tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:/en/projects?page=33 2023-02-01T18:31:33Z tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/211826 2022-12-01T00:00:00Z 2023-02-01T18:31:33Z Ջրահովիտի Վլ․ Աբրահամյանի անվան միջնակարգ դպրոցը գտնվում է Արարատի մարզում:Գյուղը գտնվում է Արարատյան դաշտում, ծովի մակարդակից տեղադրված է 855 մ բարձրության վրա։ Կլիման չոր, խիստ ցամաքային է։ Ձմեռները սկսվում են դեկտեմբերի կեսերին, հունվարյան միջին ջերմաստիճանը տատանվում է -3-ից -5 °C։ Ամառը տևական է՝ մայիսից մինչև հոկտեմբեր, օդի միջին ամսական ջերմությունը հասնում է 24-ից 26 °C, իսկ առավելագույնը՝ 42 °C։ Հաճախ լինում են խորշակներ, որոնք զգալի վնաս են հասցնում գյուղատնտեսությանը։ Մթնոլորտային տարեկան տեղումների քանակը 250-300 մմ է։ Բնական լանդշաֆտները կիսաանապատային են, որոնք ոռոգման ընթացքում վեր են ածվել կուլտուրոռոգելի լանդշաֆտի։ Ագրոկլիմայական տեսակետից համայնքն ընկած է բացարձակ ոռոգման գոտում, սակայն ոռոգման ջրի պակասի պատճառով համայքը գրեթե կիսաանապատային է Նախագծի գաղափարը առաջացավ այն ժամանակ, երբ դպրոցում կառուցապատեցինք ջերմոց և հանդիպեցինք բույսերի ոռոգման խնդրին, դպրոցում առկա չէ ոռոգման ջուր, սակայն գյուղի աշխարհագրական դիրքը այնպիսին է, որ բնակիչները կարողանում են մի քանի մինչև 15 մետր խորությունից արտեզյան ջրեր հանել և ոռոգել տարածքները, իսկ մենք այս պահին խմելու ջրով ենք ոռոգում, իսկ անձրևաջրերը որպես ոռոգման այլընտրանքային աղբյուր օգտագործելով, կկարողանանք մշակել ինչպես մեր ջերմոցում աճող կուլտուրաները, այնպես էլ դպրոցի կանաչապատ տարածքները, նշեմ նաև, որ ջերմոցում բացի մշակային կուլտուրաներից , աճեցնում ենք նաև ծառերի կտրոններ, մեր ջերմոցը փորձագիտական ջերմոց է, սակայն խմելու ջրով ոռոգելով կհանգենք որոշակի խնդիրների․․․․ Ծրագիրը կնպաստի Խմելու ջրի խնայողությանը Ջրային ռեսուրսների ճիշտ կառավարմանը Կանաչ զանգվածի պահպանմանը, Մարդու գործունեության ներգործության նվազեցումը բնության նկատմամբ, Թափոնների ճիշտ կառավարմանը/ ոչ պիտանի տակառների օգտագործում/ Բացօթյա դասեր իրականացնելով կապահովենք էկոկրթությունը Նախագիծը ունի բնապահպանական ուղղվածություն, քանի որ՝ կստեղծվի լրացուցիչ բնական միջավայր։ Կբարելավվի օդի որակը Ստեղծված ջերմոցային պայմաններում կստանանք էկոլոգիապես մաքուր մթերք, որը կտրամադրենք դպրոցի ճաշարանին։ Սիլվա «Անձրևաջրերը, որպես ոռոգման այլընտրանքային աղբյուր https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cNUZZNd2PxkKjD6V-IlUAZCr6_Z1eBS8/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110222492463451384079&rtpof=true&sd=true Armenia Nature Armenia (Inactive) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/naturearmenia tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/205422 2022-11-30T00:00:00Z 2022-11-30T15:59:33Z We're pleased to announce that our November grant has been awarded to Bronx Bound Books, a mobile bookstore serving the Bronx. Grantee Latanya DeVaughn writes: _Bronx Bound Books is a bookstore on wheels. We value book ownership. The Bronx has only two brick and mortar bookstores for the entire borough. Instead of complaining about it I decided to convert a bus into a bookstore. Bronx Bound Books is the bookstore that comes to you. We travels to schools, shelters, churches, farmers markets and every where in between. We make book buying affordable and accessible to everyone corner of The Bronx and beyond._ Earlier this year, Bronx Bound Books acquired a second bus to be able to bring their bookstore to even more communities. Would you like to help out? You can [do your holiday shopping through their Bookshop page](https://bookshop.org/shop/bronx_bound_books). Or perhaps you'd like to rent the bus for your own Book Fair. [Follow Bronx Bound Books on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/bronxboundbooks/) and help spread the word. Latanya DeVaughn Bronx Bound Books https://linktr.ee/BronxBoundBooks United States New York City, NY https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/nyc tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/206997 2022-11-30T00:00:00Z 2023-01-03T01:16:27Z I am a fifth grade teacher here in town and an avid Pickleball lover and would love to find a way to fund and create a couple of Pickleball courts for students to use during recess. I think it could even blossom into an after school club for Penn Brook students and obviously would also be available to Georgetown residents when school is not in session. Jacqueline Connors Pickle ball courts United States Georgetown, MA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/georgetown tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/207331 2022-11-30T00:00:00Z 2022-12-01T08:21:57Z My awesome project is simply to extend my previous murals within Pollokshaws area. My work at the Shawbridge arcade is now set to be demolished for mid level housing and the local community have expressed loudly that they want art to remain in the immediate area. The project would be to approach businesses with an offer to create murals on their shutters/walls free of charge to keep the area vibrant and inviting to all. Previous conversations with business owners and locals in the area have produced a sentiment of wanting the artwork but being unable to find a budget for such artwork given the hardships of the last few years for small business owners. With the cost being covered by the grant, the community would no longer have any hesitations and several businesses and locals would now have access to an alternative space to house the artwork that they have come to love within their community. Stephen Machin Pollokshaws mini murals United Kingdom Glasgow https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/glasgow tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/207778 2022-11-30T00:00:00Z 2022-11-30T05:17:23Z We are a local group of Aviano citizens that want to compile photographs into a beautiful photography book highlighting the town of Aviano, including the shared multicultural heritage of the place. Donna L. Roberts Bella Aviano Local Photography Book Italy Aviano (Inactive) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/aviano tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/208471 2022-11-30T00:00:00Z 2023-09-10T12:36:32Z Ngumby jodi! Our project is the Dharawal Language Book & Gift Pack. With the help of our chairman, a Yuin man with community links to Dharawal Country, we have written a Dharawal picture dictionary that children can colour in. The pictures depict actual Dharawal rock art and illustrate the words being defined. These books are gifted to every First Nations kindergarten student in the Sutherland Shire (one per family) at special school ceremonies where families are invited to attend. The books are packaged in cotton bags with the Aboriginal, the Torres Strait Islander, and the Australian flags, a First Nations language map, a pack of coloured pencils and a notebook, and a copy of Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe. This simple gift of language and culture builds self-esteem and community connection. Students feel a sense of pride when they are gifted with the pack at the special ceremony and that pride grows when they are invited to share the contents of the book with their classrooms and their families. It's a small step toward cultural mental health, but a valuable one none-the-less. The ceremonies, sponsored by the schools, are also valuable as they build community between First Nations families, many of whom had not connected with others in their school system previously. Aunty Donna & Sutherland Shire Reconciliation Group Dharawal Language Book and Gift Pack http://www.sutherlandshirereconciliation.org/projects/ Australia Sydney https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/sydney tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/209298 2022-11-30T00:00:00Z 2022-12-10T22:36:56Z I work on a small team of indigenous people with disabilities running the social media for Crip Justice. CJ highlights the reclaimed usage of the word "crip" to assert a commitment to anti-oppression, including anti-racism. We are a non-profit situated at the intersection of disability and criminal justice, and we strive to support individuals in need of legal justice directly, as well as educate other disabled people about what's going on within our community. We highlight those who are disabled and punished, lives that have been stolen, police violence and accountability, prison conditions, and criminal justice reform. We just started increasing our focused coverage of "medical incarceration," which covers a wide range of issues from involuntary psychiatric admission to sentencing people with psychiatric/cognitive disabilities to the death penalty. I also try to center stories about trans issues and other queer issues in the criminal justice system; and youth involved in the justice system, particularly if they are subject to multiple systems, such as being in the child welfare system, and living in a juvenile correctional facility. **What our grantee is saying:** "I assume most of us know the nauseous feeling in our stomach that can start to grow when we stop and actually think about what's in our bank account, and how the next few months are going to play out. Well, receiving the e-mail about this award literally made my stomach feel better. I recently moved from central Oklahoma to Denver, CO, for school, and started working for a small disability non-profit named CripJustice all at the same time, so my financial responsibilities, income, and cost of living all got reshuffled. This award ensures that I can continue putting energy into disability advocacy at a higher level while maintaining the balance in my life necessary to do the work!" Dezrea DAlessandro Crip Justice Social Media https://cripjustice.org/ Worldwide Disability https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/disability tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/208367 2022-11-29T00:00:00Z 2022-11-30T03:39:04Z Wave is a grassroots organisation that has been operating in Thessaloniki since 2018, providing for the essential needs of the city’s homeless population. We have a specific focus on the undocumented population of people on the move (POM) who find it most difficult to access the asylum system; this is often because they come from “safe countries of origin” and therefore their asylum claims are largely considered manifestly unfounded. Whilst this is our focus, we also work to provide for the local Greek population. We run a community centre, where people can access a daily hot meal, legal advice, information, electricity for charging mobile devices, a laundry service, a container with five running showers and sinks, a free shop, shoes and sleeping bags. Wave was founded to fill a gap that no other services in the city were providing and to meet the needs of those often excluded from other places because of their lack of documentation. There is currently no other project in the city that provides food, NFIs, laundry and showers on such a scale, without requiring registration or documentation. Whilst this is our focus, we are open seven days a week to everybody and anybody who comes. Annie Molloy Sleeping bag and shoes distribution https://wave-thessaloniki.com/ Worldwide Homelessness (Inactive) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/homelessness tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/206819 2022-11-28T00:00:00Z 2022-11-28T22:08:41Z As an intern for a non profit organization called Art to Change the World I am getting to manage my own project. I want to put on a drag show in the summer of 2023. Drag shows are about entertaining people of course, but my show will have a twist to it. I want to teach people some of the history of drag. From outfits to dance moves to makeup they all have a story to tell. Inclusivity is top priority so there will be a diverse group of drag performers. The show will also be wheelchair accessible and have interpreters. It will also be live streamed to allow those who can’t attend to enjoy it as well. My experience with drag is performing and helping with setup/takedown while in college. I loved every second of it and hope to recreate that fun vibe so others can experience it as well. This welcoming style of drag show allows people to see that drag can be about just having a good time. Not everyone has a good opinion about drag but my project could help change how they see drag and maybe encourage more people to attend drag shows. It is the first time I will be running the show as well as performing. Since I want to share my love of drag with others, I have to make sure I do it right. Funding is a big part of that because you have to pay the people and places involved. If the Awesome Foundation chooses to support my project then I’m one step closer to putting on an awesome drag show. Two of the attached photos are of my drag king persona, Larry Gaga. Another photo is a draft of the schedule that shows what the plan is for the hosts (myself and one other performer), performers, and activities. I've also included the logo I came up with for my drag show that I have been using for promotion. Frances Bates The Art of Drag Worldwide Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/awesomewithoutborders tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/207596 2022-11-28T00:00:00Z 2022-11-28T21:40:59Z We need each other. My Way socio-rehabilitation center, who provides cervices for children and adults with Autism, are ready to be part of our society. Adults want to be a part of a strong, growing Armenia, and if we can do anything t support our soldiers that we are ready. Our projects aim is to prove that we all can be a part of strong social community, despite of our physical, mental, or psychological issues or disabilities. Our adults with Autism want to give our soldiers hats, that would be knitted by themselves, with the help of therapists and parents. 100 hats to 100 soldiers from 100 adults with Autism. Inessa Harutyunyan Warm hats from Warm hearts Armenia Yerevan https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/yerevan tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/208208 2022-11-28T00:00:00Z 2022-11-29T07:24:43Z Dana’s Beauty Supply is an experimental beauty supply store, creating spaces for Black and Asian solidarity while servicing the community's beauty needs. We reimagine the beauty supply as a space for community, creativity, and critical dialogue. In the Summer of 2022, Dana’s Beauty Supply launched its inaugural Cosmetology Scholarship which supports Black cosmetology students by awarding a $3,000 scholarship to the winner. Dana’s Beauty Supply was launched in 2021 by Korean and Black artist, Dana Davenport, as part of her artist residency at Recess Art in Brooklyn, NY. With more than 70% of all beauty supply stores (that cater to Black and Brown communities) being Korean-owned, she wanted to create a space where folks can have progressive conversations around the beauty supply industry, its history, and the tensions that exist within it while envisioning a future with solidarity at the forefront. She has collaborated with local Black-owned beauty supply stores, local cosmetologists, beauticians, entrepreneurs, writers, and artists. 2021 Programming - Grand opening of the installation at Recess Art (Sept 2021, NYC) - Free Korean language courses taught by Eve Talley (Sept 2021, Virtual) - Soap-making workshop with FeelzReal Cosmetics (Oct 2021, NYC) - Entrepreneurship Discussion led by Whitney Mari, formerly Head of Digital Marketing at Essence Magazine. (Oct 2021, NYC) 2022 Programming - Fundraiser Event and Merchandise Launch at Recess Art (June 2022, NYC) - Cosmetology Scholarship Launch (July 2022, NYC) 2023 Projected Programming - Dana's Beauty Supply pop-up in Los Angeles, CA - Fundraiser Event and Merchandise Launch in Los Angeles, CA - Panel on the history and challenges of Asian-owned businesses in Black neighborhoods in LA. Dana Davenport Dana's Beauty Supply http://danasbeautysupply.com United States Los Angeles, CA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/los-angeles tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/208617 2022-11-28T00:00:00Z 2022-11-28T02:51:39Z November’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Will Webb, Jeff Bardell, and Eric Isa – also known as The Digging Dudes – to support their efforts to bring the past back to the future, one treasure at a time. Will, Jeff, and Eric are metal detectorists who, as Will puts it, “get paid in memories and treasure.” “We map out some of the oldest farms and homesteads in the area and get permission to hunt and detect them and save some history related to the Ottawa Valley. The finds are never sold,” explains Will, “and are given to land owners or added to our own collection for show and tell.” The Digging Dudes share their finds and their excitement on [TikTok] (https://www.tiktok.com/@thediggingdudes), as well as on [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/Thediggingdudes/). “We seriously LOVE it,” says Will – and it shows! Will and Jeff are public servants, and Eric is a freelance software developer. William Webb, Jeff Bardell, and Eric Isa Saving History, One Treasure at a Time https://www.tiktok.com/@thediggingdudes Canada Ottawa https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/ottawa tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/209320 2022-11-22T00:00:00Z 2023-01-04T02:04:24Z We propose to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the social-emotional development of our students at Reynolds Middle School by empowering them to investigate and express their personal identity through a Self-Portrait ‘Zine Workshop. Led by Studio Latino Teaching Artist M.Martinez, the workshop will engage 12 students over eight weeks in creating a photographed self-portrait and a 2-page spread expressing their personal identity in a collaborative ‘Zine. Partnering with local organizations like Letra Chueca, ‘Zine artists, and our school-based community, the workshop will result in the printing of the ‘Zine and distribution to family, friends, and other community members. Latino Network’s Studio Latino program provides arts instruction across the Portland, Oregon Metro area through Schools Uniting Neighborhood Community Schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 87% of public schools reported that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted student socio-emotional development during the 2021-22 school year. The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) recognizes the central tenets of social-emotional development as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. As a culturally specific organization, our approaches to ensuring a thriving Latino community in Oregon are rooted in our self-determination. Caleb Bourgeois Expressing Identity Through Self-Portrait http://latnet.org United States Portland, OR https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/portland tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/209381 2022-11-22T00:00:00Z 2023-01-04T02:01:40Z We'd like to organize a celebration of the Slavic Winter Festival Kolyada to honor the new sun during the winter solstice. The festival brings together Slavic traditions from Ukraine, Russia, and Belorus. We will revel the winter solstice with traditional singing & dancing, ancient rituals performing, masked performances, traditional crafts workshops and tasting historic holiday food. The festival will welcome 150 attendees. We work with 2 traditions' keepers: Olena Bilyk (Ukraine) & Siarhei Douhushau (Belorus). Our festival recognizes the growing diversity within communities, helps immigrants and refugees with Eastern European roots to integrate into society, and allows the general public an opportunity to learn firsthand about slavic culture. We believe that the festival itself has a huge potential for growth in the local community. It will give the younger generation a new way to learn the traditions of different countries and help them value living in democratic countries such as the USA. In the "Images of the project" you can see photos of our summer festival Kupala and visualization board for the winter one and photos of Kolyada masks from our October workshops. Astra Davalos Kolyada: Slavic winter festival https://www.foolhouse.online/ United States Portland, OR https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/portland tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/207753 2022-11-21T00:00:00Z 2023-08-31T20:02:38Z Ride the Cyclone – The Musical, will be produced by Bridges Theatre Company, an on-campus completely student-run theatrical company at Point Park University’s Conservatory of the Performing Arts. This production, which has never been performed in Pittsburgh, is mainly designed to give beginning-career theatrical artists their first opportunity to direct, design, choreograph, music direct, manage, produce, and perform a full-scale live musical! Jeramie Welch Spring 2023 - Collegiate Musical https://bridgestheatreco.wixsite.com/bridges United States Pittsburgh, PA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/pittsburgh tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/208354 2022-11-21T00:00:00Z 2022-11-23T15:43:59Z Parker Avenue the ONLY yarn shop in Detroit that also happens to be the only Black Woman Owned yarn shop in the Metro Detroit area. Parker Avenue is a local yarn shop dedicated to positively impacting socio-economic and racial diversity through the fiber arts. The art of knitting and crochet has documented objective benefits at almost every age which explains why knitting is taught as early as elementary school. The discipline, math skills, color play, creative design, hand eye coordination, sense of accomplishment and camaraderie that comes from knitting and crochet are the why of this project. This grant will allow us to provide knitting/crochet materials for 50 students to learn to knit or crochet. Going a short distance to the neighborhood elementary school will introduce and/or educate interested children of the neighborhood on this art form. In the store seniors can be hosted for lessons that might teach something new or simply refresh the art they have strayed from over the years. We see the lifting of spirits currently when fiber artists gather with us but we also know that when income is stretched yarn and accessories becomes a luxury. Big box stores can provide economical yarn but Parker Avenue provides a community. A colorful welcoming space nothing like your grandmother's yarn store. We have funky art, a DJ booth, football Sundays,and an incredibly diverse clientele. When everyone of various walks of life share in the joy of this craft we are able to model to young and old how much more alike than different human beings can be. We are stitching together a better community. This grant will remove the financial barrier to access, allow lessons in schools and extend invitations for free lessons. Sally Moore Classy Stitches Worldwide Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/awesomewithoutborders tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/207928 2022-11-19T00:00:00Z 2022-12-16T02:33:34Z Our team, The “Cardboard Shreddaz” from Nānākuli High has a viable prototype for community-level, organics recycling through the use of compost. It supports community economic development, lowering our carbon footprint and improves food systems. The prototype is a mobile cardboard shredding machine which takes cardboard or paper and processes it into mulching materials, a compost ingredient, packaging material for trade businesses as well as compostable pots. As part of our mission to reduce greenhouse gasses and divert cardboard waste from entering landfills, students organize community cardboard shred days which are called Sustainable Saturdays. Community members drop off cardboard and students shred it creating mulch and pots for local farmers. Local farmers exchange fresh produce with us for the mulch/pots and the produce is then given away to community members who drop off cardboard. Itʻs a WIN-WIN for everyone while closing the loop and turning rubbish into a resource. Students earn community service hours while feeling good about what they are doing for climate change, the farmers and their community. As we learn more on the negative effects of plastic, it is our goal to reduce plastic waste. Nurseries are able to grow their plants then transfer the plant to a compostable pot before selling to customers. We diverted 1464 pounds of cardboard from the landfill last school year and weʻre hoping to double it this school semester. Weʻre hoping to turn our pot project into a business as we already have an interested buyer. Michelle Pieper Compostable Pots United States Oahu, HI https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/oahu tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/205841 2022-11-17T00:00:00Z 2022-11-18T13:42:23Z I repurpose birdseed and animal feed bags into shopping bags. These bags are totally sewn by me with heavy duty handles and have very attractive prints of birds and horses. Currently I receive my stock from friends and local businesses. I sew daily as a hobby and produce about 30 bags a month. It is my hope to provide these crafted bags to the Rockport Senior Center for their monthly birthday celebrations. Additionally I would provide bags to the American Legion Auxillary for recognition for their work with the annual Disabled Veterans outing. Daniel Tusinski Bird Brains- Horse Sense http://n/a United States Rockport, MA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/rockport tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/205775 2022-11-17T00:00:00Z 2022-11-19T00:35:01Z Our project, Feed a Friend, South Bend, is based on the belief that all people deserve regular access to fresh, appealing food that sustains long-term health. We seek to respond to food insecurity and promote food justice in South Bend by establishing a freedge, or free community fridge, in the Near Northwest Neighborhood. Similar to the model of a little library, the freedge will be a place where anyone can “leave what they can and take what they need,” knowing that contributions will meet the immediate needs of neighbors. The community fridge will also complement services provided by local food pantries and shelters by offering items not always easily found in these spaces, such as fresh produce, culturally-appropriate goods, and home-cooked, ready-to-eat meals. The freedge has the added benefit of being accessible to all: there is no creed, no application, and there are no particular hours when food can be contributed or claimed. For those living in its vicinity, it requires no transportation. The freedge can also be used by individuals who may have difficulty accessing benefits provided by government programs safety-net programs (SNAP, WIC) because the paperwork acts as a barrier or the periodic nature of their food insecurity disqualifies them for more official forms of assistance. We seek to stock the freedge by partnering with local schools, reaching out to farmers, and most importantly, relying on neighbors. Our goal is to create a form of mutual aid that steps away from money as the only mode of aid, and proposes instead that we nourish one another, and see to it that no one goes hungry. This - this is something we can do to achieve that goal. We can feed our neighbors. Jackie Wilda and Tara Smithson Feed a Friend, South Bend http://N/A United States South Bend, IN https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/southbend tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/206024 2022-11-17T00:00:00Z 2022-11-19T00:34:38Z Hello, my name is Aaron Helman. I'm a proud lifelong South Bender, a history fanatic, and the author of the book AN INCOMPLETE HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, INDIANA. After a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $5,000 to publish the first book and more than 500 sales, I'm looking for new ways to bring South Bend's fascinating local history to everyone in Michiana. My newest book is called RIDE THE JACK RABBIT AND OTHER DISPATCHES FROM MICHIANA AND BEYOND and will explore more of the stories that make South Bend such an interesting and fascinating place to live. I'll be telling stories about visits from legends like Babe Ruth, Ronald Reagan, and Duke Ellington; but also encouraging people to share their own family histories. As part of this project, I'm also creating several walking tours that will guide people through the places where amazing things happened a hundred years ago, and in some cases, are still happening today. As a lifelong creative professional and writer, I'm passionate about telling stories that people want to hear. A friend once told me that the problem with most history books is that they're written by historians. That's why a lot of people think history is boring. I don't think South Bend's history is boring. In fact, I'm ready to bring it back to life. Aaron Helman Ride the Jack Rabbit and Other Dispatches http://aaronhelman.com/books United States South Bend, IN https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/southbend tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/207563 2022-11-17T00:00:00Z 2022-11-19T00:34:00Z SOMA Support Inc, was founded in 2021 to help increase economic stability in the South Bend area for small business owners. We work with other local non profits to provide grant funding, business and financial coaching, and tax preparation. We have offered 150+ free personal tax returns this year. Coached more than 50 small business owners regarding accounting, HR development, business planning. Danielle Nyari Fundraiser Event - January 2023 http://www.somasupport.org United States South Bend, IN https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/southbend tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/207716 2022-11-17T00:00:00Z 2023-03-08T18:29:55Z I want to make a stop-motion animation about pancakes. I have a strong spiritual relationship with food. In my family, we express everything through what we cook. We ascribe to…for every human emotion there is a meal. So, there's food for loss-Edible Arrangements and there's food for birth-bagels with the works. I'm the chef, short order cook,  in our house and so part of the way that I express love is through food. Pancakes on Saturdays are statements. They are my way of saying "yes" "I love you" "I would do anything for you." Stop-motion animation is an obsessively slow process. For the Awesome Project, I would like to produce a six-minute stop-motion animation. I hope to exhibit this video at the CICA Museum in S. Korea next November. My current exhibition at the Maine Maritime Museum includes four animations. The videos begin with oil painting, which I then digitize and animate in Adobe Premiere Pro. A reasonably smooth stop motion animation requires 12+ frames/second. Therefore a 6 minute animation will be around 4,320+ frames. However, my most recent videos include multiple movements occurring in parallel. This simultaneity pushes the frame count closer to 20,000 frames. A six-minute video is a significant project, but I can’t wait to start. Zach Horn Pancakes: The Stop Motion Animation https://www.zachhornart.com/ United States Boston, MA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/boston tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/208539 2022-11-17T00:00:00Z 2022-11-18T03:22:19Z To commemorate the city’s 400th anniversary I will do a comprehensive survey of Gloucester’s sonic landscape - with a focus on its ambiences - to create an audio time capsule of its sounds in 2023. The project will culminate in an audio installation that will be open to the public and a series of audio stories and vignettes for the the community to access via common streaming platforms. Archival copies will be donated to the city. The project will take place throughout Gloucester, recording the sounds of its beaches and outdoor spaces, as well as its shops, restaurants, industries, boats, studios, municipal buildings, and community events to create a comprehensive soundscape of the region at this moment in time. One thing compiling such an extensive survey makes loud and clear is the ubiquity of mechanical noise pollution that coexists with the beautiful ambiences of the region. I employ digital technology to remove these sounds, and the amount of “noise” that needs to be attenuated or trimmed so the desirable ambiences can shine is often shocking. The installation will explore this tension in detail. The raw audio files will be edited, cataloged, metadata tagged, and distilled into a variety of formats for public consumption, all of which will be accessible on common streaming platforms: Archive Everything collected will be cataloged and donated to the city, Cape Ann Museum, and Sawyer Library via hard drive. Mobil App A simple audio player app made available to the public that allows them to hear the sounds of their favorite Gloucester places anytime. Audio Documentary Shorts Audio pieces that highlight places, community events, and industries in Gloucester, accompanied by narration using local voice actor Eryn O’Sullivan. Community Sample Pack A large selection of the sounds will be compiled into a sample pack that Gloucester students, artists, musicians, and creators can utilize as a production resource. Casey Keenan Sounds of Gloucester https://www.gravitywavestudios.com/sounds-of-gloucester United States Gloucester, MA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/gloucester tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/208961 2022-11-17T00:00:00Z 2022-11-20T21:09:18Z Casually Cool is a Queen's student-run hip-hop, K-POP and choreography dance group/team. Overall, we want to welcome individuals of all dance experiences to join our club, including those who are interested in exploring dance as a new hobby, as well as advanced dancers. We have two teams - Team Casual and Team Cool! Team Casual is for entry level dancers. We'll provide different opportunities to explore different genres of dance through dance tutorials/fundamentals/covers. This is while simultaneously building a community/platform through different socials and dance events (like KPOP-Random Play Dance). For Team Cool, we will film covers and attend K-POP/hip-hop competitions. This is open to Queen's and Kingston residents! We just started this year and weren't accepted by AMS for grants as it is required for a club to run for a semester before applying! The grant would really help with our initial startup costs in hosting dance tutorials, running events and participating in events like dance battles! @casuallycooldance on instagram Our most recent dance cover! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N53idm0PKws Paul Yang Casually Cool K-POP Hip-Hop Dance Club Canada Kingston https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/kingston-on tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/208995 2022-11-17T00:00:00Z 2022-11-19T00:33:36Z I have taken over the position of weight lifting/ P.E. teacher at Adams High School this year and have realized that we are lacking in resources and equipment in order to keep our student athletes on par with surrounding schools and corporations. I teach 7 classes and see around 200 students go through the weight room doors on a daily basis.I have seen other school weight rooms using items we don't have to serve their student athletes. In order to maintain and draw the best student athletes to our school, I feel we need have similar resources in our weight room. I have seen great progress already in the little time I have been here and I know there can be even greater performance if we are able to use certain equipment we are lacking. Tony Chelminiak Weight Room Improvements at South Bend Adams United States South Bend, IN https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/southbend tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/206580 2022-11-16T00:00:00Z 2022-11-30T18:20:19Z We all know what it feels like to have a "bad hair day". But can you imagine what it’s like to lose your hair in a traumatic way that tells the world you are fighting for your life? With this project, we hope to eliminate barriers by subsidizing high quality wigs for women of color experiencing radiation and chemotherapy induced alopecia. Through philanthropy and in-kind donations, our goal with “The Power of Hair" is to help make dignity and self-worth equitable, and support local business by providing locally sourced products. We are seeking local wig makers to create 6 looks for Black, Hispanic and Asian women. Once we source the wigs, and decide on 6 designs, we plan to photograph them and create a web page designed to showcase these ethnic looks and eventually launch this as a national program, the first of its kind. Alecia Dillon The Power of Hair https://instagram.com/serv_305?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= United States Miami, FL https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/miami tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/207375 2022-11-16T00:00:00Z 2022-12-05T10:27:35Z One specific food has been throw away in every single year. For example, In the Netherlands 25%, in the unite state 33%, in the UK 44% and in Australia 186 thousands tons of that food end up in the bin. The answer is “ bread”. A chef at top restaurant asked me if I can do anything with their very good left over bread. At that point, I started to explore how I can turn lifesaver bread into miso. My goal was to share how everybody can turn brand wast into miso. It has to be very simple, no need for any special or environment .So everyone can do ti themselves. The miso is made with natural fermentation. It will bring the best benefit for our health and nature around us. Natural miso sometimes takes over 3years to ferment. But I guess not many of us want to wait that long. So I wanted to invent a method that can shorten fermentation time, but also so that naturally. After 3 years of failing and trying, almost giving up and then standing up again… Finally, I found a way.“The bread miso making kit” was born. . . . . The kit contains two magical liquids. And all you need is your choice of bread, 100g. That’s it. And it takes only 3 weeks to make naturally fermented miso from your bread leftover. ….. You don’t need any special machinery or spacial space. You can leave it in room temperature. Now you can save bread from wasting it, make your original miso and add the miso into your favorite / traditional dishes as replacement of salt or seasoning. My dream is to have a table without any judgment. Food has very strong power. It is because, we all eat. No matter who we are. Don’t you think it would be fun to make miso together from your own bread and culture that is original and amazing. Rotterdam is the perfect place for it! Then if, we can save 1 ton of bread together from being wasted, I think the world can turn more fun place to be. Even a just little bit. Change may be very small, but only every single rain drops make a huge ocean! Erika Hirose Let's make miso from leftover bread and save them! https://www.mottainaimiso.com/ Netherlands Rotterdam https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/rotterdam tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/208196 2022-11-16T00:00:00Z 2022-11-29T01:09:25Z This project aims to roll-out the Teen Mental Health First Aid course to all students in Years 9 and 11 at West Wallsend High School in 2023. Mental Health First Aid® (MHFA™) is an education program developed in Australia. The Teen Mental Health First Aid course is delivered to young people, with the aim of empowering young people to provide appropriate mental health first aid to their friends. This practical, skills-based course equips young people with the skills and confidence needed to recognise and respond if someone they know experiences a mental health problem or crisis situation. By improving mental health literacy and reducing stigma, Teen Mental Health First Aid has the potential to help improve outcomes and help seeking behaviours for those affected by mental health problems. Providing Mental Health First Aid training in schools helps whole school communities to: Intervene early: recognise the warning signs of mental health problems Provide skills: Provide the skills needed to speak to a young person about their mental health Respond in a crisis: Respond in crisis situations where a young person may be at risk of harm  Reduce stigma: Reduce stigma and increase support for people with mental health problems An important aim of implementing Teen Mental Health First Aid is to boost mental health literacy, with the course providing students with a shared knowledge, understanding, language and skills to speak openly and accurately about mental health, which will reduce stigma, encourage help-seeking behaviours by students and lead to increased support for young people with mental health problems.   The program will be delivered to Year 9 and 11 students throughout 2023, with delivery being integrated into Year 9 PDHPE lessons and the Life Ready program for senior students. This approach ensures that all students are exposed to this incredible learning opportunity and should provide a sustainable approach to the project. Jen Elhindi West Wallsend High School - Teen MHFA https://westwalls-h.schools.nsw.gov.au Australia Lake Mac https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/lakemac tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/206750 2022-11-15T00:00:00Z 2022-11-15T15:05:05Z “Happy Birthday to You…” Four simple words that are tightly woven into our existence, and so quickly sung from the tip of our tongue without giving a second thought… But for so many children in Fargo-Moorhead and the surrounding area, their birthdays are uncertain, sad, and lonely -- they’re often not celebrated due to a multitude of difficulties. They notice, and so have we. The Fargo chapter of Box of Balloons was brought to the area in 2020 by two volunteers who recognized this need in our community. Box of Balloons - Fargo partners with social workers, child advocates and educators to provide birthday parties to children who might not otherwise have one. Our core belief is that every child deserves to feel special and have a memorable birthday -- despite their current situation, living arrangements, or family financial status. Our fundamental goal is to provide JOY, hope and celebration for the child! Once we receive a request, we pull together a unique and customized Birthday Box for the specific child which includes: tableware, decorations, party game/activity, party favors, cupcakes and candles, and a birthday gift, card and necessary wrapping. We then provide the birthday box to the parent or caregiver, dignifying their role in the child’s life and making them the birthday hero! In the last year alone, we’ve provided 182 Birthday Boxes to children in our community! We are on track to provide over 200 Birthday Boxes to children in need in 2022. 100% of these funds go to the birthday boxes themselves as this mission is led by volunteers, including myself. The fulfillment of this grant request will help us ensure that EVERY child is celebrated on their birthday, and that each birthday is truly HAPPY in the Cass-Clay area! Chris Welsand Pinata's for a Purpose https://www.boxofballoons.org/north-dakota United States Cass Clay https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/cassclay tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/207684 2022-11-15T00:00:00Z 2022-11-16T02:27:23Z Our rooftop garden at the shelter, Seeds of Hope, provides interactive green space for the shelter guests, garden/nature activities, and an opportunity to grow their own "bucket" garden, which they can take with them when they move into their home! My hope through this gardening project is to empower others to grow herbs, food, flowers, etc, and encourage each other to start growing, wherever we are, and discover the joy and yumminess that growing our own garden can bring, even if it's simply one pot of herbs! Bringing this rooftop garden to the homeless shelter, we hope to provide a quiet, calm, healing space to discover the wonder which nature holds, and to learn about growing one's own food. Currently we have two main activities in the garden: 1. Ladies Tea & Art on Mondays -Ladies from Naomi Ladies program come to the rooftop and they can grow their own "bucket" garden, pick herbs, tomatoes, etc, from general garden boxes, have a fresh fruit snack & iced mint tea (made from our garden mint), and do art. 2. Mom & Kids Tea time & activity on Wednesdays - Moms and their kids join together to do a scavenger hunt or nature activity in the garden, and enjoy a fresh fruit snack and garden iced tea, and just explore the garden together, and prizes for all when the activities are done. :) The Hannah House program has access to the garden all day since the location is on the rooftop next to the playground for their program. This creates space for the kids to discover and experience the garden hands on, and often I find picked items, like green tomatoes, baby watermelons, etc. (sometimes smashed). Now we educate the kids on picking what is ripe, and learning what that looks like, and we help them to "Be a garden protector, not a random picker". Since our garden is hands on and experiential for everyone, and I value offering open access, I am willing to pay the price of losing some veggies as kids learn, discover and experience the wonder of garden! Laura Thiessen Seeds of Hope garden https://ccolife.org/seeds-of-hope-ccos-rooftop-garden/ United States Chicago, IL https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/chicago tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/208392 2022-11-15T00:00:00Z 2022-11-21T12:46:28Z The Petey Greene Program will recruit 10 high-quality volunteer tutors from local universities and the Philadelphia community to provide weekly, in-person tutoring at the Federal Detention Center on 7th and Arch. We will support adult women who are working toward passing the math, science, English, and social studies sections of the GED while incarcerated. Tutors will be interviewed and selected to best meet the needs of each individual learner, and will participate in our mandatory 6-hour Pre-Service Training before beginning their tutoring placement at the prison. The pre-service training is articulated in four modules, focusing on the carceral state and prison education (1), re-entry and education (2), tutoring strategies (3), and intentional engagement and ethical volunteerism (4). Our goal is to provide individualized academic support for approximately 30 incarcerated women in pursuit of a high-school equivalency at the FDC in 2023. Marie DiLeonardo In-Person GED Tutoring for Incarcerated Women https://www.peteygreene.org/ United States Philadelphia, PA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/philadelphia tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/209429 2022-11-15T00:00:00Z 2022-11-25T13:52:44Z The Love Quest Foundation hosted a six-week summer workshop series titled, Introspective Rhythm with top knotch talent and resources for City of Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County youth. Some of our presenters are also in the arts and have graduated from renown music colleges and universities. We would like to take our youth participants on field trips to see our resident artisans perform as many expressed interest in the arts. Josayne Anderson-Tejera Introspective Rhythm Series http://thelovequestfoundation.org United States Poughkeepsie, NY https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/poughkeepsie tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/189287 2022-11-14T00:00:00Z 2022-11-15T03:26:58Z The Zambian Flute Choir (ZFC) is Zambia’s first ever initiative aimed at identifying and bringing together young emerging flutists in Zambia. The ZFC will provide intensive training, which will focus on technique, expression and improvisational skills, among other areas of musicianship. This will be a unique opportunity for young music talents to be exposed to stage performance, musical preparedness and the sharing of artistic skills while being part of a team. Nchimunya Siachaba Zambian flute choir Worldwide Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/awesomewithoutborders tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/207969 2022-11-13T00:00:00Z 2023-04-16T19:49:42Z AwesomeStPaul is proud to announce our latest grant to 3D Print The Future! We chose this application because it supports the creative instincts of students and allows 6th and 7th grade students at St. Paul School of Northern Lights to turn their ideas into reality. We can’t wait to see what they build. Congratulations. According to Teacher Michael Harrison, "There are many things kids have interests in. From building drones to bird feeders, students love to create and be creative. One hope I have had for the year is that I can help students to explore this range of projects by using a 3D printer. Our project will help students learn how to do some basic programming (by teaching them how to design a 3D printer program) and to only limit themselves by their imaginations. I want them to be able to dream of a project and instead of not being able to carry it out because we do not have the resources to buy all the parts they need when we can just print them in our classroom as needed. As a Reggio Emilia school, we do a lot of project based and environmental based learning. A few projects that students have ideas for that I would like to help them with are: Building a Drone Designing a Bicycle ReImagining Chess (designing their own pieces and a different chess board) Fishing Lures Designing their own Pokemon Cars, Cars, Cars (and more Cars) These all have parts that can be found anywhere, but if we could teach kids to design their own components, it would add another element of engineering and design that we cannot get with out proper equipment. Allowing them to carry out their own designs would help us to expand project based learning to another level." Michael Harrison 3D Print The Future! United States St. Paul, MN https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/stpaul tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/206194 2022-11-10T00:00:00Z 2023-04-16T19:50:00Z Congratulations to St. Paul's Park Square Theatre/Stepping Stone Theatre on their AwesomeStPaul grant. The theatre will be giving a sensory-friendly performance of The Snowy Day for individuals with autism or other social, learning or cognitive disabilities. We are very pleased to support this project that provides a theatre experience for hundreds of people who otherwise would not be able to attend. Congratulations! According to Emily Halstead, “The benefits of live theatre are multifaceted, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our youth have been part of online schooling, spending more time isolated and behind a screen. By attending performances, children can learn empathy through others' experiences. When watching a story unfold during a live performance, the audience is placed in a position of walking in the character's shoes for a while. Of additional importance is the vital need for representation, for our BIPOC students to see themselves represented as a director, actor, or storyteller. We are excited to produce The Snowy Day, the first color picture book to have a black main character, during our holiday slot this year. Attending live theatre can be difficult for many due to sensory processing needs. A “sensory-friendly” performance is a theater production that is modified for individuals with sensory needs. A regular performance may be too loud, too bright or too busy for people with autism spectrum disorders, sensory processing disorders, anxiety or other cognitive or physical disabilities. Therefore, Park Square Theatre's creative learning team is looking to incorporate sensory-friendly shows into our youth and family series, starting with our December production of The Snowy Day. 1 in 36 Minnesota children are on the Autism spectrum, and we are aiming to make their experience more welcoming and comfortable. We are working with show designers to find ways to adjust lights and sounds in the theatre, with front of house to provide sensory friendly spaces and activities, and marketing to provide social stories and signage which gives advance notice and preparation for attendees.” Emily Halstead Sensory Friendly Theatre for Youth and Families https://www.steppingstonetheatre.org/series/snowy-day-2022/ United States St. Paul, MN https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/stpaul tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/208162 2022-11-09T00:00:00Z 2022-11-10T15:55:00Z I learned two things at a young age. 1. Everyone needs (clean!) underwear and 2. I had terrible vision and would need glasses for my entire life. Twenty or so years later, these truths still hold. Underwear and glasses, for me at least, are still necessary. What's different though? Well, I'm no longer a kid, and I work in the real world now. I spend every day serving criminal legal system-impacted individuals in Yolo County as a Client Advocate at the Public Defender's Office. I meet with clients both in and out of custody, and I've cultivated a deep awareness of my clients' needs. When clients are released from jail, I gather clothing for their re-entrance into the community since most people enter and leave jail with only the clothes on their backs. I rely on Yolo County community members to donate their gently used clothes. However, I quickly realized no one donates underwear. That's just unsanitary. And, rarely, will people go out and buy underwear to donate when they can donate other used clothing. I'm on a mission to ensure that every person leaving jail has clean underwear. While meeting with clients in-custody, I've also noticed that several have trouble seeing. The jail's medical staff is so under resourced that they cannot afford an eye doctor. But the ability to see can be central to a client's constitutional right to participate in their defense. Many clients need reading glasses to read police reports or other evidence that their public defender brings them. I've also noticed how reading glasses can be crucial to a client's sense of joy. When I meet with clients in custody, I bring cartoons, puzzles, or news articles to help my client smile, laugh, or feel human again. But if a client's vision is so poor that they cannot see these fun or humanizing activities without reading glasses, we are often at a loss. I am striving to fill in this gap by purchasing reading glasses for the hundreds of men and women incarcerated at the Yolo County Jail. Eliana Swerdlow Everyone Needs Underwear...and Maybe Glasses Too! United States San Francisco, CA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/sf tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/209375 2022-11-09T00:00:00Z 2022-12-14T21:12:56Z Honey Chile Hives are located across several different locations in Detroit. This labor of love began as a way to start a new adventure while helping to support our local ecosystem. Honey Chile (pronounced like "child" - but without the d on the end - this is an homage to a term of affection in several dialects, and is common in the African American community) has become much more than a beekeeping project. In addition to the beekeeping work, we also visit communities and offer educational activities in fun and interactive ways. Locations include local farmer's markets, children's summer day camps, community events, and block club parties. We bring Honey Chile directly to neighborhoods with a rip-roaring, dynamic, experiential adventure! Rachel Williams Honey Chile Hives http://www.honeychilehives.com United States Ann Arbor, MI https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/ann-arbor tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/207591 2022-11-08T00:00:00Z 2022-11-09T14:11:53Z This project would install seven small brass sculptures depicting mice from artist Steve Worthington in outdoor locations within The Milk District and develop marketing and promotional materials for a scavenger hunt. The purpose of the project is to add an activity for Milk District visitors, particularly families with children, draw new visitors, and honor a longstanding industrial use in the area. Much public art tends to be monumental in scale, but these small sculptures help remind people of the joy of little things in life and provide an installation opportunity in a densely used area with little public right of way or private land for a large piece of art. The project contributes to ongoing placemaking efforts and work to improve the pedestrian experience. The sculptures are casts of existing work, allowing for a short project timeline and low costs. Zac Alfson Quest for Cheese - mouse sculpture scavenger hunt http://www.themilkdistrict.org/ United States Orlando, FL https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/orlando tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/205729 2022-11-07T00:00:00Z 2023-01-30T15:01:26Z Zach's Sacks is a brand new organization started in honor of my late son, Zachary Wolfe Pressman. Zachary was tragically killed in a drunk driving crash on February 1, 2016. He was a giver, a lover of all people and one of the kindest souls to walk this earth. To honor him we will fill sacks of all kinds to help those in need. The sack could be a brown bag with water and cookies, it could be a school lunch. It could be luggage for a foster child or a handbag of toiletries or it could be a backpack with socks, t-shirts and underwear. You see, there really is no limit to what a Zach's Sack can be. It's all about the love and the connection of one person handing it to another person. Is there anything more precious than connection? Help us to connect to those in need, to those who a sack of love makes all the difference. The business side of things.....we are a registered nonprofit in Maryland and are awaiting our final paperwork for our 501C3 designation Brooke Hagerty Zach's Sacks http://www.zachssacks.org United States Westminster, MD https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/westminster tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/187740 2022-11-07T00:00:00Z 2022-11-08T01:03:56Z Blaze Trail is an interpretive, urban trail that tells the story of the Great Fire of 1866 in Portland, Maine. More than just a dry history lesson, Blaze uses the faces and voices of historic and contemporary firefighters to bring to life what was the largest fire in the US up until that time. The trail follows the outline of the fire's destruction, giving participants a walking tour of the historic city as well as an on-the-ground sense of the fire's scale. The goal of Blaze is to share this compelling story of Portland through the lens of this historic, city-shaping event but from a diversity of perspectives of people who serve the city. The collaborative installation is a multi-media, interactive, online trail map with 15 stops. Each stop, at a key location in the story of the Great Fire, includes an image - either a historic image of the fire or a commissioned portrait (by street artist Gib Foltz), and a sound installation (by sound artist Tony Adams). The interactive content - the trail path, the stops, images, and sound installations - will all be accessed through a website where participants can follow along as they walk the trail in real time or experience the story virtually from anywhere. Project partners include Portland Trails, local artists and graphic designers, and interviews with firefighters, historians, and a descendant of the African-American firefighter who discovered the fire and saved the Black meetinghouse. This project is accessible to anyone with a computer or smartphone; participants can follow the trail which is free and in the public realm, also making it a safe, affordable, pandemic-friendly activity. We hope to add to the rich understanding of this beautiful and historic place and the people who shaped it. Caitlin Cameron Blaze Trail Worldwide Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/awesomewithoutborders tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/205856 2022-11-06T00:00:00Z 2022-11-12T23:12:30Z My project is focused on animal rights video and photography documentation via undercover investigations. With my camera I try to expose what happens to the animals behind the walls of farms, hatcheries, slaugherhouses, places of animal exploitation. Over the years a lot of animal rights organizations used my work for their campaigns and social medias, such L214, Viva Charity, Animal Equality, Peta, Save Movement, DxE, Dominion Movement, Farm Transparency Project and many more to list. By gathering a lot of documentation I decided also to create an open media archive for animal rights org but also for individuals who want to use my work in their fight for animal rights. All the archive is free for everyone. The link to this is here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/uncoveredtruth/ Human Cruelties human.cruelties https://humancruelties.org/ Worldwide Vegan (Inactive) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/vegan tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/207030 2022-11-06T00:00:00Z 2023-01-19T17:18:43Z My project is twofold: Develop an online Business Directory for City of Newburgh businesses and promote an annual shopping event that supports local small businesses. Yearly, American Express promotes a Shop Small event the weekend after Thanksgiving to kick of the holiday shopping season. In the City of Newburgh, we promote a walking tour of retail businesses to encourage locals to support small businesses. 2022 marks the 4th year of our "Shop Downtown Newburgh" event. Over 40 business have participated in the event each year since 2018 and draws hundreds of people from the surrounding area every year. The Shop Small event is typically the top grossing weekend of the year for small retail businesses. It helps us catch up on bills before years end and we can earn enough to pay rent for a few months. We developed a "Passport" - a handout that lists each participating business, and any special offer. Each shopper takes the passport to get stamped at each business they visit and turn it in at the end of the day. Each passport is entered in a raffle for a grand prize - an assortment of gifts from each participating business. This encourages the public to visit as many businesses as possible since the more stamps you collect on your passport increases your chances of winning a prize. The event introduces the public to businesses and services they would not have known about. The online Business Directory will also serve a resource for the public to find business and services offered in the City of Newburgh. The website www.shopnbny.com will be used for the business directory as well as promotion of special events such as the annual Shop Small event. We will eventually expand to include information about events, programs, health, history and cultural programs. As Newburgh grows, we need a visible, viable business community. The event and business directory will help increase foot traffic and the perception that there is nothing to do in Newburgh. Jacquelyn Watkins Shop Small Newburgh Event/Business Directory http://www.shopnbny.com United States Newburgh, NY https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/newburgh tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/189384 2022-11-02T00:00:00Z 2023-02-02T05:33:21Z Lawn Liaison is a social event business working towards making it easier for adults to connect and make friends. I noticed that there aren't a lot of adult environments that are great for creating friendships. If you think about going to a club or bar to meet people, you think about drinking and sexual tension. There are also a lot of online interactions with apps and social media that never eventuate to meeting in real life, this can feel isolating. As a child there are lots of environments that foster a face to face playful environment to make friends. As an extravert I am happy to put myself in a not so comfortable situation (go somewhere alone) to potentially meeting people. But I know most people are not like that. So I did some research and decided to create Lawn Liaison (literally have people liaising on the lawn). The idea is that I would provide an activity that is an icebreaker and something people have to communicate with each other while playing. I decided to start with Lawn bowls. You can come alone and be put into a team or come with friends to make up a team. The events are enticing because I have a DJ playing music, there are signature cocktails, and prizes to be won. The age demographic is targeted at 25-35 year olds, but I get an array of ages come along and everyone has good fun! I aim to run the events monthly. The events I have run so far have been successful in the sense of people making friends they have met up with another time. But they are yet to gain enough traction to be financially successful. And still I persist! Over this Winter, I am working behind the scenes to add a social tennis event to the Spring calendar. The events are also great for the local bowls club. There are a few clubs in Newcastle that have a monopoly on trendy events and other clubs are trying hard to bring in that clientele. By partnering with local clubs and venues I am also bringing business to them. Tiana Jarvis Lawn Liaison http://www.lawnliaison.com Australia Newcastle https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/newcastle tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/204968 2022-11-01T00:00:00Z 2022-12-01T19:58:54Z We are a nonprofit bicycle center for our greater Austin community. We have been around for 25 years. We fix up and give over 800 kids bikes per year, 500 bikes to houseless folks, refugees, and people getting out of incarceration. We offer space for classes, open shop use, and a space where people can get their bikes back up and running. We also are a recycling center recycling over 10 tons a month in steel and aluminum recycling. Scott Menzies Yellow Bike Project http://www.austinyellowbike.org United States Austin, TX https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/austin tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/209213 2022-11-01T00:00:00Z 2023-02-14T18:39:56Z In tabletop roleplaying games, players act out the events of a story in character, occasionally rolling dice to determine how well they do something. One of the players, called the game master or dungeon master, describes the setting and how the world reacts to the players’ actions. Games range in genre and tone, from dramatic mysteries set in the real world to silly planet-hopping sci-fi romps, and the stories can sometimes be played for months or even years. On top of being a valuable way to build writing, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills, TTRPGs are just plain fun! However, trying to play a TTRPG for the first time can be daunting. What different game systems are out there? Where can I find a group? How do we create our characters? Do I have to talk in a funny voice? Why are there so many dice?! Roll for Initiative aims to introduce TTRPGs to an all ages general audience in an accessible, welcoming way. For one month at Schlow Library, seasoned gamers will come together to showcase the creative fun of TTRPGs with a series of workshops, an art exhibit, and a community game night. Each weekend throughout the month at Schlow, we will host free, educational workshops on a TTRPG-related topic, such as "What Parents Need to Know About TTRPGs" and "The Game is a Conversation: Improvisational Storytelling". A month-long art exhibit in the Betsy Rodgers Allen Gallery offers a glimpse into the creative worlds of tabletop roleplaying games. Visitors to the gallery can explore a variety of artistic depictions of the fantastical worlds that have been lovingly crafted by local gamers. At the end of the month, we will host an open event featuring short, ready-to-play games that anyone can try with a friendly, experienced game facilitator. Called “one-shots”, these are self-contained stories meant to be played in one sitting. Attendees can mingle with players, learn about different games, and maybe even make enough friends to start their own campaign. Lane LaBelle Roll for Initiative: A Month of Tabletop RPGs United States State College, PA https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/statecollege tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/209525 2022-11-01T00:00:00Z 2023-03-13T15:45:14Z We are a group of Watertown residents wanting to put together a fun event for all to enjoy in the cold winter months. We are planning ice sculptures, sledding, fire pits, skating on the pond, music, snowball disc golf, soup cook off, lighted trail, smores, hot chocolate etc. The event is planned for Lions Park with skating on the pond and lighted trails around the park. The event will hopefully become a yearly celebration. Money will be used to fund the various events we have planned for the day. Elicia Holien Winterfest https://www.facebook.com/watertownwinterfest United States Watertown, SD (Inactive) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/watertown tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/206703 2022-10-31T00:00:00Z 2022-11-03T03:05:32Z Our Maternity Pantry works to provide birthing people who are homeless, in temporary housing, or aging out of the foster care system have access to prenatal, postpartum and newborn care items. We advocate heavily for breastfeeding knowledge and supplies for these same disenfranchised people to empower them in their birthing and parenting journey. We have a permanent maternity pantry, but also hold community events at local shelters as we understand transportation is a huge issue birthing people face as well. Kayla Migneron Maternity Pantry http://GBIKY.org Worldwide Homelessness (Inactive) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/homelessness tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/206714 2022-10-31T00:00:00Z 2022-12-18T10:56:21Z This project will create a special place within their garden where students can come and sit, reflex on their day, calm their mind and just sit. In this space they will include sensory plants that students can touch and smell, also eat! There will be plants that look beautiful or may have unusual shapes. Plants that attract wonderful insects that the students can sit and watch while they busily collect pollen or rest on a flower. While all of the natural world is busy doing its thing, the student will have the opportunity to completely immerse themselves in nature. This experience will allow them to settle and regroup, giving them the ability to go back to class ready to keep going. Clancey McKenzie Childrens Sensory & Habitat Garden http://www.surfsideps.vic.edu.au/ Australia Geelong (Inactive) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/geelong tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/206839 2022-10-31T00:00:00Z 2022-10-31T14:22:43Z Our October 2022 grant has been awarded to Jordan Seiler's **Talk to Me**, a network of 5 public "payphones" located in each of the 5 boroughs, that only call each other. Participants who pick up a TTM receiver set the other 4 ringing, inviting passing New Yorkers to answer the call. **Upon connection, two unsuspecting strangers are thrust into conversation and left to navigate a serendipitous interaction with their neighbor.** A social sculpture activated by the citizens of New York City, Talk To Me aims to weave itself deep into the fabric of the city by recognizing the transformative power of talking to strangers. **By simply stopping us in our tracks, exciting our collective imagination, and forcing us to share an experience with another human, Talk To Me acts to build empathy between citizens as they move through their city.** **AwesomeNYC's grant will be used to maintain the existing network, grow the number of booths around NYC and beyond, add other participatory functions, and most importantly, develop a long term plan for the future of the project.** The Talk To Me network is an artist-run project that began in June 2022 and hopes to find long term sustainability as a part of NYC's social infrastructure over the next several years. If you are interested in supporting the project, getting involved, or just knowing more, please visit www.talktomenyc.com or contact Jordan Seiler directly at jordan@publicadcampaing.com. jordan Seiler Talk To Me http://talktomenyc.com United States New York City, NY https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/nyc tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/207428 2022-10-31T00:00:00Z 2022-11-04T19:03:58Z SPANKBOX is a photographic installation that depicts individuals with physical disabilities in hypersexualized poses and situations. SPANKBOX puts the power back in the hands of those with physical disabilities by granting the audience permission to look, fantasize, and question disability and sexuality in a safe environment. It also allows people to see themselves for who they really are by answering the questions presented by those whose images hang in the SPANKBOX gallery. During the performance portion of the installation, audience members will have their words read back to them to assist the viewer with realizing their internalized prejudices and exclusionary practices. **What our grantee is saying:** "SPANKBOX is beyond grateful to be receiving an AWESOME Award. SPANKBOX focuses on the lives of those living with disabilities. As a member of the disabled community and the founder and curator of SPANKBOX, I cannot begin to express how important it is to have this work be seen. Receiving both acknowledgement and support tells me that we are on our way to effective change and I would like to thank AWESOME for being part of change." Jessica Elaine Blinkhorn SPANKBOX https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-get-spankbox-to-basel Worldwide Disability https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/disability tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/207461 2022-10-31T00:00:00Z 2022-11-01T13:18:37Z October’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Ashley Newall to support his sharing of colourized historical photos of Ottawa. “I've been colourizing photos and posting them to [Twitter] (https://twitter.com/CapHistOttawa) for the past two years,” explains Ashley. “A year and a half ago this turned into a [regular column] (https://apt613.ca/author/caphistottawa/) for Apartment613.” “This summer,” Ashley continues, “I purchased high-resolution scans from Library and Archives Canada, colourized them, and printed and framed them to sell at a Byward Market stand – identifying in the process the most popular to feature at a show. While I'm not a good capitalist and my start-up costs somewhat exceeded my profits, I'm happy to report that the colourized prints were a hit!” Ashley’s photos will be on display at Irene’s Pub, in the Glebe, from December 5-31, 2022. At a launch party on December 5, he’ll be getting on the mic and going in depth on each of the pieces at both 6 PM and 8 PM. [Ashley] (https://www.ashleynewall.ca) is a local musician, historian, graphic artist, and writer. He’s hosted open mics for many years all over town, as well as battles of the bands at a number of local venues. Ashley Newall Capital History Ottawa (#colourized) https://twitter.com/CapHistOttawa Canada Ottawa https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/ottawa tag:www.awesomefoundation.org,2005:Project/208623 2022-10-30T00:00:00Z 2022-11-30T11:18:31Z Բարև ձեզ, ես Սուսաննան եմ, ք. Վանաձորի թիվ 11 ավագ դպրոցի բնապահպանական ակումբի ղեկավարը: Մեր գաղափարը հիանալի է նրանով, որ ջերմոցային տնտեսության մոդելի շնորհիվ քաղաքաբնակ երեխաները կծանոթանան ջերմոցի աշխատանքին: Նրանք սերմից կաճեցնեն փշատերևների սածիլներ և կնվիրեն Վանաձորի անտառտնտեսությանը՝ ունենալով մեր փոքրիկ ներդրումը անտառվերականգնման գործում: Դրա համար կօգտագործենք դպրոցի գրադարանի չօգտագործվող մետաղյա 7 դարակները՝ ստելաժները: Սուսաննա Ավագյան Ջերմոցային տնտեսության մոդել դպրոցում Armenia Nature Armenia (Inactive) https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/naturearmenia