Awesome Foundation - Projects

Lusaka (Inactive) – BETHEL HOME ZAMBIA

2016-10-10T00:00:00Z

Sarnia (Inactive) – So I asked them to smile: Sarnia

2016-10-08T00:00:00Z

The inspiration for this project comes from an artist named Jay Weinstein who asks people on his photography trips to take one photos without and with a smile. "To document the effect of the human smile on a strangers face." As a hobby photographer, I see the beauty in all faces. I would like to take on this project and ask Sarnia to show me their smile. Locally I am hoping it can be on display at The Refined Fool as they currently have an open call for artists: https://www.facebook.com/A-Call-for-Art-Submissions-Refined-Fool-Gallery-Wall-516609711880469/. Then I would then like to share it with http://www.soiaskedthemtosmile.com/ "So there are no names. No occupations. No confirmed religions or ethnicity. No intriguing life lessons or heart strumming anecdotes. Just one human face. Without, and with a smile." - Jay Weinstein

Oakland, CA (Inactive) – Free Annual Halloween Marionette Show

2016-10-07T00:00:00Z

For three nights leading up to Halloween every year I put on a free marionette show in the driveway of my house in Oakland California. A fully staged, traditional production, the marrionette performance has become very popular, with the street closed off and at least a thousand people in attendance over the night. It is a half hour show made up of various musical stories exploring cultural history, that is repeated the entire night. I have done this for the past nine years and over that time I have worked with a team of professionals to help create my show. I have funded this project myself and in the recent couple years my funds have dwindled. I would like to continue performing the show with the 7 other puppeteers but need help. My personal budget has gotten to the point where a thousand dollars could make or break this project. This show has become a well known tradition throughout the Bay Area and I would like to continue doing it. Here's some quotes from people who've seen my show - We've been coming for about 4 or 5 years; it's one of the only can't-miss aspects of Halloween for us. -Amy Sullivan Magic. Pure joy for little kids and big kids. I am in love with Jitters. Thanks for bringing true art and community to the hood! -Vanessa Hammack World-class puppetry in Oakland! Thanks for doing this every year. -Russell Nelson This show is quite possibly the greatest thing about Halloween. The puppetry is exquisite. A neighborhood treasure. This will be our third year attending. Looking forward to it! -Julie Adams My 7 year old twins and I have attended each Halloween since they were 2 years old. Thank you so much for sharing your amazing talents with the community. -Linda Young

North Minneapolis, MN – Selah's Apothecary

2016-10-06T00:00:00Z

Selah's Apothecary is a muti-modal consulting and freelance practice for health and wellness initiatives . I developed this as an independent practice 8 months ago, though I have been doing consulting and freelance work in different capacities for several years. Selah's Apothecary provides freelance facilitation, organizational development, health & wellness and healing justice workshops with a holistic approach & practice. Most people understand 'apothecary' to be an archaic term for a pharmacy or a pharmacist. An apothecary is a place where individuals seek services and/or products for health and wellness. Modern day apothecaries are often dispensaries for natural medicines like herbs, plants, and or body care items composed of natural elements. What My practice works similarly to this idea but is multi-modal. It includes a practice around food, natural health and wellness but expands to include work and practice that addresses wellness in the other areas that impact our lives including, work spaces and systems, recreational practices, & spiritual practices, My practice is seated in the belief that healing, health, and wellness are not static one dimensional experiences in our lives, but that our health and wellness is a way of being that permeates all of our relationships and experiences. My approach is holistic taking into account the whole person, or whole systems experience. I work with people, groups, and organizations in different capacities but with ultimately the same goal and approach: awareness and alignment with their health and wellness through a holistic framework, approach, and practice.

Atlanta, GA (Inactive) – Therapeutic Artists Residency, TAR Project

2016-10-06T00:00:00Z

Atlanta's newest artists residency moves into its second year by offering its therapeutic support to teens and asked Atlanta creatives to step-up through advocacy by creating a monthly curriculum for the year long residency. The TAR Project or Therapeutic Artists Residency offers once-a-month individual and 2-hour group therapy sessions for free with a Licensed Professional Counselor who specializes in Expressive Therapy. At the end of the year, Atlanta is invited to see the work created during the residency at a group show at Binders Ponce City Market. The current adult residents received all sorts of rewards (i.e., $200 Binders gift cards, membership to C4 and scholarship to a class of their choice, massages, etc.) and are exploring therapeutic themes in their work, developing skills to use expression as a form of self-care and having direct support for their challenging life career path in the arts. During the application process, we had numerous parents and teens reaching out themselves, and I made the decision that this next year of the TAR project will target 15-19 year olds based in this need. Similar to the original structure these four teens in residence will receive all the same benefits, sessions and culminating show. However, they will engage in a curriculum of monthly courses with local artist, experiential experiences, and day long internships focused around different kinds of art to offer the teens real world experiences of the current arts culture in Atlanta. Part of the curriculum: Jessica Caldas working with performance art and the body in response to their struggles in their lives Melissa Coffey to do a silks course on facing your fears Austin Frantz documenting self-portraits and the work created during the residency for portfolios Will Massey and his team of artist that work in the elderly hospitals Malina Rodriguez and the folks of the Work Room apprenticeship on choreographing Tori Tinsley-Warenzak a recent GSU MFA graduate

Washington, DC – Theatre Prometheus presents CYMBELINE

2016-10-06T00:00:00Z

Theatre Prometheus creates diverse, woman-focused productions that examine societal problems and amplify the voices of the marginalized. In this vein, our re-imagining of Shakespeare’s CYMBELINE presents lovers Imogen and Posthumus as a lesbian couple. This perspective allows us to explore themes of sexuality, homophobia, gender identity, and gender roles. In doing so, the world Shakespeare created is revealed to be very similar to our own, challenging preconceived notions of both classical theatre and what it means to be LGBTQ. Imogen and Posthumus’ journey will resonate deeply with anyone who has ever struggled to come out, as many of us at Prometheus have. Our adaptation of CYMBELINE will also challenge limitations on the roles women can play in Shakespeare’s plays, in theatre generally, and in our wider society. In the original version, women comprise only about 25% of the cast, and many of those roles are small. We flipped this percentage and cast 70% female actors, giving women access to the rich character arcs and language they are usually denied. Our hope in doing this is that audiences leave the play not thinking “why were these roles played by women?,” but rather asking of other productions, “why can’t these roles be played by women?” We also chose CYMBELINE simply because of the story itself. The extraordinarily complex plot is funny, sad, silly, scary, and thought-provoking, and at its heart is an earnest joy and love of life that seems quite at odds with the cynical world we live in. It explores a kind of vulnerability that often eludes us -- one that shines a critical light on how we behave in this too-violent world, and asks us “What might happen if I make peace?” Finally, we are proud to say that this project is immediately actionable: we have fully cast CYMBELINE, recently confirmed a venue at the Anacostia Arts Center, and will begin rehearsals in October. The play itself will run from January 12 to 29.

Ann Arbor, MI – Global Water Dances - Flint, MI

2016-10-05T00:00:00Z

Global Water Dances celebrates water and life through the art of dance. In parallel, we are aware that environmental actions are needed. Global Water Dances has had a vibrant history for seven years. We have staged three worldwide events in 2011, 2013, and 2015, with a fourth event planned next year. One day, every two years, 80+ cities from around the world participate in the Global Water Dances event. From Beijing, China to Zadar, Croatia, choreographers take on local water issues through workshops, dance activism and dialogue. On June 24, 2017, the Flint, MI community will come together for their first-ever site of Global Water Dances which will be in four parts. Section I. Ritual: An opening ceremony specific to each site. Section II. Local Dance: A dance created by choreographers from the area, using locally-based music, around specified the poisoning of the river and recovery efforts. Section III. Global Dance: Simultaneous choreography done by all the performers worldwide to the same piece of music, connecting participants and audience globally. Section IV. Participatory Dance: Audience participation in a very simple movement sequence. Leading up to the event, Shawn Lent and other dance artists are conducting community dialogue workshops through the arts. Local partners include Karen Mills Jennings and students at the Flint School of Performing Arts, Emma Davis at the University of Michigan-Flint, and artists Peggy Mead Finizio, Adesola Akinleye and Alisyn Hurd.

South Bend, IN – Change your lawn. Change your city.

2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

Greater Impact Lawn Care is a for-profit business that seeks to teach the youth of South Bend how to work through meaningful employment opportunities. We have 4 main objectives: 1. It’s our intention to provide jobs for urban youth living in the South Bend area. 2. We intend to teach youth life skills through work (Time management, positive attitude, work ethic, financial literacy, workplace behaviors, effective communication, positive self-image, GRIT.) 3. Our goal is to train up the next generation of youth in South Bend to work hard and be great employees for future companies. 4. We provide quality work and excellent customer service. We stand behind all that we do. Our services focus on commercial and residential lawn care maintenance which includes mowing, trimming, edging, landscaping and cleanup projects. We are fully insured and have highly trained supervisors. We have cut over 800 properties in our community, while investing in the future leaders of our community. We are more than a lawn care company. While we care about our finished project, we are even more concerned about the youth that we employ (currently 9 youth). We hire specialized supervisors to mentor the youth. We have a weekly employee training focused on soft skills needed to succeed in the workforce. Each student employee has an individual mentor investing in their growth.

Paris (Inactive) – VirtuOz

2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

VirtuOz est un instrument virtuel informatique autonome, jouable à partir d'interfaces adaptés à tous types de handicaps. Cet instrument sera utilisable par des particuliers, mais également par des thérapeutes (ergothérapeutes, kinésithérapeutes, psychomotriciens, neuropsychologues etc.) dans le cadre de projets de rééducation utilisant la musique. L'objectif est de préparer des prototypes qui seront testés auprès de structures médicales de rééducation en région parisienne. VirtuOz is a virtual informatic music instrument, which can be played from an interface adapted to all types of disability. This instrument will be used by both individuals and therapists (ergotherapists, kinesiologists, psychomotor specialists, neuropsychologist…) for re-education projects using music. The goal is to prepare prototypes that will be tested in health facilities in the Paris region.

South Bend, IN – Original South Bend Commercial

2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

Recently a commercial aired advertising all of the fun things to do in South Bend and in the surrounding areas. It was made locally for $20,000. The spot was very sleek, and had tons of production value. Soon after its debut, viewers began commenting on the spot - saying there wasn't enough diversity and people of color, and how the promo was a poor depiction of South Bend. Most of the commercial was filmed in nearby Michigan- that upset a lot of people too. To make matters worse, the ad got pulled from the air because it came to light that it was a blatant rip-off of a tourism commercial from Salt Lake City, Utah. It made national headlines. People were so bummed out, embarrassed, and disappointed. The fact that the spot was a carbon copy hurt the city's morale. My project would be to make an original commercial for South Bend that is somewhat like the clothing brand FUBU- For Us, By Us. I would call on the community, by crowd sourcing, to see what locations in South Bend speak to them the most. I would highlight those places as well as real people, not actors, here in South Bend. Through a series of vignettes, I would show real places and real people all in South Bend, not MIchigan. I would highlight more destinations than just local bars, I would feature all the rich diversity on the West Side, and the South Side and local, off the grid eateries and destinations. The commercial would be high energy, fun, warm and nostalgic as well. I want viewers in other states to watch the spot and feel like they'd like to live here.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Circus Harmony

2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

Baltimore, MD – Moms As Entrepreneurs Academy

2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

Moms As Entrepreneurs Academy (MAE pronounced "Ma") is a grassroots community based organization whose mission is to provide aspiring entrepreneurial mothers with the resources needed to start or grow successful, profitable businesses with the intent to foster growth within their neighborhoods and reinvest back into Baltimore City communities. Moms As Entrepreneurs Academy provide an 8-week entrepreneurship training program to provide moms with resources in creating a microenterprise through hands-on training programs focusing on life, entrepreneurial & financial literacy skills; establish an evidenced based model through documenting the journey of the entrepreneurship academy participants to use it as a coaching tool for other moms and; and partner with financial institutions and other lenders to identify funding resources for participants to access the equity necessary to start up small businesses. We select 20 moms in each cohort. The MAE team developed our curriculum which covers the mindset of starting a business to actually launching the business. At the end of the 8 weeks the participants in the academy launch their businesses at an expo hosted by Moms As Entrepreneurs. During this time the MAEs (moms who attend the academy) have a chance to display their products and services to their friends, family and community organizations and leaders. A team of judges visit each MAE display and talk to the moms. Two moms are chosen by the judges and provided with startup funding for their businesses. Since the start of the academy in April 2016 we have launched 11 mom owned businesses in Baltimore City and is currently working on launch 12 more mom owned businesses in our current cohort.

South Bend, IN – Round-a-bout Beautification

2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

South Bend has created numerous roundabouts over the past several years. Each roundabout usually includes central and outlying green spaces which include turf and planting beds which are landscaped with are planted with plant material and mulched with bark or gravel. After the initial installation these roundabouts look great. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a budget increase for the parks department so these areas can be adequately maintained and they usually end up being overgrown with weeds and populated with numerous dead shrubs. Our awesome project would be the development of an organization which will find sponsors to fund the maintenance for each roundabout in the city. In addition, this organization would solicit volunteers to clean up a roundabout each spring. This would help reduciethe maintenance costs for the remainder of the year. Each sponsor/volunteer group would be permitted to place signage at the roundabout they sponsor/maintain. Other details will be outlined during presentation

Liverpool (Inactive) – An Introduction to Wearable Technology with WOW

2016-10-03T00:00:00Z

Wearable tech is a new industry with the more popular examples being the Google Glass and fitness trackers. With the devices saturating the market, the next trend will be wearables in the form of clothing and accessories. WoW UK Women of Wearables is an organization that inspires, connects and supports women in wearables, IoT and AR/VR through its events and wearable tech workshops. The wearable tech workshops encourage girls to get involved in technology in the form of wearables and teach them how to use tech to make their own wearables. The aim is to teach them how to build a circuit using conductive thread and for parents to also learn and understand how to make wearables. This is an introduction to circuitry class with the aim of providing more detailed workshops using arduinos specifically for wearables. We have made LED self light up shoes with pressure sensors, a self lighting bag that lights up when you open it, a UV sensor hat to remind you to put sunscreen on and many more wearable projects to come. Website: http://www.womenofwearables.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/women_wearables

San Jose, CA – Glowing Garden

2016-10-03T00:00:00Z

The open space in front of San Jose Repertory Theatre at the Paseo De San Antonio Walk has always been underused. It is at a great location surrounded by a flower shop, Starbucks, Camera 12, Whispers Cafe, transit stops, and several other cafes, shops, and restaurants. However, there is only one long curb seating that normally does not generate any social activities/interactions in the area. "Glowing Garden" is an easy but awesome placemaking that will encourage people to linger as well as create a safer environment downtown using eco-friendly glowing light materials. The project includes a terrarium coffee table decorated with glowing pebbles/stones and plants inside, garden chairs around the table, and distributed glowing star stickers on the floor around the table and chairs. All glowing materials will be activated by natural sunlight during the day and the powder contained within them will produce a radiant that glows over several hours in the dark. The "Glowing Garden" will look totally different transforming from a normal garden during daytime into a glowing garden at nighttime! Here are some references of the terrarium coffee table: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/214413632233014412/ http://firsttoknow.com/this-terrarium-table-instantly-adds-life-to-any-room/

Jumbos (Inactive) – EchoMe Winter Silent Disco / WNTRBRKR

2016-10-03T00:00:00Z

It's time to make Boston winter better for all the young people who live, work and play here. As a MA native, I grew up playing outside in the snow, skiing and going outside in the winter. After graduating Tufts in 2014, I noticed my peers struggling to stay motivated in their day-to-day lives through 4pm sunsets and bone-chilling weather. In 2014, 20 million Americans were diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder. That number has only gone up. While at Tufts, I started struggling with winter blues myself until a friend invited me up to Igloofest, Montreal's outdoor music festival in the middle of January. Bored with nothing else to do, I packed my snowsuit and hand warmers, and made my way up to Montreal. The temperature was 11 degrees when we got there. I had no idea what to expect. At Igloofest, I found myself surrounded by hundreds of people, bundled up from head to toe, smiling and dancing to techno music. It reminded me of the power of dance and music to bring people together and warm up even the coldest of nights. When I returned to Boston, I realized that we don't all have to suffer through winter alone or drive 2+ hours to the mountains. There are too many people (like myself) itching for something to get excited about right here in the city. In partnership with the founders of EchoMe - a brand new music synchronization app that facilitates silent disco parties, this January we will launch Boston's first outdoor moving silent disco dance party. Complete with a custom winter workout run by Chris Capozzi of The November Project, we will dance our way through the city, goof it up along the way, and end at a landmark location in Boston with hot apple cider (provided by Red Apple Farm) and hearty soup. This is my way of fostering community and spreading joy here in Boston Proper by inspiring people to embrace winter in all its awesomeness. Thank you so much for this opportunity! With warmth & appreciation, Lilly

Twin Cities, MN (Inactive) – Nourish!

2016-10-03T00:00:00Z

Nourish: Film, Food, and Community for the Mind, Body, and Soul is a project we piloted last year and hope to expand. In partnership with LSP we offer monthly events for community to gather together, break bread, watch a documentary related to community gardening, urban agriculture and food systems, and have dialogue about what we are learning together. Last winter we held 4 events in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. These gatherings were well attended and evaluation surveys indicated that the community is hungry to be convened in this way. New relationships were formed, community was built, and neighbors launched growing projects as a result. This year we intend to expand and offer the same events in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul and in North Minneapolis.

Austin, TX – 10th Annual KreweDCM Halloween Parade

2016-09-30T00:00:00Z

KreweDCM's Halloween parades are an opportunity for Austinites of all ages to build costumes, revel, and march with Austin's own Dead Music Capital Band and others in a free parade through East Austin. Thanks to funding from the Austin Awesome Foundation, the 10th annual Halloween Parade will pass not only through Austin's largest low-income development, Chalmers Court, but through the Santa Rita Courts as well, spreading free music, candy, and delight to more low-income families than ever before (2 - long-term) Maintenance for the three float chassis built using the 2014 Awesome Foundation grant. These chassis are available free-of-charge to other organizations in Austin's burgeoning homegrown parade culture, which includes HONK!TX, 12th Night Austin, Queerbomb, and events put on by other local brass bands. This "foundation support" of other homegrown parades is inspired by Seattle's annual Solstice Parade. (3 - short- and long-term) The development and production of "Sound and Vision", an original float design and build for 2016. Inspired by the nonmotorized puppets of New Orleans' Krewe du Viuex, the 'Sound" float will be a mobile, interactive instrument where children and adults can experiment with playing monstrous stringed instruments, horns, and provide their own percussive drum beats. The "Vision" float will be a mobile, giant teleidoscope (open ended kaleidoscope) where children and adults can delight in an altered view of the world around them via optical illusion. Once funded, both "Sound" and "Vision" will be made available to local arts events like the HONK!TX Festival of Community Street Bands at no charge.

Yerevan – Ծուռ խաղ

2016-09-28T00:00:00Z

«Ծուռ խաղը» հիմնված է հայկական էպոսի՝ Սասնա Ծռերի «Սանասարի և Բաղդասարի ամուսնությունը» հատվածի վրա: Այն խաղաքարտերով սեղանի խաղ է՝ նախատեսված 8+ տարիքի երեխաների և մեծահասակների համար: Խաղում առկա են ինը կերպարներ (Էպոսի վերոնշյալ հատվածից), դրանք են՝ Սանասար, Բաղդասար, Քառսուն-Ճուղ-Ծամ-Դեղձուն-Ծամ, երկաթի թագավոր,վիշապ, հովիվ, ալևոր, փահլևաններ և նազիր-վեզիր, որոնք համարակալված են ըստ իրենց զորության և նշանակության: Յուրաքանչյուր կերպար ունի որոշակի գործառույթ՝ համապատասխանեցված էպոսում իր նկարագրին: Խաղը բաղկացած է կերպարները պատկերող խաղաքարտերից, կերպարների գործողությունները և խաղում առկա քանակը նկարագրող խաղաքարտերից և ակերից (որը էպոսում Սանասարը հանում է վիշապի բերանից): Խաղի օրենքները հետևյալն են՝ խաղում են 2-4 անձ: Խաղաքարտերը բաժանվում են յուրաքանչյուր խաղացողի մեկական, այնպես, որ ամեն մեկը տեսնի միայն իր խաղաքարտը, մեկ խաղաքարտ փակ վիճակում մի կողմ է դրվում և չի մասնակցում խաղին, մնացած խաղաքարտերը փակ վիճակում դրվում են մեջտեղում՝ հետագայում օգտագործելու և խաղի մեջ ներառելու նպատակով: Խաղը սկսում է էպոսը վերջերս կարդացած անձը: Առաջին խաղացողը փակ խաղաքարտերի վրայից վերցնում է ևս մեկ քարտ և իր խաղաքարտերից մեկը, ըստ ցանկության կամ տրամաբանության, բաց վիճակում դնում խաղասեղանին, մատնանշում է որևէ խաղացողի, որին ուղղված է իր խաղաքարտի վրա նշված գործողությունը, փահլևանի դեպքում, օրինակ, խաղացողները համեմատվում են խաղաքարտերով և ավելի քիչ ուժ ունեցողը դուրս է մնում խաղից, հովիվը նայում է որևէ մեկի խաղաքարտը (ուժը չափելու նպատակով), նազիր-վեզիրը գուշակում է որևէ մեկի քարտը (Դեղձունի խնձորը գողացողին գտնելու նպատակով) և այլն: Այնուհետև հերթը անցնում է հաջորդ խաղացողին: Հաղթում է նա, ում ձեռքին մնում է վերջին քարտը և արժանանում է մեկ ակի: Եվ այսպես խաղում են այնքան շրջան, մինչև որևէ մեկը հինգ ակ է հավաքում՝ անէացնելով Դեղձունի կախարդանքը և արժանանալով նրա ձեռքին: Այս ինտելեկտուալ խաղը ոչ միայն կօգնի զարգացնել տրամաբանությունը և հիշողությունը, այլ նաև վերհիշել մեր էպոսը և մի փոքրիկ արկած ունենալ նրա հերոսների հետ:

Yerevan – Armenia By Bicycle

2016-09-28T00:00:00Z

Rural tourism development is a hot topic in Armenia, but one area still overlooked is the potential of bicycle touring as a way of exploring the country. This project aims to remedy this in a very concrete way: by developing five (5) self-guided cycling itineraries, publishing a digital guidebook, and promoting it to a large international audience of bicycle travel enthusiasts. Those visiting Armenia by bicycle currently suffer from a lack of information about alternative routes to the main highways, which are dangerous and unpleasant to ride. The truth is that Armenia features a plethora of alternative routes on smaller and less-travelled roads. The roads, to the bicycle traveller, are a surefire way to have a much more interesting and pleasant experience – but remain in many cases unmapped and unknown to a newcomer to the country. This project will aim to remedy that with a multifaceted approach: - Updating the open-source mapping of bicycle-friendly routes to include settlements, shops, water sources, accommodation, and other points of interest, - Developing itineraries which take into account the preferences and daily distance ranges of bicycle travellers, - Incorporating data and information of particular interest to cyclists, including elevation profiles, road conditions and traffic conditions, - Photographing and creating written descriptions of the routes. The routes will range from long-distance itineraries for those hoping to explore the whole country, through shorter day-trips from key Armenian cities to points of cultural and historical interest, through to off-road itineraries for adventurous cyclists looking for a wilder and more natural experience. A PDF ebook will be created for these itineraries, along with a new website, http://cyclingarmenia.com/, which I hope to grow to be a central hub for information about bicycle travel in Armenia. Promotion will primarily be through the popular bicycle travel website TomsBikeTrip.com.

Minas Gerais (Inactive) – Rádio Comunitária Alternativa FM - 92,5

2016-09-28T00:00:00Z

A Rádio Comunitária Alternativa FM, frequência 92,5, está localizada no Residencial Águas Claras, bairro Vila Pinho, região do Barreiro, Belo Horizonte - MG. A rádio está no ar há cerca de 4 anos e possui um alcance de cerca de 16.000 ouvintes. Seu principal radialista, Wallace Paixão, é uma referência comunitária para o tratamento de questões de interesse público, como reivindicação de transporte público e de serviços de correio. A Rádio Alternativa FM segue todos os requisitos legais para funcionamento de rádio comunitária e possui programação gospel, mas não se restringe ao público evangélico, havendo abertura para programação de outros grupos religiosos. A rádio constitui um canal de informação e mobilização comunitária, realizando avisos sobre o funcionamento de equipamentos públicos, campanhas de doação, promoção de debates sobre violência, consumo de drogas pela juventude, combate à dengue e outros. O bairro Vila Pinho é caracterizado por um alto índice de criminalidade violenta e faz parte dos 32 territórios no qual atua a Política de Prevenção Social à Criminalidade do Governo do Estado de Minas Gerais, executada pelo Instituto Jurídico para Efetivação da Cidadania - IJUCI em parceria com a Secretaria de Estado de Defesa Social (SEDS). Parte desta Política é desenvolvida por meio dos Centros de Prevenção à Criminalidade (CPCs) instalados nesses territórios, inclusive no bairro Vila Pinho. Atualmente vem sendo construída uma parceria entre o IJUCI, o CPC Vila Pinho e a Rádio Comunitária Alternativa FM para a criação de programação voltada às temáticas de direitos humanos, cidadania e prevenção à criminalidade. Este projeto tem o objetivo de aumentar o alcance da rádio para toda a região do Barreiro, incluindo a área comercial, o que possibilitará o aumento de apoios para a sua sustentabilidade financeira e potencializará a promoção deste tipo de debate, constituindo uma importante ferramenta para a prevenção à criminalidade e a promoção de cidadania.

Melbourne (Inactive) – The Ultimate Pop Up Junkyard Playground

2016-09-28T00:00:00Z

The Ultimate Pop Up Junkyard Playground, which at times may have roving dinosaurs, is a large scale travelling public art project where the lead artists are young people aged 6-16. Taking inspiration from the first Junkyard Playground built in Emdrup in 1943 we are working with young people to help them design and build their own world. Popping up first at Siteworks, Brunswick we will be hosting a 2 day Pop Up Junkyard Playground, which will bring community together from across Moreland and beyond. Over 120 young people from suburbs including Brunswick, Glenroy and Coburg are coming together over the two days to work alongside our amazing team of artists, architects and adventure play workers. Our team will equip them with the tools required to design and build an amazing world. Our next stop is the outer suburbs of Geelong and from there, well who knows where we will Pop Up, but we have a dream of touring regional Australia and beyond. The project is designed to allow young people the opportunity to celebrate who they are and create their own world within that of the adult world whilst reigniting public space. It encourages at risk play and adventure and allows for young people to share their creativity with a wider audience. The Junkyard Playground Project has a focus on bringing young people from diverse backgrounds together including those from lower socio economic, aboriginal and asylum seeker, refugee backgrounds to allow for all voices to be heard and celebrated in a creative fun and inspiring way. It is literally their project.

Twin Cities, MN (Inactive) – The Family Place

2016-09-27T00:00:00Z

The Family Place is a shelter for families with children. Last year, we incepted Casa de la Bella, an onsite Montessori, that will become fully licensed later this year. Children that come into shelter are often traumatized and coming from chaotic situations. Our Montessori is beautiful and peaceful, providing the nurturing and calming atmosphere so that learning can take place. This grant would help us continue to provide early childhood education for toddler aged children. This we believe is the only Montessori in a day center for homeless families with children in the United States.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Sunshine Cinema - a solar powered mobile cinema

2016-09-26T00:00:00Z

Sunshine Cinema is a solar powered mobile media initiative and alternative distribution platform. Our aim is connect change makers to wider networks, amplifying the voices of grassroots active citizens. We run solar powered screenings creating audience engagement platforms, and media training workshops. The project grew out of our production company, Makhulu, winning awards for a film we made about a local Zambian entrepreneur Lloyd Maanyina. Zambia has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world and Maanyina was a charcoal burner for many years, cutting down countless trees, and became a tree nursery owner. We showed Lloyd’s film on our pilot mobile solar cinema to local communities to spread the ethos of sustainability that he was promoting, alongside educational content focusing on the benefits of renewable energy. Sunshine Cinema’s journey began in 2013. Within our first year we received attention from international brands and press outlets and we were able to raise necessary start-up capital through profits from events we hosted, as well as a successful crowdfunding campaign. Since then we have screened to over 5000 direct audience members in townships across South Africa and rural areas on our mobile cinemas. We have a SunBox - solar cinema for small scale events that literally fits in a box and can screen to up to 50 pax at a time. Our larger solar cinema can screen to up to 150 people at a time.Currently we host solar powered green events in partnership with brands as well as community focused screenings, partnering with the likes of Red Bull, large scale music & documentary film festivals, initiatives like Live Magazine, 350.org , GreenPeace and The Childrens Radio Foundation. Sunshine Cinema’s project team of community facilitators and media professionals understand local innovators by working with them in workshop environments pre-media production through focus groups, giving our team a unique insight and understanding of the market,

Portland, OR – Youth Making a Change Screen-Printing Series

2016-09-26T00:00:00Z

Youth members of Youth Environmental Justice Alliance (YEJA) and the larger East Portland community will learn how to design and screen print t-shirts that reflect our social justice values. YEJA will hold 3-4 different workshop sessions on t-shirt design and screen print demonstration, with the final session of youth leaving with free shirts. The project will increase awareness and diversity because it brings together low-income youth and youth of color to build relationships over a creative project. It also strengthens our capacity by bringing new students into the YEJA meeting space to learn about our advocacy work, and specifically teaching youth how to channel creative energy through hands-on screen printing. We hope to be able to engage 50 youth (13-18) through this project.

Stockholm (Inactive) – "Det var en gång i Gnesta"

2016-09-26T00:00:00Z

You will find Gnesta, with approximately 5,000 inhabitants, at the end station of the commuter train line, south of Stockholm. Non-profit Samklang wants to inspire the people of Gnesta to share their stories, dreams, poetry, fantasies and memories about their place through workshops and a storytelling app. “Det var en gång i Gnesta” aims to unite people from many different backgrounds and ages through language and text and to get more of Gnesta out walking/biking in public spaces, to reflect and dream together about their common places. Nice ey? Samklang plans to invite inhabitants via social media and from schools, retirement homes, homes for asylum seekers, SFI, pubic message boards, sport organizations, etc. in Gnesta to send in written memories, short stories, dreams or poetry connected to a certain spot (building, address, square, park etc.) in Gnesta. The money from Awesome will be used towards hosting three bilingual writing workshops with at least 2 bilingual teachers (Arabic-Swedish, Persian-Swedish) to gather material for the app. When the texts are collected, as many of them as possible will be translated and recorded in the language it's written in (by the author where possible) and in translated versions. The final stage will be to create a Gnesta-map app that will then contain links by the spot on the map where the collected texts relate to. Every spot with a text connected to it will be marked with a small star. When you're walking in Gnesta and come to a star, you can click on it. Then the recorded text will be read out load. It's will be like a city guide of poetry, dreams and memories. Samklang is a recently started non-profit organization that aims to be a platform for the people in Gnesta to meet each other and develop through cultural and social activities. They work with co-creative, transparent strategies and have a small studio at the main square in Gnesta.

Newmarket – We Are: A Safe Place - LGBTQ Youth

2016-09-25T00:00:00Z

Alaska (Inactive) – Portable Front Porch Project

2016-09-25T00:00:00Z

I read this article in the ADN in mid-July and it got the ideas rolling. http://www.adn.com/opinions/2016/07/19/why-we-need-front-porches/ We like the idea of front porches building a sense of community. Invite someone for a sit in the front yard. Gather, discuss, get to know one another. ACH has had great success with more on the street community by planting gardens in its front yard. People stop to talk and get to know one another all less than a block from Lake Otis. Community is happening right in the middle of town! The idea is to build portable "porches" that can be delivered once the snow is gone and pick them up again before the snow flies. We also plan to add a planter to the porch, some living aspect when not occupied by people, maybe something living on the porch is the inviting aspect to get people to sit and stay a bit. There will be no cost to request a front porch. If we find lots of success with the project, we will ask for donations from those who want porches and can afford to donate in successive years to secure the building of more porches. We've asked Yarducopia,among others, to be involved in the plant aspect of the porches as it is a proven community builder through gardening. ACH can do the manual labor - building or facilitate the building tapping into its tool library and possibly the DIY community to build them by offering how to classes and facilitating the delivery and pick up and general maintenance. The design we have in mind is a folding picnic table that converts into a bench. It can be set on almost any surface. We will burn into the tops of the tables the partners and donors to the project as a form of recognition. General design is here: http://www.woodworkerz.com/one-piece-folding-bench-picnic-table/ We would like to pilot with about 10-15 portable front porches around town.

Asheville, NC (Inactive) – Chefs @ DowntownWelcome Table Creative Partnership

2016-09-23T00:00:00Z

Chefs @ Downtown Welcome Table is a creative partnership between local chefs and restaurateurs and the Downtown Welcome Table, based on the belief that one of the best ways to love people is through food. Each Wednesday at the Downtown Welcome Table a hot lunch is served family style to an average of 450 people -- three quarters of whom are homeless or living in poverty. It's more than a meal, it's hospitality. It's not just serving food but sitting down at table, asking someone's name, looking them in the eye and making a new friend. Details such as cloth tablecloths and napkins, flowers on the table and the use of real china are meant to counter the notion often held by those living on the streets that handouts, hand-me-downs and leftovers are all I deserve. Lunch is served on abundant plates by an attentive wait staff and folks are invited to linger over the meal as in a nice restaurant or dinner at home. Encouragement and a natural support system are provided because "someone knows my name and cares when I don't show up." What is perhaps most remarkable about the Downtown Welcome Table is its diversity. The meal is not just for folks who don't know where their next meal is coming from. Professionals in three-piece suits sit alongside men and women carrying all their worldly possessions in ragged backpacks, construction workers in hard hats, and third-shift workers weary from a long night of work. People who might not otherwise come to know each other develop a friendship over a shared meal. Once a month one of the amazing independent restaurants that has helped Asheville earn a national reputation on the culinary scene plans, prepares and serves lunch at the Downtown Welcome Table. The goal of this project is to enable this creative partnership to flourish and grow through the infusion of professional skill and talent in the design and public relations field. Participating restaurants include Curate, Bouchon, Rhubarb, Chestnut & 25 other greats!

Miami, FL – Made-Up Memories

2016-09-23T00:00:00Z

Made Up Memories is a generative workshop where people of all ages make their own fictional autobiographies. Think of it as a new way to teach history. Participants are presented with a series of facts on how ridiculous the notion of facts is. Memory is objective and this is an invitation to make up their own history. They go on a journey. Through a series of creative prompts, participants write, draw, and express their stories. The workshops can also be curated towards a specific theme. An archive would be presented where a participant can use it, re-interpret, remix it, and create his own version of history more relatable than any concrete objective factual history. Physically, the workshop is also an opportunity to get crafty. Participants can choose to express themselves and their fictional autobiography through a number of zines, or more accurately, paper toys. What is generated in the workshops will then be used to produce a publication. Made Up Memories, the book, will be a print of all the best, funniest, simplest, most insightful, "I remembers" that we find together. This is a cathartic experience where people shed skin, let go of past demons, and relate to each other fictionally in a way not possible through an imposed reality. .

Antigonish, NS (Inactive) – Sing-along with Coco Love Alcorn!!!

2016-09-23T00:00:00Z

Want a chance to sing with a chart-topping Canadian singer-songwriter? The Wandering Menstruals want to invite community members to take part in a singing workshop with Coco Love Alcorn where they will get a crash course in vocal layering and singing in harmony. Following the afternoon session, workshop participants will be invited to perform alongside Coco and the Menstruals in an evening concert.

Oahu, HI – Fern Elementary Basketball Program

2016-09-22T00:00:00Z

My project is the first basketball program at my elementary school.My school consists of mostly students of Chuukese, Marshallese, Filipino, Tongan and Samoan heritage. Many, live in poverty and are not involved in structured activities after school. Due to this, often our behavior in school can be very alarming. I would like to start a after school extracurricular activity where students could learn a number of skills that associate with doing better in school academically and socially. Here are my goals: Goal: To create and implement an upper grade (4-5) basketball program as an extracurricular activity as an opportunity for students to strive in multiple areas and skills. These include, but are not limited to: • Gaining an understanding that school is important to be able to participate in extracurricular activities. • Coming to school is essential • Respecting yourself, others and school are important • A positive attitude matters • Providing students the opportunity to promote individual and team skills. • To develop and experience a competitive feeling • To learn and practice good sportsmanship skills • To learn and understand why rules are important • Respecting others • To develop a sense of commitment to a team and yourself This project is just a start at my school, but my big picture goal is to unite the Kalihi district schools, so we can all have a basketball program and create an elementary basketball league for students to participate in and learn an array of skills, while living positive, healthy lifestyles.

Plano, TX (Inactive) – HappyHires Plano

2016-09-21T00:00:00Z

My awesome project is an organization named HappyHires! This was created to bring happiness back to the hiring process for under-served populations. Let's face it, finding a job is not always a fun process. It can be scary, stressful and can be lengthy. When someone is unemployed and has limited resources to find a job, this can cause unhappiness that may lead to unfavorable acts/situations (ex. depression, financial issues, family tension, crime, etc). This is when HappyHires comes in! We help those in need by providing quality services in basic education (ESL/GED/Civics), skills training, and personalized assistance in obtaining employment to help them become productive and self sufficient citizens in their community. I want to help those particularly in Plano, TX

Plano, TX (Inactive) – Murphy Middle School Outdoor Classroom

2016-09-21T00:00:00Z

As a scout of Troop 295, based in Plano, I am beginning to work on my Eagle Scout Project. My project will be based at Murphy Middle School in Murphy, Texas. I will be building an outdoor classroom that will provide an alternative learning environment for 6th-8th grade students. This outdoor classroom will consist of 6-8 benches placed and bolted into a square formation. This will give students the opportunity to face any direction. I will also provide a rolling whiteboard that can be kept inside, and rolled outside for use. This takes away the opportunity for graffiti. This outdoor classroom will give students a more fun and different way to learn, contrary to the normal classroom setting.

Gloucester, MA – Ghosts of Hammond Castle: Echoes From The Deep!

2016-09-20T00:00:00Z

The Folklore Theatre Company is proud to partner with Hammond Castle to produce a new kind of Halloween event - one dripping with local lore, without all the typical gore! Join historic legends such as Howard Blackburn, Judith Sargent Murray, Thomazine Younger, Blackbeard, and John Hays Hammond himself on an eerie Halloween tour of Gloucester's famed Hammond Castle. Elegantly macabre, this dramatic tour of the castle by candlelight will conjure images of shipwrecks, drownings, a deadly squall and a dank dungeon full of ghastly spirits and monsters from the deep! This event, running 6 performances 7-11pm Fridays & Saturdays, October 14-29 will be a major benefit to preserve and protect Hammond Castle and its important legacy. This volunteer project will to give a fresh take on the annual haunted castle, launch the "Ghosts of Hammond Castle" series (a different theme each year), raise awareness and interest in the museum and its important place in history, making Gloucester even more awesome in autumn! Many locals families and youth do not wish to go to Salem during October for various reasons. This will greatly enhance interest in Gloucester's ghostly history for locals and visitors alike!

Sydney – Uprock Urban Arts Festival

2016-09-20T00:00:00Z

The Uprock Park Jam will be an urban arts festival for the community of Canterbury / Bankstown incorporating a national breakdancing championship and a legal aerosol art display. The project aims to use hip hop as a medium of positive social change in a fun, safe and supportive environment. A breakdancing competition will be open to junior (under 18 year old) and senior competitors. The junior competition will give young people an opportunity to perform in public for the first time and build their skills, confidence and networks. Junior winners will receive a cash prize. The senior competitors (18-25 year olds) will compete for an opportunity to represent Australia at a World Breakdancing Championships in Taiwan in December. We anticipate that dancers will travel from across Australia to compete in the event. This means that local community members will have the opportunity to see some of the nation's best dancers in action at a local venue. International adjudicators (Lego Sam from Malaysia and Bboy Enoch from China) will facilitate the day's proceedings. A legal aerosol art display will also take place over several hours during the main proceedings. This will be a way of bringing art out of the gallery and back to the street. The medium is one that many people interested in hip hop can relate to and enjoy. Leading artists will be engaged to facilitate the live art display.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – CHIPPED

2016-09-19T00:00:00Z

I‘m Joey Ally, the writer and director of CHIPPED, a short film selected for the American Film Institute Directing Workshop for Women. The story of CHIPPED came to me after reading a series of articles about the nail salon industry published last fall, including the Pulitzer Prize nominated NY Times expose ―Unvarnished. The coverage detailed rampant human rights abuses in an industry that thrives largely on the powerlessness of undocumented workers, many of whom are housed in tenements throughout five boroughs and taken in vans to remote suburban locations. I was horrified to discover racial caste systems and indentured labor in salons just like the ones I frequented when growing up in Connecticut, and living in Manhattan as an adult. Horrified to realize that it‘s happening somewhere, right now. Their treatment in the entertainment industry would have us believe all that concerns the women who staff these salons is mocking the clients at their pedicure chairs, but these are human beings with spouses, parents, children...they have better things to talk about than a regular‘s cellulite. CHIPPED was written to explore the interiors of these women‘s lives, through the lens of a uniquely female story. I told what is essentially a twisted take on the classic story of popular girl versus unpopular girl, but in the salon setting - the familiar highlighting the universality of the events through a day in the life of Korean, front-of-house manager SARAH, and Chinese, manicurist-in-training MIA. Despite the neo-realist tone and the darker themes at play, as with the bleakest moments of life, this film will balance tragedy with comedy. In CHIPPED, I‘ll be asking the audience to sit where these women sit, eat where they eat, and sleep where they sleep...or, many nights, where they lie sleepless, worried, and waiting for chances and changes that never come. I think if you laugh, cry, and cringe with someone your story becomes bound with theirs.

Tallahassee, FL (Inactive) – The Backpack Project

2016-09-19T00:00:00Z

My name is Amy Garvin Rodgers and my 2 boys and I put together outreach bags with friends last year, and after handing those out, we realized that the recipients needed a place to put their items. It was also fall when we began, so I needed a bag to present jackets or blankets, and I kept thinking about what I might need if I was in these same shoes. I began asking for donations via Facebook, and also spent some of our own money to get started. After that, The Backpack Project was born. I have been able to put outreach bags and packs together with the help of the community. A lot of people have told me that they would not necessarily do this themselves, but have no problem donating items to the cause. I do not plan on becoming a non-profit, but may consider that in the future. Until then, we thank you for any items you donate. Lead with love.

New York City, NY – Piano in a Fishbowl

2016-09-19T00:00:00Z

The Port Authority is the world's busiest bus terminal. Each day, this workhorse brings over 225,000 passengers into New York City. Nobody likes a commute but pianist and transportation advocate Adrian Untermyer thinks that a piano could make this one just a little bit better. The Terminal's South Building is home to "The Fishbowl", a vacant, glass-encased platform where the Operations Control Center once stood. It's prominent, visible to thousands, and the perfect place for a baby grand piano. Adrian is working to transform the Fishbowl into a performance space that will enhance the lives of those thousands of daily commuters. The piano will be provided by Sing For Hope, an organization that places pianos in parks and other public spaces around New York City, and the Awesome Foundation grant will support some of the more technical aspects of this project, like sound and lighting systems. With a proposed launch of October 2016, we are very excited to see what changes a little music will bring to this public New York space.

Philadelphia, PA – Help the Minor Threats get to SuperNationals

2016-09-19T00:00:00Z

The Minor Threats Chess Club is made up of kids ages 3 through 15 from inner city Philadelphia. The club practices and competes year-round around Philadelphia and increasingly up and down the east coast.   While the MTCC has won many trophies over the years, we value learning and character development more than winning. Indeed, through chess, the kids have learned just as much about themselves and the world as they have about chess, and through our trips they have experienced a lot of “firsts”. It is my hope that these experiences will help them to develop into capable and confident young people who are unafraid to pursue their dreams. I want to take 20 Minor Threats to the SuperNationals VI Chess Championships in Nashville, TN in May.

Ottawa – Picturing the Past

2016-09-19T00:00:00Z

September’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to the Bytown Museum’s Youth Council, to support the Council’s development of a permanent photo exhibit depicting 100 years of Ottawa’s youth. “Museums often overlook youth when depicting history,” explain the members of the Youth Council, “be it in wartime, farm life, urban life, or political decisions. Our goal is to bring attention to this ignored demographic group.” “Young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow, they are the leaders of today. If we can show youth that young people played a part in history, it will inspire them to do great things in the community.” The Youth Council plans to unveil the exhibit in early 2017. It will also be accompanied by a mini-feature on the Youth Council’s blog. The Bytown Museum Youth Council is made up of students from high schools, universities, and colleges across Ottawa who have come together to explore the city’s history. The current members are Rosalee Allen, Sophie Burgener, Sarah Cool-Fergus, Jessie Lang, Delany Leitch, Fan Li, Lilia Lockwood, Asmaa Mabrouk, Lindsay MacMillan, Tunmise Olatifede, Marielle Rochefort, Atae Sahmoudi, Julia Schwindt, Beatrix Shackleton, and Carson Turnbull. Their facilitator is Corrie Bouskill. [P3028: Photo courtesy of the Bytown Museum]

Pittsburgh, PA – Project Ignite

2016-09-19T00:00:00Z

Project Ignite is a student run outreach organization at Carnegie Mellon University offering a project-based educational program for high school students in the greater Pittsburgh area. We provide a valuable opportunity for students to work in a team and gain hands-on experience planning and executing a project with funding for materials provided for each group. Our vision is that all students, regardless of socioeconomic standing or prior academic achievement, will have the opportunity to participate in the program. Our ultimate goals are to expose students to subject areas that they would otherwise be unable to explore, and to allow students to pursue a new or existing interest that they lack the knowledge and/or support to engage in on their own. Project Ignite is based on small group projects that are defined and driven by high school students, with guidance provided by our project advisors, who are volunteers from the CMU student body. We aim to have the high school students be in the driver's seat throughout the process. They will be the ones brainstorming possibilities, making plans, and doing the legwork to achieve a shared goal, while the project advisors act as mentors to challenge them and provide guidance when appropriate. For our 2015-2016 pilot program we had 37 high schoolers from the greater Pittsburgh area participate in 7 different projects with 18 Carnegie Mellon student project advisors. Projects included programming an iPhone app, building a hologram projector, constructing a minecraft server, and designing quadcopters. Our project showcase was wildly successful, and all 7 groups were able to present a completed project. Project Ignite was featured on the CMU homepage in May 2016, and garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback from faculty and staff at CMU, local high schools, parents, and participants. This year, we are expanding our program to more high schools, and hope to be able to fund 10 student projects.

Boulder, CO (Inactive) – Troupe presents Rock Your Flow

2016-09-19T00:00:00Z

Troupe Therapy co-creates community with teenage youth who struggle with substance abuse, self-harm behaviors, mental illness, and homelessness through exploratory movement, dance, and multimedia performance based on proven therapy techniques. Our mission is to facilitate youth in the creation of their own art, building their self-esteem, mastery, joy, and hope for the future. Troupe's eight-week program, Rock Your Flow, engages youth participants in a creative journey to a final community presentation.Rock Your Flow uses cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness concepts integrated with movement classes, helping participants to release emotions and express themselves through dance, art and multi media performance. The program helps develop talent and confidence as youth collaborate closely with experienced artists. Our format includes eight breakdancing and choreography classes and eight artistic exploration classes with participating artist mentors. At the end of the eight weeks, participants and their mentors showcase their talents in a Rock Your Flow public performance. We are partnering with Justice High School, a charter school in the Boulder County School District. This school is designed for at risk youth disconnected from the traditional school system because of juvenile delinquency, drugs and alcohol, or other factors. The first class of the program, led by a master-level artist and school facilitators, explores core values, feelings, and behaviors through movement. The second class, taught by a master-level dancer and teacher, includes choreography for breakdancing, hip hop, and contemporary fusion. Teachers join participants on stage at the final performance, fostering a low-pressure and supportive environment. Not only does our program change negative behaviors, but it also impacts the whole community by building relationships with educators, artists, and the public. Through this work, we hope to create communities where our youth will thrive.

Adelaide – Endometriosis Awareness Adelaide

2016-09-17T00:00:00Z

It initially started when Endometriosis Australia approached me about organising a fundraising event in Adelaide on their behalf... After opting for a Gala Dinner things began to take off rapidly, and less than one month later things are in full swing. Though, I never thought an event would be enough. Knowing 1 in 10 women suffer this awful condition, yet most people aren't aware of it's existence, I hoped to open the eyes of more than those just attending. Myself and a friend, Mel, decided we would develop a publication also - a gallery of photos of local "endo sisters" each with a short story of their battles. Not only is this designed to be comforting to those with the diagnosis of endometriosis.. But assist others to understand the complications and hurdles we, as sufferers, must face daily.

Northern Virginia (NOVA) (Inactive) – SCPS Community Bus - Reaching Into Our Community

2016-09-17T00:00:00Z

In an effort to better engage our diverse community, parents, and students, the Office of Communications and Community Engagement is spear-heading an effort to secure, design, and create a Parent, Community and Literacy Resource Bus. This bus will enable staff to take SCPS educational resources out into the communities to reach our parents and students where they are, rather than expecting them to always come to us. The vision for the bus is that it will become an easily recognizable part of SCPS and will be out in the community at a variety of school and community events, school sites, and various activities. With a growing population within Spotsylvania County, many of our residents with small children do not know where to start, where to go, or what to do when it comes to education. One goal of the bus is to go out into the neighborhood communities, including visiting hotels, where our students and parents live and to take them the information they need for school registration and preparing students to start school. In addition, the bus will be equipped with several laptops, a printer, and WiFi to allow parents to access online resources, and to begin the online school registration process, which they may not have at their home. The Office of Communications and Community Engagement has secured a bus from SCPS Transportation and working with SCPS Maintenance on a design for both the interior and exterior of the bus. The goal is to have the bus ready to unveil and put into use by Fall 2016. SCPS plans to use the bus in an attempt to encourage and increase both parent and community involvement by taking the bus out into various neighborhood communities: 1. To collaborate with Smart Beginnings to encourage parents to enroll students in Kindergarten in the Spring and early Summer prior to the first day of school; and 2. To offer parents resources to help with school readiness. The bus will have a sign-up schedule to go to various locations.

Miami, FL – Debate for Change

2016-09-16T00:00:00Z

My awesome project is to start a debate program in South Florida prisons as part of the existing organization, Exchange for Change. The pilot for this will be a semester-long course on argumentation and debate at Dade Correctional, a men’s prison. Through a combination of lectures, in-class activities, writing assignments and, of course, oral debates, the class will expose inmates to both the theory and practice of sound reasoning and persuasive communication. The project will have multiple benefits. For those students facing re-entry in the near future, it will provide practical and transferrable skills to aid in their transition into society and the workforce. For those students facing longer and/or life sentences, the class will be transformative for their daily lives in the prison, improving interpersonal communications with prison staff and fellow inmates, boosting conflict resolution and critical thinking, and serving to aid in their self-actualization. The debate program will be a boon for Miami in several ways. First, the program enriches the lives of participating inmates, who are still members of the Miami-Dade community though they reside behind bars. Second, this program will be transformative for its facilitators, offering fulfilling opportunities for civic engagement and breaking barriers between the “inside” and “outside” worlds of the criminal justice system. This will have further ripple effects when considering that one of the greatest civil rights issues of our day concerns the ways former prisoners are integrated into mainstream society, a problem that stems from a fundamental denial of the basic humanity of incarcerated folks. Finally, this program has a high potential of replicability. As it becomes implemented throughout, not just the state, but the country as well, it will further help elevate Miami’s stature and allow it to be known, not simply as a center for leisure and wealth, but also a hub for social innovation.

Kingston – Drop in theater's summer meals program

2016-09-16T00:00:00Z

Hi. Each week we put on a sort of soup kitchen dinner theater at the next church. 89 Colborne street at the back door. I approached next church about using their space for a drop in theater group about 4 months ago. My goal was to bring theater to those who might not have the opportunity to experience it due to social constraints. The church agreed to let me use their space free of charge as I am not charging a fee. I advertised at places like the mess at st Andrews and Marthas Table. Our group grew to about 12 or 14 people over two months and one of our actors reminded me that st Andrews church goes on vacation every July august and the first week in September. I asked next church if they would like to take up the slack and they said that they were not able to get a team together at the time but they were willing to put up the use of their venue if I could get st Andrews on board. St Andrews declined so I decided to fund it. We have just finished our seventh week. Each week we make around 80 meals and put on a short dinner show that we rehearse for Wednesdays Saturdays and a full dress on Sunday before the meal. After the dinner show we take a short break and then we open drop in theater which is open to the audience. We start with some charades and then skit kits etc... The whole idea is to get people participating and laughing. It's been incredible to watch people you might not expect to see up on stage growing into the experience. Poetry music comedy and skits were part of last week's show. Also last week three turkeys were donated by three different patrons as well as potatoes lightening the monetary load conciderably.

Ann Arbor, MI – The 48217

2016-09-15T00:00:00Z

Picture yourself driving down 75 south into southwest Detroit. You begin to cross the bridge. From left to right you see industry such as U.S Steel, Sever Stall, and Marathon oil refinery populate and cloud the skies above. Your nose begins to burn; a stench so horrible it’s almost burnt into your brain. You’re not entering the Twilight Zone. You are entering the most polluted zip code in the entire state of Michigan, the 48217. For months, I’ve been filming a documentary about Emma Lockridge, a neighborhood resident of Boynton, located directly in front of the refinery. Emma and other local residents fight back against their largest neighborhood polluter, Marathon Petroleum. With the neighborhood of Boynton in such close proximity to the refinery, the outcome takes a toll on the people’s health. Residents have an increased risk of Asthma, Kidney failure, and Cancer due to their prolonged exposure to the pollution. Emma Lockridge is living proof, having all three herself. Marathon’s Refinery acknowledged the horrible living conditions and bought out the community of Oakwood Heights, a predominantly Caucasian area. However, they’ve left many other neighborhoods, predominantly African American and Hispanic, without a way out. Most of the residents can’t afford to move, and those who attempt to sell their homes are offered little to nothing. As the refinery plans to expand, thus emitting more pollution into the community, Emma and residents fight year-round for buy outs and regulation on the Marathon refinery across the fence. This is a story that needs to be told. We need to bring awareness about how racial injustice and climate change are effecting the community of the 48217 at this very moment. People are growing sick and dying every day in this neighborhood, and they can’t afford to leave. Why did Marathon only buy out the one neighborhood? The residents of 48217 are no less deserving of a buy out than the people of Oakwood Heights.

Ann Arbor, MI – Reel N Wheel

2016-09-15T00:00:00Z

The “Reel N Wheel” is a mobile movie projector that comes equipped with all the movie essentials. A popcorn machine, cooler for drinks, projector and speakers. All that is needed is a surface to project onto. The purpose is to encourage people to host their own movie nights in our Detroit neighborhood, or use the cart for art projects that require projection. The “Reel N Wheel” has everything you might need for indoor or outdoor screening, including a battery so it can be operated in remote locations where power sources are not available. The only thing it does not have is a screen, to encourage Reel N Wheelers to bring the existing environment to life with moving images. It also can be attached to the back of a bike and rolled around the neighborhood.

Cass Clay – Heart-n-Soul Community Cafe: Granted

2016-09-15T00:00:00Z

The Heart-n-Soul Community Café is a place where all are welcome to enjoy with dignity a local, healthy and delicious meal. Our mission is to partner with the community to eliminate hunger and food insecurity with a community café. At the café guests can pay the suggested price for a meal, they can pay more than the suggested price in order to "pay it forward" to help a neighbor who may paying less than suggested price. Guests can pay what they can afford and if they are unable to pay they can volunteer in exchange for a meal . Using this model allows us to bring people of varying backgrounds together to share a meal and build community. We want to have two pop up community cafes this Fall. One in Moorhead and another location to be determined. We serve local food that is in season and volunteers share their talents serving and cooking the healthy delicious meal. We are in the process of having volunteers to help us harvest the food from our local farmers and then have them help prepare a meal and serve, This Fall we will share ideas on how to prepare healthy local food at our current downtown pop up location or at a commercial kitchen. This would also be a pay what you can model. We will partner with local agencies and post on our Facebook page to encourage attendance. The AWESOME grant will be used to help Heart-n-Soul Community Café spread out within our community to address food insecurity so all may eat healthy local food no matter their means. .

Ann Arbor, MI – ÆPEX Access

2016-09-15T00:00:00Z

ÆPEX Contemporary Performance proposes using the Ann Arbor Awesome Foundation’s support to launch “ÆPEX Access” a public art endeavor that augments our typical concert presentations with free, simulcast viewing stations across downtown Ann Arbor. With funds from the Ann Arbor Awesome Foundation, we will debut this concept during our October 14th concert at Ann Arbor’s First United Methodist Church, and test it for future applications. ÆPEX Access will use social media applications, such as ‘Periscope’, to broadcast this concert at least three sites chosen for their physical accessibility and technological capabilities. For example, at least one site will be outdoors, which will require new equipment and staff. However, we will also choose sites that already have video and sound systems, and that are known for hosting viewing events, such as the theater at the downtown Ann Arbor Public Library. ÆPEX Contemporary Performance will promote ÆPEX Access, but also anticipates this initiative will generate spontaneous interactions with this concert. The goal of ÆPEX Access is making our performances more accessible to Ann Arbor’s art- and music-loving public. Not only will ÆPEX Access help our October 14th concert reach listeners beyond its physical boundaries, it will also intensify the listening experience for our audience at the church, as they will know others across Ann Arbor are enjoying the same performance. We are confident ÆPEX Access, will yield a communal art experience impossible to achieve by traditional means. ÆPEX Access will give hundreds of people in the Ann Arbor community a chance to experience ÆPEX Contemporary Performance’s world-class concert production at no cost, simply by taking a walk, or by making a regular visit to their favorite local establishment. By making the world’s best newly composed music public, ÆPEX Access holds the potential to facilitate countless meaningful and unexpected art interactions for people across downtown Ann Arbor.

Chicago, IL – Floating Museum

2016-09-15T00:00:00Z

Floating Museum is designed to challenge traditional ideas of museums and blends creative place-making, activism and exhibition design. The intent is to provide a platform for dialogue, artist interventions, accessibility and community engagement. Architecture becomes the medium for exchange and a flexible site for programming by using a structural interpretation of the concept of the DuSable Museum of African American History that moves to various locations in Chicago, eventually floating down the Chicago River.Floating Museum is building its first physical structure in Calumet Park right now and will open for programming in September. We're applying for the Awesome Foundation Grant to help us fundraise for our 2nd project phase-- a Chicago river float in summer of 2017. We are excited to bring Chicago its first Floating Museum! Our project is dedicated to bringing art, cultural programming, performances and more to untraditional art venues and a wide range of neighborhoods. This summer we've been working in three neighborhoods in partnership with the Chicago Park District-- Austin Town Hall, Calumet Park and West Pullman Park. We are prototyping our project ideas from programming to engineering so we can build on our outcomes this summer and expand. Our project team is made up of artists Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, Faheem Majeed and architect Andrew Schachman.