Awesome Foundation - Projects

Orlando, FL – The Van Gogh Affect

2020-09-10T00:00:00Z

Snap! Downtown presents the East Coast premiere of 'THE VAN GOGH AFFECT', a new traveling exhibition which started in Los Angeles, and will be go on to Europe, to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The exhibition will be on display at the Snap! Downtown gallery, Feb. 2021 through May 2021, and open to the public. Program will feature speaking engagement by the artists, as well as guided gallery tours for students. The Van Gogh Affect addresses the artist’s profound and ever-present influence on contemporary perceptions of the world. Simultaneously contemplating and reaffirming Van Gogh’s resounding posthumous influence over art & culture of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries — photographers Lynn Johnson and Patricia Lanza offer evocative insight into Vincent’s uniquely sensitive lived experience of place and light. Traveling in Van Gogh’s footsteps, photographers LYNN JOHNSON and PATRICIA LANZA have conjured hauntingly intimate images in black & white (Johnson) and impressionist-imbued color (Lanza) in their exploration of Van Gogh’s quest to master the use of color as he studied, tracked and paid tribute to his most enduring muse— the sun. LYNN JOHNSON is an American photographer known for her contributions to National Geographic and Life among others. She is the winner of the World Press Photo Award for Daily Life, and a twice-recognized Pulitzer Prize Finalist— for the National Geographic “Gender Identity” and “Face Transplant” stories. PATRICIA LANZA is an American photographer and photo curator who traveled to over 53 countries on assignment to document some of the most compelling people, nature, cultures and stories of our time. Lanza began her career at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. As the recent Director of Exhibitions for the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles, Lanza curated 22 exhibitions and garnered many industry and media awards.

Cleveland, OH – Virtual Opening of Cozad Bates House

2020-09-09T00:00:00Z

Cleveland has a rich, awesome, inspiring and largely untold history of its citizens resistance to slavery,and their participation in the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad. Joan Southgate, at the age of 73, wanted to honor that history by walking from Southern OH to St Catharines in Canada along a path of the Underground Railroad. Since then Joan and her supporters have been working to save the only antebellum house left in University Circle, the Cozad Bates House, and turn it into an education center about the local UGRR. After many years it will be ready to open in September 2020. Now there is a pandemic so we need to create a virtual opening in the form of a video to show people what it looks like now. We want to take people on a tour on line until they can visit in person and after. Also before the pandemic we gathered people together in small groups and told stories of people and events from the Underground Railroad. We call these stories and discussions, Beloved Community Dialogues, inspired by Martin Luther King's vision of a Beloved Community in which there is economic and social justice for all.

San Francisco, CA – Practice fundraising/Equipment

2020-09-09T00:00:00Z

NorCal Spartans is a sports based program for boys and girls without fathers or financial need to do after school activities for the last 10 years. We service North Highlands, Citrus Heights, Rio Linda, Natomas, Del Paso Heights and Antelope. We usually run our practices in the gym or facilities through schools but due to the COVID-19 pandemic we no longer have access. We have been having to pay private facilities for gym time, making it impossible for me to sponsor children, in which this program was based around. To help the needs of the community and keep kids in a safe environment. with people that are motivated to put them on the right path towards college degrees. Today, the Spartan program has put 23 kids to college with scholarships and many more through the JC (Junior College) system. We usually make money throwing tournaments at schools but due to COVID-19, the schools have been closed down. We currently don't have a running website due to lack of funds but we still have the domain name.

Cleveland, OH – Let's Stop Gang Violence in Cleveland Ohio

2020-09-09T00:00:00Z

We are a non profit gang intervention program in the city of Cleveland and due to COVID we have had to strategize and come up with new and effective methods to reach out to troubled youth. We now do one of one's with our interactions to comply with social distancing while maintaining social services for the youth in the program. We help with food, bus passes and we also help them obtain drivers licenses, birth certificates, and help them get meaningful employment. We go out into the community hotspots where there is gang activity and we provide free hotdogs, chips, mask, sanitizer and covid safety tips while engaging the youth. We then sign them up for our program and also give them resources that can help them get focused and navigate them away from their current behaviors.

San Francisco, CA – Helping the disabled look and feel good

2020-09-09T00:00:00Z

Our organization goes directly to the homes of the disabled and provide grooming services such as haircuts, hairstyling, manicures, pedicures and clothing. Our clients are put on a monthly rotation and we provide care packages with Combs, brushes, deodorant, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream, razors, etc... So they can maintain their self until we return. A lot of disabled people are not able to go to barbershops, beauty salons, or nail salons to keep their appearance up. They also rarely get the opportunity to go shopping and purchase new clothes. When you look good you feel good and when you feel good your days will be better no matter what the situation is. I feel this is highly needed in the disabled community and will help a disabled person physically and mentally. It doesn't matter what a persons disability are we just want to put a smile on their face.

Ann Arbor, MI – Activity Packs for Incarcerated Members of SIP

2020-09-09T00:00:00Z

Shakespeare in Prison (SIP), Detroit Public Theatre’s (DPT) signature community program, empowers incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people to reconnect with their humanity and that of others; to reflect on their past, present, and future; and to gain the confidence, self-esteem, and crucial skills they need to heal and positively impact their communities. SIP has been going strong at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility (Ypsilanti) since 2012; we have also worked at Parnall Correctional Facility (Jackson) and several youth facilities. Our post-release program offers SIP alumni ongoing mentoring for professional development and support. Michigan’s correctional facilities are currently closed to all visitors and programs—including SIP—as a safety precaution during the coronavirus pandemic. For nearly six months, incarcerated people have been confined to their housing units (in some cases, to their cells). The lack of in-person contact with loved ones, programs, and classes to occupy their time exacerbates their sense of uncertainty, stasis, fear, and isolation. They are desperate for connection, community, and hope—the very things that have drawn ensemble members to Shakespeare in Prison for eight years. Though we cannot work with them in person, we have found a way to sustain our connection by sending ensemble members Shakespeare-based activity packs to help alleviate their isolation, boredom, and fear. Each activity pack consists of a piece of Shakespeare’s text and prompts for intellectual stimulation, creative expression, and self-reflection. Creative responses have begun arriving at our office. One is a scrapbook made by two members of the women’s ensemble, accompanied by a cover letter that begins, “We would like to start off by saying that we appreciate your thoughts of us during this horrific time. We do not take light or undermind [sic] our appreciation for what Shakespeare in Prison is, or what it has done to affect us personally!”

Philadelphia, PA – The Warm UP

2020-09-08T00:00:00Z

As the COVID 19 pandemic unfolds we’ve seen the disproportionate death rates between Black Americans and the rest of the nation. One reason for the disparity is the prevalence of preventable, underlying health conditions present in the Black community. The Warm-Up is a series of fitness pop-ups providing community members studio quality classes, for free, in the historically significant Malcolm X Park. The classes will be led by recognized Black fitness instructors, who will facilitate no equipment workout routines that can easily be replicated at home.Furthermore, each instructor will provide a take-home guide of little or no cost steps to becoming healthier. Diverse programming will allow folks of all abilities and fitness levels a chance to participate. The Warm-Up will provide West Philadelphians a free and accessible first step towards healthy living and an overall healthier community. I have already confirmed four fitness instructors who have agreed to facilitate the workout classes. These are teachers who are known, well respected, and have years of experience working in the Philadelphia fitness scene. They include Triyo Fitness (HIIT), City Fit Girls (Running/Strength training), Lauren Leavell (Barre), and Vibes and Vinyasa (Yoga). In addition, I plan on connecting with local organizations that have been providing free boxes of fruits and vegetables to the community. Having them distribute their boxes during the events localizes resources for the attendees. Beyond providing exercise, the goal of the program is to inspire self-determination in participants to mobilize other community health movements in this space.This program is a grassroots approach toward fighting existing structural inequalities and creating health equity. By centering the holistic well-being of this community, we expand the conversation past surviving to demanding and co-creating the optimal conditions for community members to thrive.

Rotterdam – FALAFVAL x MONO: de circulaire kantine

2020-09-08T00:00:00Z

Wij zijn FALAFVAL. Wij willen iedereen laten zien en proeven dat veel voedselafval geen écht afval is. Daarom maken wij falafel van groente-reststromen die anders onterecht in een prullenbak zouden belanden. FALAFVAL is duurzaam, volledig plantaardig, toegankelijk en lekker; een product met minimum waste en maximum taste. Sind FALAFVAL in maart 2019 is opgericht hebben wij duurzame gerechten verkocht op verschillende evenementen en locaties in Rotterdam, waaronder in MONO. Uit deze laatst genoemde samenwerking is een nieuw idee ontstaan; de circulaire kantine. In deze kantine in MONO serveert FALAFVAL duurzame, plantaardige en betaalbare gerechten aan hun gasten. We hebben samen al een goed begin gemaakt ondanks de moeilijke tijden voor de horeca, maar nu willen we er een echte kantine van maken met (corona-proof) plekken. Daar hebben wij jullie hulp bij nodig.

Atlanta, GA (Inactive) – Youth Mental Health First Aid - Training

2020-09-08T00:00:00Z

We believe that Mental Health First Aid should be as common as CPR and traditional First Aid used for physical scrapes, injury and trauma. We also recognize that as adults who regularly interact with youth, it is our responsibility to aid them to the best of our ability. This is the reason we are certified to train in Youth Mental Health First Aid through the National Council on Behavioral Health and want to train others. 1/2 of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, three-quarters by age 24. Mental disorders can have a major impact as they often start in adolescence or early adulthood. When mental disorders start at this stage of life, they can affect the young person's education, movement into adult occupational roles, and the formation of key social relationships and health habits.

Newburgh, NY – Newburgh Repair Cafe - Bike Pop-Up Shop

2020-09-07T00:00:00Z

Due to Covid 19, Newburgh Repair Café has been unable to hold indoor repair cafe events at Grit Works or conduct fundraising projects to collect funds to purchase in demand supplies. Newburgh Repair Cafe would like to partner up with local repair coaches and local groups to organize a Bike Pop Shop along with a Pop up Park at the end of August or the beginning of September at the latest. In the past Newburgh Repair café has worked closely with local partners such as Newburgh Ptech and other youth focused groups. This will be a Saturday or Sunday event which will be filled with activities for our youth and adults to learn about repairing their bikes, as well as other social distancing games and activities. We will also be inviting our amazing repair coaches to come and provide their talents indoors, with coaches coming to fix electronics, clothes and more. Music will be played inside and outside of Grits Works. Light food and snacks will be made available to all the attendees and volunteers. We would like to have bike tents outside of Grits Works and and the Pop lounge beside the tents and in the street. We will have decorations, chairs and activities for people to use. We want people to come and bring their bikes to get fixed, learn how to fix their bikes and donated bikes that we will be collecting will be donated and Ben to community members.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – A is For is Donating Stigma-Busting Comic Books!

2020-09-07T00:00:00Z

A is For’s Clinic Escort Series Comic Book, (https://www.aisfor.org/merch/clinic-escorts-stories-from-the-front-lines) edited by New Yorker artist Emily Flake, is a beautiful and compelling compilation. It tells the stories of abortion clinic escorts and illustrates - quite literally - the realities of being on the front lines, escorting patients through hostile crowds into clinics so they can receive needed medical care. The book was created and published with the financial support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and individual donors. We are now seeking funds to donate and ship bundles of the books to abortion and healthcare clinics as well as organized groups of clinic escorts across the country. Our goal is to raise at least $10,000 and distribute 1,000 books by the end of 2020. Founded in 2012 by actresses and activists, Martha Plimpton & Kellie Overbey, A is For emerged in response to the escalating legislative attacks on access to safe, reproductive healthcare. A is For amplifies art and artists that work to end the stigma against abortion. We envision a world in which every person has access to the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare free from judgement, scrutiny, and obstruction. Our comic book and other creative initiatives - storytelling, play writing contest, engaging social media content - seek to elevate the human experience of abortion. We want to change the way people think about abortion. One of the stories, Pink House Defenders by Michelle Colon details the experiences of escorts at the Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Mississippi’s only abortion clinic. As Michelle poignantly writes “They call us ‘deathscorts.’ And we correct them - we are defenders, and we have our own style of protecting our patients and defending our clinic.” Our vision of telling the stories of these “guardians of faith” has come to life, and we are so excited to share them.

Newburgh, NY – Unmasking the Truth

2020-09-07T00:00:00Z

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Newburgh Community Photo Project (NCPP) is organizing a Public Art Action in conjunction with the Inside Out Project (https://www.insideoutproject.net/en). NCPP participants are photographing City of Newburgh residents with masks that say COVID SAFE, #BLM, and I CAN'T BREATHE and we will be wheat pasting them to buildings in the City of Newburgh as a public art action to call attention to the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, especially to those communities who are most affected. The novel coronavirus continues to sweep the United States and disproportionately affects Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). The City of Newburgh has over 1,583 confirmed cases, according to the Orange County Health Department, which is the highest number of cases in Orange County. NCPP is photographing people of all ages, gender, national origin, skin color, and socio-economic strata in the City of Newburgh to include as much of Newburgh's diverse population as possible. Six properties have been confirmed to host the public art action and are situated in communities that the pandemic and #BLM most affects. The public action is intended to call attention to these issues and spark conversations around them. They will also function as a reminder of systemic inequalities and how we may be able to change people's perspectives on the issues and interactions of diverse populations in the communities, as well as public policy. Be sure to check us out on Instagram @newburghcommunityphotoproject or newburghcommunityphotoproject.com to stay up to date with the project.

Newburgh, NY – Sunsets Softball

2020-09-07T00:00:00Z

As summer came to a close last year, I daydreamed to Alex Leies Gonzalez over a beer at Ms. Fairfax. I lamented how back in Red Hook there was a bar league for softball I hadn’t had the chance to play in. We wanted to have something more to do, to look forward to through weekly routine malaise. Aleies declared we start our own league. He had Tuesday nights off work, we would play after five at People’s Park. He had gloves, bats, and balls. We could text everyone we knew and see who showed up. Our first autumn we had about six people play semi regularly. We pulled off a rough approximation of pick up wiffle ball. We scoured Thruway Sporting Goods and Walmart for gloves. We had a speaker, cheap beer, and a sense that we were in on a shared secret, so we kept playing. A few rogue friends of acquaintances became baseball buddies and we wound up spending time together on days other than Tuesday. As the nights became colder and the sky darkened sooner we declared ourselves the Sunsets. The light governed our play time, so Aleies’ gear went dormant for the winter. This year Covid struck right before spring training. Months passed and we became increasingly restless. We missed each other, missed being outside and moving. Moreover, the weather was improving – the sun was setting later. As the state of New York began reopening for outdoor activities we decided it was time. For a few weeks we played wiffle ball, forcing all our apprehensive friends to put themselves out there and try. I sewed muslin bases to graduate from cardboard in the mud. On a whim once we had batting practice on Liberty Street, curious strangers popping in for a few rounds as they passed. “What are you doing next Tuesday?” was shouted up and down the block throughout the night. The following week as Aleies and I walked into the park, the bleachers were full of new players. We played a full game. The week after that, we played softball, with real, 11” (soft) softballs.

Vegan (Inactive) – Canada Goose Anti-Fur Advocacy Campaign

2020-09-06T00:00:00Z

Our Canada Goose Advocacy Campaign project was initiated by a team of passionate vegans at Ardor SEO who desire to utilize the power of volunteerism and activism to end the fur trade. Each year, more than one billion rabbits, foxes, seals, minks, and coyotes are raised on fur farms or trapped in the wild, then killed for their pelts. We believe that putting pressure on company practices through consumer education and demand has the greatest impact on putting a stop to the fur trade. Canada Goose leads globally in winter clothing sales (in 2018, the company reported revenue of $591.2 million) and is one of the leading users of animal fur. Canada Goose markets a wide range of jackets, parkas, vests, hats, gloves, and other apparel that contain animal fur or other animal parts such as goose feathers. Consumers don’t choose cruel options because they want animals to die. Consumers choose cruel options because they don’t know about the suffering, and what cruelty-free options are out there. In fact, according to a 2011 study about consumer behavior and animal welfare in the European Union (https://www.sciencedirect.com/), access to information was the strongest behavioral determinant of consumer shift to products adhering to animal welfare principles. There are many powerful websites that do an excellent job showing the horror of the fur industry. However, the problem is that not many people, especially the non-vegan target population, are searching Google for anti-fur information, so these websites don’t get a lot of visitors and have limited impact. Our goal is to collaborate with 100 animal rights websites to post anti-fur material about Canada Goose and rank in Google for every keyword related to the company. We also desire to mobilize 500 animal rights social media channels and create a tidal wave of activism across the internet. This will ultimately put pressure on Canada Goose to examine its products and practices due to consumer pressure and loss in profit.

Oakland, CA (Inactive) – creAItivity

2020-09-02T00:00:00Z

creAItivity is a nonprofit organization seeking to spread awareness of AI in local communities and help those who are previously underrepresented gain access to AI education. Artificial intelligence is often regarded as "elite", and although there are a lot of computer science resources out there, not many specialized in the area of AI. Many students, especially those with a minority and low-income background, feel discouraged when they start to become interested in AI and want to learn more. That's why creAItivity focuses on shedding light on AI and provide resources and techniques that students will need to succeed. We have hosted our COVID-19 challenge in April in order to encourage teens to raise solutions to issues caused by COVID-19. And we have monthly blogs and newsletters detailing opportunities in AI. In addition, we interview STEM professionals and youth-led nonprofits and feature them on our monthly tech zine. We have already reached people in 10+ countries with 5000+ engagement. Our 15+ leadership team comes from 6 different countries and are all super passionate about bringing AI to the local community.

Glasgow – Soul Food Sisters

2020-09-02T00:00:00Z

www.soulfoodsisters.org - In response to the current pandemic we are engaging with homeless projects in providing hot, home-made meals, sandwiches, sweet treats and fresh fruit (when available) – in excess of 450 meals and 150 sandwiches in the past week alone: Kindness Homeless Street Team (George Square Glasgow) –including asylum seekers, financial difficulties, addictions, mental health issues, lone parents, various homeless groups and those who are vulnerable in need. Marie Trust - Various homeless groups Salvation Army Hostel Wallace of Campsie House East Campbell St Gallowgate – homeless and asylum seekers Night Shelter & City Mission Glasgow – homeless and asylum seekers We are also providing a hot meal to anyone in need from our premises in Galllowgate as we do have some footfall via nearby hostel/ homeless unit, we have a window hatch which allows us to keep in line with social distancing and observing PPE. We are publicising our free meals service via several social media platforms, local community initiatives, WhatsApp community groups and good old word of mouth. To help to support this responsive initiative, we have recently opened our serving window where the passing public can purchase coffee, tea, soup, sandwiches and soup with the proceeds going to fund our service to the homeless as detailed above. The footfall is very limited due to the pandemic and very few local businesses are open but we felt the need to boost the funds somewhat to purchase essentials like food containers, PPE etc.: We have been building on some current plans and hoping to expand, including: Female led/ orientated workshops – online and in person (when restrictions are lifted) including: cooking, baking, events and hospitality overview, guest speakers focusing on particular group issues, sharing experiences in a safe and confidential environment leading to sharing help and signposting for support, current topics and beauty/ pamper evenings to name a few.

Raleigh, NC (Inactive) – Kaleidoscope Projection Monument

2020-09-01T00:00:00Z

I want to build a stained-glass / bike wheel kaleidoscope projector! The projector will be a mobile unit, projecting images of afrosurrealist dreams juxtaposed with footage from the Attica Prison Rebellion through a giant kaleidoscope onto buildings in public spaces. I will use a bike wheel as the framework for a stained-glass / multimedia lens. The lens will be connected to an axle welded to a pipe. Inside the pipe will be a system of mirrors. The projector will shine through the pipe, projecting images through the kaleidoscopic lens.   I am accountable to a network of afrofuturist artists and visionaries through a nation-wide project called Gallery of the Streets. We want to use this kaleidoscope as a prototype for new public monuments that inspire re-visioning new cities beyond white supremacy.   This idea was born out of the kaleidoscope gift project, instigated in 2016 in connection with the Durham Art Asylum to build connections between communities and people who struggle with mental health and addiction. Thirty multi-media kaleidoscopes were fabricated and given away with the intention that they be re-given, taking on a journey / life of their own.

North Minneapolis, MN – Community Resource Center

2020-09-01T00:00:00Z

We have been passing out food and essential items on the corner of 35th and Penn for the past 3 months. While doing this, it has turned into so much more. The youth of the neighborhood attend everyday and are key factors in the daily operations of the food shelf. It has also become a safe haven for the youth and gives them something productive to do with their time. It Takes A Village has assisted in changing the narrative of this once crime ridden corner by having a presence of community, love, and hope. The goal is to turn this building into a community center that has a computer lab for assistance with the distance learning process as well as tutoring with a main focus on S.T.E.A.M. We hope to partner with Lucy Laney to help create a dialogue with families to bridge the gaps and barriers in the community.

Fleurieu – WELCOME. WE ARE ONE!

2020-09-01T00:00:00Z

During Refugee Week in June the Fleurieu Refugee Support Group launched a Student Art Event that will culminate in an exhibition on Saturday October 3rd of artworks based on the theme "Welcome - We Are One". To ensure the success of this project, eight of our members are providing support to eight schools in Yankalilla, Myponga, Rapid Bay, Victor Harbor and Port Elliott, plus a home-schooling group. We are working with principals, teachers, school service officers and a pastoral care worker who have taken up the project with great enthusiasm. Each school will display at their school all students' art prior to selection of up to 20 works for entry in the exhibition. Our volunteers will collect the chosen works for delivery to Yankalilla Agricultural Hall by 25th September. Three independent judges, local Fleurieu artists, will assess the works according to the extent to which they embody the theme "Welcome - We Are One", unity of humanity, cultural diversity, community safety and harmony, as well as demonstrating artistic skill and creativity. Winners will be announced at 4 pm Saturday, October 3rd at the Yankalilla Showgrounds by Rebekha Sharkie. There are two categories for entry: Age range 5 - 11 and 12 - 18 years. Cash prizes will be awarded in each age group as well as merit prizes and participation certificates. Local musicians, a band from Somalia and a local school choir will provide musical entertainment outdoors under a marquee. We have booked a refreshment van. This event has potential for tremendous reach and sustainability, as students share with families and friends their ideas about creating a welcoming community and spreading a spirit of sharing. Articles in local papers before and after the exhibition further promote community discussion that can dispel misinformation, prejudice or fear. The event may be held annually featuring different themes and involvement of refugee and community groups and fostering the engagement of youth.

Groningen (Inactive) – Action seeding

2020-09-01T00:00:00Z

I am currently conducting research on individual participation in constructing a climate-adaptive city. The idea is to approach the residents in Groningen through an APP that can convey vital information on climate adaptive actions and raise awareness on climate adaptation. Each individual is considered as the internal stakeholder in the project. The APP named is 'Action Seeding'. The project intends to establish a digital ‘green bank’ and enable the individual household to contribute their effort to climate adaptation by saving "green coins" and subscribe to plans for a greener and climate-adaptive living environment meanwhile creating a climate-resilient city. The key feature is the green bank. The user can save coins in many ways. For instance, by purchasing solar panels. The crucial notion here is that enable householders to contribute their effort to climate adaptation and turn the environmental awareness into daily actions. The "green coins" can be used to subscribe to plans. The individual plans, for now, include green hedges, vertical garden, facade plants and tree. When the plan is completed, a redeem code will be found on ’My green bank‘ page, and the user can go to the garden centre to exchange for real green plants. The team plan is designed for the residents who live in a place without a private garden. They can save "green coins" for a team plan, for instance, a green roof. When the plan is completed, the housing company can reform the roof with the support of collaborators. And another part of the app is the knowledge-sharing community. To enable the users and experts sharing the knowledge, thoughts and ideas about climate adaptation. This could be done in the form of workshops, talks and activities through the app. And all the users can be updated with the lasted news, reports on climate adaptation in Groningen. While the users are active in this networking, they can gain corresponding "green coins".

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Building Bridges with Bat Boxes

2020-08-31T00:00:00Z

Bats perform crucial services to both their ecosystems and the human environment. A NC Wildlife Resources Commission report estimated that pest control by bats saved the corn industry $1 billion annually, and their pollination services to agriculture have become all the more crucial as other pollinators such as bees face pressures. In a similar vein, bats help natural communities thrive by increasing genetic diversity, recycling nutrients, and keeping pest populations in check. But bats, like pollinators, are increasingly imperiled by widespread habitat loss, infectious disease, and persecution by humans. Now more than ever, local bat populations need our help to restore their lost habitat. We need to take action and teach people about the importance of the conservation of bats and other vulnerable species. The future of our diverse ecosystems and healthy farms depend on it. Our project, Building Bridges with Bat Boxes, accomplishes these objectives by building and installing bat boxes on our already-conserved lands in North Carolina, while engaging the community in real, hands-on conservation education. Three Rivers Land Trust staff and volunteers will build the bat boxes. They will then be installed by student volunteers on our conserved lands by way of our partnerships with schools through the Leopold Society. Students will help install the boxes during an outdoor education day, where they will learn about bat and wildlife conservation and practice skills such as wildlife observation, forestry, building, hiking, and navigation in the process. The Leopold Society is an initiative by Three Rivers Land Trust to promote a lifelong love of nature among youth in grades 6 through 12 through hands-on outdoor education both during and outside of class time. We work with schools to establish chapters, where students in learn outdoor skills and natural stewardship techniques, collaborate with family and the community, and complete a service project.

New York City, NY – A Black Queer & Trans Garden in Bed-Stuy

2020-08-31T00:00:00Z

_Our garden space is centering Black queer and trans/gnc folks who have been historically deterred from joining community garden spaces and accessing GreenThumb and NYC parks owned spaces. We believe that Black trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and queer people deserve respite, space to plant, harvest, skillshare, read, and learn from other Black queer and trans folks in nature. We deserve to be affirmed and protected, to be celebrated and to have space to celebrate ourselves._ _In Brooklyn, the majority of gardens are run by older, cis, straight, able bodied, people. From GreenThumb NYC down to the individual garden level, we havent seen any in-depth policies, programs, or initiatives to better and more intentionally include youth and people who are disabled, especially Black queer and trans people, who have the highest rates of disability, among other indicators of social marginalization. We were kicked out of a garden in our community due to being queer and trans and realized that there are many other young people in the city who have faced similar discrimination within the city's garden network, from ageist, sexist, homophobic coordinators to a real failure of accessibility for disabled and working class folks. Many Black queer and trans folks rely on mutal aid networks, networks of support, and collectives run by Black trans people. We deserve space, safety, and beauty and we hope to structure this garden around these needs._ The AwesomeNYC grant will go toward basic garden startup in the coming months including soil, paying volunteers to help cultivate the land and test the soil, a local carpenter who has agreed to help build benches, plant beds, shelves, and a small book box for the street. In addition, the garden will be [featured on Black-Owned Brooklyn](https://instagram.com/blackownedbklyn/) in September.

Rochester, NY (Inactive) – Spontaneous Wacky Inflatable Tubemen Dance Party

2020-08-31T00:00:00Z

ABOUT THE PROJECT: Not sure about you, but whenever I see those giant wacky inflatable waver guys (the ones with the fans that flop and sway) they make me happy and smile in an otherwise regular day. And right now we could all use some spontaneous reasons to smile. The idea is simple, a collection of wacky wavers varying in height and color, able to be deployed quickly for spontaneous silliness around Rochester. Their travels will be tracked via social media with folks snapping selfies or pics with the wacky wavers and #shareawave hashtag. (Even during covid a wave is a safe way to stay connected!) The wavers will appear only for one day each week in any particular location, as to make them not lose the joy of their spontaneous nature, and reduce the likelihood of accidental surface contamination for shared materials. Rather than appear outside of a retail establishment, they will travel to neighborhoods, public spaces, events and other unexpected locations where they will inspire smiles. They will be hosted by individuals who promise to care for them as a guest, and in doing so they will be featured as the host for the day. WHY WE FUNDED IT The world is a bit different than usual today and we believe a good smile can go a long way. We applaud the projects efforts to bring happiness and spontaneity to Rochester and look forward to more projects doing the same.

Washington, DC – SWIM UP DC

2020-08-31T00:00:00Z

We founded Swim Up in 2019 to provide free swim and water safety instruction to children from underrepresented communities in Washington DC. Minority and low-income communities are at a significantly higher risk of childhood drownings than white and affluent communities. Swim Up strives to break down existing barriers that keep many children from learning to swim by providing this service in DC schools. Swim Up partnered with Bishop Walker School for Boys, a tuition-free independent school, to implement a weekly swim class as a part of the third, fourth, and fifth grade curricula, providing each grade with approximately 6-8 weeks of swim class, culminating in a water safety test. Swim Up provides the students with bathing suits, goggles, caps, and towels. Our instructors include DC Wave swim coaches and additional coaches from Potomac Valley Swimming. This past year, we operated at Barry Farm Pool and developed a great relationship with the Barry Farm staff, even coordinating a meeting with the 7th District Police Captain and the Ward 8 laisons with the DC Executive Office of the Mayor to increase safety measures for the recreation center and students following a break-in at the facility. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Swim Up has been out of the water since March 12, 2020. However, we continue to operate in a virtual setting, providing students with online dry-land workouts, online water-safety instruction, and spotlight guest speakers such as 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist Jeremy Linn. We continue to plan for an online course through January, to keep our students safe amid the ongoing pandemic. We have speakers lined up such as Team USA member Andrew Wilson, as well as the No. 1 ranked US Men's paralympic swimmer Jamal Hill. We are also participating in conversations with the Office of the Deputy Mayor of Education to strategize and plan for expansion for the future.

Disability – Peer Defenders

2020-08-31T00:00:00Z

Peer Defenders is a youth-led response to the joint crises of segregation, resource inequity, and the criminalization of students in New York City. This initiative emerges from the organizing practices and victories of our parent organization IntegrateNYC. For the past five years, INYC has been committed to developing youth leaders to recognize and respond to injustices in their schools. In the United States, age is not seen as a suspect classification and education is not a fundamental right. Students are the only constituency that can be disciplined with a foreign object, and for which the government can ban books and educational materials. And the legacy of “separate but equal” continues to reverberate throughout young people’s lives. The lived experiences of the growing INYC community have taught us that segregation does not exclusively exist within and between schools. Some of the most vulnerable students, especially students with disabilities, are systematically excluded even from entering our educational institutions. Peer Defenders sees this knowledge as a catalyst for action. We are developing a supportive program for youth who have been harmed by court involvement and other types of carceral response to mental illness, neurodivergence, and disability. Our initiative elevates court-diverted youth to leadership positions, where they will receive expert mentorship as they learn how to be community defense workers and legal observers within their school communities. We intend to welcome our inaugural cohort of youth in January. They will work with Peer Defenders to fulfill community service and education requirements for non-carceral rehabilitation programs. For this to be possible we must establish an anti-bias, anti-racist, and trauma-informed curriculum that empowers and educates multiply marginalized and disabled young people and invest substantially in recruitment and supportive resources for retention. **What our grantee is saying:** "This award will let me work with other student organizers to develop a meaningful restorative curriculum for court-involved young people with disabilities. We will be able to connect with legal experts, educators, and community members with lived experiences of disability and of the criminal justice system. I am so incredibly grateful. It means so much to me to know that other members of the disability community believe in this work and want to support it."

State College, PA – Aware of Our Water: Spring Creek Geocache Game

2020-08-31T00:00:00Z

Players are directed to find various landmarks around the Centre Region that tap into and capture the beauty of our Spring Creek Watershed. But rather than find a "cache," players to photos or selfies at game locations to prove they've found each cache, and post them to the game's social media site (e.g., Instagram or Facebook group page).. Cache challenges may include Find a duck at Big Srping Find Millbrook Marsh Find the creek bank restoration project at the Military Museum in Boalsburg Find Mussers Gap Find the solar project at the University Joint Authority Find the Shingletown Gap Reservoir etc... I'll approach Clearwater Conservancy to "house" the game, they also have lots of information and existing educational materials about the local watershed. I'll also work to build a coalition of area organizations that would help promote the game via website link and potentially, Area businesses will be asked to offer coupons to game participants as they complete each cache in the game. Players who drive out to Big Spring might stop at a sponsoring local tavern or cafe, players who drive out to the Military Museum might stop at a participating business in the Boalsburg Diamond, e.g.

Alaska (Inactive) – Hiland Mountain Creative Writing Class

2020-08-31T00:00:00Z

For a year and a half, we have brought creative writing classes to the women at Hiland Mountain Correctional Center in Eagle River Alaska. In 2018, Jamey launched Hiland creative writing classes on her own, teaching a specific topic (ranging from poetry and fiction, to writing for publication, to memoir, to journalism), over the course of eight weeks. In 2020, Jaclyn joined the project as a co-teacher, which has allowed us to expand our resources and provide variety to the students. Our classes average 10 – 15 students, and several women have enrolled in every single class we’ve offered—including our virtual classes, which became a necessity with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. This fall, we plan to offer an eight-week class built on Anne Lamott’s classic writing guide Bird by Bird. This project is entirely voluntary and volunteer-run. We rely on our personal resources and funds to support every aspect of our classes. Hiland Mountain Correctional Center is home to about 400 incarcerated women. In a normal year, Hiland bustles with activity; the facility offers a variety of programs, including educational classes, certification courses, yoga, a running program, and a string orchestra. However, with COVID-19 restrictions, Hiland currently cannot accept visitors. With the help of the onsite education coordinator, though, we have been able to continue our creative writing class—and we have seen a notable rise in attendance by the women since we have gone virtual. With the help of Awesome Foundation funds, we will be able to elevate our writing classes by providing students with quality class materials. Additionally, we will be able to offer a new class that expands our students’ understanding of careers available in the writing industry and the process of publication.

Liverpool (Inactive) – Nature for Wellbeing

2020-08-31T00:00:00Z

I’m excited to share this project with you! I created The Nature for Wellbeing project as a way to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and families in Liverpool after the recent covid crisis. Many parents have approached me to say that their children are feeling anxious and would benefit from support. I want to help Liverpool kids overcome their worries and connect to their innate resilience by providing engaging, supportive, mindful workshops outside in nature. I believe this is an awesome way to support their wellbeing, using tried and tested methods, in the transition from lockdown. Nature for Wellbeing sessions will take place in community gardens and parks in Liverpool, so far we have support from Croxteth Community Garden, Friends of Norris Green Park, Friends of Springfield Park and Love Wavertree. The sessions will be for children and families and will include activities that support mental health & wellbeing, including; kids mindfulness activities, nature themed crafts, positive art rock painting, autumn/winter veg planting (we have our own veg bed at Croxteth Community Garden), kids yoga stretches, storytelling, simple meditation. The great thing about this project is that it helps Liverpool kids and families by giving them wellbeing techniques and skills that they can take forward to support them in the future. It encourages families to get outdoors and also supports our amazing local parks & green spaces. I have already voluntarily trialled the project and received wonderful reviews from families who loved the session and praised how well it was organised. They even asked when they could come back! I dream of eventually delivering Nature for Wellbeing in green spaces all over the city so that ALL local kids can benefit.

Adelaide – A Micro Wildlife Hospital

2020-08-31T00:00:00Z

I've been caring for wildlife since 1995 and have extensive experience rehabilitating koalas, possums, birds and kangaroos. I’ve dedicated 1000s of volunteer hours with several wildlife groups rescuing and treating bushfire injuries, road injuries, heat stress, disease and infection. Although my skills and expertise have evolved, the volume of wildlife needing assistance has only increased as a direct result of climate change and urbanisation of wildlife habitat. I now take on the most high-risk patients from other wildlife carers in the state and help to mentor new and developing carers to increase their skills for the future. As a young mother of 3 boys, I’m looking for a new way to balance work, family and volunteer work and have developed a plan to build a micro wildlife hospital in my own backyard. South Australia is one of only a few states and territories that don’t have a government funded wildlife hospital and as a community we rely solely on philanthropy to care and fund those animals which have no guardian. An animal hospital is a facility that houses high risk patients while undergoing treatment and rehabilitation. Without this our system is reliant only on Veterinary Practice and Wildlife Carers which leaves a large gap for the care of high risk patients. Imagine having major surgery in hospital then going home to be cared for by your family and your local GP because hospital wards didn’t exist. To create a micro hospital I need to build a facility, source equipment (some of which I already own) and supplies (which I can access through other wildlife resources). My existing networks will help connect me to wildlife needing help and help to care for the patients once they are no longer at high risk. To assist me to run the facility I’ll offer mentoring to new and developing wildlife carers, which in turn ensures the skills are passed on for the future. This enables me to continue providing care for our wildlife while being at home for my boys.

San Antonio, TX – The Monarch Butterfly & Pollinator Festival Altar

2020-08-31T00:00:00Z

In response to the many losses of life due to both Covid-19 and social injustice, The Monarch Butterfly & Pollinator Festival will be distributing 50 free altar kits to the San Antonio (SA) community. The altar kits will be given to members of our community who have suffered the loss of a loved one to provide them with the opportunity to heal and mourn by building a small altar, or ofrenda, in the safety of their home. The altar components will be created by several local SA artists. We aspire to safely bring the community together through meaningful monarch inspired art, created by the community, for the community. The kit will provide the basic components of an ofrenda including: Candles Pan Muerto Fabric dyed with Marigold by local artist Amada Miller A rendition of a monarch butterfly from Mexico Local, native seed packet Sugar skulls Marigold flowers grown by farmer Cecile Parish of EcoCentro Sustainable and reusable art box created by local artist Jose Sotelo Information on how to build an altar written by Jose Sotelo In 2015, SA became the National Wildlife Federation’s first Monarch Butterfly Champion City. This is in part because of its location in the “Texas Funnel,” the area on the migration pathway through which all monarchs must pass on their journey to and from Mexico. The monarch butterfly itself has cultural significance. In Mexican tradition, the monarch represents the return of the souls of ancestors and is a part of the annual Dia de Muertos celebration. With SA's majority Hispanic population and its location in the Texas Funnel, it is the perfect place to provide a means to heal from the tragedies of 2020 by offering free, at-home altar kits that celebrate Dia de Muertos and the return of the monarchs on their journey to Mexico. Coupled with our tagging of monarch butterflies in the names of those who passed and the construction of an altar at Confluence Park, our intent is to provide the community with a small dose of hope and healing.

Yerevan – AstroArpi Observatory

2020-08-29T00:00:00Z

Արփի գյուղը գտնվում է Վայոց ձոր մարզում և հանդիսանում Արենի խոշորացված համայնքի գյուղերից մեկը, գտնվելով Արենի տուրիստական կենտրոնից ոչ հեռու և Մեղրի-Երևան միջպետական ճանապարհի վրա։ Գյուղի դպրոցում ուսանում են ավելի քան 140 աշակերտներ։ Գյուղը ունի տարբեր տուրիստական նշանակության կետեր։ Գյուղի առանձնահատկություններից են ցածր տեղումների քանակը և ամսվա ընթացքում պարզ երկնքով շատ օրերը։ Գիշերներին մթնոլորտային լուսավորվածությունը ցածր է։ Եվ չնայած որ գյուղի հարաբերական բարձրությունը ծովի մակարդակից մոտ 1100 մետր է, այս առանձնահատկությունները լայն հնարավորություն են ստեղծում աստղադիտման և աստղանկարչության համար։ Ծրագրի նպատակն է բացել սիրողական աստղադիտարան Արփի գյուղում։ Բացել աստղադիտման և աստղանկարչության խմբակներ, որտեղ կկատարվեն դիտարկումներ և կուսումնասիրվեն աստղանկարչության հիմնական մեթոդները և ծրագրերի հետ աշխատանքը: Այն հասանելի կլինի ինչպես գյուղի դպրոցականների և երիտասարդության, այնպես էլ Արենի խոշորացված համայնքում ընդգրկված մյուս գյուղերի դպրոցականների և երիտասարդության համար։ Կոմպակտ լինելու շնորհիվ աստղադիտակի տեղափոխումը գյուղից գյուղ ավելի մատչելի է դարձնում այդ գործընթացը։ Խմբակների բացումը դպրոցականների շրջանում հետաքրքրություն կառաջացնի դեպի աստղագիտություն և բնագիտամաթեմաթիկական գիտություններ։ Ինչպես նաև բարենպաստ աշխարհագրական դիրքը, պոտենցիալ տուրիստական նշանակության կետեր ունենալը և Արենի տուրիստական գոտուն մոտ լինելը, հնարավորություն են ստեղծում տուրիստների հոսքը դեպի Արփի գյուղ, և հնարավոր տուրիստական վայր դառնում սիրողական աստղագիտությամբ և/կամ աստղանկարչությամբ զբաղվողների շրջանում։ 2021թ-ին Հայաստանում է անցկացվելու գիտության ու արվեստի միջազգային STARMUS 6-րդ (Stars and Music) փառատոնը։

Homelessness (Inactive) – O.D. Aid

2020-08-29T00:00:00Z

O.D. Aid is a grassroots harm reduction program in Fort Worth, Texas where we do overdose prevention, syringe access and training for direct service providers. We distribute naloxone, which can prevent an otherwise fatal overdose from opioids, in a time where fatal overdose is the leading cause of death for people in the U.S. under 50 years old. In response to the crisis surrounding COVID-19, we launched a new outreach program to people experiencing homelessness, where we bring free naloxone, safer consumption supplies to prevent the spread of HIV, hep C and coronavirus, personal care, menstrual supplies, first aid, food, water, and free bus passes. In the process, we are reaching nearly 50 people each week with free supplies and educational resources. We also distribute free, rapid-response, on-site HIV and hep C screening kits, pregnancy tests, and other health supplies. Our total program reaches more than 100 participants each week and outreach has quickly become a large part of our program's work. We are seeking rapid response funding to sustain personal care items, screening and testing equipment, and food/water through a partnership with Food Not Bombs, who make pre-packed, homemade vegan meals like sandwiches, burritos, "TV dinners" for our participants each week while we contribute to food supplies.

Austin, TX – Smash Dysphoria

2020-08-28T00:00:00Z

E. Victoria is a trans drag artist who has been performing in drag for about three years. With the rise of the reality drag platforms like RuPaul's Drag Race, drag is becoming more and more mainstream, connecting with audiences of all ages around the world. However, trans drag artists are often left out and further marginalized within this art form. Smash Dysphoria is a virtual drag show founded in April 2020 that features an exclusively trans, non-binary, genderqueer, and two-spirit cast, paying performers who have lost sources of income due to Covid-19. Smash Dysphoria has helped to fund trans art, trans joy, and trans resilience in the midst of the global pandemic and resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. A grant from the Austin Awesome Foundation will allow Smash Dysphoria artists to earn income and focus on their art rather than on fundraising.

Boston, MA – Positive Boxes

2020-08-26T00:00:00Z

With the current climate and the pandemic this project will help girls ages 10-17. Each girl will receive a positive box with items and challenges. This box will have items inside that will aid in their mental health. Many children are struggling with the isolation of social distancing and not feeling connected. This box will also include a craft and information on how to connect with someone else who has also received the box. The concept is this box will spread positive energy to girls who may be feeling down due to the pandemic or other life issues. After each girl has received their box a Zoom call will be held with a mental health professional explaining the items in the box and answering any questions. This will be open to girls throughout the country but limited the first 25 girls to sign up.

Melbourne (Inactive) – Lockdown Legends

2020-08-25T00:00:00Z

Lockdown Legends is an education and wellbeing program we are running in partnership with Kids From The Block (residents and community organisers from the North Melbourne and Flemington housing estates who are coordinating education and wellbeing programs for kids from the flats), for young people ages 11 to 15. We will be prioritising young people from the flats and from other newly arrived/migrant communities (particularly, South Sudanese communities from the Southeast with whom we are also working closely). Lockdown Legends is an 8-week program (3 days per week, approx 3 hours each day) which offers homework help/tutoring and other wellbeing/educational initiatives to young people struggling with the stress, isolation and lack of educational support/recreational opportunities available during lockdown. The situation is particularly difficult for the young people we are working with, because of the additional challenges of having experienced hard lockdown in a housing estate and/or other challenges as a member of a newly arrived community. We have a dedicated team of project staff and volunteers who will be coordinating homework help as well as three recreational/wellbeing clubs. The recreational/wellbeing activities include: (1) cooking and interviewing family members about the stories behind their favourite traditional dish from their culture, (2) storytelling about themes relevant to mental health, psychological wellbeing and belonging, and (3) other similar activities that foster connection, psychological wellbeing and counter isolation. We will also be having "Challenges" in which participants are encouraged to create social media, video or digital content (with our supervision/support) for the purposes of: cheering up their friends and family who are also struggling with lockdown, encouraging connectedness within families through stories about food and family recipes, etc. We will be offering a $150 prize per challenge to the winner.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – CalligraFilipino: Reviving a Dead Script

2020-08-24T00:00:00Z

CalligraFilipino is an ongoing project that aims to reignite Filipinos' interest in our culture through the re-education and celebration of our ancestral writing script. Baybayin and other similar writing scripts of the Philippines are in danger of dying out if not practiced and propagated. CalligraFilipino makes learning and practicing our ancestral scripts interesting through visual and artistic means, instead of just classroom-like lessons. As the sole proprietor and artist, I conduct talks, workshops, art exhibits of CalligraFilipino. The coming months are important because we are celebrating Buwan ng Wika, our National Month of Speech (written and spoken), as well as our Indigenous Peoples' Month. Through the help of the Awesome Foundation, we can increase our reach and awareness.

Sydney – Coloured Aliens

2020-08-24T00:00:00Z

Our awesome project is Coloured Aliens! Coloured Aliens is a hilarious comedic play that tackles some hard truths about racism through the perspective of an interracial couple. Written by Australian-Vietnamese playwright, Chi Vu, we are putting on this play for Bondi Festival for four nights, September 30-October 3, which will be its Sydney premiere! Unlike most theatrical productions, we will be presenting this in a café, Wayside Chapel, which presents its unique challenges. This is our debut “indie” production. We’re a bunch of young emerging artists that happen to be Asian-Australian – actors, directors, and designers. We’re focusing on recent graduates or soon-to-be graduates from university and acting schools, who are trying to find their foot in the industry and transition from student/amateur theatre to independent/professional productions. Our industry does not have a large number of opportunities for People of Colour and many POC theatre-makers tend to be the token POC in a production. I would like to create a theatre performance that eliminates the insecurities and self-consciousness that come with tokenism starting with Asian stories that closely relate to my (and my team's) own story. We want to share these stories that are familiar to Asian-Australians with others. Slanted Theatre is yet to come into fruition as we were meant to have our debut production in May and have now changed it to Coloured Aliens. The theatre industry is also extremely competitive, and COVID-19 has hit the arts industry hard. We are jumping on this opportunity from Bondi Festival but there are new, unforeseen challenges which we will have to take into consideration: our max capacity is at 24 (rather than most independent productions at 50-100) and the City of Sydney’s free rehearsal spaces for students are currently closed and our options to fundraise are extremely limited.

Pakistan (Inactive) – #WeToo

2020-08-21T00:00:00Z

Sexual Harassment is rapidly on the rise in rural areas in Pakistan and the current dynamics under Covid-19 have worsened the conditions tenfold for women in these areas. While they do not have safeguards to protect themselves from sexual harassment, there is still a large sector of society (especially young girls) who have no idea what sexual harassment even is. My awesome idea is to educate young school girls in remote Sindh on matters of bodily autonomy and how they can protect themselves from potential danger. I plan to do that by utilizing a book called "Mera Jism Mera Hai" By Ashhad Qureshi, which has recently gone viral all over Pakistan, as a resource to conduct sessions in schools in rural Sindh. I also plan on giving out free copies to students. Recently, I worked with my company to raise 40,000 PKR for the Government Girls Lower Secondary School, Moosa Khatiyan, in rural Hyderabad, in collaboration with Dr Saira Khan, officer of Provincial Management Service and the headmistress of the school in question. This money was raised to ensure that all 360 students enrolled in this school are provided with a copy of the book. Belonging to poor backgrounds, they cannot otherwise purchase the book. Along with that, I have conducted online sessions on Sexual and Reproductive Health with founders of the international platform, Stories to Action under the #WeToo campaign. We collected stories from all around Pakistan as part of a competition, the theme of which revolved around Sexual Harassment. #WeToo is all about empowering women in small communities and educating them about their rights.

Miami, FL – The 5th Academy of Business and Leadership

2020-08-20T00:00:00Z

The 5th Academy of Business and Leadership is a training academy that prepares young people from anywhere virtually or in-person (post COVID), to grow professionally and personally. These training sessions will primarily target youth between the ages of 12 and 24 from at-risk and disadvantaged communities who aren't able to afford specialized dedicated developmental training. Participants will have a choice to complete any or all of the five 8-week program sessions either on entrepreneurship, leadership, civic engagement, cultural awareness, or relationship education. Participants receive a certificate and will have the choice to be enrolled into the young executive program that meets monthly for continued motivation and development with peers.

Ottawa – Elderflower Project

2020-08-19T00:00:00Z

August’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Kate Punnett to bring flowers to isolated seniors, and to start building a social movement to do it at an even greater scale next summer. “The Elderflower Project,” explains Kate, “is my initiative to bring flowers to isolated seniors in Ottawa. I am an urban cut flower grower, social artist, and florist. I started this project at the beginning of COVID-19, wanting to spread beauty into the community, and specifically to seniors who have been greatly affected by the isolation of the pandemic.” Initially, bouquets will be assembled from flowers from Kate’s urban gardens, as well as purchased from other local growers. They will be added to hampers that the team at Ottawa West Community Support is already distributing to shut-in seniors. “My next level of engagement,” Kate continues, “will be to involve people who have flowers in their own gardens to donate them to the bouquets. Longer term, I plan to launch a social enterprise that gives donations and feeds this impulse of beauty for change.” To that end, part of the Awesome Ottawa award will be used to purchase seeds that will be mixed into small envelopes and given away next spring to gardeners interested in participating. As part of the project, Kate sells $15 bouquets on her website that will be given to a shut-in senior, and also auctions off a large arrangement every Friday with the profits supporting the work. You can find out more at cityloveflowers.ca. Kate is a social and mixed-media artist with a background in food science, organic agriculture, teaching, and community-based education.

Marin, CA (Inactive) – Special Lift Digital Fitness

2020-08-18T00:00:00Z

Special Lift has served Marin County youth and those with special needs through fitness, health, and wellness programs since 2010. We offer safe and inclusive exercise classes, personal training, and health and wellness education. Special Lift serves an average of 50 members on a weekly basis, 80% of whom have Down syndrome. For over 10 years we have helped countless participants lose weight, gain strength, build confidence, and enhance their cognitive function. We have seen hundreds of special individuals improve their quality of life through consistent exercise, healthy eating habits, and a supportive community. At Special Lift, we are dedicated to the physical and emotional well-being of the Special Needs community. COVID-19 has not changed this. However, it has created challenges to continue supporting the health and well-being of our members. Due to the closure of our gym caused by the pandemic, Special Lift now offers digital fitness through small group classes and as well as one-on-one sessions with members. We are now in month two of Special Lift Digital Fitness. Both our members and trainers have transitioned to this new platform exceptionally well!

Chicago, IL – Bike Lane Uprising

2020-08-18T00:00:00Z

Hello, my name is Christina Whitehouse and I’m the founder of Bike Lane Uprising. We Love Safe Bike Lanes. We're focused on making cycling safer by making it easy to report bike lane obstructions. We find trends in the data to hold violators accountable and prevent future obstructions. While many miles of bike lanes exist to keep cyclists safe, those lanes are often unusable. Even though it’s illegal to block bike lanes, people do. Bike lanes are being used as free parking, corporate distribution centers, and being illegally commandeered by construction sites for years on end. Biking is more important now than it has ever been. In light of COVID, there is a biking boom happening in Chicago and around the globe, as people try to reduce their exposure to the virus. There is also an increased reliance on cars, as people who used to take public transit switch to an increased reliance on cars. This is resulting in a clash between people on bikes and people in cars all fighting for the same space. People on bikes need safe bike lanes. Unfortunately, the infrastructure hasn’t been built to keep bicycle riders safe. There have already been at least four cyclists killed this year - three of which have happened in the last month. In addition to data gathering, our group has been working to advocate for safe bike lanes to be built and maintained around Chicago. We have organized a variety of protests and vigils for cyclists who have been killed as well as communities who want and need safe bike lanes. We also partner with other groups to build deep long lasting relationships within the Chicago biking community. When the city shut down all modes of public transit, raised bridges, and shut down the free lunch program, we mobilized our community of cyclists to help deliver and donate food. More about us: https://www.bikelaneuprising.com/about-us

Chicago, IL – BIPOC Terp Fund Chi

2020-08-18T00:00:00Z

BIPOCterpfundchi is a project set up to compensate ASL Interpreters who identify as Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color for their interpreting work at Chicago protests and rallies. A We aim to provide interpreters for all actions in Chicago so that Deaf folks have access to these actions. A Venmo has been set up, @BIPOCterpfundchi to crowdsource funds from Interpretes and Deaf ally communities. We have started raising money through Venmo and have been able to pay some of our BIPOC interpreters for their work, but as donations slow we are looking for some additional grants so we are able to continue to support our BIPOC Interpreters! You can find us on fb as BIPOCterpfundchi, Venmo @BIPOCterpfundchi, and email BIPOCterpfundchi@gmail.com. Thank you for your work and for considering us!

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Shipping donations to the Commonwealth of Dominica

2020-08-17T00:00:00Z

The vision of our Foundation, based on the Caribbean island of Dominica, is to offer children the opportunity to express their emotions and tell their story with the help of creativity. Feelings are very often hard to put into words. We aim to let the children experience that creativity can help them to cope better with their current and future circumstances. Being creative in whatever shape or form can be an outlet and builds resilience at the same time. Besides natural disasters, children in Dominica often experience poverty, neglect and worse, abuse and domestic violence. And even though our program does not necessarily change those circumstances, we hope it does change the way they can deal with it. As well as the way they look at it and maybe later in life make better choices. We strive to offer a safe and inspiring place where children are seen and heard and where a warm and healthy meal is always available. Our focus is on primary school age. Due to the frequent occurrence of storms and hurricanes, the schools focus on education. When hit by a natural disaster, the schools suffer because the buildings are used as shelters. Too many children grow up in dysfunctional homes or challenging circumstances. If there is hardly enough money to buy food, that certainly leaves no funds for (exploring) creativity. Our pilot program has shown that we can still make a difference with the limited means we currently have. Some of the children are very slowly coming out of their shells or are asking less negative attention in class.

Pittsburgh, PA – Empty Space Project

2020-08-17T00:00:00Z

Empty Space Project is raising money to renovate our property in Homewood PA. The development of this property will benefit all creatives from low income areas of Pittsburgh. Our goal is to transform this old barbershop into a multi purpose studio equipped with film and music equipment available to artists in need! We will partner with ‘Neighborhood Landscape and Hauling‘ to begin cleaning the property out. ‘Reality Thinking’ (ran by our team member Meleak Potter) will be analyzing the property’s value, bringing in architects and engineers to help assess the building. All work necessary to renovate the property will be hired out to Black owned businesses and contractors. We will spend the next year collecting donations to fund this project and connecting with the right people to help.

Cass Clay – Children’s Summer Antiracism Story Cooperative

2020-08-15T00:00:00Z

Children’s Summer Antiracism Story Cooperative (A Digital Platform) During the month of August, the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition will host a series of three one-hour Zoom story sessions. Each week, the children will be introduced to a story that celebrates the rich diversity of human. The host will read the story aloud as the children follow along. Cooperative conversation for children and adults to follows the reading. How do we raise children to deconstruct race? For the adults - How do we, those of us with white bodies, create a framework of repair? When a white person says they are not racist, they truly do not understand racism. . . If we are listening, we can hear people of color saying “do not be silent.” “Do the work amongst yourselves. . .” The first 20 children (one copy per household or group) to RSVP for a cooperative story session will be shipped a complimentary copy of the weekly featured children’s book. After the session, attendees will be sent a thank you mailing. Tuesdays in August @ 10am: August 11th – RSVP by Thursday, August 6th August 18th – RSVP by Thursday, August 13th August 25th – RSVP by Thursday, August 20th Featured Children’s Stories:  All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold, Suzanne Kaufman (illustration) July 2018  We are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, Michaela Goade (illustration) March 2020  I am Enough by Grace Byers, Keturah A Boho (illustration) March 2018 Age Range: 3 – 9 (younger and older family welcome) Grade: Preschool – 4

Cass Clay – Direct Medical Aid and Free First Aid/CPR Training

2020-08-15T00:00:00Z

The average time it takes an ambulance to respond to a call is 15 minutes nation wide, and about 9 minutes in Minnesota. The time between the injury and receiving care from EMTs and being transported to the hospital is critical. My goal is to be trained to help in emergencies to bridge the gap from injury to ambulance and to be able to train others free of charge to do the same. Taking an EMR course through Sanford Health and a CPR/First Aid/AED Instructor course through American Red Cross would allow me to be of more use to those in an emergency situation. Being an instructor for CPR/First Aid/AED would allow me to train people free of charge to provide care in the event of an emergency. An article published in the journal"Circulation" in 2016 called "Regional Variation in Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Survival in the United States" concluded that bystanders providing CPR greatly improved patient outcomes in cardiac arrest patients, but patients were 51% less likely to receive bystander CPR in low-income black or mixed neighborhoods compared to high income white neighborhoods. The goal is to lower barriers to learning CPR thus having more trained people able to do support care while waiting on more advanced aid, improving the chances of the patient surviving and improving recovery time. Currently, in order to receive training, people have to pay anywhere from $50 to $100 out of pocket which disincentivize people from taking these lifesaving courses. More medical journals and statistics are available if needed.

Newmarket – New Girls Inc. facility upgrades

2020-08-15T00:00:00Z

Girls Inc. is moving on August 13! The organization has outgrown the current facility and in order to expand programs and organizationally it was paramount to find an alternative space. The new building has ample space to grow. Girl’s Inc.’s new home has two levels. Upstairs has multiple offices for space to grow the organization, a board room to host board and event meetings, and a large room to be able to have in house programming. In the basement there is a craft room with 3 walls of storage for craft supplies, additional storage for event supplies and a kitchen suited to grow our healthy body and food programs. Although the new space is better suited to Girls Inc.’s needs, the building, and more specifically, the basement will need some renovations. A little more about Girls Inc.: Girls Inc.’s research-based programming is delivered by trained professionals who focus on the development of the whole girl, supporting, mentoring, and guiding girls in an affirming, pro-girl environment. Here, girls learn to value their whole selves, discover and develop their inherent strengths, and receive the support they need to navigate the challenges they face. Through programs, girls also increase their understanding of health issues affecting them, their families, and their communities. They develop the motivation and practical skills to take charge of their health today and throughout their lives. They participate in program activities that expand upon and support their school-based learning and engagement, and provide the assistance and guidance that may not be present at home. Activities include building social media awareness; economic literacy; developing leadership skills through mentoring; learning how to be safe and advocating on violence issues; anti-bullying; healthy eating; Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM); learning about positive body image; self-defence; sports; and homework help.

Louisville, KY (Inactive) – The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop website

2020-08-13T00:00:00Z

Thank you for the opportunity to share about my debut book, The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom (Haymarket Books, Fall 2020). In the tradition of June Jordan’s Poetry for the People and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, my book combines personal story with tried and true teaching strategies to help creative writing workshop leaders transcend a posturing of diversity and achieve authentically inclusive communities. Two years ago, I traveled to Reykjavik, Iceland to read a speech about how racial bias affected my graduate school experience at the University of Iowa’s Nonfiction Writing Workshop. I stood at the podium and openly sobbed. It was a total loss of emotional control. I’d practiced that speech over and over, and yet in the moment, I was overcome with such intense vulnerability, like I was committing an act of betrayal for speaking my experience out loud. There was something to that moment, that shared intimacy, that elicited an outpouring from audience members. Writers of color reached out to me afterwards to talk about their own toxic MFA programs. White ally educators wanted to know how to avoid replicating harm, so much so that one year later, a consortium of twenty liberal arts educators convened at Rhodes College for a follow-up workshop to brainstorm strategies for inclusivity in their undergraduate writing programs. I knew then that I’d arrived at a pivotal juncture in my artistic practice. I had to write The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop, a clear guide for a necessary step forward. The book is deeply personal. It’s my life story as well as my life’s work. In my writing, I share intimate details I’ve never told anyone before, the sort that catch in my throat when I read them aloud. But the impetus – my voice is power, my art is activism – sustains me. I aim to turn on my power and craft stories that are crucial to this country’s collective narrative.

Ann Arbor, MI – Redroots of Ann Arbor

2020-08-12T00:00:00Z

I will being this grant to fund the creation of a mixed media poetry and embroidery chapbook titled, "Redroot" that explores the Native American history of Ann Arbor. In undertaking this project, I hope to honor my ancestors by bringing visibility to our community and its unique struggles. I also hope to give the people of Ann Arbor some historical context for the land we occupy. I live on Washtenaw Avenue. I grew up on Seneca Street. My sister goes to Huron High School. These places are named for the original inhabitants of this land, yet most of us know so little about them. This erasure is so severe that many erroneously believe that Native Americans are extinct or only live on reservations. It is my hope that this chapbook can shed light on the history of American Indians in Ann Arbor as well the modern complexities of being a Native American living in Ann Arbor, and in the United States of America, today. My poetry has been published in literary journals such as Crab Orchard Review, Cream City Review, and Tinderbox Poetry Journal, and often deals with the themes of racial identity, colonialism, and womanhood. I plan to conduct research at the Bentley Historical Library, Washtenaw County Historical Society, and Ann Arbor Historical Foundation to ensure that my work is historically accurate. The embroidery portion of this chapbook is also a direct link to my heritage, as I will use various traditional stitches and techniques to convey what Ann Arbor may have looked or felt like pre-colonialism. The chapbook will be published online for free and 200 physical copies of the chapbook will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis to Ann Arbor residents. The embroidery pieces will be framed and likely displayed at one or more local businesses, which gives the community different ways to engage with this project and makes it accessible to all.

San Francisco, CA – SF African American Senior Narrative Quilt Project

2020-08-11T00:00:00Z

I have been working for the past 6 years on a project I call the San Francisco African American Senior Narrative Quilt Project.This project consist of a series of quilts which include portraits of African American seniors living in San Francisco. Each portrait becomes a historical record of the people that help shape this city. With the steady population decline of San Francisco African Americans; I felt this project was of great importance. For me it was a race against time since many of the seniors that participated in this project were in their 70’s 80’s and 90’s. I not only wanted the quilts to serve as a documentation of these Black communities but, I needed to chronicle its history so I began to record the narratives of the seniors. This project has taken on an even greater meaning to me because several of the seniors whose portraits were included on the quilts unfortunately passed away due to the covid 19 virus. Unexpectedly the pandemic changed the dynamics of how the portraits were to be used. Some of the painted portrait had a dual pursue. Families asked to use a copy of the portrait for their deceased loved one’s obituaries. I was honored to have my art serve the families in that way.

Buffalo, NY (Inactive) – Community Vision Quest

2020-08-11T00:00:00Z

What's better than a community meeting when you can't have a community meeting anyway? How do you bring people together around a problem that's only growing worse in this economy, when you can't bring people together? We are planning a Community Vision Quest! This project is designed to build engagement and community voice around vacant, zombie and derelict spaces. Our pilot will roll out on Buffalo's East Side this summer with partners in the Masten District Council office, area Block Clubs, and Third Estate Ventures. Community partners will place vinyl print stickers at or near targeted parcels and buildings. We have identified both problem properties and successful reuse as targets, to help raise awareness of what can be done. A local artist has been commissioned to produce the images. An Instagram campaign will encourage folks to find these images, scan a QR code. This will take them to a site with current and historic site information. A survey link will ask the question "What do you see here?" The goal is to demonstrate what was, what is, and what can be at thiesite. Third Estate will serve as the data collection partner, gathering survey responses and building a contact database. Responders will collect "points" for each site they respond to, incentivizing engagement. Extra credit for Instagram posting! The goal is to engage people in creative reuse ideas, as well as gather local opinion in a fun game. This pilot project can be replicated anywhere! All of the partners have skin in the game. Block Clubs hope to generate new interest and young voices. The Council office is looking for new ways to engage the community. Third Estate Ventures will be demonstrating their data collection and reporting in a real time project. UB and Buff State students are using the project for IT and social media courses.