Awesome Foundation - Projects

Newcastle – Mindfulness for men with pregnant partners

2017-01-19T00:00:00Z

This project, using mindfulness interventions for men with pregnant partners, provides the possibility to change emotions and behaviours that unchallenged might otherwise have the potential to manifest into stress, anger and violence. An improved ability to cope with stressors is postulated to improve wellbeing and decrease the chance of stress and anger becoming uncontrollable. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is increasingly gaining acceptance as a treatment option for a wide range of psychological health issues. Mindfulness based interventions such as MBSR have become recognised for their potential to reduce stress and increase the person’s ability to develop skills that improve psychological functioning. The aim of this project is: • To explore the possible benefits of a mindfulness intervention for men with pregnant partners • To trial an online intervention for men with pregnant partners to learn and practice mindfulness interventions • To train and support men in learning MBSR techniques to reduce stress and improve emotional wellbeing as part of the journey through parenthood

Tallahassee, FL (Inactive) – Making Light - Autism Movement Therapy dance floor

2017-01-19T00:00:00Z

The mission of Making Light Productions is two-fold: We want to provide high quality, inclusive arts education for kids of all abilities and job opportunities for adults with disabilities. This kind of program does not exist in Tallahassee. (We are a registered non-profit corporation in the State of Florida and our completed 501c3 application is currently being reviewed by the IRS.) Why is an Inclusive Theatre Arts Program Important? Other theatre arts programs in the area provide a barrier to kids with cognitive disabilities or developmental delays. Public school theatre programs tend to be audition-based and exclusive, rather than inclusive. Many local private programs require a threshold of independent functioning – requiring a child to participate independently of a parent or therapist – that many kids with disabilities are unable to meet. In addition, we want to provide Autism Movement Therapy as part of our dance schedule -- and we are the only licensed provider of that service in the region. At Making Light Theatre, we believe an inclusive model is essential not just for the kids with “special” needs – but also their “typical” peers. A neurotypical child who has worked side-by-side with another child with autism to produce a play never has to be taught that this child brings a worthy contribution to the world. This child has been educated in tolerance and acceptance by immersion. Often, in the arts, a typical child will meet a child with autism who can perform in some way – memorizing lines almost instantly, for instance, or having perfect pitch – that they, as the “normal” child, cannot. The whole concept of who is facing “challenges” and who is “gifted” gets turned on its head, opening their minds to the idea that every person has a legitimate contribution to make. They, in turn, take this experience into the world – a world of diverse people of diverse abilities and challenges – and act accordingly.

Chicago, IL – Empowering Teen Authors & Teen Publishers

2017-01-19T00:00:00Z

The Revolving Door Arts Teen Chapbook series publishes the creative writing of teens at the manuscript level. We are currently working with four Chicago teen poets to produce their first print and online publications in the form of chapbooks. This series includes peer-to-peer support and manuscript alongside mentor support of established writers. We believe that the creative arts remain an integral part of our society and that young people are critical to its sustainability and evolution. We also believe that creative workforce development can provide young creatives with new forms of exposure to sustainable, life-long careers in the arts. For this reason, we have a vision to grow this initiative into a teen-driven publishing house where teens are given the space to professionally produce teen creative work in fiction, poetry, memoir, essay, and more. Our youth publishing house will give teens an opportunity to serve as editors, graphic and layout designers, and PR personas as they curate, collaborate, produce, and promote small collections of creative writing by their peers. This will be the first teen-driven publishing house within the United States.

Yerevan – Քայլող կինոթատրոն

2017-01-19T00:00:00Z

Փոքր համայնքներում մարդիկ զուրկ են կինոդիտման հնարավորությունից:  Համայնքներում երիտասարդներն, առհասարակ, չունեն համատեղ հավաքվելու և շփվելու, ժամանակ անցկացնելու վայր, ինչի պատճառով դպրոցից և տոնական միջոցառումներից բացի իրար հանդիպելու առիթներ չեն ունենում:  Երևան այցելող համայնքաբնակ երիտասարդների, և ոչ միայն, ժամանցի հիմնական վայրերից է հանդիսանում կինոթատրոնը: Փաստացի, միայն Երևան այցելելու դեպքում են երիտասարդները կարողանում ծանոթանալ ժամանակակից կինոաշխարհի զարգացումներին: Ցանկանում եմ կցասայլի վրա հավաքել «Քայլող կինոթատրոն» որը կշրջի համայնքներով և կկազմակերպի կինոդիտումներ:  Վայոց Ձորի մարզում կազմակերպվում է 3 խոշոր փառատոն՝ Արենու գինու փառատոն, Էկոտուրիզմի փառատոն Գոմք գյուղում, Ձնեմարդուկ՝ ձնե արվեստների փառատոն Ջերմուկում, ինչը հնարավորություն կտա կազմակերպել նաև վճարովի ծառայություն, իսկ գյուղական համայքներում կինոդիտումները կկազմակերպվեն անվճար հիմունքներով:

Birmingham, AL (Inactive) – Team Alabama Solar Decathlon SURVIV(AL) House

2017-01-19T00:00:00Z

University of Alabama at Birmingham, in partnership with Calhoun Community College, is one of 14 collegiate teams from around the world selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon 2017 competition. Over the next year, an interdisciplinary team of students from across the university will be engaged in designing and building a house that is completely solar powered. The process of designing, constructing and testing s u r v i v ( A L ), a net-zero energy, solar-powered home is now underway. Inspired by the devastating impact of the 2011 tornado super outbreak on Alabama communities, s u r v i v ( A L ) house will serve as a model for sustainable, resilient housing for tornado-prone communities. When team UAB has finished competing in Denver, our house will return to Birmingham and will be rebuilt at UAB’s Sustainable Microgrid Demonstration Site. The site will be the first neighborhood of its kind in Alabama, and the only living lab of its kind at a college or university in the region. The s u r v i v ( A L ) house will be joined by four tiny homes recovered from the 5th Avenue Alagasco site and repurposed as small-scale net-zero housing. The Sustainable Microgrid Demonstration Site will apply a whole-systems design approach to transform a high energy and water dependent area into an energy independent island that presents the smallest footprint possible. The block will feature an orchard, a community garden, and functioning solar, wind, and other renewable-sourced energy installations that will power a microgrid — the neighborhood will provide all of its own energy! The model site will be studied and managed by resident-researchers who will conduct tours, collect data, and maintain the living spaces and gardens.

Bend, OR (Inactive) – Project YOU ARE AWESOME

2017-01-18T00:00:00Z

IF giving 500 people a rose and a bumper sticker to BLAST the news that they are AWESOME could actually change the brain wave patterns of 74,750+ people in a positive way in Bend Oregon shouldn't it happen? YES!! I will start by sharing what a single yellow rose did for me and why it lead me to wanting others to have the same feeling! I googled away on the history and psychological effects of flowers and found super interesting and exciting studies that have been done and I can't wait to share all of it in my pitch! The "YOU ARE AWESOME" sticker is the "gold star" the recipients have to share that they truly are fantastic people! We all know the marketing power of stickers and more people deserve to know about the "Awesome Foundation" and all the great things that are happening all over the world because of the good work of so many that are making their communities better places! 100 roses with stickers will be given out to unsuspecting people throughout town for 5 weeks. The receptionist at the dentist that was super nice to you 6 months ago or the checker at the grocery store that always makes your day! It might be your sons teacher or your daughters coach? The roses will be available for anyone to be the giver by signing up on the "PYAA" (Project You Are Awesome) Facebook page. 1 rose or 10 anyone can pick them up once a week to share! Sooooo exciting isn't it?!

Minas Gerais (Inactive) – FLORESTA DE PEDRA

2017-01-18T00:00:00Z

Sou artista plastico graffiteiro, morador de Belo Horizonte, com 36 anos. A ideia de meu projeto é sair pelas ruas de Belo Horizonte e cidades de Minas Gerais pintando animais das regiões e animais em extinção! O objetivo do projeto é chamar a atenção de pessoas de todas as idades para a reflexão e para o interesse na arte, no respeito a vida das plantas e dos animais, pois isso se perde a cada dia. Na minha opinião, o graffiti sendo feito em lugares de muita visibilidade com cores, animais e plantas exóticos vai causar muito impacto, pois já tive muitas experiências similares e sei o que chama a pessoa para a reflexão. RELEASE ARTÍSTICO: Sergio Luiz do Amaral, conhecido no graffiti como "Iron", nascido em julho de 1981 em Belo Horizonte, onde reside e desenvolve seus trabalhos. Como artista autodidata, desenha desde os 8 anos de idade e foi em 2001 que começou a fazer graffiti, desde então realizando trabalhos em várias capitais do Brasil e na Argentina. Em seu trabalho autoral característico, o artista apresenta estilo surrealista, usando como principal temática os animais, criando assim fusões entre eles.

Gloucester, MA – Gloucester's Civil War coat display case

2017-01-17T00:00:00Z

Dear Awesome Gloucester: This is our third time applying for a grant to aid Gloucester's Civil War coat. The second time we applied, we were honored to be invited to give a presentation. Since your committee was encouraging and enthusiastic about our lecture, we hope the third time is a charm. But this time things are different. We have a new update and mission regarding the coat. The restoration is a thing of the past! Thanks to many generous donors and support from a few great organizations like the Gloucester fund and the Office of Veterans Affairs and the city we are excited to report that from the fall of 2015 through the spring of 2016 we led a successful fundraising drive. We raised $4600 which was used to restore this precious Civil War artifact relating in many ways to Gloucester and the county. Gloucester may have one of the only existing articles of clothing that was formerly owned by a slave. The cry to save the coat originated with an appeal that made its way to the Office of Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken; Jim Destino sent it to the Committee for the Arts and gave the first donation. The committee arranged for a conservator that was able to fix the coat once enough money was raised. The coat was stabilized and completely restored by November 2016. Now it awaits a secure display case: that's our new mission! We spoke with Principal Cook about this whole thing and he agreed with us that the coat needs its own display case. We did a public survey and spoke with many others, too. The original estimate to repair the coat did not include the display case and it was under by about $1000 which is why we have no leftover money from the $4600 we raised. (During the fundraising the scope of the conservator’s original job was changed to have her make it safe enough to stand up 3D and for transport.) All the money raised went to the conservator.

Boulder, CO (Inactive) – "Pain Management" (a theatrical happening)

2017-01-17T00:00:00Z

"Pain Management" derives its name (and inspiration) from the sign on the side of the building we are currently officing in: the former Boulder Community Hospital Mapleton Center, 311 Mapleton Ave. A deserted hospital- we now know- has a very peculiar character. Part ghost town, part playground, stories of hope and pain seem to be lurking in our peripheral vision in every empty hallway, each abandoned examination room. As theater makers, we're, of course, drawn to voice those stories. We wish to build a site-specific show (eg, using the hospital itself as a venue) devised by both a team of artists AND audience volunteers. This unusual artist/audience collaboration is something we've experimented with once before: The accompanying photos are from "Tone." (punctuation intended), our artist/audience collaboration at the 2016 Local Lab new play festival at eTown Hall. Using 1/3 actors and 2/3 volunteer audience members, we spent 8 hours over the course of the 3-day festival developing very short plays on the subject of making ourselves understood (or misunderstood) over digital mediums. The group presented two scenes from their devised play in front of a sold-out house on the festival's final day. The experience was so popular and fruitful, that we decided to further develop this artist/audience collaboration at the 2017 Local Lab with "Pain Management". Casting from our "Theatricians Collective" --a diverse team of actors, directors, dancers, singers, photographers and other sundry artists who've been studying theater together once a month since February of 2015-- we will invite the Lab audience to join 12 artists in developing short theater pieces on the theme of "pain management". The plays will then be performed at the hospital (the owner has given approval) on Sunday, March 19.

Northern Virginia (NOVA) (Inactive) – Averia-Cheap and Accurate Concussion Screening

2017-01-16T00:00:00Z

According to the CDC more than 3 million student athletes receive concussions every year, but an estimated 86% go undiagnosed. In order to address this major problem in our community, my club, TJ Bioengineering, has built a tool for trainers and coaches to use for a more portable, affordable, and faster screening of concussions. We used a common diagnostic methodology, the tracking of patient's eye movements in response to stimuli. The main difference? Cost and portability. Hospital equipment to perform such tests range from $9,000 to $20,000, while our device, because of the materials used, can be built for less $80 by leveraging recent developments in inexpensive hardware. We mounted two PS3 Eye Cameras to Google Cardboard and wired the input to an Raspberry Pi attached to the headset. Four LEDs were wired and positioned around the frame of the headset. We use OpenCV (Computer Vision library) to track the user’s eyes as the LEDs are turned on and off. As previous studies have shown, erratic eye movements are a reliable biomarker for concussions and the results are communicated via Bluetooth to an iPhone app used by a sideline trainer. Our club has built and tested a working prototype that carries out these functions. Importantly, our system is not technically a diagnosis tool but rather an investigational screening tool for athletic trainers to use on the sidelines. Last spring we beta tested our device at my high school in Fairfax County and with 12 different concussions diagnosed over a month, 78% of students who were screened positive with our device on the sideline, later also tested positive with traditional tests in the clinic. This fall season, we have collaborated with athletic trainers to have organized a more large scale test with Fairfax County Public Schools where we can collect data over the football season. By funding this project, we can dramatically make participating sports safer by reducing potential for further damage when playing.

Pittsburgh, PA – Global Minds

2017-01-16T00:00:00Z

Global Minds is a program created by a group of Allderdice High School students to combat the issues of cultural intolerance, ignorance and discrimination, through a one on one after school tutoring program. In a time when these issues are at their peak, Global Minds was developed to create meaningful relationships between American and ESL (English as a second Language) students. This program will serve as an educational support system for ESL students and will further educate American students about other cultures, in the hope of creating globally minded young leaders. The student body is working to create a safe and engaging learning environment for all students. We anticipate more intercultural friendships and alliances between ESL and local students. Not only will this program positively impact the Allderdice student body, but allow for ESL students to find an important place within our school community. There have been several instances of cultural intolerance and bullying within our classrooms and hallways. This is unacceptable and disciplinary measures have been taken, but that’s simply not enough. This program is a student driven response to these actions, to ensure all students are welcomed and respected. We need to have the resources to stand up and fight for our fellow students with education and knowledge. Instead of isolation and alienation, Global Minds will link all students together, encouraging trust and friendship among the teens. This program is unique and has never been done before. Due to recent events, this type of program is what our community is in need of most. It is our job as Global Citizens to stand up for those who do not have a voice or the means to communicate. It is our job to take initiative and make sure our differences are appreciated, welcomed, understood and cherished, so our future leaders will see diversity as a strength.

Singapore – Intuition

2017-01-16T00:00:00Z

Our documentary, Intuition, follows a young woman on her mission to transform learning in classrooms. It is a never-before-seen insight into the lives of teenagers at the bottom rung of the academic ladder in Singapore. Deemed "unteachable", they struggle to survive, while their teachers labour tirelessly to help them thrive. Convinced that the best way to master a subject is to take ownership of both learning and teaching, Meixi Ng, a dedicated teacher of these students, introduces Tutoriá (Tutorial Relationships) into Singapore classrooms. Originally from Mexico, Tutoriá redefines everything students and teachers think they know about learning in school. Will this be a passing phase or a game-changer? How will this deviation from the norm impact the lives of these students, their teachers, and beyond? There has always been an obsession with academic performance in Singapore, where my Producer Lisa and I grew up. Education has become a hotly debated topic recently in Singapore. In 2013, Prime Minister Lee recognised the issue in his National Day Rally speech, saying "We have an excellent education system. But our society is getting more stratified. Competition is intensifying amongst our students and the focus, unfortunately I think, is too much on examination performance and not enough on learning." Earlier this year, an 11 year old boy committed suicide because he was too afraid to tell his parents that he had failed his school test. This incident made headlines and brought the national debate about the Singapore education system to new heights. The film will be released as part of a comprehensive impact campaign to achieve a few goals: 1. Change mindsets: No one is "unteachable". 2. Change behaviors: Shift the focus away from grades, towards the love for learning instead. 3. Build community: Bring together teachers and parents who want to champion cultivating the natural love for learning in their kids, so they can exchange resources and support each other.

Ottawa – In Search of Batman: Amazing Bats of Sibuyan

2017-01-16T00:00:00Z

The second of Awesome Ottawa's two January awards goes to James Alvarez, who lives in the Philippines, to spread his love of bats there. James’ project is an exploration of the world of bats on Sibuyan Island, including the Philippine tube-nosed fruit bat — found nowhere else in the world but a few Philippine islands. “This bat is unique among all other Philippine bats,” James explains. “The looks, the face, the coloration. And at an angle, it looks a lot like Shrek!” With support from Awesome Ottawa, James will document these and other bats on the island. “We will also discover amazing things about their lives,” he says. “What they eat, where they feed, and the role they play in the forest.” James also wants to introduce the bats to the residents. “Locally,” he explains, “bats are perceived as evil, and I'd like to change that attitude. One way is to present to the people how diverse they are and how helpful they are to humans.” He will produce materials to educate people about the bats in their area, and conduct a short training to teach them to find bats, identify them, and plan for programs to protect them and their habitat. “In the long term,” James says, “I envision to promote bat ecotourism in the Philippines, much like bird-watching. It is my passion to make bats known to the people so they won't kill them but appreciate them.” James is a graduate student at the University of the Philippines, studying bats and their parasites.

Boston, MA – Girl's One Stop Shop

2017-01-16T00:00:00Z

I am a seventh-grader at Inverness Elementary School. I celebrate my birthday each year by throwing a party honoring children that I feel deserves a better Christmas, so I started giving them gifts I collect from my birthday party, businesses, local organizations and community members. When I was 8 years old, I noticed that a girl in my school wore shoes with holes in them. Children made fun of her. I told my mother that I wanted to buy her a pair of new shoes. At that moment, I realized that many other kids were in need of help, too, while every year I was “overwhelmed” with birthday gifts. So I decided that I could put on a smile on my face and theirs by giving my gifts away to youth within my community during the holidays. I did not stop there, after receiving an award from Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, I started a “Girls One Stop Shop” at a local junior high school which gave youth an opportunity to receive personal hygiene supplies for free as needed. Items include sanitary napkins, belts, soap, deodorant, towels, wipes, etc. I keep items stock by soliciting donations from community members and having my friend keep check on items to keep them in stock. School staff members also provides a place in the school for the items and help keep everything organized.

Ottawa – 2017 Ottawa Improv Festival

2017-01-16T00:00:00Z

The first of Awesome Ottawa's two January awards goes to Dani Alon, Chris Hannay, and Val Perelshtein to support the 2017 Ottawa Improv Festival. “The 2017 Ottawa Improv Festival,” explains Dani, “will be a four-day-long celebration of improvised comedy, an art form that’s all about positivity and teamwork.” The first night of the festival, Wednesday, March 8, falls on International Women’s Day and will showcase exclusively female talent. The other days will feature a lineup of local and visiting talent. “Improv is awesome,” says Dani, “because it's a gateway to more and better ideas, confidence in public, and being part of a hilarious and supportive community. Our festival will give those curious about improv a chance to be exposed to as many different facets as possible — from slapstick and silly to dramatic and theatrical.” The festival will also offer workshops taught by visiting performers, giving locals a chance to learn fresh new skills. Dani, Chris, and Val are the three directors of The Improv Embassy, a registered non-profit that opened in September and whose mission is to create more comedy in our capital city.

Cass Clay – Project Help: GRANTED

2017-01-15T00:00:00Z

The Self Sufficiency Department at SENDCAA began looking for funds to "fill the gaps in services" that SENDCAA sees every day. Currently, our state and federal grants only allow us to assist those who are at or below 125% of Federal Poverty Guidelines (an individual must earn less than $14,850 per year and a family of four must earn less than $30,375 per year). In 2015 alone, SENDCAA denied services to 600 individuals and families in our service area because their requests did not fit the parameters of our current funding streams or their earned income was too great. The idea of having independent money to assist an individual or family became a need SENDCAA wanted to find a way to fill. Once the idea was developed, Project Help was born. By obtaining this grant, Project Help would allow SENDCAA to have the flexibility to assist those who otherwise would slip through the cracks of our restricted federal/state grants. This grant would serve those who are up to 200% above the federal poverty level (a family of four would be able to earn up to $48,600.00). This amounts to serving an additional 300 individuals/families living paycheck to paycheck with needed financial help. SENDCAA currently does not have independent, unrestricted money that can help with the discretionary and miscellaneous needs of our clients. The number one unmet need SENDCAA encountered was assistance in paying for a city bill, which includes water, sewer, and garbage. Other requests were for rental deposits, housing application fees, rent or lot rent, employment related costs (i.e., uniforms, work boots, scrubs, etc.), gas money, car repairs, motel stays, toiletries, and more.

Rockport, MA – Cooking Club

2017-01-13T00:00:00Z

In the 2015-2016 School year I was approached by middle and high school students about a cooking club here on campus. Thankfully, we still had working kitchens in the Health room and the students absolutely love creating, cooking and of course, eating. We were able to meet after school on Thursdays about once a month. We did not have a budget for this club and decided to ask for donations and for members to pay a 3-5 dollar fee to be able to purchase supplies. We found that this process didn't always work, as some students simply couldn't afford an extra 3 dollars on top of their other needs, such as lunch money. We still let students participate, as to not leave anyone out, but it became costly. Choosing nutritious foods, preparing and creating meals is an important life skill for everyone, especially adolescents. Students truly enjoy this experience, but we could not continue without support and funding assistance. We would love to get this up going again! Thank you for your consideration.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – "MarchingForward" video

2017-01-13T00:00:00Z

“Marching Forward” is a dramatic, inspiring video for girls and women that shares a message of optimism and boldly encourages girls to use their innate power and courage to carry on the work of feminist pioneers of the past. To be released within days of the Presidential Inauguration in January, 2017, this video is critical now. We’re all concerned about the current wave of antifeminist, misogynistic, and hateful messaging facing women and girls. Our coalition of female filmmakers, producers, and activists is taking all of this negative energy and turning it into a beautiful new beginning. Produced by GlobalGirl Media and The Representation Project, “Marching Forward” will address the turbulent age we live in with a call to action to all girls and women not just to march in unity on January 21st, but to march forward to create a better future for all (girls and women!). The story pairs teenage girls from diverse backgrounds and locations with women whose courage and grit we admire most. The video will reference the pioneering work of female leaders, including Suffragettes, Rosa Parks, Dolores Huerta, Hillary Clinton and Malala. Ultimately, this high production value video defines the anxiety girls and women are facing today, builds on the breakthroughs of pioneering women throughout history, and inspires everyone to take a specific action to support the cause.

Philadelphia, PA – Our Diverse Community Mural

2017-01-11T00:00:00Z

The high school I teach at is working hard to improve its image in the community. After a difficult year, we were lucky to gain an amazing new principal who has turned our school around. As an art teacher, I would like to do my part to change the negative perception of our school, and enhance the positive aspects. One of the best qualities of our school is the diversity of the staff and student population. More than 50 nationalities are represented at our school, and that has inspired the theme of our mural. Despite the wonderful things happening inside the building, the outside of the building has a stark, institutional look. To change this, and change the face we are presenting to the community, my students will design and paint a mural that represents the diversity and individuality of the students at Washington High School. The mural will be designed and painted on canvas in the classroom, and then permanently affixed to the front wall of the school. It will create a bright, positive, and proud appearance to the community, and will give the students enormous pride.

Philadelphia, PA – The Urban Farming Project (UFP)

2017-01-11T00:00:00Z

We at STEMcityPHL and US2020 PHL are looking to grow our Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) mentoring programs by developing the Urban Farming Project (UFP), an after school program for students attending Dr. Ethel Allen School in North Philadelphia. In this neighborhood, there is limited access to healthy and locally-produced food options. We plan to address this issue by building an oasis in a food desert. After receiving an enthusiastic approval from Ms. Eberhardt, Ethel Allen’s Principal, we will implement the UFP by utilizing our partnerships with the City of Philadelphia, Salvation Army’s 21st Century program, Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC), and Saul Agricultural High School. We will launch the UFP on Martin Luther King Day, where volunteers will build the raised garden beds and distribute soil. When the program begins in February, students will be separated into two groups (K-5 and 6-8). All forty students will learn how to grow fruits and vegetables, types of equipment to use, and the factors that promote growth through mentorships with agriculture professionals and volunteers from the community. We will supplement what is being taught during the school day by covering topics like life science, earth science, physical science, and mathematics. The specialized curriculum of this program will be designed in collaboration with Saul High School’s Dean of Agriculture, Jessica McAtamney. The UFP will connect an entire school from kindergarten through eighth grade. Students, staff, teachers, parents, and community members will all participate in a collective project in order to make an impact on both their school and their community. We hope that the implementation of this project will strengthen the school's climate and culture by teaching all participants innovative aspects of healthy eating and urban farming while building a sense of empowerment and accomplishment among everyone involved.

Ann Arbor, MI – Ypsi March for Love, Resilience, and Action

2017-01-10T00:00:00Z

We are a group of citizens planning a March in Ypsilanti on Inauguration Day as we grieve, resist, create, & celebrate our ability to flourish, using strengths from our diverse ancestors. We’ll march to mobilize, to prepare creatively for what’s to come, to focus on local issues and build local resilience, and to develop the interconnections between isolated silos in Ypsi. In the face of the coming administration, we plan to begin as we mean to go on. Monday Jan 16, Marchers will support Ypsilanti Community Schools' teens in their plan for a Martin Luther King Jr Day silent procession and art show commemorating Frederick Douglass. Our group will stand to support and witness the teens’ expression of grief, resistance, and creativity. Friday Jan 20, we will have an evening coffee-house to join and prepare for the march, share music, make banners and signs, and express our response to the election. With food and song, we’ll join together in an accessible space. Saturday Jan 21, our March route will pass by Ypsilanti locales that honor abolitionists, women of color, and others from targeted communities who have lived and thrived with bravery and creativity. A community art performance will celebrate our people power as WE inaugurate OUR vision for an interconnected future. We then offer a community gathering space weaving a web between resources like: voter registration and education; unions sharing their stories and educating on how folks can mobilize in their workplaces; a cozy space for breast-feeding and access to W.I.C.; NOW Washtenaw County; our local farmers and permaculture community sharing knowledge and seeds; a supervised child-play area; Planned Parenthood's project "Share your story about reproductive justice"; the Ypsi Hour Exchange; the Ypsilanti Sidewalk Project; and more.

Oakland, CA (Inactive) – Punks with Lunch — West Oakland

2017-01-09T00:00:00Z

Punks With Lunch makes approximately 150 lunches a week for people in West Oakland experiencing homelessness and distribute them with needle kits, hygiene packs and miscellaneous items such as dog food and tarps depending on funding and donations. Each lunch has a sandwich, fruit, water bottle, snack, and napkin. These lunches cost about $1 to make and we have been able to successfully grow in scope since our foundation. Originally starting in a small home kitchen, we now host meal prep in a warehouse in West Oakland and have two routes for distribution as well as a stationary needle exchange in more populated areas. We have grown personal relationships with the people we see on a weekly basis, and it’s a passion that has helped us forge both a stronger sense of community and a bond between our own volunteers. With winter approaching, we are hoping to expand our lunch offerings to include hot meals for our friends experiencing homelessness. With a limited budget and the difficulty of not being an established 501 c3, we’re seeking a solution to help our program continue to grow and offer even more services and resources with time. We’ve already establish a rapport with the people in our community but we’d like to see it grow. Punks With Lunch is already way more than we expected it to be in a tiny kitchen with five people one year ago, and we have high hopes for building something bigger than what our dreams have now grown to be.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – No Somos Invisibles: We are Not Invisible

2017-01-09T00:00:00Z

No Somos Invisibles (NSI), or "We are Not Invisible," is a weekly radio program, founded in 2012, that reaches 20,000 listeners throughout Peruvian society, the majority of whom are based in Lima. The program's purpose is to ensure that women and girls, marginalized due to their place of origin, accent, skin hue, race, ethnicity, poverty, gender, sex, and social station, are able to escape social invisibility and be heard. The program's target audience is domestic workers and their families, as it strongly advocates that girls doing child domestic work return to school. In Peru, domestic work is not recognized as a dignified profession, and women are often treated like slaves. NSI is a powerful advocate for those living on Lima's urban periphery, and women trapped working in houses. Through the airwaves, and increasingly through social media, No Somos Invisibles builds a community for women whose work is physically and psychologically isolating. Every week, the program focuses on a different topic, hosting the voices and opinions of girl laborers, adult domestic workers, psychologists, historians, and sociologists, among other civil society servants. The topic of each program covers subjects such as labor rights in Peru, child nutrition, consequences of child domestic work, the importance of a written working contract, sexual bullying in the workplace, Lima's history, racial identity, and the importance of valuing Pachamama (Mother Earth). Listeners are able to call the program to make their voices heard, while prepared recordings from women and girls who do not have telephone access are gathered the week before. These are just a few examples of past programs. A more complete list can be found here: http://gruporedes.org/radioblog/ NSI raises awareness about child domestic work and human trafficking, while advocating for gender equality, and just and dignified work for all. It is an essential voice in Peruvian society. It is a program of AGTR.

Seattle, WA – Kaya'and Scapa's Garden

2017-01-06T00:00:00Z

I have helped to build with small my own personal funds 40 gardens at the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe Elder's program. Each garden is unique to the elder and their families and vary from heritage honor gardens to vegetable, and flower gardens for beauty and food. We are in a food desert and the population is low income so Kaya (our word for Grandma) and Scapa (our word for Grandpa) have gardens that serve to bring wholesome food, areas for grandchildren to explore, and spaces for therapy and healing. I can provide articles from our Muckleshoot Indian Tribe Newspaper as for the last three years many articles have been written on this project. I also have pictures, data (graphs etc.) about the growth in three years from 4 gardens in 2013 to 40 as of 2016. I am out of personal funds as I spent $5,000 of my own funds over the last three years to establish the 40 gardens but need to get the earth built up with Moo Doo for next year's crops and flowers for our friends the bees.. I save seeds and we go to Seed swaps, so we have had seeds to get going in 2017. The garden started with one woman who was in cancer treatment and cried a lot. I asked her what made her happy and she said a "flower garden. So I built her one and put a small fountain in it and bird feeders and lo and behold she was out there every sunny day. She also grew pumpkins and sunflowers for her grandchildren who gleefully caught frogs to observe and free and ate the bounty. Then her sister who was disabled wanted one so I built her a cherub garden (her choice) with roses, and then the neighbor who was wheel chair bound asked for one so I built him a pond garden with a grog spitter. Well the moccasin telegraph works here and now I have completed 40 gardens of varying sizes and am broke.

Seattle, WA – Free Children's Books for Reluctant Readers

2017-01-06T00:00:00Z

We are the South Sound Reading Foundation, a small non-profit that provides free books and story times for low-income children and families in five different counties. Teachers often contact us when they have a reluctant reader who could use a little extra help. Generally these children are living in poverty or don't get a lot of attention from adults at home. We find out what the child is interested in and provide the teacher with several books to fit the student's reading level and favorite subjects. The teacher then hands out these books to the student over the course of the school year. Helping a reluctant reader become a competent or even avid reader helps that student become more successful in school and life. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, two thirds of all students who cannot read proficiently by the end of 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare. It is our mission to help children discover the magic and wonder of reading.

Annapolis, NS (Inactive) – TARTAN WAVE

2017-01-06T00:00:00Z

Coming ashore Spring 2017! My name is Kimberly Gunn, and I've recently designed and officially registered the "Annapolis Royal 2017 Celebration Tartan". In anticipation of Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, Annapolis Royal now has a celebration tartan of its very own. Designed locally with the intention of creating a lasting “cultural fabric” for this area; the Annapolis Royal 2017 Celebration Tartan is inspired by the seasonal colours of the North Mountain, the Annapolis River and Bay of Fundy, as well as our lush green landscapes, lupines and red soil. It is celebratory, and modern, with a nod to history and place, but with a vision to a bright, shared future in the true home of New Scotland in Canada. This project is new, will create immediate local employment, and community pride. Through the creation of a new tourism product - and the chance to promote ourselves as the true home of New Scotland - we have an opportunity to give visitors a new reason to discover Annapolis Royal, beginning in 2017 (Canada's 150th birthday). Tartan Wave will employ local artisans to produce “Made in Annapolis Royal” fashion, home, and bespoke items using the Annapolis Royal 2017 Celebration Tartan as its primary design material.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Chapati dinner for refugees

2017-01-03T00:00:00Z

We are a group of volunteers on Lesvos island in Greece. According to official numbers, 6000 to 7000 refugees are stranded here. This Christmas they will be away from home, in refugee camps, often far away from their families. Despite the saddening situation and the dire conditions they live in, we want to make the 24th of December a special day for everyone. We are No Border Kitchen and every day, twice a day,we cook vegan food for refugees since 2014. We normally cook for 600 people. This time, we are going to cook for 6000. We know we can do it, we are working with an amazing (awesome!) group of people and organizations. We are raising 4,800 euros for the event and 1000 euros will be an amazing and very welcome contribution!

Dubai (Inactive) – Reel Friends

2017-01-02T00:00:00Z

The idea of RF/BBB: Using videos to facilitate new friendships and to prove that the human spirit, particularly that of innocent and curious kids, open minded and resilient youth across oceans can transcend misunderstanding, prejudice, hardship, and chaos, RF/BBB will open a channel of communication between elementary boys and girls, ages 5 to 12 within six Muslim majority nations and six US states to aid in cross cultural introductions and sharing. From March 20 RF.BBB kicks off a rolling 90 day initiative that will include notes letters, and drawings in Arabic and English (translated as needed) from/to kids. لإثبات أن الروح البشرية , لا سيما روح الشباب, تتجاوز كل الحدود و اختلاف الثقافات بين الأمم, فإن برنامج (RF/BBB) أصدقاء السلام: لنكن أصدقاء عبر الحدود), سوف يفتح قنوات تواصل بين تلاميذ و تلميذات المرحلة الابتدائية الذين تتراوح أعمارهم من 5 إلى 12 سنة من سبع دول إسلامية مع نظرائهم من سبع ولايات أمريكية. خلال هذه المبادرة التي أطلقتها منظمة DIREسيقوم التلاميذ بعمل كتابات و رسوم باللغتين العربية و الإنجليزية (يتم ترجمتها عند الحاجة) يتم تبادلها بين التلاميذ في كل زوج من البلد المستهدف

Austin, TX – Austin Cares Homeless Initiative

2016-12-31T00:00:00Z

In 2016, Sarah Ellis and Lauren Seiss had the idea of creating care packages to distribute to Austin's homeless. After seeking the counsel of local homeless outreach organizations (FrontSteps and Mobile Loaves & Fishes), they invited friends to join them. "Within days," Lauren says, "our event unexpectedly BLEW UP! Over 400 care packages were created that evening, and everyone in attendance asked us the same thing: when is the next event?" Explains Lauren: "Austin is overflowing with young people who, in my experience, want to contribute to their community but don't have a lot of easy, secular options with which to do so. This initiative will provide a fun and thoughtful way for people to practice generosity in their everyday lives, and perhaps even lead them to mobilize into social action in other ways. Our primary hope for this idea is that the small gesture that our participants make will provide the spark needed for them to get engaged in civil service." A $1000 grant from the Austin Awesome Foundation will go towards making their January 2017 care package event even bigger by funding the purchase of items that haven't been donated.

Alaska (Inactive) – Youth on Record Alaska

2016-12-29T00:00:00Z

I started Youth On Record Alaska (YORAK) five years ago in collaboration with South Peninsula Haven House and Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic's R.E.C. Room which is a youth resource and enrichment co-op. YORAK is a music production and recording program for teens age 12- 18 that teaches teens to produce various types of music using Logic Pro, Midi keyboards, microphones, and other devices. Our program reaches music and artistic expression in many different forms whether youth come to work on melodies or lyrics; it's a safe space to encourage teens' differences to shine through. 15 yr. old Colton Morris, a student of two years said of the program, "YORAK is all about music. It's a passion. It's one of my best joys. It's about listening and making music and having a choice on how you create your music." If a person walks into the R.E.C. Room on a typical Friday afternoon YORAK they would see between 3 and 15 students with headphones on, laptops open sitting at the table all together- laughing and talking in a way that helps them collaborate and grow their projects. They are sharing their lyrics and I am playing different samples of what they're working on with positive feedback and support coming from all students in the room. There may be other students in the closed-in office section recording their parts of a collaborative song. As the founder of this program, my goal has always been to see my students grow and become mentors of their peers. Two of my students have officially become part of the leadership team, one as a sound design specialist, and one as our development coordinator. We're all about allowing opportunities for youth to go beyond their own creative development to inspire their peers to grow further in their talents as young musicians and positive role models. My goal for YORAK is to continue to collect donations and funding which will be used primarily to update equipment so that more students can participate in these weekly classes.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Resistance Roller Derby Glasgow

2016-12-27T00:00:00Z

Resistance Roller Derby Glasgow is a roller derby league for queer and trans youth, starting up in Glasgow, Scotland. We are only the second junior league in the country, and the only junior league in the world that is explicitly intended for LGBTQI+ youth. We will create a safe and financially accessible space for young people to get active, both physically and as politicised members of a global society, through the development of a radical youth-led sporting community. Modern roller derby originated in queer subculture in Austin, Texas and its revolutionary nature has spread with it around the world, leading to an international movement of connected and empowered athletes. Being a part of this movement is an ideal way for young people to develop agency and self-confidence that they can take with them into advocating for themselves in other aspects of their lives. LGBTQI+ young people have lower rates of participation in sport and are more likely to be dealing with barriers such as mental ill health, homelessness and abuse than other young people. Building a positive community around physical activity has the potential to break down these barriers and help create healthy habits in a population that faces glaring health inequalities. In addition to financial accessibility, we are committed to making a space that is inclusive for those who are systemically disenfranchised as result of other axes of oppression such as race and disability, and we will work constantly to ensure that anyone who wants to take part can. We are all about radical kindness and elevating each other. We want to bring joy and positivity into the lives of queer youth, who often have a tumultuous adolescence. As trans and queer adults living in Glasgow, we feel it is our responsibility to make the space we wish we had had, and in the process we hope to connect our young people with an intergenerational international community, full of real live examples of how queer adulthood can look.

Antigonish, NS (Inactive) – Here She Comes a-Wassailing

2016-12-22T00:00:00Z

I will schedule musical performances of a festive nature between December 18-30 in various locations around Antigonish, including at the RK MacDonald Nursing Home, Green Meadows Nursing Home, Highland Crest Home, St.James Hot Lunch program, The Antigonish Library Senior's Cafe, The Friendship Corner, and so on. These wonderful locations and events have requested my services in the past in spite of their lack of funds, and I have obliged, enjoying every minute of it. I would love to return and revisit these people I have such an appreciation for, and who really love music, in a celebration of the holiday season! I have special secret surprise guests in mind for these ceilidh's as well!

New York City, NY – Action Item Fair

2016-12-20T00:00:00Z

The Action Item Fair is taking place on Saturday, January 14th - a daylong inquiry into clear, concrete steps that New Yorkers can take in order to support our neighbors, friends, family and fellow citizens who need it most. Hosted by ThoughtWorks in Manhattan, the event will run from 11am to 5pm and will bring individuals and organizations together to add new talent and energy into progressive causes. Rather than reinvent the wheel, Action Item Fair invites its audience to seek the counsel of experienced leaders of progressive efforts. Attendees will meet with organizations that are deeply invested in systemic solutions to social, economic and environmental issues. The goal is for each person to leave with specific action items they will take to propel the movement forward. Actions may include advocacy, campaigning, consumer boycotts/ conscious consumerism, ethical investing, lobbying, demonstrating or acts of protest. To meet that goal, part of the day will include a "fair” for individuals to connect with organizations in 1-1 conversations. Accompanying panel discussions and skill-building workshops will detail the many forms activism can take, and will provide tools that will empower participants to take the necessary steps towards realizing a better society for us all. In order to help keep the event free for attendees, and AwesomeNYC's grant will help fund lunch to be provided by the Snowday Food Truck (a social enterprise that employs formerly incarcerated youth). If you are interested in attending you can RSVP now.

Boulder, CO (Inactive) – James Biar Memorial Fund

2016-12-20T00:00:00Z

James Biar was a LOST BOY/FOUND MAN of SUDAN. I was his American Mom for 16 years (as well as Mom to Colorado Lost Boys of Sudan). He passed away suddenly on Sept. 16, 2016 due to undetected Acute Leukemia and had a massive brain bleed. He leaves behind a wife and 5 children ages 11 months to 8 years. Although never legally adopted, for 16 years James was truly my son, and I am grandma to his 5 children. I am raising money to help his family.

Pittsburgh, PA – Hope Night-- AKA: Inauguration Night

2016-12-19T00:00:00Z

Mr. Rogers once said in an interview: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping. To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in this world.” I am currently organizing an interfaith, bipartisan paper lantern lift off to take place at any church, non-profit, business or organization of any kind that believes in celebrating diversity and actively trying to keep ALL people in our beautiful country safe, uplifted and whole. If a group of people can agree that they believe in love, then I am encouraging them to set off paper lanterns together on inauguration night. Hope Night will LIGHT UP our city with little beacons of hope- little demonstrations from all the helpers. In addition to lighting up the sky on inauguration night, I also want to infuse social media with posts about the lantern lift off to help break up the mud slinging, fear mongering and hate speech that will no doubt be rampant in people's social media feeds this Inauguration. So, I'll be encouraging all participants to post on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram with the following: #HopeNight, #BeTheChange and #SafeZone I'll also be keeping a registry of participants so at the end of this, we can have a list of love-filled churches, businesses, etc, for everyone needing to "look for helpers" post-inauguration. In my perfect world, Hope Night would be a recurring event every anniversary of Inauguration night for the next 4-8 years. I don't have a website yet, but that is coming soon!

San Jose, CA – San Jose Rocks

2016-12-19T00:00:00Z

San Jose Rocks is a tactical community street art project. This is a “catch and release” program for manufactured river rocks. I will purchase 100 river rocks and prepare them to be painted. *THEN* I'm going to find an all-ages location and set up a "San Jose Rocks" Party and invite the community to paint a rock with whatever they want. Bikes, silly faces, tacos, literally whatever the people want. For those less artistically inclined, we'll be purchasing tiny stencils for immediate satisfaction. Before the end of the event, the rocks will be redistributed and participants will be instructed to leave them in public spaces around the city. Painted on the back of every rock will include the instagram handle @SanJoseRocks. This way, people can take pictures and locate some of these fun "Easter Eggs". This community project in tactical urbanism allows everyone to feel like a street artist with harmless cheeky mischief and city pride.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Teen FemiList

2016-12-19T00:00:00Z

Teen FemiList is a listserv for rad feminist teenage girls and gender non-conforming teenagers to mentor each other, create projects, and figure out how to survive high school while simultaneously smashing the patriarchy. Prospective members will apply via a page on my blog, and when accepted (I will read and approve/deny the applications), they will donate $10 to an organization with which I have partnered (if they are unable to pay, they will apply separately for a scholarship). People on the list will be able to post whatever they want and any member will be able to respond via an email chain. There is also a board comprised of successful adult women. The board will meet monthly via Skype to discuss the recent topics discussed on the list. They will also offer mentorship and give advice to members of the listserv when prompted but won’t directly post (the listserv is supposed to be for peer-to-peer mentorship by teenagers). Once a month, there will be a one-hour Q&A session with one member of the board.

Newmarket – Stay In School

2016-12-19T00:00:00Z

The Canadian Federation of University Women Aurora/Newmarket Club is working with the York Region Children's Aid Society to encourage young wards to stay in highschool: attend regularly, try hard, achieve academic success. The club is a not-for-profit women's organization devoted to furthering and empowering education for women and girls. On average in Ontario, only 46% of wards complete highschool. This is NOT good enough! Part of our organization's missions is to encourage education - higher education. We have worked out a joint program whereby wards in grades 9 and 10 who attend classes regularly, put forth good effort and / or attain academic success are recognized, treated and rewarded with a gift card, diploma, flowers, a party, speeches ..We want these young ladies to feel good about themselves and learn to value and appreciate how education is the key to their success as independednt adults. We'd lile to expand our program to involve perhaps another service club so that young male wards could be recognized as well. As well, our local club provides a yearly award of $1000 to a YRl ward who is transitioning out of "care" to assit with her higher educatiob expenses. These young people won't go on to higher education if they don't persevere and STAY IN SCHOOL!

Chicago, IL – All-Latino re-imagining of WAITING FOR GODOT

2016-12-18T00:00:00Z

In February 2017, Tympanic Theatre Company will present WAITING FOR GODOT by Samuel Beckett. Our production, directed by Aaron Mays, will feature an all-Latino cast - exploring the similarities between the titular, oft-mentioned but never-seen “Godot” and the Latinx immigrant experience in the pursuit of the “American Dream”. WAITING FOR GODOT, which first premiered in 1953, marked Beckett’s association with the Theatre of the Absurd movement. More than sixty years later, the play’s central existential crises are still incredibly resonant. As a company that bills itself as “the best kind of weird”, this play could not be a more perfect or timely fit for us. The story is notably open to a variety of philosophical, political and ethical interpretations, and the themes that emerge throughout all of these interpretations are that of choice, consciousness and suffering. The humanity and universality of these ideas led us to our decision to focus the play through the lens of the Latinx immigrant experience - to remove the barriers of “traditional” casting and amplify the voices of a marginalized community through this classic piece of dramatic literature. We aim to activate a deeper conversation about the oppression and the racial and socioeconomic inequities faced this particular diaspora. By thrusting the characters and the setting of the play into our current political moment - just south of the US-Mexico border in the very year that our President-elect is threatening to “build a wall” - we strive to honor both the playwright’s original intent and our own commitment to diversifying the stories on Chicago’s stage. The events of the past year, and particularly in the past few weeks, have unleashed a new torrent of racist, misogynist, homophobic and xenophobic atrocities across the country. We recognize our responsibility as artists to act against this injustice - using our art to create safe spaces and engage in actionable, community-based solutions.

Cass Clay – MPX Kids Club: GRANTED

2016-12-15T00:00:00Z

Our goal is to empower kids through mixed martial arts, motivation and to provide tools to enhance their overall well-being. The MPX kids club will help children cope with their emotions, reduce stress, increase physical activity and provide a positive and safe environment. The MPX kids club will run throughout the year, providing kickboxing classes, motivational speaking events, along with a newsletter geared towards children's health. Our youth currently face a variety obstacles which affect not only their physical health, but mental health. Through the MPX kids club, children will learn mixed martial arts, the importance of self-discipline, self-worth and empowerment. Funds will be used to help provide funds/scholarships for children whose families lack the financial means to enroll their children into physical activities, along with t-shirts for the program.

Minas Gerais (Inactive) – Garagens Periféricas

2016-12-14T00:00:00Z

Em 2015, Cícero Silva, viabilizou apresentação de espetáculos de Artes Cênicas em garagens residenciais fora do centro de Belo Horizonte. Trabalhando há dez anos com apresentações, na formação de novos artistas que se interessam pela palhaçaria e com vários projetos com características que apontam para uma economia criativa, mais solidária e que visa a uma distribuição e renda mais igualitária, dedicou-se em 2015, ao projeto chamado de ‘Garagens Periféricas’. Após sua estreia em 25 de julho, têm recebido ligações de várias regiões da cidade oferecendo suas garagens para novas apresentações, o que muito os alegra, ao confirmar a adesão da população local e a vontade de tantos em se tornar promotores da arte e da cultura no entorno de suas residências. Foram 04 apresentações com acesso gratuito em diferentes locais. 03 apresentações na Regional Oeste (Salgado Filho, Nova Cintra e Jardim América) e 01 apresentação na Regional Nordeste (São Cristóvão). A cada apresentação precedeu um cortejo de divulgação por ruas do bairro com artistas convidados e dos grupos participantes. Momento de um contato mais próxima com os moradores pouco habituados com personagens perambulando seu território. Estiveram com eles a Cia Faminta de Teatro, Associação Pano de Roda (Terceira Margem), Circo Aloma, Cia Borandá de Palhaços. Alcançamos um público em torno de 5.000 participantes, direta e indiretamente. Participaram mais de 20 artistas. Contaram, ainda, com a adesão de novos apoiadores no decorrer da execução do projeto: Grupo Trampulim, Casa do Beco, Serralheria Horizontes, Vereador Vilmo Gomes, Centro Cultural Salgado Filho, Centro Cultural e Esportivo Betânia. Agradecem sinceramente a todos que, de alguma maneira, acreditaram nessa proposta e têm a certeza de que seguirão levando arte e alegria para pessoas que se encontram em lugares onde não há casas de espetáculos. Certos de seu sucesso, buscam parceiros para levar essa proposta para outras cidades e estados.

Ottawa – #AwesomeTenners

2016-12-14T00:00:00Z

December’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Michelle Thompson, who plans to give the $1,000 away to 100 lucky strangers, encouraging each to do something awesome with the money. Michelle plans to hand out the $10 bills around the city over the next ten days, along with a short letter encouraging the recipient to “make this awesome tenner count.” The letter will offer up some ideas, including:

Hide it in your favourite book at the library
Give it to someone you see doing a good deed
Pick up stamps and send some joy-filled handwritten letters
Buy a bouquet of flowers and randomly give them away
Do whatever you think would be awesome!

The letter will also encourage recipients to tweet about their experience of spreading awesome using the hashtags #AwesomeTenners and #10DaysOfAwesome. "Two years ago,” explains Michelle, “Awesome Ottawa pulled off its first Awesome Tenners campaign, and I immediately fell in love with the idea. By encouraging the recipients to do something awesome with their tenner, I hope we can create a ripple effect of kindness and creativity throughout our communities. If nothing else, I hope to bring a smile to at least 100 faces around town.” Michelle is an elementary school supply teacher, a Girl Guide leader, and an Awesome Ottawa trustee.

Twin Cities, MN (Inactive) – Light Up Lake Street Lantern Making Workshops

2016-12-13T00:00:00Z

In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater (HOBT) seeks funding for a new community outreach project, Light Up Lake Street (LULS). LULS is a new program that was developed as an effort by HOBT to address crime and safety concerns and to use the power of art to effect lasting change in our community. Early efforts with this work have been well received by our community. Over the past year the section of East Lake Street in Minneapolis where HOBT is located has witnessed a surge in crime. An increase in violence and commercial sex and drug trafficking negatively affects our staff, volunteers, patrons, and community members. Light Up Lake Street was developed as a response. HOBT has partnered with the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department to fix broken streetlights, clean up problem properties and add temporary cameras to the area. HOBT partnered with Southside Community Health Clinic to offer free health and STD screenings and Mobile Loaves and Fishes Minneapolis and Sisters of Camelot to provide free meals. The most recent LULS event was hosted on September 14 and served 120 people. Southside Health Clinic signed eight people up for MNSure and administered eight STD/HIV screenings and sixteen blood pressure tests. Mobile Loaves and Fishes and the Sisters of Camelot served all 80 meals they had prepared, gave away all forty pairs of socks and every toothbrush and tube of toothpaste they had. HOBT has a history of addressing community concerns. HOBT, in collaboration with the community, produces the Annual May Day Parade and Festival in Powderhorn Park, a free event that is attended by over 50,000 people. May Day is conceived and created through a series of community meetings where the community gathers to discuss the issues they are facing and use the conversation to create a unified theme for May Day. The puppets and floats created are then built at free community workshops by HOBT staff, artists, and volunteers.

Twin Cities, MN (Inactive) – The Snowblower Ballet

2016-12-13T00:00:00Z

The Snowblower Ballet is a project that would involve dancers, wielding snowblowers and shovels, clearing a snow-covered surface in a dance set to music. In addition to performing a dance, they’ll create a pattern, an image in the snow, captured by a drone flying above, transforming the familiar but dreary toil of snow removal into unexpected joyful art. We want to stage a large scale Busby Berkeley version of the project on Harriet Island in St. Paul in January 2018, as well as a smaller scale pas de deux between two snowblowers on White Bear Lake in February 2017 as part of the Art Shanty Project. The Harriet Island version will be funded with a Knight Foundation grant, but only if we get matching funds. Art Shanty will pay us $200 for the White Bear Lake performance, but that's not enough to hire dancers and a choreographer. That's where we hope an Awesome grant will come in. We hope that a grant from Awesome will make the Art Shanty dance possible, which we can then turn into a video to generate excitement to raise money to make the expanded Harriet Island version a reality. Won't you help us turn snow shoveling into art and bring joy to Minnesotans in the depth of winter.

Twin Cities, MN (Inactive) – We love Worms!

2016-12-13T00:00:00Z

Our urban students are just beginning to learn the benefits of organic composting and farming in the left over spaces in our city block school. Even the smallest plot of land can be renewed and brought back to soil health by conditioning the soil with clean compost and organic recycling. We would like to start a vermiculture bin in our classroom. This bin will start out with only about 200 little red wigglers who will eat half their weight in leftovers from our school lunches. We are excited to create healthy, nutrient rich compost to add tour small plots of land, such as our Peace Garden and our butterfly garden. A worm bin is a wonderful way to learn how to care for our world.

LA South Bay, CA (Inactive) – Bras Ouverts - Open Arms

2016-12-12T00:00:00Z

At Bras Ouverts – Open Arms (BOOA), our goal is to establish a sustainably financed school that provides free education in Ouidah, Benin. BOOA serves a community of Nigerian refugees who fled environmental destruction in Ogoniland, as well as impoverished Beninese children. These groups cannot enroll in local schools due to linguistic and economic barriers; the Nigerians speak English rather than the local French, and some Beninese families cannot afford school fees and supplies. Therefore, BOOA provides critical access to education for 40 students, and we plan to expand to accommodate more. BOOA is currently organizing Los Angeles area support for the school, and with the LA South Bay’s assistance, we will build a library – computer lab on school grounds. This will grant students and the wider community regular access to reading materials and computer lessons. Presently, BOOA operates out of a small schoolhouse that contains wall-to-wall desks and benches. By adding another building, we will be able to store books, school supplies and computers, which will greatly enhance the quality of education that the students receive. Furthermore, we will open the library – computer lab in the evenings so that parents and other locals can also take advantage of the school’s resources. As a part of our sustainability plan, we envision teaching adult computer lessons to generate income for BOOA teachers’ salaries and other fixed costs. Regarding implementation, our volunteers have prior experience supervising construction through involvement in other local nonprofit activities. Indeed, our partnership with a Beninese non-governmental organization called IMPACT provides us with ready guidance and advice on expansion. In conjunction with our Awesome application, we are also seeking donated computers and books from our volunteers’ networks. Thus, an Awesome grant will significantly impact the educational opportunities for BOOA students, and the local community.

Ann Arbor, MI – Ypsi High Superhero Program

2016-12-12T00:00:00Z

The Ypsi High Superhero Program is a high school youth initiative located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, that utilizes superheroes to improve character through creative storytelling and fictional character development. Superheroes are colorful representations of our dreams, hopes, and life experiences. The journeys they endure are often inherently reflective of our own lives. Rather it's overcoming their fears to defeat a formidable enemy, or accepting the responsibility that comes with great power; superheroes, at their core, are human. This program uses these principles and converts them into life lessons for youth. These lessons will help build character and improve confidence while providing students with a platform to creatively tell their own superhero stories, where they are the heroes.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Legal Name and Gender Marker Change Clinic

2016-12-12T00:00:00Z

After the election, Gender Justice League, a trans activist organization located in Seattle, WA, asked the trans and gender-diverse community what they felt they needed immediately to help them stay safe during what promises to be a degressive presidential administration. Overwhelmingly we heard that having up-to-date identification documentation (DL, birth certificate, passport, social security, legal name change, green-card, etc) was high on their list. We then immediately began the process of organizing a clinic that would provide the access to legal and medical professionals that are necessary to this process. And because the community as a whole lacks financial wealth, we knew that we needed to also come up with funds that would pay for all the necessary state and federal filing fees. Here in King County, WA to change the name and gender marker on every piece of identification information costs almost $500. Having up to date and accurate identification documentation helps to protect trans and gender-diverse folx from housing, employment, and travel discrimination, and more than 80% of the trans and gender-diverse population lack it. When one's previous gender marker and name does not match the identity of the individual, it creates opportunity to discriminate against them, as well as reminding them of an identity they never truly felt comfortable in. We want to do what we can for our community. We want to provide access for every individual to have the reassurance that their true and authentic identity is recognized by the State, that their ability to travel, and to find employment and housing isn't impeded by not being able to afford to update their gender markers and name on all documentation.

Yerevan – Սառցամագլցման բուրգեր

2016-12-09T00:00:00Z

Ջերմուկ քաղաքում մի խումբ խենթեր, այդ թվում և ես, 2012թ,-ից որոշեցինք նպաստել ձմեռային տուրիզմի զարգացմանը և ինչպես Չինաստանում, Ռուսաստանում, Կանադայում և այլուր, սեփական միջոցներով կազմակերպեցինք «Ձնեմարդուկ՝ ձնե արվեստների փառատոն»-ը: 2015թ․ փառատոնն այնքան մեծ արձագանք ստացավ ու այցելուներ ունեցավ, որ հաջորդող տարիներին մեզ անհարժեշտ միջոցներն այլևս բավարար չէին էլ ավելի մեծ ու հաջող 2016-ին այն կազամակերպելու համար, չգտնվեցին նաև համապատասխան ներդրումներ: Բայց ջաններս եռ է գալիս, ամբողջ ընթացաքում տեղներս հանգիստ չենք նստել ու որոշել ենք 2017-ի փետրվարի 17-19 կազմակերպել փառատոնն էլ ավելի մեծ շուքով, առավել ևս, որ համայնքապետարանը գործուն աջակցություն է ցույց տալու: Քանի որ իմ նպատակը ոչ թե փառատոն կազմակերպելն է, այլ ձմեռային տուրիզմը զարգացնելը, կուզենայի Ձեր օժանդակությամբ կառուցել Հայաստանում առաջին արհեստական, քաղաքային սառցե բուրգերը, որոնց վրա կկազմակերպվեն սիրողական սառցամագլցումներ: Բուրգերը կլինեն տարբեր բարձրության՝ ըստ բարդությունների: Հայաստանում չկա որևէ փորձ սառցամագլցման արհեստական պատ կամ բուրգ սարքելու համար և մեր փորձը կլինի առաջինը, որի հաջող կիրառումն ու իրագործումը հնարավորություն կտա նաև հետագայում՝ 2018թ․ փառատոնը կազմակերպելուց առաջ այն օգտագործել ինքնաֆինանսավորման համար, հատկապես Ամանորի ակտիվ զբոսաշրջային սեզոնի հետ կապված: Արդեն իսկ ունեմ պայմանավորվածություն քաղաքապետարանի հետ Ջերմուկ քաղաքի հանրային այգիներից ցանկացածում այս հունվարին կառուցել և տեղադրել ՀՀ-ում սառցամագլցման առաջին արհեստական բուրգը:

Orlando, FL – Artborne Magazine

2016-12-08T00:00:00Z

Artborne Magazine is an independently published, print and online publication dedicated to the development and advancement of Orlando’s art scene. The monthly magazine features local artists and organizations, and ranges from Q&A’s, essays, reviews, and artists spotlights on the fine arts, music, performance, fashion, and literary worlds. “Orlando is coming into it’s own, and this magazine is just another example of this city’s role as a leading creative hub” says Jonathan Yubi, Founder and Publisher of Artborne Magazine. Yubi arrived to Orlando in the fall of 2013, and immediately became involved in the arts. “ My first experience was with the Young Artist Group, an educational program sponsored by the Downtown Arts District. I learned then, that this city is committed to developing our creative community, and I hope our Magazine can be a key component in our continued growth.” Artborne Magazine has garnished the attention of local media outlets, such as the Orlando Weekly "No growing pains here: Artborne sprang onto the scene fully formed, its design and aesthetic perfectly professional and its insider knowledge of Orlando's art world deep and tasteful. It's the local art magazine we didn't know we needed, but are so glad to welcome." Artborne Magazine launched inconspicuously via Instagram on April 14, 2016, and with a month before the inaugural issue hits shelves and countertops all over Orlando, Artborne has managed to amass a team of artists, writers, and creatives alike. Matt Duke, local artist, blogger, and radio host, joins the team as a partner and Creative Director, along side Mary McGinn; a notable Orlando writer, poet, and publicist, as Artborne’s contributing editor and writer. Jason Fronczek, a University of Central Florida graduate joins the team as Senior Photographer and Graphic Designer.

Orlando, FL – "SKIP's Big Ideas" Reality Television Show

2016-12-08T00:00:00Z

Orlando-based pop artist SKIP (of Franchise Industries & The B-Side Artists) stars in new reality television series called, “SKIP’s Big Ideas.” The show is currently in production with local online network Studio17TV, and follows the creation and construction of SKIP’s large, interactive art installations, demonstrating the creative process from initial concept to dramatic, public reveal. Over the last few years, SKIP’s larger-than-life art installations have received a considerable amount of media attention, both locally and abroad. His works have been published in Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Shape Magazine, FoxNews, as well as online culture blogs Refinery29 and Bustle. A true roller coaster of circumstances and opportunities have proven that for SKIP, “going big” is as vital to his style of artwork as the bright colors he uses, and the satirical humor that underpins everything he stamps as Franchise Industries. One of these opportunities was the chance to document the process of fabricating a brand new line of Franchise installations in the approach and format of a reality-style television show, with the intention of later shopping the series to cable networks and larger distributors. “SKIP’s Big Ideas” will be filming the show over the next three months and will begin airing season one this Fall (official release date to be determined). We encourage individuals interested in following the production and making of the show to follow us online / social media, and to attend the reveal of the installations in person at Maker Faire Orlando (October 22 & 23) and Art in Odd Places (November 11-13), where they could become extras on the show!

Gloucester, MA – Positivity Messages O'Maley

2016-12-08T00:00:00Z

In O'Maley School, we will post positivity messages to all the O'Maley Community! We will invest in positive message posters to permanently hang for all of us and future classes to see. We will also buy poster supplies to have kids' artwork be displayed around the school with positive messages. We will also buy a supply of post it notes to keep in containers outside of classrooms to write positive messages on and give it to anyone having a bad day. Lastly, we will buy a supply of greeting cards to write out a nice message to give to anyone who needs it.