not. Operators will be able to let the business know that they are on their way and that goods have been collected, Operators will then go to distribution points in the communities that need it most, and visitors to the website will be able to track their location through GPS. Operators will notify their estimated time of departure, so that other potential donors might be able to find them and augment the distribution effort. The initial bike will be equipped with not only an umbrella for rain or shine, and a platform to serve food, but also battery-powered acceleration. Businesses are also empowered to donate electricity to the bike operator as needed. Food will only be served that is prepared in commercial kitchens, and people will be notified they are responsible for their own consumption. With community support, we will also be able to hire houseless bike operators and provide a living wage as well as a way to serve their own communities, and make this project sustainable for years to come.

Leiden – Athletic Invasion #8

2019-03-27T00:00:00Z

I want to motivate people to engage in more sportive activities. In order to do so I want to increase the accessibility for doing so and therefore boost the motivation for people to take part in athletic activities. I will use the 1000 Euro to buy heavy bags, customize them with the "Awesome Leiden" logo on a pink background and place them all over Leiden. The places are going to create a route throughout Leiden, which can be used for training.

Asheville, NC (Неактивен) – Affrilachia & AppalachA'villle Together at YMI

2019-03-26T00:00:00Z

126 years ago, African-American leaders dreamed of a place in Asheville where community members could gather to celebrate culture. With borrowed money from George Vanderbilt, a plan from the architect of Biltmore Estate, and work from Black craftsmen and builders, the YMI Cultural Center was constructed in the heart of town. 26 years ago, Frank X Walker, artist, activist, poet, and teacher, sought to reveal the African-American experience in Appalachia. In the process he coined the term “Affrilachia” and co-founded a group of multicultural poets who express the region's rich diversity. This March the Appalachian Studies Association will hold its 42nd annual meeting in Asheville to explore AppalachA’ville. People from across the mountains will gather to share memories, observations, thoughts, frustrations and hopes about the place that is their home. A key moment of discovery will happen on Saturday, March 16, when Affrilachia and AppalachA'ville come together in the historic YMI Cultural Center for an awesome evening of poetry reading, story telling and fellowship--a celebration of cultural diversity in Asheville and throughout the region. The program Affrilachia y el Caribe will feature three poets: Ricardo Nazario-Colon, Shauna Morgan Kirlew, and Frank X Walker. Here are their brief bios. Ricardo Nazario-Colon grew up in Puerto Rico; is co-founder of Affrilachian Poets, author of Of Jibaros and Hillbillies, currently serves as Chief Diversity Officer at Western Carolina University. Shauna M. Morgan Kirlew grew up in Jamaica but in the US identifies as African American, author of Fear of Dogs and Other Animals, currently lives in Virginia and teaches at Howard University. Frank X Walker grew up in Virginia; is co-founder of Affrilachian Poets, is editor of PLUCK! The Journal of Affrilachian Arts and Culture, and teaches creative writing at the University of Kentucky.

Rotterdam – RotterJam

2019-03-26T00:00:00Z

54% of elderly sometimes feel lonely. This is too many! To tackle this massive issue in our society, we set up our social venture; RotterJam. What does this have to do with food? FOOD IS GLUE! We bring together lonely elderly and student volunteers, who want to contribute to a healthier and happier Rotterdam. Jam is the answer: By hosting jam-making workshops, we prevent and reduce loneliness among the elderly of Rotterdam. Our jam is made from seasonal ingredients with less sugar, more fruits, and of course, looooots of love! Bakkie Peer, our first flavor profile, represents our vision of making "exotic jam" (Algemeen Dagblad, 2019 - oh yes we're in the news) by using leftover pears, figs and chili; diverse - just like Rotterdam! We aim to make the venture circular and work with suppliers to use their foodwaste as our fuel. We already saved 10kg of pears from being forgotten - just like the elderly. 10 elderly weigh more than 10kg so it's even more biomass we gave a new purpose! So far, we had two jam pilots and sold the products - the remarkable revenue of 78.52 Euros was of course reinvested in the workshops to buy proper jars and scale up the venture. To step up the game, we now crave for tools, credibility and exposure, while exchanging ideas with other crazy, curious and creative minds is a fantastic opportunity we do not want to miss! #yeswejam

San Antonio, TX – Summer Reading Party

2019-03-26T00:00:00Z

The impetus for my San Antonio Reading Party started with monthly pop-up book giveaways in Hemisfair Park June 2018. Since the downtown area appeals to a range of locals and tourists, it was the perfect place to begin. Nowadays the book pop-ups have grown beyond me as I have a steady source of book donations, leading to pop-ups in the Jefferson neighborhood for Halloween and the KIPP Commerce campus for Christmas. There are still more to come with pop-ups scheduled for Elmendorf Park splash pad in late spring. I now approach The Awesome Foundation because this charitable work has gained momentum, leading to my vision for a San Antonio Summer Reading Party! A reading party is a 1-3 hour window in which books are at the forefront of SA families' experience. Upon entry, students will receive a passport with varying ways to read, such as "read to a parent," "read as fast/slow as you can," "read in a robot voice," etc. For each reading task, they receive a stamp. Once they've retrieved x-amount of stamps, they will receive a free book. To document, we'll ask kids to do a "chalk talk" to shout out their favorite books and display instant photos. Reading has the reputation of being a passive, silent, and private activity. However, reading can be loud and exciting for all! We just need to take a different approach. Clearly, the need is great. Many San Antonio neighborhoods are “book deserts,” areas lacking access to books leading to lower literacy rates and higher dropout rates. Additionally, studies show that students are less likely to read during the summer months, leading to "summer brain drain," a form of learning loss that puts our students at a disadvantage when they enter the new academic year. This is an opportunity to address “brain drain” and combat “book deserts” in a small yet awesome way! Let’s create a lively experience that generates a buzz around books for our San Antonio families this summer!

Portland, OR – PPS Public Art Initiative

2019-03-26T00:00:00Z

I have started an initiative that will raise equity in education and bring more black/POC history to Portland Public School curriculum through public displays of artwork. The initiative began after making the realization that such a gross underrepresentation of black/POC history in public school curriculum across the country only perpetuates the social divide in the United States. The objective of the initiative is to help students understand the strength, and significance of public forms of expression in civic engagement, and empower them to become the artists and civil rights leaders of our future. The initiative sets out to bring marginalized artists into working relationships with the Portland Public School system through artistic workshops that focus on civil engagement. Creating opportunities for marginalized folks to build working relationships with systems of power will aid in lessening wealth inequality in America. The first project of the initiative is a mural painting project where students of my school will collaborate with a marginalized artist of Portland in the development of a design that will be implemented as a mural on one of our buildings on campus. The mural will be overlooking our community garden, and will have a focus on the intersection of ecology and civil rights. My kindergarteners will create the first design, and each grade level will refine the design all the way up to fifth grade. We are hoping to bring legendary Portland muralist and activist Isaka Shamsud-Din into a working relationship with our school by having him host mural design workshops with our students. After a final design is agreed upon during the workshops, the artist will then work with our students in the actual implementation of the mural on the building, where the students will invite the surrounding community to paint the mural with them.

Awesome Without Borders (Неактивен) – Refresh

2019-03-25T00:00:00Z

Refresh is one of eight projects at Enactus Simon Fraser University, a global student run not-for-profit organization that utilizes entrepreneurship to make our communities more socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable. Refresh is a social enterprise that collects bruised and imperfect produce, that would normally go to waste, and creates a variety of delicious food products. We have partnered with multiple local grocers as suppliers for the imperfect produce, as well as a local commercial kitchen to create these delicious products. The goal of the program is to provide an alternate future for imperfect produce in order to prevent food wastage within our community. Through various pop-up shops, Refresh volunteers educate the community/shoppers with knowledge on how to mitigate food wastage. Refresh currently sells at the Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. However, Refresh also sells at community events with environmental and food wastage themes such as Recyclefest. The profits generated from our products is reinvested into the project to improve operations. To expand the product line, Refresh is currently researching and testing produce that can be turned into delicious food products. To scale the project, Refresh is planning to sell their products in local grocery stores and hire marginalized individuals to produce the jam. The end goal is to develop Refresh into a self sustaining project that can be transitioned into the community.

Miami, FL – Blooming Bodies

2019-03-25T00:00:00Z

Blooming Bodies combines art-making and flower arrangement in a therapeutic and restorative workshop where cancer patients create their own wearable, living artwork. Cancer patients at UM's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center undergo a sense of loss physically, as treatment potentially induces a loss of appetite, loss of hair, loss of blood through transfusion and psychologically as patients lose a sense of control over their bodies, daily lives, and identity. Blooming Bodies offers a transformative and transcendental opportunity for passive recipients of medical treatment to become actively engaged artists. During the workshop, participants select flowers, cut stems, attach decorative elements, and arrange compositions to make floral art, taking form as a crown, bracelet, bra, belt, anklet, or piece for any affected physical spot or scar. In the process, participants manage their own procedures in a safe environment where judgment and failure are disallowed. As a product, the wearable flower arrangement becomes a subtle reprieve for the physical loss, fostering a beautiful sense of self-esteem. The workshops are rooted in the evidence-based impact of creative “flow,” a self-motivating and rewarding engagement wherein people become intensely absorbed in a task that matches their competencies, reducing anxiety, slowing heart rate, and promoting mindfulness of the here-and-now rather than the “there-and-then” nature of illness and treatment. It invites the participant to partake in a productive and imaginative project that provides a sense of achievement and to experience engagement on a human level. It allows for conversation and encouragement rather than rumination about the stressful conditions of medical treatment. The creative process draws on the historical Japanese arts of Ikebana, a creative and symbolic form that uses plant materials to express awareness of nature and human life, combined with the benefits of arts-based therapy.

Washington, DC – FUNLAND

2019-03-25T00:00:00Z

This month, I applied for and was awarded the Derek Lieu Residency Program at Hole in the Sky Collective in DC. The focus of the residency is on creating a one-night-only art show on May 18, 2019. I pitched a show concept called FUNLAND. Rather than simply coming through and looking at paintings I have done, FUNLAND is an interactive installation show that explores the trials & tribulations of being a local artist using carnival attractions like a shooting gallery, photo booth, fortune teller booth, and more. FUNLAND will operate for a single night (May 18) inside Hole in the Sky's 1,000 square foot space. Hole in the Sky has generously provided me with workspace, some materials, and a very modest budget. I am requesting an Awesome Foundation grant so that we can make even higher quality attractions, pay the actors who are participating as "ride operators", and buy high-quality prizes that attendees can walk away with that night.

Ottawa – Digitization of Lost Bosnian Magazines and Comics

2019-03-25T00:00:00Z

March’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Almir Šehalić to support the digitization of lost Bosnian magazines and comics for children and youth. “During the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” explains Almir, “the National Library burned over two million books. Along with many other books, almost all archives of magazines and comics for children and youth printed in Bosnia and Herzegovina were destroyed. My goal is to organize an archive of all Bosnian children's magazines at my comic book shop in Sarajevo, for reading and research. At the same time, I want to digitize all these editions and make them available online. Dozens of Bosnian writers are published in children’s magazines and comics of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, but if we do not save and digitize these works now they will be lost and forgotten for all time. The magazines also contain thousands of songs, stories, and drawings sent by children throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina to the editors.” Almir’s project is already well underway. “I have collected a lot of these editions,” he explains, “and some that cannot be found can be scanned from the archives of Croatia or the Serbian National Library.” The award from Awesome Ottawa will allow him to purchase a large-format scanner for the project — required as one of the most important magazines, a newspaper that was launched in 1956 for for pupils in elementary schools across Yugoslavia, was printed on tabloid-size pages. Almir is a former professional pilot who grew up and lives in Sarajevo. He owns and operates a comic book shop and publishing house in the city.

Martovska nagrada ogranka „Awesome Foundation” iz Otave, Kanada, dodjeljuje se Almiru Šehaliću kao potpora digitalizaciji izgubljenih bosanskih časopisa i stripova za djecu i omladinu. „Tokom rata u Bosni i Hercegovini,” objašnjava Almir, „zapaljena je Nacionalna biblioteka u kojoj je uništeno preko 2 miliona knjiga. Uz mnoge neprocjenljive knjige, uništene su gotovo sve arhive časopisa i stripova za djecu i mlade štampane u Bosni i Hercegovini. Naš cilj je da organiziramo arhivu svih bosanskih dječjih časopisa i stripova u našoj prodavnici stripova u Sarajevu, kao mjesto u kojem će se moči čitati i istraživati. Istovremeno želimo digitalizirati sva ova izdanja i učiniti ih dostupnim online za pretragu. Desetine bosanskih pisaca objavljeno je u dječjim časopisima i stripovima pedesetih, šezdesetih, sedamdesetih i osamdesetih godina prošlog stoljeća, ali ako ne sačuvamo i digitaliziramo ova djela, ona će biti izgubljena i zaboravljena za sva vremena. Takođe, tu se nalaze i hiljade pjesama, priča i crteža koje su djeca širom Bosne i Hercegovine slali redakciji.” Almirov projekat je već u toku. „Sakupili smo dosta ovih izdanja,” objašnjava on, „a neke koje se ne mogu naći probaćemo digitalizirati iz arhiva Hrvatske ili Srpske nacionalne biblioteke.” Nagrada Awesome Ottawa će im omogućiti da profesionalni skener za veliki format koji je dovoljno brz skeniranje stotine hiljada stranica – „Male Novine“ kao jedan od najvažnijih časopisa, je novina koja je pokrenuta 1956. godine za učenike osnovnih škola širom Jugoslavije, štampan je u formatu tabloida. Almir je bivši profesionalni pilot koji je odrastao i živi u Sarajevu. On je također i vlasnik Striparnice i izdavačke kuće u Sarajevu.

Plano, TX (Неактивен) – Hugs Cafe Inc

2019-03-22T00:00:00Z

Hugs Cafe is a non-profit fast casual lunch destination employed by adults with special needs in McKinney, Texas. We serve up that most delicious soup, salads, sandwiches, and homemade desserts. Every meal is prepared and served by our teammates, or adults with special needs. Hugs Cafe serves as a training and employment opportunity for adults with disabilities. It is our mission to provide a positive workplace with meaningful jobs for individuals with disabilities who possess all of the desires of having a job, but require extra time and attention or training to achieve long term success in their position, We are proud to say that 80% of our staff has a disability and is given meaningful employment, training, and support that would not be possible without our organization. Texas ranks 50th in resources for the disabled, and there are nearly 50,00 individuals with disabilities in Collin County alone. With these staggering statistics, we believe it is up to us as individuals to make a difference in the lives of this underserved and special population. During our 3 years of being in operation, we are proud to say have had zero turnover and have sprouted a community within our four walls that provides inclusion, acceptance, and laughter to the special needs population and every visitor of Hugs.

Piqua, OH (Неактивен) – Pedicab for Piqua People

2019-03-22T00:00:00Z

One of the awesome attributes of the City of Piqua is the bike friendly atmosphere of the streets and bike path. My wife and I could not count the many miles of peddling that have accumulated over the course of the years. We discussed many times how fortunate we are to live in Piqua and have such a beautiful bike loop to enjoy. We mentioned that there are many people who are not able to get out and have this experience. This brought up the idea of how could we share this feeling and love for what the people and the City of Piqua has given us. This group of people we thought of, to name a few, would be people such as those in nursing homes, disabled, special, injured, or even a family with young children or grandchildren.

Piqua, OH (Неактивен) – PCIS Run Club-Race Registration Fees

2019-03-22T00:00:00Z

The PCIS Run Club is a 8 week program offered to 6th graders. The students in the program run/ jog/ walk (move!) twice a week after school with a large group of awesome volunteers. (Piqua PD members, community members, PCS members, NHS members, PCS athletes, etc.) The goal of the program is for the students to be motivated to be healthy and active while learning to build healthy relationships with our awesome volunteers. Our end goal is to then have our kiddos participate in a local 5K race held the first Sunday of May at PHS Alexander Stadium which benefits our PCS Cross Country Teams. The PCIS Run Club has been up and running for 4 years now and it is so fantastic and inspirational every year to see our kiddos practice and complete a 5K race, something a lot of them never thought they would do. The program has been very popular at PCIS! I cannot say enough about the students and volunteers that participate in this program. We are currently in week 2 of the 2019 season and have 91 students and over 20 volunteers. This community is just fantastic!!

Orlando, FL – Milk District Street Furniture

2019-03-21T00:00:00Z

Bungalower is joining forces with one of Orlando's coolest Main Streets, The Milk District, to activate their public spaces with a series of informal public gathering spaces. The Milk hosts regular food truck events, parking lot parties, and street festivals like the upcoming blockbuster Rockin' Robinson. But they don't usually have places for attendees to sit back and passively take part in their events ... enter, branded furniture. We are proposing to build a number of street furniture sets out of milk crates that the District will care for and use for special events and ongoing "Streetmosphere" opportunities. They're easy to store, affordable, and definitely on-brand for the 'hood. How awesome is that?

Yerevan – Գունեղ ճանապարհ/ Colorful Road

2019-03-21T00:00:00Z

Ասում են Իջևանը կանաչ, գարուն քաղաք է՝ քաղաքի կենտրոնական փողոցը եզրավորած բազմաթիվ եղևնիների շնորհիվ: Բայց չէ որ, քաղաքի մյուս հատվածներում կան տխուր, մռայլ փողոցներ՝ անտեսված մարդկանց կողմից։ "Գունեղ ճանապարհ" ծրագրի նպատակն էլ հենց այդպիսի փողոցներից մեկին նոր կյանք հաղորդելն է։ Ծրագրի կազմակերպիչները նախատեսում են Իջևան քաղաքի՝ մարզպետարանից մինչև Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ եկեղեցի ձգվող սալաքարե ճանապահին գարնան շունչ տալ ՝ տարբեր գույներով ներկելով ամեն մի սալաքարը: Մի մեծ թաղամասի բնակիչներ ամեն օր այդ ճանապարհով են անցնում։ Պատկերացնու՞մ եք, թե ինչպես կբարձրանա անցորդների տրամադրությունը, երբ տեսնեն իրենց ամենօրյա ճանապարհն արդեն նոր, վառ գուներով։ Նույնիսկ մռայլ եղանակներին, ինչը Իջևանում հաճախ է լինում, այդ վառ գույները կանեն իրենց գործը՝ վերածելով մռայլ միջավայրը գունեղ մի հեքիաթի։

Lake Mac – Accessibility in the City

2019-03-21T00:00:00Z

Accessibility in the City is developing a user-friendly online mapping platform that provides accessible features within cites, shopping precincts, universities and the like, to help people with accessibility issues navigate busy, cluttered and visually oriented environments to participation in normal life and improve the lives. The analytics will provide urban planners and Governments vital insights into urban mobility challenges that can aid the creation of a true smart, resilient and liveable city for all.

Chicago, IL – Throwing a Citywide Wedding Ball for LGBT Muslims

2019-03-20T00:00:00Z

Masjid al-Rabia is a transgender-led, women centered and queer affirming Islamic community center based in Chicago. We run a Prison Ministry--the only program like it in the world--that provides spiritual care, resources and advocacy for incarcerated queer and trans Muslims. Two brothers in our community held in a state prison are in love, and want to be married in a traditional Islamic ceremony. However, the state and prison administration have been doing everything they can to prevent their marriage. There may be bars between them, but nothing so trivial as concrete and steel can get in the way of divine love, so faith leaders and advocates at Masjid al-Rabia designed a nikkah ceremony that is theologically and legally sound--despite the fact that two parties aren't allowed in the same room together. For the last several months (with the state moving our brothers around multiple times) in what might be the longest wedding ceremony ever conducted, our brothers have completed all of the steps necessary to make their wedding official. All that's left is for Masjid al-Rabia to host a ceremony. SO we're throwing a wedding party and inviting all of Chicago's LGBTQIA+ Muslim community, our loved ones, our allies, and anyone who wants to help throw one hell of a party celebrating the kind of love that transcends all boundaries. We have the people, the passion and the faith in radical possibility. All we need is, y'know, money to throw the kind of party that this celebration deserves.

Vegan (Неактивен) – Vegan in Dushanbe: Persian Recipes Remade

2019-03-20T00:00:00Z

As an important component of culture, community, and memory, food is often considered a tie that connects immigrants to their homelands. Food centers in family and community gatherings, during holidays, and inter-generational teachings. People who are unable to participate in traditional meals or meal preparation find themselves disconnected from the family or friends, which becomes a tragic reality for vegans when cultural-traditional dishes heavily feature meat, diary, and other animal products. We have seen many cases of first and second-generation individuals are unable to participate in family dinners because of their ethical beliefs and practices, and have heard many stories of how this distances them from their family and culture. Later generations of immigrants are already at risk in experiencing distancing from their cultural traditions. This is the result of being more closely intertwined with their new country's education system, media, language, and culture. It should not be the case that vegans should experience an additional barrier in maintaining their culture. In response to this problem, we are currently developing a vegan cookbook that re-creates Persian dishes with all-vegan ingredients. Persian food spans many countries (Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan), yet is defined by its heavy use of meat and incorporation of honey. Using regional (chickpeas, lentils) and 'international (tempeh, 'seitan) meat substitutes and adjust We seek to conduct as much of our project digitally as possible for two reasons, First, we want to minimize resource and paper waste. Second, we want our project to be truly borderless and accessible to all practicing and aspiring vegans, regardless of socioeconomic status and location. Our end product will be a fully open-source ebook. While initial promotion will be concentrated around Seattle (given large Persian community), we want the project to be accessible to everyone.

Orlando, FL – Metamorphosis

2019-03-19T00:00:00Z

Orlando's Downtown Arts District will inaugurate the 2019 Spring/Summer Female Curatorial Series for its new City Arts Gallery at the Rogers-Kiene Building between mid-March and mid-July. In its concerted efforts to recognize women’s contributions to, and positions in, the art world, the Series features five prominent Orlando-based female art curators. For a June 20–July 13 exhibition, I will present the multimedia work by four outstanding women artists: Elisabeth Condon, Maya Gelfman, Sun K. Kwak, and Kelly Joy Ladd. This group exhibition highlights the transformation of materials and traditions as an artistic process, while powerfully challenging reductive assumptions about female artists’ visual language. On opening night, Sun K. Kwak, a Korean-born, New York-based interdisciplinary artist, will create a ‘space drawing’ with black masking tapes on a gallery wall, which will remain on view for the duration of the show. New York- and Tampa-based painter, Elisabeth Condon will showcase her magnetic paintings, which hauntingly combine the visual vocabularies of abstract expressionism and Chinese ink scroll paintings with the representational motifs of the wallpapers and fabrics from her childhood home. In addition, Israeli-born artist Maya Gelfman will lend her works on paper, as well as her figural sculpture made of leather and yarn, Laocoona and Baubo, which reinterprets these two figures from Greek mythology. The exhibition will also feature the three-dimensional works constructed with cut paper by emerging local artist Kelly Joy Ladd. Metamorphosis: The Place of the Past in the Present brings together outstanding women artists across borders, highlighting their vibrant artistic achievements.

Sydney – Paddock to Plate Garden

2019-03-19T00:00:00Z

I am a primary school teacher at Madang Avenue Public School in Western Sydney. My school is in a low socio-economic area where the student population of almost 350 consists of 37 % non-English speaking backgrounds of which the Pacific communities dominate and 18% from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background. We are keen to share a love of healthy organic gardening with the students at Madang and our local community. As Jamie Oliver quotes, “Getting your hands dirty can help you understand the story of your food from the ground up”. We want to get our students start getting their hands dirty and getting first hand gardening experiences, and rewarded with growing their own food. The raised gardening beds (which is what we really need) are a simple child friendly setup and a great starting point for demonstrating to young students, while also keeping our friendly school hare and rabbits from eating our produce :>. It gives the students the opportunity to grow different types of vegetables and herbs throughout the year in a contained environment. I would also like to grow edible indigenous foods. What’s more, we have a newly completed demonstration kitchen, which the students can use to prepare recipes and use the produce they have grown. The raised gardening beds will also help fulfil educational outcomes across the curriculum such as water management, soil health, sustainability, healthy eating, measuring plant growth rates in maths, experimenting and problem solving in science and exploring language use for a range of purposes in literacy. If we start these little minds thinking about the possibilities and ease of growing vegetables and herbs at school, we may be a few steps closer for our enthusiastic students to create a vegetable patches at home…….who knows, the next Jamie Oliver may come from Madang Ave PS!

Miami, FL – Take the Initiative!

2019-03-18T00:00:00Z

We are known as the "Hygiene Hub"! We promote and provide hygiene to those who need it most. The population that we serve is experiencing homelessness and those experiencing a financial hardship. Our organization hosts packing events that are open to the public to pack hygiene necessities for the community members we serve. At one packing event we can prepare an estimated five hundred bags filled with over ten products. Within two years we have collected and donated almost 400,000 products. We donate to Broward, Miami Dade and Palm Beach county. There are thousands of students in Public School system that are considered homeless. In Broward County alone there are close to 4,500 students ranging from Pre-Kindergarten to 12th graders. Miami Dade is almost double. It's disheartening to see children go without the resources they need. Especially the basic necessities, such as a toothbrush. On a monthly basis we donate feminine hygiene products through our initiative, Help Her, period. We also donate hygiene bags filled with ten products through our initiative, Hygiene4All. As well as quarterly laundry days in which we reserve a laundry center to provide free laundry supplies and paid laundry for families in need. It is our hope to coordinate a event that exclusively serves Miami Dade County to address the rise in numbers of those in need. Including but not limited to homeless youth and homeless children in schools.

Awesome Without Borders (Неактивен) – Story Pirates for Schools

2019-03-18T00:00:00Z

Miami, FL – Minis On The Go

2019-03-18T00:00:00Z

Whispering Manes recently began a field trip program with Sofia’s Hope, a nonprofit that organizes field trips for children with cancer. The children come in small groups with their parents to enjoy a fun day at the farm where the children ride horses, finger paint the miniature horses, and do fun arts and crafts and scavenger hunt games. We are now working to extend this program to include children in the palliative care program at Holtz Children’s Hospital. The PediPals Palliative Care program works with chronically and critically ill children and their families to improve their quality of life by providing memory-building experiences for them. Many of the children in this program are too unstable to leave the hospital and come to the farm, so Whispering Manes would like to bring the miniature horses to the children in our Minis On The Go program. This is a unique opportunity for Whispering Manes to share the joy and fun of miniature horses with critically ill children. The physicians involved in PediPals want to bring the miniature horses into a courtyard at the hospital where children who are well enough to leave their rooms can come and interact with the minis. Activities may include grooming, feeding, or painting the minis. For those children who are physically unable to leave their rooms, we are working with hospital administration to be able to bring at least two of the four miniatures into the hospital and directly into the rooms. There isn’t much that can change these children’s circumstances, but Whispering Manes believes that our miniatures have the ability to bring a smile to someone’s face and probably even some laughter. Minis On The Go is a one-day field trip where we will transport four miniature horses to the hospital. Ideally, we will be able to schedule these visits no less than quarterly, but hopefully as often as monthly depending upon funding.

Newburgh, NY – Making Piece

2019-03-17T00:00:00Z

Members of Girls to Ladies are planning a collaboratively produced anti-violence project called Making Piece. This will be the installation of a cooperatively created quilt of verbal and visual art, that will be 'toured' in multiple venues followed by a community discussion and performance component and the production of a book that will contain reproductions of some of the works submitted. This book will be made available to the Newburgh Free Library as well as the middle and high school libraries. The quilt will contain 'patches' made on weather resistant paper that may be displayed outside or in.

Cass Clay – Grandma's Giving Garden

2019-03-15T00:00:00Z

The idea for this project developed during the harvest season of 2017, when I noticed there was a significant amount of vegetables left for waste in the local community garden. Being an old farm girl I couldn't let these vegetables go to waste so I filled my trailer full and headed to the Grand Forks Mission to donate the vegetables. While talking to some of the staff I became aware of the extreme need for food donations for these types of local agencies. So in the summer of 2018 I set out to do what I could to support the children and families in need of fresh produce in my community. Last summer with the help of several Volunteers, All Season's Community Garden and my own resources I planted my garden all total in size it was over 4,000 sq ft. I had little resources but so much ambition and support from my community that the Garden was able to produce 3,727 lbs of organic vegetables to the local Salvation Army cupboard. This year my goal is to donate 6,000 lbs of vegetables to the greater Grand Forks food cupboards. With the help from organizations such as The Awesome Foundation and my local community my goal of providing 6,000 lbs of fresh produce to children and families in need is more obtainable.

Rockport, MA – RES Waste Reduction and Compost Project

2019-03-15T00:00:00Z

We have seen the need to reduce waste created in our school cafeteria and classrooms. Our team of 16 fifth graders has consulted with Eric Magers of Seaside Sustainability about beginning this project with a week long trash audit. We will be presenting the results of this audit and more about our project to the rest of the elementary school staff and student body. We will then continue by raising awareness of waste through classroom presentations and whole school assemblies. We will work with our school's facilities manager to install our waste system in the cafeteria and monitor our progress.

Rochester, NY (Неактивен) – Second Sunday Stories & Stuff

2019-03-14T00:00:00Z

Every second Sunday of the month since I cut the ribbon at The Avenue Blackbox Theatre on June 7, 2018 at 780 Joseph Avenue we have celebrated literacy. community and childlike curiosity in one of Rochester's arts deserts. I believe deeply in literacy and the power of storytelling to build community and common ground. BUT, I believe it should be FUN -- first and foremost. So I started off with STORY PARADE, interactive storytime that included an African drumming workshop, stories from a master storyteller, content-themed art project, healthy snack and book giveaway, sidewalk chalk art and the highlight -- a parade in costume down Joseph Avenue led by our Master Drummer and chanting POSITIVITY to reinforce the power of the SPOKEN WORD. Alas, the Rochester snow pushed us back inside to regroup and I got together with a 7 year old author friend of mine to come up with a new idea. We decided to return in January with a STORY CARNIVAL! We will transform the theater into a literary TENT TOWN, show up in our favorite costumes or snuggy pajamas to read or be read to, eat healthy snack, listen to a story from our featured master storyteller, do our content-themed art project, play carnival games and get prizes! Our community engagement piece in lieu of the snowed-out parade will be huge, colorful window drawing installations about our story outlined by our resident visual artists and colored in by all participants for our neighbors passing by!

Boston, MA – Pipetting Zoo

2019-03-14T00:00:00Z

I want to create an interactive installment for the Cambridge Science festival called the pipetting zoo where participants will be able to interact with copapods, daphnia, nematodes, zooplankton, hydra, diatoms, tardigrades and other little swimming critters in the style of a petting zoo!!

Buffalo, NY (Неактивен) – A Different View to Buffalo

2019-03-13T00:00:00Z

Since I moved to Buffalo two years ago I spend a lot of time exploring the city. On my walks on the West side of the city I often enjoy the feeling of being present on the street and I want to extend that moment and sustain that feeling. In these moments I just want to sit down to enjoy the view, the air, the sounds, explore the buildings with my eyes, watch traffic - have a feel of the physical environment and the life in it. And I always notice that there is nowhere to sit down. That’s an awkward realization, because it feels like the streets force me to keep moving, telling me to get off, when I want to stay there. That is not cool. That’s why I would use the grant to put a bench on the street in the Five Points area of the West side of Buffalo. I chose the Five Points, because it is frequently visited by customers of local businesses and I think it would get attention from residents of the neighborhood and visitors from other parts of the city alike. The bench would let people look around in their city from a different time and space perspective - the perspective of the city itself. The experience would be more than the usual transient one, when we drive on those streets or when we rush from A to B; it would be a few minutes of slow immersion, a long gaze; we would notice new things and we could understand better where we live.

Annapolis, NS (Неактивен) – Mills Mountain Bakery

2019-03-13T00:00:00Z

Brittany Buckland and Tammy Thompson were both preparing gluten free meals and baked goods for their celiac family members. Being celiac for many years, had brought many challenges to caring for their families while providing uncontaminated food. They saw the side effects of their family members after they had unknowingly had gluten contaminated food and that was unpleasant for them They both had the ability to bake/cook and had a bit of business sense so they decided to do market research at summer markets. During this very informative time, they discovered, THEY WERE NOT ALONE in their quest for uncontaminated gluten free products. Mills Mountain GF Foods was born!!! and they are thrilled to share their safe food with everyone to enjoy. With the Awesome win, they will use the funds for their new location (4704 Hwy 1), providing them with a freezer display unit. They have a dedicated gluten free facility providing uncompromised products for the health and well being of celiacs and gluten intolerant folks of the Valley.

San Francisco, CA – We’re not going Anywhere

2019-03-12T00:00:00Z

We’re not going Anywhere” Public services for the public. 8 Vans parked alongside Lake Merritt, in Oakland with all their wheels removed and resting on cinder-blocks. Each van with its own unique public service experience and an open sliding door letting people in from the sidewalk with an alluring carpet. Each van will be decorated and the services will be things like, “have a delicious meal” “very gentle things” “advice from a local” “teatime” “learn to dj” “miniature-skill sharing” and so on. Each van will have someone inside giving the service and someone outside introducing the experience. The Vans will stay parked for several hours, then the wheels will go back on and they’ll drive away.

Ann Arbor, MI – Women of Banglatown Youth Arts

2019-03-11T00:00:00Z

Women of Banglatown has a unique origin story. The founder, Ali Lapetina, was working on a photography project in Hamtramck, Michigan when she noticed these young girls playing in an alleyway. She befriended them and found out they were a part of the Bangladeshi community located in Hamtramck. As she continued her friendship with these girls and their families, she noticed a lack of space for the Bangladeshi girls and young women. Boys zip through the neighborhoods on their bikes and find commune with each other but there was no equivalent for these girls. Women of Banglatown was created to provide that space. Now we provide weekly art and wellness classes as well as just a space for girls to make friends, create, and find unity with each other. Each week we bring in local artists to teach a lesson. Women of Banglatown has taught screen printing, photography, sun prints, henna, pressed flowers, weaving, natural dyes, paper making, and more. Alongside our arts programming we focus on wellness by providing zumba lessons, yoga on the roof, and self care days. Overarchingly, we want our all women community space to be a place where girls can relax and have fun, whether it’s movie nights or homework help. Our mission at Women of Banglatown is to empower girls and women through diverse programming while creating a comfortable space for community conversation.

Birmingham, AL (Неактивен) – I See Me, Inc.

2019-03-06T00:00:00Z

Did you know that two thirds of children of color that are not reading on grade level by the fourth grade will fall victim to the criminal justice system. Reading is the common thread that runs through every subject area and career field. To create a child that is college or career ready we must begin with the basics. The mission of “I See Me, Inc.” is to dismantle the “School-to-Prison Pipeline” by increasing the literacy rates in children of color by engaging them in literature that reflects their culture and mirrors their image. We plan to break the cycle through our events, programs and books that mirror children of color’s culture, experience and image. I See Me, Inc. Currently has 5 programs to meet our mission: *Real Men Read brings men from throughout the community into schools to read to male students in a one-day event. It promotes a positive educational image to students and allows them to engage with successful male role models through books and reading *Just Us Girls uses literature to stimulate and engage important conversations among young women of color. The literature and activities are connected in a way that allow these young women to view themselves as empowered, confident and valued. *The I See Me Book Drive promotes the vital connection between the proverbial “village” and its students through the donation of books featuring characters reflecting the culture of students of color. Knowing how to read makes people safer, healthier and more self-sufficient. *1st Library ensures every child in need has books in their home by helping them create their first home library. Using books donated to the “I See Me Book Drive”, the program builds early readers into lifelong learners—and encourages other family members to read as well. *Through partnership with local licensed barbers, “I See Me, Inc.” offer students a chance to EARN free haircuts by simply reading. “Crown Me”, is an effort to motivate as well as attach a masculine sense of reading.

Adelaide – King of the Hill All Style Battle and Workshop

2019-03-06T00:00:00Z

King of the Hill is a dance battle which brings some of Adelaide's leading street dancers into the area of Mount Barker to inspire our young people. With limited resources and infrastructure for young people in the Adelaide hills and issues of youth mental health on the rise, this event aims to bring positive role models into the community to inspire our young people and show them what can be achieved through determination, discipline, positive mind-set and community support. The selected role models spend time talking with our young people about their own lives and how they train. They also talk about the values that can be learnt amongst the street dance culture which promotes respect, humility and team work. This event sees a number of local young people from the area attending and competing against their idols. This culture of competition is quite unique. It is not about knocking the other person out. It is all about representing who you are by displaying how creative you can be with your own freestyle movements. Competitors cheer each other on as opposed to jeering. Older dancers stand behind and support the younger ones as they want to see this culture continue. Many of the younger dancers leave with heads held high due to the time and respect they get from the older dancers. The older dancers also gain a sense of appreciation and respect when they see how excited and honoured the younger dancers are when they get to socialise and dance with them. It is an incredible moment for creating connections, new friendships and inspiration.

Antigonish, NS (Неактивен) – Fidget blankets for seniors with Alzheimers or Dem

2019-03-05T00:00:00Z

I have been spending some time over the past year with a friend who lives in the RK MACDONALD nursing home. He suffered a traumatic brain injury at the age of 17 and His parents have had lots of friends spend time with him almost everyday . Currently I take him out for an excursion three times a week. So at least 3 times a week I walk through the RK and visit briefly with the folks there. Some are still communicating orally some are a little more limited and some are suffering with Alzheimers or dementia. I was commissioned last year to make a sensory blanket or fidget blanket for a lady to give to her father at the RK and I’ve been interested in them since. Now because of my frequent visits I can see a real need for them. My plan is to use the generous funding to purchase supplies and hire a helper to make 10-15 fidget blankets which I will donate to the RK Nursing home to be used by the residents.

Austin, TX – SAGE Studio Spring Art Show

2019-03-04T00:00:00Z

Started in January 2017 as an art studio for emerging artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities, SAGE Studio works to connect contemporary artists with disabilities to Austin’s broader arts community. SAGE moved into its current space, a refurbished shipping container in East Austin, in May 2018, and began functioning as a dual studio and gallery space that provides Austin-based adults with disabilities the materials, space, and support to produce, exhibit, and sell their artwork. SAGE works with artists in two capacities. Our studio artists create their art in our East Austin studio, with the guidance of practicing artist facilitators. The goal for participating artists is to strengthen their artistic voice, build a cohesive portfolio of work for exhibition, and pursue a career as a professional artist. All materials are provided to studio artists by SAGE, and studio artists are eligible to have their work displayed in the gallery. SAGE also represents artists in the gallery who create their work outside the studio. These artists can live locally, or may live and work elsewhere in Texas. SAGE currently works with four studio artists and three gallery artists. Both studio and gallery artists are paid a 50% commission on all original work sold in gallery. SAGE Studio’s artists range in age, ethnicity, and diagnosis, and work in a variety of mediums, including drawing, painting, weaving, and paper modeling. SAGE Studio puts on quarterly art shows, and participates in other relevant programming, such as Big Medium's East Austin Studio Tour in November. At the core of SAGE Studio’s mission is the message of inclusion: “to increase the visibility of artists with disabilities within Austin’s vibrant arts community, enabling them to become meaningful contributors to the social, economic, and creative life of the community.” In 2018, SAGE was recognized by the Austin Chronicle as Austin's "Best Outsider Art Advocate" in their annual Best of Austin issue. The Awesome Foundation's microgrant will fund the SAGE Studio spring art show on March 23, 2019.

Awesome Without Borders (Неактивен) – WELL-GROOMED

2019-03-04T00:00:00Z

WELL GROOMED is a short documentary revealing the art and industry around the colorful world of creative dog grooming. It follows two female American dog groomers as they transform poodles into fantastical creations during intense competitions, together forming an industry around their new craft. A niche within the American grooming circuit, creative dog groomers direct their talent to transforming poodles into vibrate creations. Unknown to the outside world, these competitions draw thousands and spawn copycat grooming organizations around the world. Each design takes 30 hours of dye work to expertly blend hues into dog fur. Groomers then endure 3 hours in front of judges, styling their pets into exotic and abstract creations, which can range from Scooby Doo to “Halloween”. The prize for competing? Fame. Seen as both awe-inspiring and troubling from groomers at large, these women have become objects of envy and derision as they push this art further than ever before. Outside competitions, neighbors view their work with skepticism. Creative groomers must fight to prove that their art is safe for the dog – and that it enjoys the hours on the grooming table as they pull, push and coif its hair. One groomer in particular is a standout in the industry, and has enjoyed more wins in competition than anyone else. Angela Kumpe from Little Rock, AR, is a force in the grooming industry, and has recently begun educating the outside world on the “good” in creative grooming while continuing to win the top prizes. However, one of her best friends and protégés, Adriane Pope, has high hopes of taking this year’s prize away from her. Adriane seems poised to become a powerhouse in the creative styling ring. WELL GROOMED reveals the world’s top creative grooming competitors as they vie for the year’s best design – and follows two friends who work together to push this growing art form to new heights.

State College, PA – Healthy Living Cookbook

2019-03-04T00:00:00Z

The YMCA has come up with a great way to bring healthy food and information to families in Centre and Clearfield Counties with the Healthy Living Mobile Kitchen. I would like to develop an easy to read cookbook that can be given to participants in the bus program. Colorful pictures and recipes that use the produce the bus is offering so that families have more cooking ideas when they head to their kitchen.

Fleurieu – The Green Pantry

2019-03-03T00:00:00Z

The Green Pantry was a simple idea of wanting to build community by sharing food and pantry items out to people that needed a bit of encouragement. It is located at a property just out of Victor. Fully stocked with meals, pantry, personal and household items, these hampers get distributed out on a needs basis. Know someone who could use some help? Get in contact with The Green Pantry. I have lived in Victor Harbor for the past five years with my husband and four children. I am passionate about our community, getting involved, good food, and coffee. I think our community has so much to offer and I love making a difference in peoples lives just by offering a little kindness. A massive bonus is that my kids get to see that supporting each other is so important, and now they love delivering bread and bakery items to people as much as I do.

Moscow (Неактивен) – "Мы рисуем детство"

2019-03-02T00:00:00Z

В малых городах России, таких как г. Мантурово Костромской области, стоит острая проблема по организации работы с детьми-инвалидами. Родители вынуждены обращаться за помощью к специалистам областного центра. Большинству это недоступно по финансовым причинам. Вследствие чего, у детей с инвалидностью ограничен круг общения: 4-6 часов в неделю при посещении образовательного учреждения, а также общение в кругу родных. ГАУ КО «Мантуровский комплексный центр социального обслуживания населения» - единственное учреждение г. Мантурово, которое предоставляет услуги по социальной реабилитации детей-инвалидов. Специалисты Центра проводят занятия по социально-бытовой, социально-средовой, социально-психологической и социокультурной реабилитации. Однако, нам бы хотелось расширить наши возможности и показать родителям новые формы и методы работы с детьми. Наш проект «Мы рисуем детство!» направлен на создание условий для социальной реабилитации и интеграции детей-инвалидов средствами художественного рисования. Мы планируем проводить занятия с детьми по обучению их навыкам рисования, используя нетрадиционные техники и материалы: рисование цветным песком, на стекле, штампы, монотипия, рисунок по соли и др. Изобразительная деятельность для детей-инвалидов носит эмоциональный и творческий характер. В процессе рисования ребенок испытывает разнообразные чувства: радуется красивому изображению, которое он создал сам, огорчается, если что-то не получается. Но самое главное: создавая изображение, ребенок приобретает различные знания; уточняются и углубляются его представления об окружающем; в процессе работы он начинает осмысливать качества предметов, овладевать изобразительными навыками и умениями, учится осознанно их использовать. Результатом данного проекта мы видим: 1. Вовлечение в активную деятельность 30 семей с детьми-инвалидами из 61 семьи, состоящей на учете; 2. Проведение выставок работ на общегородских мероприятиях «Широкая масленица - 2019», День защиты детей и других.

Liverpool (Неактивен) – My City: Creative Writing & Storytelling - Persian

2019-03-02T00:00:00Z

This creative writing and storytelling workshop for ages 15+ planned to take place at the Central Youth Club in Liverpool in May to coincide with WoW Festival aims to bring together the Iranian diaspora with the wider communities of Liverpool through storytelling. -extending on the social events to celebrate national and cultural occasions and the English classes for adults to help the new immigrants handle day to day conversations we offer. Using The Book of Tehran - a new collection of short stories translated into English by some of the best contemporary writers from Iran as inspiration for the day the group will explore how they might apply these themes to their own place of writing. What is the Iranian community’s experience of life in Liverpool? What can we learn from the style of writing, language and interpretations across cultures? How does this evoke a sense of place, what do we learn about Tehran, how does this compare to our experience of these cities? The leader would then introduce exercises for the group to try, leading into creative time in which to write something exploring their relationship to Iran, the UK or both. There would then be time for the group to share their stories and feedback. Proposed workshop leaders are local artist and creative writing expert Vahid Davar and The Book of Tehran contributor Orkideh Behrouzan.

Minas Gerais (Неактивен) – Sarau Litero Musical

2019-03-01T00:00:00Z

PROJETO DANÇADO Totalizando, até o momento, 10 apresentações, todas sem fins lucrativos, em quadra aberta da Escola Estadual Gerson Gomes de Almeida, em Ipaba, objetiva, envolvendo alunos, seu entorno e a comunidade, trazer mais cultura à cidade. Este é o projeto Awesome de Março! Composto por cerca de 400 (!) alunos de 07 a 14 anos é liderado pela professora Sônia Cristina, o sarau faz agora 14 anos e se mantém pela ajuda dos pais, professores, direção da escola e comunidade. Ela quer dar continuidade ao projeto pela emoção de ser portadora de cultura em sua comunidade e pela arte da dança, em si, por que tem muito amor! O coral traz em torno de si um público estimado de 2000 pessoas. QUE SEJA AWESOME

Gloucester, MA – McPherson Walkway Gardens

2019-03-01T00:00:00Z

Libraries (Неактивен) – The Library for Food Sovereignty

2019-03-01T00:00:00Z

The Library for Food Sovereignty (LFS) is a knowledge commons for inspiring, exchanging, and safeguarding farmer innovations, famer-led research, and farmer stories from around the world. What our grantee has to say: "This project explores the application of information and communication technologies within the indigenous farming community, I will specifically use this funding to help develop participatory innovation development and farmer-led documentation practices. What our trustees have to say: “A unique approach to building a knowledge commons that not only facilitates the sharing of information but also its protection from commercial interests.” “This project aims for a delicate balance between culturally-sensitive open access and the preservation of intellectual property rights for individual farmers.” “An inspiring project with a big impact.”

North Minneapolis, MN – Save the Youth, Save the Future

2019-03-01T00:00:00Z

The Brother’s Foundation’s (TBF) was formed by young men, connected to the streets, from rival Northside gang factions. On a mission, to prevent/interrupt and divert Northside middle school boys (including their sons) from participating in street and/or gang violence. As fathers of young males reaching middle school age, we are reminded of what caused us to put down the balls and pick up the guns.” Peer pressure, the longing to belong to a group, to be seen; caused us to make some bad choices. We want to get ahead of that curve and interrupt any alienation with society that occurs as they enter their teens. Hence, the name Save the Youth, Save the Future. As former gang members ourselves, we do not want the next generation to follow in our footsteps. We want to interrupt the cycle of violence that manifests as Northside young males enter puberty. In small groups, TBF will offer these youth the opportunity to build relationships with adults they can trust, be able to voice their needs and concerns We will provide opportunities that we did not have as youth. We will offer a safe place where they can express themselves, discuss their challenges and speak for themselves. TBF will provide support in the form of resources and encouragement.

Melbourne (Неактивен) – Children of Cherbourg

2019-02-28T00:00:00Z

We plan to freight 1200 books we have collected from Melbourne Libraries and private donors across Melbourne to Cherbourg Aboriginal Learning Centre, so that parents and children can borrow books to read with each other at home as well as the Cherbourg Primary School students having full access

Raleigh, NC (Неактивен) – Let's Hop NC

2019-02-28T00:00:00Z

Let's Hop NC is a North Carolina based project that brings art to the streets, literally! With this project, I plan to transform sidewalks into exciting playgrounds with unique hopscotch boards. After securing the proper permissions, these hand-painted boards can be painted anywhere in the city attracting and connecting people of all different backgrounds and generations. Each board will be unique and completely different from the next.

Disability – DREAM

2019-02-28T00:00:00Z

DREAM is a national online organization that connects and supports students to become leaders and agents of change on their campuses through programs such as DREAM Chapters and Affiliates, Mentor Monday webinars, and Disabled & Proud student conferences. DREAM members strongly advocate for disability culture, community, and pride as well as the interests of college students with disabilities and strive to develop into an online disability cultural center for students who want to connect with other students and the disability community. DREAM is led by an advisory board of outstanding college students from across the U.S. and a part-time coordinator and has over 40 chapters and affiliates. Our sponsoring organization--the National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD)—is stretching a 3-year U.S. Department of Education grant to cover 5 years and has no funds to develop new DREAM programs. Except for the conference, which is offered at low or no cost, all our programs are open to students for free. Our last Disabled & Proud conference was held online in October 2018 for nearly 500 students and featured over 50 presenters, mentors, exhibitors, and sponsors (https://www.disabledandproud.org). Based on feedback emerging from conference activities, the DREAM Board would like to provide students with more support to build and sustain their organizations as well as more events promoting disability culture and pride. Keri Gray with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) has proposed a fantastic pair of workshops on how to sustain student organizations and their leaders over time. In addition, we’d like to have a disability film screening and student-led Twitter chat as an online social activity. Finally, we'd like to further support our 2019 Mentor Monday guest mentors who are authors, like Naomi Ortiz and Keah Brown, by buying copies of their work for promotional giveaways to students (guest mentors receive a small honorarium from NCCSD). What our grantee is saying: "We at DREAM are so grateful to receive this grant from Awesome Disability! The grant will kickstart new programs to develop college student leadership and disability pride, bringing together Deaf and disabled students from across the U.S. to network and support each other."

San Antonio, TX – World's 1st Wall-Mounted Solar Mural Installation

2019-02-28T00:00:00Z

The World's 1st Wall-Mounted Solar Mural Installation will be mounted on the west-facing exterior wall of JT Brackenridge Elementary School at the historic crossroads of San Antonio's Westside: Guadalupe and South Brazos Streets. The Land Art Generator--a piece of public art producing renewable energy--will consist of 18 solar panels coated with image-embedded photovoltaic film. The Esperanza Center has long been collecting and exhibiting historic photos as fotobanners along the streets of San Antonio’s Westside as part of a project called En Aquellos Tiempos: Fotohistorias del Westside, a unique outdoor street museum highlighting the area’s rich historical and cultural heritage. One section along the Guadalupe Street fence of JT Brackenridge Elementary School which you arrive at as you enter the Westside over the Guadalupe Bridge, is devoted to fifty sepia and black-and-white shots from 1906 to 1960 of children from this barrio. This stretch is impressive during the day but dark at night: Esperanza has long wanted to nocturnally illuminate this important “art”-ery. The World's 1st Wall-Mounted Solar Mural Installation will provide the electricity to do just that. Last spring, Land Art Generator Initiative--global leaders in the crusade to make renewable energy beautiful--conducted community engagement workshops with over 75 fifth grade science students who learned about renewable energy and helped determine content/composition for the Solar Mural project. Then LAGI worked with a group of Westside community elders addressing the same challenge. Consensus between the two generationally-diverse groups led to selection of two images for an awesome Solar Mural artwork: a sepia-toned 1906 class picture of JT Brackenridge Elementary School students at the school’s nearby original site juxtaposed against a current color shot of the 75+ fifth-graders who helped with the project. 18 60-cell solar modules--9 modules per photo, each in a 3x3 composition!

Aviano (Неактивен) – Great Gelato Giveaway

2019-02-28T00:00:00Z

We love gelato and think that ice-cream is a great way to help people bond. As spring approaches with warmer weather, the gelato shops in the Aviano area are getting busier. We plan to donate some funds to a number of these places to give away ice cream to groups of people at their discretion. What an awesome way to celebrate spring.

New York City, NY – Project X Bronx Poetry & Arts Festival

2019-02-27T00:00:00Z

We love to support people who are passionate about building and supporting their communities, so we are so excited to support Project X as they launch a new Poetry & Arts festival this summer. In organizer Noel Quiñones's own words: _Over the past three years Project X has organized nearly 40 slams, workshops, & community programming in the Bronx. Through this, we experienced the power poetry has on uplifting & connecting communities of color, income, disability, & sexual orientation. Throughout our season, we watch people slowly come out of their shells while making friends & gaining professional development & experience. We want to celebrate the artists that worked hard throughout the year. We want them to celebrate themselves & their resilience, & most importantly we want the rest of the Bronx to see the beautiful work growing in their backyard. Therefore our awesome project is to create and host the first ever Bronx Poetry & Arts Festival to be held in the South Bronx in August 2019._ _We create a space for Bronx poets & artists to grow through friendships & opportunities. The Bronx has NYC’s highest poverty rate, leaving many artists without the leisure to work solely on their art. This combined with consistent violence on immigrants, women, & LGBTQ individuals, leads many to feel beaten down & forgotten. Project X wants to empower them to feel worthy & supported. The Bronx birthed us & art carried us through. We will remain a resource for Bronx poets & artists & commit to holding ourselves accountable. We will not be forgotten._ The festival will be held on August 10, 2019 at the iD Studio Theater in the Bronx. We hope to see you there!