Awesome Foundation - Projects

Austin, TX – RE Source

2015-11-30T00:00:00Z

On February 12 and 13, 2016, Forklift Danceworks will present RE Source, a free, immersive dance performance showcasing the elaborate services of Goodwill of Central Texas’ massive recycling center. Featuring Goodwill employees as the performers, RE Source will weave together choreographed movement drawn from the employees’ everyday work, recorded interviews, warehouse equipment and machinery, live music, and a one-of-a-kind set and lighting design. Since 2001, Forklift Danceworks has produced unique performances for capacity audiences ranging from 500 to 3,000. Beginning with months of research in which choreographers embed themselves in the subjects’ workplace, dances are designed together with the employees and inspired by the grace of their everyday work. Past performances have featured firefighters (In Case of Fire), electrical linemen (PowerUP), trash collectors (The Trash Project), arborists (The Trees of Govalle), the Austin Symphony conductor (Solo Symphony), blind individuals and their guide dogs (Sextet), and professional and college-level baseball players (Play Ball Kyoto and Play Ball Downs Field), among many others. As with all past performances, the goal of RE Source is to tell the stories of community members who often go unnoticed and underappreciated, particularly our civic workforce. By celebrating the extraordinary in the ordinary, Forklift gives performers and audience members the opportunity to see and appreciate each other in new ways.

Washington, DC – CODE + YOGA

2015-11-30T00:00:00Z

Code+Yoga will be a 2-week camp for kids that teaches them basic teachings of mindfulness and yoga along with digital literacy and coding skills. We hope to create the next generation of mindful leaders prepared for future economic demands. Through hands-on project-based learning, kids will work alongside supportive instructors and mentors, encouraging outside-the-box thinking to make new ideas come to life while incorporating practices of yoga (posture, movement) and meditation (breathing, patience, awareness.)

Paris (Inactive) – JE SUIS COULEUR, NOUS SOMMES COLORISMO

2015-11-30T00:00:00Z

Chez Apprenants Visuels nous croyons au potentiel des personnes avec autisme et nous utilisons l'art comme un outil de sensibilisation sociale. JE SUIS COULEUR, NOUS SOMMES COLORISMO est la première exposition que nous organiserons à Paris dans laquelle des artistes avec et sans autisme partagerons l'espace dialoguant à travers la couleur. Une démonstration où l’accent sera mis sur le talent et la diversité, où nous changeons à travers l'art le regard des spectateurs et nous mettrons en lumière une thématique trop souvent trop invisible à nos yeux. At Apprenants Visuels we believe in the potential of people with autism and we use art as a tool for social awareness.I AM COLOR, WE ARE COLORISMO is the first exhibition that we are organizing in Paris, and in which artists with and withour autism will share the space and exchange through color. The emphasis will be put on the diversity, and we will try to change through art the way the public perceives people with autism and their talent.

Twin Cities, MN (Inactive) – Bring the Frogs Back to Frogtown!

2015-11-29T00:00:00Z

It's been a long time since the music of frogs was heard in Frogtown. We want to change that. In St Paul’s most diverse and poorest neighborhood, environmental degradation has accompanied urbanization. The life-filled marsh that gave the neighborhood its name has long since been paved over, and the frog chorus has been silenced. Frogtown Green, a resident-led, volunteer-powered neighborhood group, proposes to renovate a scummy pond in a barren parking lot, to create urban aquatic habitat and a venue for an outdoor, frog-themed percussion concert featuring drums and marimbas. Around a new retaining pond on the grounds of a busy outdoor immigrant market, we will create an urban ecology education and concert venue that uses a beloved community totem—the frog—as a metaphor for neighborhood revitalization. Hmongtown International Marketplace's large retaining pond, installed in 2104 by the local watershed district, currently serves simply to filter parking lot run off. Our one-of-a-kind project will beautify it and suggest a richer function, as a venue for environmental education and arts enjoyment for the hundreds of people who visit and work in the Marketplace. (See an aerial view of the marketplace and pond, at: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hmongtown+Marketplace/@44.9610366,-93.1088114,124m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x52b32ab26c7e039d:0x2bd068ffc8e504ae By installing trees, benches, wetland and aquatic plants, and by offering educational and artistic programming around the retaining pond, our frog project will tell a new story: of a healthy, interconnected community.

Edmonton, AB (Inactive) – Edmonton World Health Organization Simulation

2015-11-27T00:00:00Z

We would like to organize a 3 day conference and simulate the World Health Organization for participants. This means participants will be able to 1) Choose a country, 2) Represent that country as a delegate and 3) discuss and debate global wide issues of reproductive health. At the end of the conference, resolutions will be drafted and sent to the ACTUAL World Health Organization for consideration by real world leaders in global health, to be implemented. The primary purpose of the simulation will be EDUCATIONAL but also an opportunity for raising awareness on public and global health issues that effect Canadians and people all across the world. We will also host a "crisis committee" in which participants will be exposed to a crisis topic somewhere in the world and will have two hours to work with other countries (delegates) to come to a solution.

Newcastle – Suicide Incorporated

2015-11-26T00:00:00Z

Suicide Incorporated is a Comedy Drama that explores the issues surrounding suicide- particularly the shocking number of young men that take their lives. Further details will be announced early in the new year, stay tuned! The production will be produced by James Chapman, a Newcastle actor, writer, director and producer who has recently founded 'Knock and Run Theatre'. [Insert title here] will be staged in Newcastle in the middle of 2016 and will most likely run for a one week season between Thursday and Sunday. The production will employ 6 actors, a director, a lighting technician and a sound technician all of whom would take a share of the profits and any remaining money in the budget that wasn't already spent on venue and equipment hire.

Amsterdam (Inactive) – Traffic Light Charades

2015-11-26T00:00:00Z

When facing a red traffic light as a pedestrian, you two options: 1. Ignore the red light and cross just cross the road. 2. Wait for the red light an get bored. Ignoring a red light is not really safe, so pedestrians are forced to wait and get bored. Actually, an ANWB research (http://ow.ly/UOEri) pointed out pedestrians experience waiting for a traffic light as the second most annoying thing. Since we want people to have an awesome life, without being bored and/or annoyed, we invented "Traffic Light Charades" (TLC). TLC uses the fact that a crosswalk with traffic lights will in many instances have people waiting at both sides of the street. Also, you can almost always see those people. Why don't we ever interact or play with them? Remember the game "Charades" (Dutch: Hints)? We would like to apply this game to traffic lights. People one side of the street communicate a message to the people on the other side of the street by miming the message. The object/person/verb that they have to communicate is posted on the traffic light one side, and on the other side there is a sign indicating that they are part of TLC. They can start once the light turns red, and their time is over when the light turns green. Everybody "wins" when the message is transferred within this timeframe. They can then celebrate together while passing each other on the crosswalk, which is awesome. You might wonder, why is this awesome? Well, (another) research (http://ow.ly/UOEaX) tells us that interaction with fellow citizens will make pedestrians significantly more happy. Also, it will give people an incentive to wait for the green light, which will prevent injuries. We want to apply this game to several crosswalks across Amsterdam, differing the difficulty and the character of the message to the average waiting time and the amount of pedestrians. We hope to tell you more about our plans in real live.

Newmarket – We need Buddy Benches

2015-11-25T00:00:00Z

Walking thru my sons school yard... I noticed a bench on the pavement with bright paint around it. I asked my son "is that the only place to sit around here lol" And he said "no, that's the buddy bench! When someone feels lonely or they have nobody to play with, they sit there and people ask them to play" Wow. Amazing. I then told him how awesome that was and asked if he has ever used it? He said "yeah, when I was new I sat there and someone came to me and asked me to play. I felt happy. And now when I see kids on it, I ask them to play with me... We all do". What a fabulous idea for a school yard. Wondering if this is something in every school yard? If not, I want to fund raise to get a "buddy" bench for every school in York Region. I will make it my mission!

Stockholm (Inactive) – Time 4 Streetball

2015-11-24T00:00:00Z

In the heart of Stockholm just next to the famous building “Skrapan”, a Street ball tournament has taken shape. But maybe we shouldn’t just call it a Street ball tournament because it’s so much more than that. DJs, photographers, dancers and street artists are also there to make it become more of festival of awesomeness. Imagine yourself walking down the street to be surprised by pumping music, super talented athletes and simply a whole lot of activity where there’s usually nothing. We simply had to call that awesome!

Orlando, FL – You Matter!

2015-11-24T00:00:00Z

Several years ago, I started holding up signs that said "Thank You" when people did kind things for me in traffic. The other side said "Sorry" for when I did something like pull out in front of someone. About a year ago, I started holding up a sign at intersections that said "YOU MATTER" on it. It came out of the desire to have people know that their lives are important because for many years, I didn't feel that my life was worth much. After Robin Williams died, I started having "YOU MATTER" cards printed up at Vistaprints and now I send them anonymously (I hated that I had to "out" myself to all of you). I leave them everywhere I go and give them to friends to give out. Joanne Grant saw them and told me about your grants. I would love to receive a grant to be used for paint and a stipend for the artists who paint them. Joanne is going to help find buildings in Orlando whose owners will allow us to paint on them. With everything happening in the world, this message could not be more timely. I would love for someone to see it and change the way s/he lives his/her life. I hope you will see the worthiness of this project. Thank you for serving on this board. YOU MATTER!

Sarnia (Inactive) – message massage

2015-11-23T00:00:00Z

Not a teepee. Not an igloo, Not a gazebo, Not an arbour. Made of poly pipe, and held together with phentex yarn, this mound shaped house that leaks will compel passersby to write a message about anything to anybody. The benefit? Nothing much really. Just awesome fun. The location? Probably and hopefully near the BWBridge French fry trucks. The timing? A few weeks in summer 2016 The publicity? Oodles for the Awesome Foundation The supervision? Not always but sometimes. Trustees are welcome to hand out AF cards. The message? Anything to anybody.

Alaska (Inactive) – Amtgard

2015-11-23T00:00:00Z

With some help from a couple enthused individuals, I have started and been running a LARP (Live Action Role Play) group in Homer. We use a system called Amtgard, which is an international organization (we are the sixth group to start in Alaska), really focused on safety. Amtgard is a corporation, with a complicated legal system of its own, however it lacks the funds for financial aid to new groups starting. We have been doing our best here, making what we can. The point of the creation of LARP here in Homer was that I noticed the youth here have almost nothing to do. I noticed a drug problem among the youth, and decided that we need something to distract the youth. So far, it has been working great. We have an average attendance of 33 people, and meet every Saturday for battles, and every Friday at the Homer Public Library for crafting days. The people involved really enjoy it, and there's things to do for everyone. There are leadership opportunities, which teach good skills for the future. There are combat elements for those who enjoy sword fighting. There are crafting opportunities for people interested in the arts. There are fantasy aspect for people who really just need to escape from the world once a week. LARP is like reading a book. You can dive into it and release from reality, but in the end you come away with more knowledge than before.

Miami, FL – Fifty for Families

2015-11-20T00:00:00Z

During the Holiday season, that means helping feed hungry families by providing nutritious foods to take home and share when children are out of school and hot meals are not available. The need for meal distribution in our community is high with over 1000 youth in Overtown, over half of these youth are living in poverty. 20% of the families in Overtown make less than $15,000 a year. In Homestead, the socioeconomic landscape is similar with 53.9% of residence making less than $15,000 a year. Our "Fifty 4 Families Program" helps to provide 250 families with food baskets filled with a complete Thanksgiving dinner at a value of $50 to prepare a meal for a family of four. Our distribution is divided evenly among four centers in downtown Miami, Homestead, and North Miami. This vital hunger prevention program provides families in need with support at a time when resources are especially limited due to school closure and reduced work hours. Due to our longstanding commitment as a safe space in our communities, this program has high participation and often the need exceeds our ability to give. We have been providing this service to the community for over a decade. Generous contributions of canned food from the community aid us in providing some items however the need greatly outweighs our current donations. We are in need of $2,500 to feed 250 of our families. The Awesome part about this project is that it allows our families to connect with additional services upon food pickup. We continue to build upon established community relationships to empower families to take charge or their financial and physical health. We offer registration for additional economic, education and health services during this holiday project to prevent families from having to rely on these services for multiple years. Our goal is to offer long lasting solutions in addition to immediate hunger relief.

San Francisco, CA – Smuggling Nature: Walking Poems Across Golden Gate

2015-11-20T00:00:00Z

The city of San Francisco is not separate from what we call "the natural world." By using my own two feet, and by writing and reciting poems, I will remind residents of this fact, hopefully inspiring them to find their own connections between the place they call home and the encompassing environment. Every day for a month, I will walk from the heart of the city to the Marin Headlands, write a poem based on what I find there, then return to the city, reciting my poem to strangers on the street. These poems, along with soundscape recordings made in the field, will become part of an interactive website, what we might think of as a digital version of my sidewalk recitations. When the month is over, I will take this project far beyond the Bay Area, sharing it with a nationwide audience via magazines and literary journals. Smuggling Nature: Walking Poems Across Golden Gate is a gift. It's the gift of the world, a world that is always available to us, always right here. It's the gift of a world that is both under our feet and spreading endlessly outward in every direction.

Oklahoma City, OK (Inactive) – Food For All food truck

2015-11-19T00:00:00Z

MadePossibleBy.us is a Social Action Community established to connect people around making more good together. We work with Partners: the brands, businesses and organizations that share our mission to do more good together. Our partners value the ideal of "Do Right. Make Good. Be Real." and aim to demonstrate, with action, their investment in community in ways that matter most to all of US. How we Work: We focus on sustainable solutions for social good voted on by you, activated with brand partners and made possible by all of us. Together we all share and discuss possibilities that advance the well-being of people, the planet and the pursuit of happiness. The most favored are voted up. We all agree to share and discuss further with friends to make them even better Your MadePossible team curates the top ideas into project concepts and aligns with best suited brand partners We build the possible concepts into tangible projects and make create real outcomes ALL together Our launch project is the Food For All food truck in partnership with area businesses to benefit the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

Kingston – Tim's for Turnaways

2015-11-19T00:00:00Z

WE ARE READY TO GET AWESOME! We are frontline workers at In From the Cold Emergency Shelter (IFTC). IFTC is a 29 bed facility for adults experiencing homelessness. Our Awesome project is to supply Tim Horton's gift cards to clients turned away from the shelter in the colder months when we are full.

Tallahassee, FL (Inactive) – Girl Scout Leadership Experience

2015-11-18T00:00:00Z

The Girl Scout Leadership Experience program will focus on girls in grades kindergarten through fifth at Springwood Elementary a Title 1 school in Leon County, Florida. Partnering with this school will provide girls with access to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience at no cost to the parents in girls only safe space with a fully trained, background checked volunteer leadership team. According to the Florida Department of Education, there are approximately 2,000 low-income girls attending Title 1 schools in Leon County. Our goal is to serve at 45 girls at Springwood Elementary through our Girl Scout Leadership Experience Program. Through our program, we build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Monies will assist 45 girls in grades K-5 at Springwood Elementary in becoming members of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience at a cost for $15 annually per girl and receive grade-level appropriate books from the Journey series ($7 per girl). All members of the troop will also have a chance to participate in the #1 Youth Entrepreneurial Program in the world, also known as the Girl Scout Cookie Sale. Participation in this sale empowers our girls while teaching them 5 key life skills (goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics.) Participation in the Cookie Sale also provides the troop with sustainability. The profits earned will purchase memberships for the following year(s), uniforms, curriculum, and entrance into our many low-cost events or even our resident camp.

Minas Gerais (Inactive) – Às Margens

2015-11-18T00:00:00Z

Às Margens, um coletivo que estimula reflexões sobre o lugar dos rios e das pessoas na cidade, trabalha em três eixos: 1. Intervenções em nascentes Pouco existe de rastro de cursos d'água e de nascentes na cidade. Para descobrir e mostrar esses pontos, mapeamos minas e bicas. Para medir a qualidade dessas águas, temos projeto de material didático de análise físico-química. Para explicitar os resultados das pesquisas e evidenciar a presença das nascentes, propomos lambe-lambes, instalações interativas e um parklet-praça que traga água de nascente, hoje descartada, para o convívio da população. Estamos desenvolvendo uma metodologia de intervenção para recuperação de nascentes, trabalhando numa nascente em terreno da Escola Municipal Jardim Felicidade. O objetivo é ativar comunidades, potencializar encontros e momentos de organização, decisão e intervenção no espaço público. 2. Captação de histórias Acreditamos que uma coletânea de histórias de quem cuida e usa água de nascentes e em espaços públicos, além de resgatar imaginários e vivências, potencializa o surgimento de ideias de um futuro mais carinhoso com nosso recursos hídricos. Entrevistamos cuidadores de nascentes com objetivo de mostrar como cada um contribui; mapeamos espaços públicos onde o elemento água é importante e desenvolvemos uma interface para captar histórias. As histórias serão traduzidas e compartilhadas por diversos meios (histórias em quadrinhos, leituras para ônibus, documentários etc.). 3. Imaginário Para potencializar transformações na cidade, vemos como necessária a formação de redes e a conexão de projetos com interesses comuns. A pesquisa de iniciativas relacionadas à água na cidade, em desenvolvimento numa plataforma online, além de fomentar o diálogo, potencializa a criação de novos imaginários. Com o mesmo objetivo, propomos algumas vivências e situações para fantasiar sobre paisagens com águas na cidade, como derivas fluviais e praias na beira de rios e lagos. Facebook: www.facebook.com/coletivoasmargens

Boulder, CO (Inactive) – Big-head puppets

2015-11-18T00:00:00Z

We plan to produce big-head puppet children's opera. We already have almost 3 dozen large "big head" human sized and larger puppets and we need to purchase supplies to make more puppets and to pay performers to produce A Woman's Tale, based on the ancient tale of Gawain and the Green Knight. Our long term goal is to have 100 puppets of various kinds - animals, mythical creatures, humans from all over the Earth - who are our standing "theatre ensemble" that we use to do storytelling opera theatre. The puppets that we create for A Woman's Tale will not only allow us to produce this particular story, but will be also become part of our standing ensemble of puppets.

Ottawa – The Roller

2015-11-17T00:00:00Z

November's Awesome Ottawa award goes to Jean-François Jacques, to support the construction of a cylindrical roller that prints patterns in snow, grass, and sand. “Imagine it's early morning,” says Jean-François, “and there’s a virgin inch of snow on the ground. We pick a roller and drive down our backstreets, onto the highway, leaving whimsical patterns, or whatever we so desire – poetry, equations, hallmark greetings – in our wake.” “There’s over a century of literature,” he continues, “on the importance and the how-to of re-appropriating public space, streets especially. This is my addition to the narrative. I’m interested in mega-patterns as a tool of subversion, re-imagining, guerrilla urbanism, activist architecture, secondary agency, street deconstructivism, pop-patterning, and early morning whimsy making.” He has already built a prototype of the roller, and will use the award from Awesome Ottawa to build a bigger, sturdier, and heavier version out of solid rubber. “I subscribe to the notion that it doesn’t take much to change a space,” says Jean-François, “and that, more often than not, the ‘magic’ of a solution is embedded in its simplicity. Pattern making, though just surface, is anything but superficial.” Jean-François runs a design and architecture firm called Arkade.

Gloucester, MA – Cape Ann Youth Hockey Challenger Program

2015-11-17T00:00:00Z

Cape Ann Youth Hockey (CAYH) has started a Challenger Hockey Program to give children with developmental disabilities a chance to participate in a youth hockey program. We run a 6 weeks program consisting of practices. CAYH coaching staff will follow ADM guidelines in designing drills for the participants. We will have High School and Middle School players mentoring individual player during each of the sessions. We usually have a 2 to 1 ratio. The main objective is to get children comfortable on skates. We introduce skill development and drills as the players become comfortable on the ice. A second objective is to develop our high school players and middle school players into coaches and teach them the planning and leadership skills that will be necessary to make this program a success. By having the players develop bonds with the High School and Middle School players we feel that it creates a situation where both sets of skaters will want to come back and ensure success of the program each week. We provide all of the equipment and currently do not charge participants.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – ENGAGING YOUTH AGAINST GENDER VIOLENCE

2015-11-16T00:00:00Z

BACKGROUND Nigeria is a deeply gendered society, where the socio-cultural norms that govern attitudes, behaviors, practices and expectations results in gender inequality, especially in Muslims dominated northern part of the country. Gender inequality coupled with staunchly held, restrictive gender norms manifest itself in high levels of gender-based violence (GBV), which due to the social structures in northern Nigeria leave victims vulnerable and unable to speak or seek redress. In Sokoto, northern Nigeria gender inequality manifest itself in a variety of ways including, and encouraged by, discriminatory socio-cultural norms and customs. These leaves women and girls exposed to high levels of sexual violence, domestic violence, transactional sex and sexual exploitation and abuse with little opportunities to seek justice. These acts of violence are a few of the violations that fall under the GBV, which this leadership training will explore and address. APPROACH The best way to end violence against women and girls is by stopping it happening in the first place and effective prevention strategies must engage young people as leaders and participants. Initiatives to prevent violence against women and girls must start early in life, by educating and working with young people, to promote respectful relationships and gender equality. It is crucial that youth are actively engaged to prevent and end violence against women and girls. Therefore, this project seeks to mobilize, engage and train 25 young people as leaders and peer educators on preventing and ending gender based violence in Sokoto. As current and future leaders, they are the driving force for change and can use their knowledge, power and passion to challenge negative attitudes, gender stereotypes and behaviors that set in early and lead to violence in their communities and among their peers.

Pittsburgh, PA – Ice cream boat build

2015-11-16T00:00:00Z

I am going to convert and old house boat into a full serve ice cream business. The plan is to run it full time around the point and 3 rivers. I Have not been able to find any history of anyone doing this in the past. I am planning on doing the complete remodel and build over the winter and hope to launch early spring.I grew up on our rivers and feel this is a business that Pittsburgh erstwhile would love to see.

Seattle, WA – DragonsFC - Soccer withouth barriers

2015-11-16T00:00:00Z

Competitive club soccer has become the pathway for kids with a passion for soccer to turn their hard work and skills as an opportunity for attending college . In a sport where only 13 percent of female soccer players are minorities, according to an espnW analysis of the NCAA's Demographics Database. Club soccer can lead a player to greatness if they pay money for the opportunity. So what happens when there is talent but the language barrier and club registration costs (ranging from $600 to $2500 per player) keep Hispanic and African immigrants away from traditional U.S. soccer leagues? DragonsFC awesome project is formed. DragonsFC is a nonprofit competitive soccer program that provides opportunities for youth to play at a Select and Premier level regardless of socioeconomic status. The program supports over 180 boys and girls between the ages of 8 - 17, 98% of which qualify for a free and reduced lunch program. 95% of our players come from immigrant families and many are first generation immigrants from countries like Mexico, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Bosnia. We represent over 10 zip codes in South Seattle/King County including 98118 - the most economically and culturally diverse zip code in the Pacific Northwest. We recognize that many of the youth in our program have faced significant challenges in their lives so far. By engaging with families and teaching teamwork, sportsmanship, and excellence in soccer we are going beyond the field to open doors for our youth to achieve life-long success. In one year of establishing - we are seeing results. -with kids being scouted by community colleges and universities. We are working on a college program with our kids, guiding them to improve grades and establish their college fit finder profile for scouts to view. Our leadership program has sponsored our youth through the official Referee training program. The kids develop leadership training, earn money AND are able to give back to the wider soccer community.

Whangarei (Inactive) – Little Free Library Whangarei (x2)

2015-11-15T00:00:00Z

Little Free Library (A Free book exchange) is another Global Community Phenomenon like Awesome Foundation and Before I Die Walls. - please refer to the Website www.littlefreelibrary.org I propose to create at least two Little Free Libraries in Whangarei. Building a Literacy-Friendly Neighborhood one little Library at a time. Sites to be determined but I would like to see one on the Hatea Loop Track, and then one other in perhaps in an outlying suburb, Hikurangi, Onerahi, Kamo? One ideally to represented in Whakairo. "To promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide and to build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity and wisdom across generations. There are over 32,000 Little Free Library book exchanges around the world, bringing curbside literacy home and sharing over 1 million books annually." retrieved from http://littlefreelibrary.org/ 29/10/2015

San Jose, CA – Rainy Day Food Film Series

2015-11-13T00:00:00Z

Films about Food is a monthly 4-film series which will invite the San Jose community to learn more about sustainable food systems, environmental stewardship, and resilient communities over a movie, popcorn and a bit of booze. Thanks to a partnership with Transition Silicon Valley/Palo Alto and Slow Food South Bay, Veggielution Community Farm has been offered free access to four fantastic documentary films focused on sustainable food systems and urban agriculture. For each of the films, we also have guest speakers who are willing to lead a brief Q&A after the film screening. The timing is perfect for San Jose urban farmers and gardeners to hang out with our local community to make new connections during what we hope will be a very rainy Winter!. January: Growing Cities: http://www.growingcitiesmovie.com February: Urban Roots: http://www.treemedia.com/#!urban-roots/c1cnz March: Of the Sea: http://oftheseamovie.com April: In Search of Balance: http://insearchofbalancemovie.com We will connect with great spaces downtown who can screen the movies at their venue as an in-kind donation, such as SPUR and San Jose Stage Company. And we'll definitely reach out to Emma Prusch Park Foundation (a strong supporter of Veggielution) to borrow their popcorn machine! These thought-provoking movies will be a way to spark community conversations about our local food system and the growing network of urban ag organizations and opportunities.

Halifax, NS (Inactive) – Fallow Gallery

2015-11-12T00:00:00Z

Fallow Gallery is an initiative to run a not-for-profit retail space for NSCAD student and alumni work out of a humble snack vending machine. This student run space takes inspiration from, and will attempt to fill some of the void left by the closure of Seeds Gallery in 2013. The permanent home for the Fallow Gallery is in the Granville mall to honour the original location of the Seeds Gallery. However, the possibility of installing at the farmers market during the summer months would work to bridge the gap between the larger community and NSCAD, collect a high revenue, as well as symbolize the rebirth of the spirit of Seeds. This project is not viewed as a permanent solution for the closure of Seeds Gallery but a substitute in its absence. Fallow Gallery will continue to run until a superior commercial space for student and alumni supersedes it. Fallow Gallery seeks to be self sufficient. The sales from artworks sold in the machine will be used to cover the low costs of running a vending machine and renting space. The new gallery aims to reach out to students to curated themed group and solo shows. Offering the space to house a rotation of work from the different disciplines within the university is another incentive that would showcase the diversity of talent of students. Reaching out to classes to take the machine on as a curatorial project would be an excellent way of making connections with faculty. Taking inspiration from the partnership between the Anna and Seeds, it would be hoped that the machine could provide a reserved coil for artists exhibiting at the Anna, for the duration of their show as an “Artist Spotlight.” On top of collaborating with NSCAD we will work on community engagement in the arts. The vending machine, being portable, Fallow Gallery will be open to collaborations with other groups and organizations.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Daily Table

2015-11-12T00:00:00Z

In Dorchester, Massachusetts, on June 4, Daily Table welcomed curious and eager customers to its first not-for-profit community food market. It’s a store with a mission, designed to reach individuals who struggle to eat well, many of whom also face health issues that stem from a poor diet. The brainchild of the former President of Trader Joe’s, Doug Rauch, Daily Table sells fresh produce and groceries as well as prepared meals that are cooked on-site in a professional kitchen every day for customers to simply grab and go. In short, it is a health care initiative, disguised as a grocery store. A unique sourcing strategy also distinguishes Daily Table from the average neighborhood food market. While one in six Americans goes hungry every day, it is senseless that 40% of the food produced in this country ends up in dumpsters behind supermarkets, tilled back into the soil at farms, and in wastebaskets in our homes. Daily Table relies on manufacturers, growers and supermarkets to donate their perfectly edible, excess food as a primary source of its food supply or to provide us with special buying opportunities. In this way, Daily Table can keep its wholesome groceries and prepared meals priced so low that they are comparable to traditional fast food alternatives in the neighborhood. Daily Table is a not-for-profit model that simultaneously addresses food insecurity, nutritional health, and wasted food. And the fact that it does this in a respectful manner that honors the customer is its recipe for success. Beyond our pilot location in Dorchester, plans are to expand first to other sites in Boston and then to more cities in the US.

Philadelphia, PA – MAIN LINE DEPUTY DOG

2015-11-12T00:00:00Z

We are a very young organization helping people with physical challenges or psychiatric concerns train their own service dogs. We currently have an influx of new applicants that are military veterans. We have both male and female veterans from both Iraq and Afghanistan. Some have physical issues from war injuries. All have some level of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which is crippling in it's own way. Deputy Dogs perform tasks that make their human partner's lives more independent. They provide walking support, pick up items for people who can't bend over, open and close doors, carry items, plus many more tasks. On the psychiatric service dog side, they perform tasks like "blocking" and "posting" - providing a protective barrier around their partner to make them comfortable in difficult public situations. They break episodes of dissociation and anxiety attacks. They will even search your home for you and let you know there are no intruders. We rescue dogs from Philadelphia area rescues to match with our clients. They live at home with them and come to class weekly for up to 2 years. The goal is to achieve full certification under the standards of Assistance Dogs International.

Philadelphia, PA – Introduction to Early Man

2015-11-12T00:00:00Z

Sixth graders at JR Masterman School in Philadelphia study Early Man. Each year we research and explore evolution and the beginnings of man on earth. My wish is to give the students a hands on innovative approach to this field of study. I would like to bring the past into the classroom so that the students can touch and actually see the skulls from past generations. This project will make a lasting impact on the students. It will be an area of study that will not be forgotten.

Philadelphia, PA – Valentines for Vets

2015-11-12T00:00:00Z

Raleigh, NC (Inactive) – Discover Dix Park

2015-11-11T00:00:00Z

The acquisition of Dorothea Dix by the city of Raleigh this past May was big news and the result of many years of active advocacy, negotiation and planning. This space, with so much history and so much potential should be celebrated and explored by Raleigh citizens. To get people out exploring our city acquisition, we have created a noninvasive and light self-guided tour of the park, and encourage people to get excited about the future of the space. Thank you to Miller Taylor for the photography. Featured on N + O - http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article53164090.html

Rio de Janeiro (Inactive) – Memória de Manguinhos em Cordel

2015-11-11T00:00:00Z

O Experimentalismo Brabo tem o objetivo de fazer intervenções sobre cultura de paz, afeto, solidariedade e cooperativismo em territórios de exclusão de direitos. Escolhemos atuar em dois territórios específicos: um asilo e uma favela. Mais especificamente falando, nossa atuação ocorre no Complexo de Favelas de Manguinhos, Zona Norte do Rio de Janeiro e no Abrigo do Cristo Redentor de São Gonçalo. Nossa metodologia de atuação inclui três etapas: escuta, intervenção e expressão. A ideia é realizar ações que respeitem a leitura de território feita na fase de escuta e criar canais para que o idoso e/ou o favelado possam ter sua cultura e história de vida registrados, divulgados e/ou valorizados dentro ou fora do território. O apoio financeiro do Awesome Rio destina-se para o início do processo de registro das memórias de Manguinhos em folhetos de cordel. Os folhetos serão distribuídos gratuitamente em escolas e/ou outros espaços da região. ----- The Experimentalism Brabo (this is a play on words and is slang for a tough situation) project aims to register acts and examples of the culture of peace, affection, solidarity and cooperation in areas where basic rights are not respected. We chose to act in two specific areas: a shelter for the elderly and a favela. Our work takes place in the favelas of the Manguinhos Complex, North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, and the Christ the Redeemer Shelter for the elderly in São Gonçalo. The methodology includes three steps: listening, speech and expression. The idea is to take actions that reflect the territorial conditions identified in the listening phase and create channels in which the elderly and / or slum dweller can have their culture and their life histories recorded, released and / or recovered within or outside their territories. The financial support from the Rio Awesome will be used to register the memories from Manguinhos residents, in brochures, which will be distributed free of charge in schools and other areas of the region.

San Jose, CA – The Commons presents "Black Friday"

2015-11-10T00:00:00Z

The Commons is a San Jose based showcase series that features a wide range of eclectic performances, from ballet to trip hop to opera, set in a meticulously curated environment designed by some of the most skilled artists in the South bay. Since September of 2014, the Commons has staged eight large events (and numerous smaller shows) in Downtown San Jose with the aim of fostering new audiences for the arts and we plan on ending our 2015 season with a our second annual "Black Friday" performance showcase. While we try to stage our events in easily accessible, public spaces the date of this show is really not conducive for an outdoor setup. The chances of rain and cold weather for November 27th are very high, so our production staff has decided to rent a venue to mount our Black Friday show. A big part of the Commons brand is how our events are always free and open to the public, which is why we are submitting this showcase event to the Awesome Foundation. The venue, called Sperry Station, is located at 30 North 3rd Street in Downtown San Jose and they have agreed to let us take over the space and design it as we see fit for our Black Friday event. In addition to creating an immersive environment for our performances, we have agreed to leave up the decor for the Small Business Saturday event that will be happening in the same space the following day.

Adelaide – Subtext - author workshops

2015-11-09T00:00:00Z

Subtext is a new non-profit organisation made up of young writers who are putting on the events that we want to attend. There is a literary scene in Adelaide - but beyond the festival season, the streets are a little quiet. While SA Writers Centre is excellent, their focus is on a much older demographic, and often entirely on fiction. There is a gap in the market, which we want to provide for. What about the young journalists, the memoirists, the podcasters? What about those who want to write flash fiction or want to blur the line between truth and lies? Subtext want to provide workshops and author talks at a cost that is accessible for knockabout young writers who are scraping together a living writing during the day and waiting tables at night. We want to fly in Australian authors from interstate who are shaking things up, who are writing in new forms. We want to learn from them, read our work alongside them. We want to remake Adelaide as an essential stop on the author promo tour. We are governed by two philosophies: pay the writers, and examine our privilege. We want to pay fair and good fees to any writers who appear at our events, and we want to make sure that our program does not merely cater to a white/straight/cisgender audience, but instead is inclusive of all perspectives. We plan to have an official launch in February, and then run two events in the first half of next year - 1 workshop and 1 author talk.

Adelaide – Help ROR Adelaide Build Their Sound!

2015-11-09T00:00:00Z

We are the Adelaide chapter of Rhythms of Resistance! Rhythms of Resistance is a network of social-justice oriented street bands use 'tactical frivolity" as a means to help bring about social change. The collective started overseas in 2000 and chapters have since sprung up in over 20 countries. A friend came back from experiencing some street band magic in Toronto and lamented that we didn't have anything like that in Adelaide...so we started one! All of the international ROR bands use the same grooves so that members can move between them freely. We have a focus on encouraging anybody to join in- you don't need to have a technical musical background to add some sound and energy to our ensemble! In this way we not only connect with important causes but connect people to music in ways they haven't experienced before as well. We're applying for an Awesome Foundation grant because one of the important facets of being ROR is being non-profit. This means, however, that as we grow, our need for instruments and other marching accessories (straps, drumsticks, earplugs, etc) increases as well. We'd love this grant to contribute a few high quality samba drums to our mix (we are just using drum kit bits and bobs at the moment) as well as some vital equipment to support existing and new players. (As you can see below, a portion of the funds will go towards a quality surdo. In the open air, in a bustling crowd atmosphere, we really need a deep drum to permeate sound effectively- a proper marching surdo (the deepest of the drums) will give us the boom, as well as the audio variety to take our music to the next level. The rest will cover another drum and vital equipment- equipment is generally harder to fundraise (sponsor a strap, anyone?) so this is the perfect opportunity to invest in those things. If the distributor permits a non-profit discount we might afford even more drums!

LA South Bay, CA (Inactive) – 14 Days of Funny

2015-11-09T00:00:00Z

The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission just announced that it is launching an investigation into the dearth of female directors in Hollywood. According to the Director’s Guild of America, women receive only 16% of the episodic TV directing jobs, and directed less than 5% of all major studio releases last year. Stats for writers and producers are bleak as well. Studies have also shown that when women aren’t represented well behind the camera, they aren’t represented well in front of the camera. My project, 14 Days of Funny, combats this. Yes, it may just be a drop in the bucket, but I think that it’s a pretty awesome one. The project, produced by me and written and directed by women, presents a kaleidoscope of images through fourteen comedic videos—each ranging from 15 seconds to 3 minutes—all told from my perspective as a black woman / a woman who happens to be black. The videos include music video parodies, character monologues and comedic commentary on current events. Some videos tackle racism; others confront sexism. Others are purely for laughs. What they all have in common is that they are distinctly pro-woman. Imagine having tea with Anna Mae, an eighty-three year-old woman who talks about sex incessantly, commenting on the Kardashians. Imagine a Southern black woman, Susie V., who is “racist” towards her own people. Imagine a music video where women promote their brains instead of their bodies. They don business suits and cap and gowns, singing, "Don't cha wish your girlfriend was smart like me? Don’t cha wish your girlfriend was a geek like me?” The video parodies "Don't Cha," a popular song from the ‘90s by the Pussy Cat Dolls. It challenges the idea that what makes women desirable is their sexuality and asks, “What if women were valued for their intellect and contributions to society instead of their dress size?” As women take strides in the media, I’m eager for 14 Days of Funny to spread the message: #Smartisthenewsexy

Yerevan – Stencil art “Magic Rain”

2015-11-08T00:00:00Z

“ Why does every city have to be in the rain? What's wonderful about getting wet? ” Midnight In Paris What’s going on with people in the rainy weather? They start to be sad, some people depressed, some of them - irritated. The idea was born to alter the sadness and make rainy days more creative and interesting. The project is designed mostly for mood, for changing negative mood into positive. Technically that’s an unusual kind of street art. We are going to use invisible hydrophobic paint which is getting to be visible only after the rain fall. Using this paint, we are going to write sentences on the floor (in Armenian and English), also to draw paintings and symbols for making our art available for everyone. With this project we are going to spread love and laugh even in the rainy weather, share the idea that something beautiful is hiding under the rain. Just imagine what kind of emotions will you have when you see the paintings on the streets while you are running to find a dry place, or when you see appearing words and pictures while you are look out of the window. That will be look like a magic. http://rain.works/ This is a really nice project. We are very impressed with the idea. As the weather is going to change a little bit and the rainy season is coming soon, we want to realize the project as soon as it’s possible.

New York City, NY – Visioning the adaptive reuse of the Montauk Cutoff

2015-11-05T00:00:00Z

Notice: there will be a meeting about this project on November 11, 2015. RSVP today! Smiling Hogshead Ranch was initiated in 2011 as an unpermitted (guerrilla) garden, but our action prompted the MTA to accept and facilitate community use of the portion of the property that they no longer actively utilized. In 2014, we entered into an agreement which made our community farm official. In September 2015, the MTA/LIRR released a Request For Expressions of Interest (RFEI) to adaptively reuse the rail line behind Smiling Hogshead Ranch, spanning from the Sunnyside Railyard to the Dutch Kill: 5 parcels spanning .69 miles and encompassing 4.2 acres. Smiling Hogshead Ranch, 596 Acres and Citizens Committee for NYC are bringing together community partners in Western Queens to collaboratively guide the vision for the adaptive reuse of this post industrial land. We need to come up with a strategy to fund all these wonderful things, too. It’s a great challenge! By working together we amplify our power, increase our positive impact, and wield the true power of our community. Let’s do this together! Why We Think This is Awesome Just across the Newtown Creek from Greenpoint in Long Island City, Smiling Hogshead Ranch has shown what can happen when a group of people can organize and work together with each other and with the city agencies to form a thriving community space. With this RFEI, the city has the opportunity to show that it values community interests over commercialization, and we are excited to support Smiling Hogshead Ranch and their partners in navigating this process for the good of the city and the people of Queens.

Port Washington, NY (Inactive) – The International Back-to-School Hackathon

2015-11-03T00:00:00Z

We Connect the Dots (WCTD) is hosting an international hackathon for students 13-18 years-old that will teach attendees how to code in HTML5 while using the Microsoft Azure solutions platform. The event brings Long Island students into collaborative contact with students from Brooklyn, Australia, and two other potential sites in Philadelphia and North Carolina (pending school board approval). The event takes place in January of 2016 over 48 hours, during which students will learn valuable skills in computer science, collaboration, team building, and time management. Students will be tasked with using what they learn at the event to code a custom app, website, or mobile application, the purpose for which is to address a global social need or problem facing humanity. The program will bring awareness to the ways in which technology and teamwork can make a positive global impact. An important component of the hackathon is promoting importance of diversity and bridging the gap between communities, income levels and ethnicities. To that end, WCTD uses a custom algorithm (created by our student ambassadors and volunteer IT professionals) that sorts student registration data based on age, location, income level, skill level, and gender, ensuring diversity in our student teams, and an opportunity for students to work with others from outside their own community. The value in the merging of different perspectives has been extremely successful in our prior programs. Students who join us for the hackathon will compete to create the best project they can, with great prizes for the first, second and third place teams at each location. Students will also be treated to important talks from real industry professionals, and instruction in coding and design from real IT experts. Students will depart with invaluable skills and a greater understanding of how their contributions can make a positive impact the world over.

LA South Bay, CA (Inactive) – Kids in the Dependency System (K.I.D.S.) Clinic

2015-11-02T00:00:00Z

K.I.D.S. has been helping foster children in Southern Los Angeles County to get and stay healthy since 2006. Compared to the general pediatric population, foster children are more likely to suffer from acute and chronic medical conditions, mental health problems, malnutrition (obesity or poor growth,) and developmental delay, among others. Often these conditions are the result of abuse, neglect, poor environmental stimulation, insufficient care and nutrition, and inadequately treated chronic illnesses such as asthma. Studies have shown that nearly 50% of children entering protective services have not received routine health care, such as recommended vaccinations. In addition, with removal from their primary home and frequent placements in different foster homes, many children have no medical records documenting immunizations, allergies or known medical diagnoses. This also leads to fragmented, insufficient and even inappropriate medical care. K.I.D.S. responds with a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach. Within 30 days of placement in foster care, each child is scheduled to visit the clinic for medical, mental, neuropsychological, developmental, and nutritional assessments. The K.I.D.S. team uses this information to develop a healthcare plan for the child in conjunction with the Department of Children and Family Services.

LA South Bay, CA (Inactive) – PressFriends

2015-11-02T00:00:00Z

My brother and I founded PressFriends in 2008 when I was in fifth grade and he was in seventh grade. We had started an elementary school newspaper and had such a good time doing it that we wanted to share what we learned. We wanted to show kids that writing could be fun. We started working with one Title I elementary school in Lawndale. We now work with 8 Title I elementary schools in Lawndale, Gardena, San Pedro, Wilmington, and South Los Angeles and 4 community programs (3 in the South Bay and 1 in South LA). We use the publication of a newspaper as a way to encourage 4th and 5th grade students to write and we use lots of games, speakers and field trips to make the program fun. We have 100 active volunteers and mentor 400-500 elementary students every year. We hold over 100 free mentoring sessions a year. In 2013, I founded TheatreFriends under PressFriends, and that encouraged other student board members to start SportsFriends, STEMFriends, and DanceFriends. We recognize that they are lots of ways to expand opportunities and encourage learning, and each of our programs has a writing or reading element. These programs are held in summer camps with our afterschool program partners or in community programs like the Boys & Girls Club of LA Harbor. Our motto is - making friends while making writing fun. We thought that if we made writing fun, kids would write more, and the more they wrote, the better their writing would become. We put together a program that we liked and thought other kids would like, and it worked. The program has attracted a lot of educators, and our adult board includes two former superintendents and two former principals. Our college board is working with one of our adult board members on aligning our program with the writing unit of the Common Core.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Traveling While Black

2015-11-02T00:00:00Z

Traveling While Black (“TWB”) is a timely and urgent multi-platform storytelling project that immerses global audiences in the American story of minorities’ struggle for freedom of movement. Through a media-rich website featuring a series of short videos and interactive elements, virtual reality experiences, and a museum exhibit, TWB will examine what racism does to individuals through the lens of travel and facilitate dialogue. The American public is currently engaged in a debate about contemporary issues of racism, including the idea of movement and traveling while black. These discussions are fueled by recent tragic cases and the high incidences of racial profiling and stop-and-frisk that have gained media attention. Contemporary experiences will illuminate issues of the past while historical experiences will give context to the present - all on a platform designed to collectively address these issues.

Newcastle – Youth Street Newcastle

2015-11-02T00:00:00Z

Youth Street is a community initiative that empowers young people to live life to the fullest, discover who they are, and learn how they can make a difference in the world around them, whether that be locally or even globally. This is done mainly through our Saturday program, Youth Street Teams, where we provide a place for young people to develop their skills in skating, scooting, surfing, sports, dancing, art and the performing arts. All of our staff are volunteers that are dedicated to building relationship with our young people and championing them to reach their full potential. We give young people a place to belong, to build new friendships and increase their confidence.

Orlando, FL – Young Urban Artist

2015-11-02T00:00:00Z

Child of this Culture Foundation provides the youngest of the youth with free/low cost urban arts programs. Armed with the belief that hip-hop culture offers more enrichment to the youth than the mainstream, we use it to educate, empower and nurture the nation’s youngest citizens. In hopes of disbarring the myth that Graffiti is just vandalism, COTC strives to allow artists to tell their story through our hip-hop arts traditions. The Young Urban Artists project will attract people of all ages and ability who have been inspired by graffiti and would like to try their own hand at it with an opportunity to learn. In a casual atmosphere, surrounded by art, this project teaches graffiti painting basics such as how to shake and prepare cans, the difference between the types of size tips, cans, and spray paints and their uses. Students will also learn how to make thin and fat lines, how to fade the paint as well as to write their name in graffiti. Students sketch and fill in with colors, outline and design their signature. The project will provide 1-2 hour classes once a week for 8 weeks! By the end of the session our aim is for our students to produce a fantastic piece of art work, gain self esteem and express their own creativity and story! COTC highlights street art, murals, pop surrealism and other genres from the contemporary underground movement by providing an open, safe & free paint session, urban arts apprenticeship for youth (free or small fee) and workshops by renown local street artists. In addition to our arts program we will provide variety of free urban arts workshops to youth in topics covering arts, family literacy, dance, and music! This project has been quite successful in communities across the United States and we look forward to making it a staple activity in our hometown!

Liverpool – Plant Synths and Kits

2015-11-02T00:00:00Z

I run workshops exploring creativity and electronics. I want to develop kits that will help people build their own electronic instruments that use plants to make sounds. I will deliver workshops with groups of children and young people in Liverpool using the kits. Funding would allow me to spend time on the development of the kits, the planning and delivery the workshops. The aim of the workshops would be to help children and young people to learn about electronics in an unusual, fun and creative way. The kits will be designed so that people do not need specialist materials, access to specialist equipment or have previous knowledge of electronics to make them. I find using accessible materials can make electronics more inviting to people with no previous experience. The instruments will use accessible materials such as card and copper foil tape as well as electronic components. People will be able to build their projects easily and customize them after they have built the circuits. The kits will use visual instructions, and a circuit diagram which people can build their circuits on top of, to make them more accessible. The kits will use plants and leaves as parts to make up synths, engaging children and young people with nature and technology. I want to encourage curiosity about the environment as well as technology, by taking a different approach to working with nature and using materials in different ways. The workshops would be run with groups of children and young people in the local community. I've been talking with John Bligh at Harthill youth centre (he's a music youth worker) and he’d like me to could run some sessions at the centre.

Sydney – Young Aboriginal Mother’s and Children Mural

2015-11-01T00:00:00Z

Our awesome project is to have 8 small murals designed and painted at the Gunawirra house by our Young Aboriginal Mothers Program (YAMP) groups. Many Aboriginal women come from families that have struggled with generations of poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, domestic violence and family dislocation. They have few resources to call on in helping them with the challenging and difficult work of raising children. This early intervention service for Aboriginal women from pregnancy through to their child starting school. It was formed in response to the need for mothers and their babies to be supported in building stronger, safer and healthier relationships. We have 3 weekly groups. YAMP engages with, supports and holds the mothers through the 1st 5 years of their child’s life. We provide a therapeutic space where Aboriginal women, may of whom are teenagers and some of whom are still in school uniform will have the opportunity to talk about and understand what has happened in their lives, to be understood and to begin to develop pride and confidence in themselves as women and as mothers. By focusing on and actively supporting the vital healthy links between mother and child, we aim to reduce the impact of intergenerational trauma in Aboriginal families. The main purpose for the painted murals is for these Aboriginal women and their children to bond together to create an artwork that symbolises their love and connection to each other. The murals would also symbolise their identity as Aboriginal women and helps connect their children to their culture. Connecting to culture is so important and for the children to be creating and learning who they are is also very important in understanding their Aboriginality. Aboriginal artist Graham has been teaching the mothers and their children about Aboriginal symbols and art techniques. This allows them to tell their own stories and discover more about their own culture.

Atlanta, GA – The Civic Imagination Project

2015-11-01T00:00:00Z

Across our nation, from Ferguson to Baltimore to Seattle, Americans are facing challenges that can no longer be classified as unprecedented. Decades-old issues of economic disparity and police brutality still exist and may be exacerbated more with the prevalent use of social media. In response, some Americans have taken to the streets while others have been perplexed and conflicted by the plethora of public demonstrations, petitions, and pontificating. Our citizens are frustrated and want to create change; however, with the strategies implemented thus far, we are experiencing the Einstellung effect-the use of old tactics for new or evolved issues. We need of update in civic literacy and change-making for 2015 and beyond. The Civic Imagination Project is an opportunity for rethink and re-tool civic life and responsibility. The purpose of the Civic Imagination Project is to explore, development, implement the next generation of civic literacy. Using the time-tested method of text-based dialogue we are launching a new citizens academy to provide training and resources that will enable individuals to become more effective across the civic engagement continuum. Our curriculum will provide guidance to develop effective community service projects, organize others around issue, policy analysis and becoming an elected official. CIP advisors include retired and current elected officials, nonprofit professionals, campaign managers, and fundraisers. For our pilot cohort, we are targeting individuals in the Atlanta , ages 25-40, that support the nonprofit/ socent sector. The project is unique as there are no campaign academies that specifically recruit nonprofit professionals (individuals that may be the closest to issues) to become elected officials.

Paris (Inactive) – Parole(s) Imagée(s)

2015-10-31T00:00:00Z

Parole(s) Imagée(s) est un projet né du croisement du rap et graphisme. Les textes de Marc Nammour - auteur du groupe La Canaille – sont transcrits dans un langage graphique singulier par Émilie-Laura Accipe, pour les souligner, les suggérer, jouer avec la perception afin d'en libérer le regard et laisser place à l'imaginaire. Il s'agit d'affirmer les valeurs humanistes du graphisme et du rap, et leurs liens avec la prise de parole. Des ateliers d’écriture reprenant ce concept vont être mis en place avec des jeunes de Montreuil. Ces ateliers permettront de les accompagner dans la création de leurs images, et dans la recherche d’un langage graphique qui leur soit propre pour exprimer des mots, des paroles de manière juste, audacieuse, faite de sens. Les ateliers seront rythmés par des temps d’échanges et discussions, avec une attention particulière quant à la question sémantique et le choix des signes ; par des temps de création et réalisation en sérigraphie, pour finalement aboutir à une exposition collective et un concert performance de La Canaille. Parole(s) Imagée is a project that brings together rap and graphic design. The lyrics of Marc Nammour – songwriter of the band La Canaille – are transcribed in a singular graphic language by Emilie-Laure Accipe, in order to highlitght and suggest them, to play with perception and to give way to imagination. The goal is to assert the humanist values of rap and graphic design, and their links with freedom of speech. On this basis, writing workshops will be organised with teenagers from Montreuil. The worksphops will guide them in creating their own images, and in finding their own way of expressing the right words and sentences, in an accurate, bold and meaningful way. The workshop will comprise moments to talk and discuss, with a focus on the choice of words and signs ; and moments to create and make posters using the silkscreen technique. The project will lead to a collective exhibition and a concert by La Canaille.

Boston, MA (Inactive) – Inner-City Autism Family Photo Event

2015-10-31T00:00:00Z

Our Autism Program at Boston Medical Center serves a large catchment of underserved, minority families in Boston whose children have autism. Many of our patients are without means and we strive to design extensive programming to assist children is reaching their potential but also in ways that help give comfort and support to the entire family. We are seeking to host a family photo day here at BMC where families could have portraits taken (something that we surmise is often difficult for them either due to cost or challenges related to the diagnosis—impulsivity, unfamiliar venues etc). We are hoping to tie this to holiday time so they could be used for gifts. Boston Medical Center (BMC) is the largest safety-net hospital in New England. Our patients represent some of the neediest people in the Greater Boston Area; almost 75% receive government-subsidized insurance such as Medicaid, and a significant portion struggle to make ends meet with incomes well below the poverty level. Seventy percent of all patients are from racial and ethnic minority populations, and 30 percent do not speak English as a primary language. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is life changing for any family, particularly one that is struggling to make ends meet. Multiple studies have shown that a vast disparity exists between the services for autism received by lower and upper-income children. . The Autism Program at BMC is a multi-staffed, multi-tiered, comprehensive and culturally competent service delivery model that is uniquely equipped to meet the complex needs of these families. Autism Resource Specialists offer specialized outreach, training and advocacy services, form effective partnerships with schools, collaborate with local support organizations and draw upon a deep knowledge base of social service agencies to facilitate linkages and empower marginalized families to access the very best care for their children.

Oahu, HI – Science In A Rural Oahu School

2015-10-30T00:00:00Z

Our teachers at Leihoku Elementary School have had to cancel or reschedule field trips for students because the buses will not come into the Waianae Coast after 11:30am. This is because traffic is so bad and unpredictable coming into the Waianae Coast. We are a Title 1 school, where 85% of our students are receiving free or reduced lunch. Our students come from homes and areas with out a lot of resources. I would argue that field trips are very important because field trips help to give our students the background knowledge that they need to be successful in academics. Especially as we push the rigor up in their academics to meet the new standards of the common core curriculum. I am asking for a grant of $1000, so that I can bring a field trip to our kids, since the parameters of transportation to field trips has become so difficult and limiting for our Waianae Coast school.

Ann Arbor, MI – Leesta

2015-10-30T00:00:00Z

Leesta is an education technology company that inspires 8-11 year olds, by teaching American History through the stories of women. Through visually sophisticated and engaging methods of storytelling, we are answering the need for digital learning resources and more diverse educational materials. Leesta shares underrepresented narratives that encourage children to become more empathetic and culturally competent. On the rare occasion that the stories of women are shared, they are often written for an adult audience, never have their stories been designed to teach history and inspire children the way Leesta is doing. The main component of Leesta is a series of ten interactive timelines highlighting the lives of amazing women. The timelines will be more informative and engaging than a textbook, featuring animations, audio, and an integrated point winning system. Educators can use these as supplementary teaching aids in classrooms, and children can use the site to learn at their own pace. Leesta was chosen as one of five winners of the optiMize Social Innovation Challenge, an entrepreneurial competition at the University of Michigan. We are sponsored by the United Way of Washtenaw County, and have formed partnerships with educators and historical experts to provide the highest quality of information through Leesta. This summer we have been working with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit to create a profile for Bessie Coleman, the first African American female pilot. As well as the Boggs center, where we have been working closely with friends of Grace Lee Boggs to create the most accurate profile for her life. Most recently we have been in contact with Temple Grandin, a world renowned inventor and autism activist, and are working directly with her to create a her timeline. Right now we are in the developing process and hope to launch 10 profiles September 2016 for the next school year.