Awesome Foundation - Projects

Gloucester, MA – Composting at O'Maley Innovation Middle School

2015-12-08T00:00:00Z

Our idea is to establish a composting system in the cafeteria at O’Maley in partnership with Black Earth Haulers. Trash removal at O’Maley has gotten very expensive. In addition, many students are uninterested in eating school lunch and are just throwing it out. Our plan will reduce trash costs and provide costly compost for free as well as establishing a sustainable garden at O’Maley that will educate and feed the school, students and staff alike. The system will be one bin for each grade’s lunch with a small bucket in the kitchen for cooking scraps. Black Earth will take away our bins weekly and in return bring us compost which will benefit the school’s gardens and get everyone at the school more involved. We will be educating everyone on what is and isn’t compostable at school wide assemblies and short videos to view in homeroom (Black Earth’s bin’s also have helpful signs that inform students about what can be composted). Amazingly, many students at O’Maley didn’t even know we had a school garden. With the help of Backyard Growers, we hope to create more planting and harvestings days schoolwide providing fresh produce for everyone to enjoy. Along with Black Earth Haulers and Backyard Growers, our school chefs and faculty member Caitlin Sumner (8th grade science teacher) are on board. With the support of many, a well devised plan, and $1000 we can make this idea into a reality.

Gloucester, MA – Class Clowns

2015-12-08T00:00:00Z

There is a group of at-risk students at O’Maley that needs special help. Students in this group continue to vex teachers with their off-task and disruptive behavior.There is a pressing need for an intervention that engages and supports them by giving them an experience of risk-taking, perseverance and success gained in a non-threatening activity. We are proposing to use safe circus skills (juggling, diablo, devil sticks and/or spinning plates) to help these at-risk students focus and improve their self-efficacy -- their motivation and persistence toward success. The Class Clowns Grant would be divided, with half the funds used to purchase a small collection of circus equipment (outlined below), and the other half to hire a circus education specialist to work with the target students and their teachers for several sessions, until the students can undertake self-directed learning and practice. We would like to bring circus activities to the at-risk group to help them build physical skills, self-efficacy, and positive social interactions. Using times when students are in their behavior support room as well as time after the afterschool academic help, students would be giving short instructional sessions plus time for practice, giving them opportunities for small successes and positive experiences associated with school. At-risk students would be encouraged to stay after school for academic support in order to gain time for practice afterwards. They would be able to earn time out of the classroom for these activities by positive classroom behavior and effort, instead of being removed from class for disruptive, unsuccessful behaviors. This proposal has 3 parts: (1) to purchase a small set of circus equipment for student use; (2) to hire a circus education specialist that would provide basic instruction and encouragement; and (3) to administer a short evaluation to the participants and to staff for feedback on the effectiveness of the project.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – The Handi Project

2015-12-07T00:00:00Z

Liverpool – Wool never walk alone

2015-12-07T00:00:00Z

I applied last month with an idea to help the homeless, and after pitching I realised i needed to think outside the box. Winter is coming, and we have hundreds still living on the streets of Liverpool. I'm starting a project which will involve collecting scarves for the homeless which will be tied around trees across the city for homeless people to help themselves to. As well as providing warmth, the project will provide a visual treat for people, and will organically change as scarves are taken and new scarves are left.

Washington, DC – Up Top Acres

2015-12-04T00:00:00Z

Up Top Acres designs, installs and operates commercial rooftop farms. We establish agriculture as a fixture of urban life by farming on underutilized rooftops and by offering the following services: •Design, Installation and maintenance of greenroof rooftop farming systems. •Fresh vegetables and local honey marketed through farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture and local restaurants. •A living classroom and community gathering space for educational programming and farm dinners. •A venue for private gatherings such as farm dinners and tastings. •A tool for building owners to comply with stormwater regulations, earn LEED credits, and reach their sustainability goals while turning a profit. •Job training for residents in urban agriculture, greenroof construction, business development and more We convert neglected spaces into viable sources of income and environmental safeguards, transforming a societal and environmental drain into a valuable commodity. Our rooftop farms are built into a 'green roof' system. This allows developers to comply with stormwater regulations, and at the same time, we lease rooftop space from developers, adding rentable area to the building while providing savings on regular maintenance costs associated with standard green roofs. The farm system functions as a green roof, generating up to 16 LEED credits and fulfilling mandatory environmental regulations through stormwater retention, energy conservation, heat island reduction, and habitat preservation. We're currently operating three rooftop farms, totaling 10,000 square feet, that provide produce to local restaurants and residents and have plans of opening another 20,000 square feet next year. Up Top Acres will be a model for the rest of the city and subsequently, the rest of the country for how to maximize the use of its urban space and integrate intelligent city planning with effective business practice and and proactive community engagement.

Boston, MA (Inactive) – WEATHER IS HAPPENING

2015-12-03T00:00:00Z

JUST A FYI A DIFF WEBZONE IS CURRANTLY BEING WORXED ON BUT THATS IT THATS THE URL. I WAS FEAT. IN FUSION AS BOSTONS BEST WEATHER SERVICE http://fusion.net/story/191686/boston-weather-energy-being-from-another-realm/ & I AM PLANING ON CONTINEWING THAT TRAD IN2 THE FUTURE. IM HEER 2 STAY 2 HALP BOSTON & PERHAPS THE WORLD THRU THAIR CLIMACTIC APOCALYPSE, ENCOURAGING PPL 2 FOARM PERSONAL REL8IONSHIPS W/ THAIR WEATHER LORDS & REPENT THATS WAT IT IS, REPENT 2 UR WEATHER LORDS STOP UR POWERS & OLIGARCHS FRUM DESTROYING UR PLANET. SO ON THE DAILY I GIV THE WEATHER 2 BOSTON NO GAMES SO THAY CAN NO WAT 2 XPACT & MY WEATHERPPL R THXFUL 4 THAT 1. I COVRRD SNOPACALOPSE 2015 & WIL B HEER AGAIN 4 UR WINTER 2 LAT U NO THAT WEATHER IS HAPPENING & WAT KIND OF WEATHER IT IS SO U CAN GO THRU UR DAY W/ THE APPROPRO AMOUNT OF FEAR & REPENTANCE U CAN CHACK OUT OTHR WEB PRESENCES ON FB TWITTR OR TUMBLR HTTP://FACEBOOK.COM/WEATHERISHAPPENING HTTP://TWITTER.COM/WEATHERISHAPPEN HTTP://WEATHERISHAPPENING.TUMBLR.COM TAIK A LUK & TRY 2 COME UP W/ BETTR WEATHER U WOANT FIND IT UR CORPORATE WEATHER PPL R ALL UNDR DURESS THAY CANT TELL U THE TRUTH, THAY CANT TEILL U ABOUT UR WEATHER LORDS. U HAV 2 REACH IN2 UR HEART, XCEPT WEATHER IS HAPPENING AS UR WEATHER SERVICE, SEEK UR WEATHER LORDS & REPENT

Melbourne (Inactive) – Unique walking tours of Melbourne

2015-12-03T00:00:00Z

We're delivering unique, edgy walking tours of Melbourne focussing on the inner suburbs where walking tours are currently not venturing. We aim to give visitors a real sense of what it is to be a local and provide locals an insight into their beautiful city. We explore areas that some locals don't even know about and where tourists will be able to take photos and hear stories that not all visitors get to hear. Visitors will walk away knowing how the locals love and why this is the most liveable city in the world. Our guides are experiencing, or have experienced homelessness in their life and are in public housing and unemployed. We're aiming to provide long term sustainable employment, whilst supporting them to integrate back into society, the private rental market and help them achieve their personal goals. We want to create a non-judgmental environment where labels and stigma do not exist and feel that having our guides in these roles provides a platform for this to happen. We also aim to be competitive and provide walking tours that are commercial with quality products. Our USP is that we deliver tours in areas that are diverse, culturally rich, historical, modern, fun, arty and where the locals actually live. We see our tours as holistic and therefore giving an all round view to satisfy all interested. With the guides' experience to add, they can tell stories that are otherwise untold, show areas conventional tours do not and finally give a true local perspective of Melbourne living through people that really know it best.

Portland, OR – The Numbers Community Studio

2015-12-03T00:00:00Z

The Numbers Community Studios The Numbers Community Studio is a program that will give underserved communities the opportunity to learn how to record vocals, produce instrumentals, and create music. The community studio will function as a makerspace in which participants will collaborate to expand their knowledge on production software and recording equipment. We will partner with members of the music community as well as novice learners to get a broad range of expertise. Our goal is to give those in the community passionated about music a chance to pursue their interests. There are many schools in the area with limited funding for arts and music programs. They usually do not implement a curriculum that engages students who are interested in other aspects of music creation. This program is important because it is the only one offered in east portland, a place where artistic creativity has often been overlooked. We already started operation at the Rosewood Initiative, a community space located on the border of the Portland/Gresham. The studio is open to members of the community of all-ages but is focused on reaching those between the ages of 16 to 25. As of right now we are available Wednesdays from 4pm to 6pm but we are hoping to be open more days of the week. We are hoping with this grant we will be able to get better recording equipment in order to get the best sound for our music and have it stationed in the studio. We have been sharing our personal equipment trying to build momentum.

Rotterdam – Browery - Brotherhood trough beer

2015-12-02T00:00:00Z

Beer is a remarkable product, It has the unusual trait of bringing people together. From this thought the 'Browery' came to life. Everyone knows there is a craftbeer trend going on. But aside from drinking all those special beers form professional breweries the Browery is all about brewing your own! Without the hassle of buying all the materials and learning how to brew by yourself. Browery invites people from Rotterdam to their event to learn how to brew beer. We like to experiment with strange flavours, extraordinary ingredients and forgotten recipes. It can't be crazy enough. We love to collaborate with people with creative idea's about beer, so we can come up with beers the world has never tasted. Join the Browtherhood!

San Antonio, TX – Katie's Jar - Taking Vending Machines to the Dogs

2015-12-01T00:00:00Z

Dog parks at apartments are becoming a must have for all of the new complexes. I want to bring Doggie Vending Machines to the dog parks around town. I've found a small cool (as in keeps food cold) vending machine, formerly used to vend sandwiches. We are going to give it a doggie makeover and stock it with dog treats, tennis balls, toys, and other pet products. Oh, and we can put stuff for humans in there too - water and goodies from bakeries.There are so many possibilities! We tested the dog treats in the Parlevel vending machines at Geekdom and they did pretty good. People responded to them and I got a lot of positive feedback on the idea.

San Antonio, TX – The People's Nite Market

2015-12-01T00:00:00Z

Our project is a night time farmers market that we just launched in the heart of the city at La Villita. We want to provide the city with a central hub that gives access to healthy, affordable produce and different cultural food options. We welcome urban and rural farmers to sell their produce at our market and are able to take food stamp cards. We provide the community as well as visitors with an array of international foods such as:Mediterranean, Ethiopian, Native American, Puerto Rican, Latin Fusion and authentic Mexican. We intend on adding Brazilian, Indian and Hawaiian foods to the market later in the season. In addition, we provide a space for artists to showcase their handmade products. We have a handmade sandal maker, vintage clothing, paper mache Mexican influenced artwork, apron maker, jewelry artists and soap makers. we would like to feature different entertainment acts like Bollywood dance, Brazilian Capoeira,Ballet Folklorico, Flamenco and even break dancing but would like to be able to pay entertainment. We have free health screenings and fitness classes sponsored by the Metro Health Mobile Fit Van. We provide a funk disco zumba class. There are also several services such as threading, henna. massage and bike repair. If Seniors want to attend and need assistance in shopping for produce or need help taking items to their cars we have personal shoppers and assistants to help them. (College Volunteers) We are a family friendly and pet friendly event.

San Antonio, TX – CO|LAB

2015-12-01T00:00:00Z

CO|LAB is a start-up collaborative co-working space for creatives. At CO|LAB a member will have 24/7 access to a shared work space with desks, tables, a lounge area, a conference table, unlimited WiFi, a kitchenette, complimentary coffee and tea, a cyclorama studio for photographers and videographers, two vanity make-up stations, storage space, rentable props, rentable studio equipment, a printer, office supplies, & a projector.. The space is a hybrid co-working space / maker space. CO|LAB started with the intent of providing a space where creatives can collaborate. A place where amazing ideas are born & creative projects are formed. While there are other co-working spaces in town, none have catered to the creative industries. CO|LAB is a great physical platform for creatives to work, network, collaborate, teach, share, & to receive feedback from one member to another. It will also be a great resource for individuals or companies needing creative services. In our current membership we have a very diverse set of skills. We have photographers, videographers, video & photo editors, graphic designers, web developers, writers, fashion designers, a make-up artists, a back-end marketer, a 3d animator, a painter, & a social media marketer.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – The Bad Date Coalition

2015-12-01T00:00:00Z

The Bad Date Coalition is a social action group committed to improving safety for people involved in sex work by creating and coordinating the Bad Date Book, connecting and educating sex workers who are in need of support or who are working in social isolation, and increasing public awareness to the myriad of issues that people involved in sex work face, as well as facilitate communication without judgment or assumptions. The Bad Date Coalition was established in 2004 out of a need to address the high levels of injustice and violence faced by sex workers and to bring like minded people together to work for change. Currently, the coalition is comprised of over 100 members representing current and former sex workers, frontline workers, activists, students, social service workers, shelters and other supporters.

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.