Awesome Foundation - Projects

Rockport, MA – Off The Hook Walking Tours

2018-06-21T00:00:00Z

Off the Hook Walking Tours was born from a dream to show summer visitors the beauty of Rockport's downtown area. We partnered with local businesses to give visitors the opportunity to sample food from popular downtown restaurants and retail discounts to downtown shops. Along the hour-long tour, we share stories of Rockport's unique history, including all of the quirky tales that make the area so special. Our tour helps encourage visitors to interact with local businesses and truly appreciate the beauty and history of the beloved town. Off the Hook is also stationed right next to the Rockport Visitor's Center, so we have the opportunity to share insight with locals who are looking for information on what to do and where to go around town. Off the Hook encourages visitors to immerse themselves in their visit to Rockport, teaching them insights and showing them locations to spend their time in town like a true local.

Newmarket – School Community Gardens

2018-06-20T00:00:00Z

The Healthy Living Revolution is a mission driven model to inspire healthier living around the world. My initiative starts with our community and, more specifically with our young, eager and impressionable community, the children! I am working to bring community gardens into as many local schools and educational institutions as possible. The Tower Garden is an aeroponic, indoor growing system which allows lesson plans to be brought to life. Students are involved from 'seed to feed'. Seeds are planted, seedlings sprout, they are transferred to the Tower Garden, ph levels are monitored, harvesting occurs and fresh, fruits, vegetables and herbs are available for consumption. Curriculum and lesson plan ideas are provided. Students and staff alike have fallen in love with their school gardens. They have brought such a unique and rich culture of involvement to the school community. When we teach kids about nature, we teach them to nurture.

Chicago, IL – Ghostskate 2018 Season & Chicago Expansion

2018-06-20T00:00:00Z

Our project is Ghostskate, a community group on Meetup.com that holds a series of more than 30 skateboarding events throughout 8 months, in and around New York City and has opened this year in Chicago! Ghostskate has been running for 8 years and more than 2,700 members in NYC, making it the largest skateboarding group on Meetup.com, and was recently recognized at Meetup's Togetherfest event as one of the top 150 Meetup groups around the world. Funding will go towards launching our inaugural Chicago Ghostskate season. The events that Ghostskate hosts include beginner lessons, distance skates throughout the city, skill clinics and small competitions. Our staff of coaches help host our calendar of events. We empower our coaches to become more than just members of our community -- we empower them to be leaders. We achieve this by providing them with the proper method to hold an open and accepting event that never leaves a member behind, a framework to announce their events, and a partner to help host the events. By growing our number of community leaders, we provide a regular and reliable series of events, which makes us a reliable resource for people to advance their skateboarding skills and engage with the community around them.

Ottawa – Community Kicks

2018-06-20T00:00:00Z

June's Awesome Ottawa award goes to Aaron Thornell and DropIn Sports to support a soccer tournament that will welcome new Canadians to the Ottawa community. The tournament, Community Kicks, will be held at Brewer Park on Sunday, June 24, and welcome players of all skill levels and abilities. It will also feature a DJ, a World Cup viewing area, and spirit prizes that place an emphasis on sportsmanship and teamwork. The event, now in its second year, is organized by a group of volunteers under the banner of DropIn Sports, a community-based organization that seeks to get individuals of all skill, experience, and ability levels involved in recreational activities.

Baltimore, MD – Mera Kitchen Collective

2018-06-20T00:00:00Z

Mera Kitchen Collective is a worker-owned cooperative founded by and for Baltimore’s refugee and immigrant women who have a passion for cooking. Structural barriers make it very difficult for refugees and immigrants to pursue opportunities that capitalize on our interests and skills. We formed Mera Kitchen Collective to address these inequities. We empower ourselves through entrepreneurship and ownership. We’ve hosted pop-up dinners, cooking classes, catered events and sell our food weekly at the Baltimore Farmers Market. We are creating an intentionally inclusive community by sharing the cuisines from our home countries with the people of Baltimore. In April 2018, we held our first “Refugee and Immigrant Arts Feast”, hosting over 450 guests who had the opportunity to taste and experience the food and art from 18 vendors from 13 countries. We generated over $6000 that went directly back to these vendors. In addition to Arts Feast, we've hosted 4 other sold out events, generating an additional $10,000 of revenue, which went right back to the refugee and immigrant members of our collective. Our vision is to open and operate a community-owned cafe that provides meaningful employment and connections for more refugee and immigrants living in Baltimore. Our model also creates a platform to advocate for immigrant and refugee rights and representation.

Yerevan – Handmade science

2018-06-20T00:00:00Z

Many schools in Armenia don’t have any scientific laboratories or even instrumentation to demonstrate simple experiments from physics or chemistry textbooks. On the other hand, after Soviet Union, not all departments of universities have opportunity to provide practical and experimental lessons to show students the science in real life. As a result many middle and high school students do not have any experience with applied part of the science in general. These gaps make them doubt the importance of science and many become ignorant. Yerevan Young Minds is also concerned by this problem and is trying to come up with a solution. Members of Yerevan Young Minds plan to make a bridge between schools and universities and try to fill educational gaps within them. Our awesome idea is to create new handmade scientific tool kits with the help of students for school pupils who don’t have access to any kind of laboratories. Firstly, students will learn by creating new tool kits. Additionally, they will have opportunity to fill gap of experiments and practical lessons in universities. Secondly, pupils will have chance to have their own school kits for learning experiments from textbooks. One of the main important things is that they can make little demonstrations themselves even without expensive instrumentation. Our tool-kits will be accompanied with “How to Use” brochures which will have additional explanation of the Physics behind the experiments. This would be done by students as an additional challenge: explaining experiments in simplest and very understandable way for kids. For implementing the idea, three experimental tool-kits have been carefully chosen. They will be distributed among ten schools from different villages with the help of "Teach for Armenia" organization or during our school visits in villages. Members of Yerevan Young Minds will also visit schools and make additional demonstrations for experiments by peer teaching method.

Raleigh, NC (Inactive) – Tea time

2018-06-18T00:00:00Z

Tea is a time honored tradition, not just in the American South, but all over the world. Universally, tea time is a way to connect with your neighbors, to make new friendships, and to make newcomers feel welcome. Estes Hills Elementary is one of the few racially and socio-economically diverse public schools in the Triangle Area, which makes it a beautiful ecosystem to promote tolerance and connection, not just in the school, but in the wider community. The children will make tea, from a garden they have grown themselves, and set up stands throughout the year, and serve tea to the community. Locations might include the farmers market, festivals, a busy morning outside the supermarket, or the street at the end of their neighborhood. The children will connect with the larger community, make themselves visible, and at the same time offering something of value that they have invested in and feel pride about. The tea can either be hot or cold, depending on the time of the year, and will be made from fresh edible ingredients from the school garden. A few months ago, the garden was deserted, but thanks to a few dedicated parents and teachers, it has been transformed, with the help of the community. The Wild Bird Center provided a ten feeder bird tree. The Monarch project donated 5o milkweed plugs and certified the garden as a Monarch Waystation. Lowes donated 45 vegetable plants. Southern States and Fitch Lumber have also provided either discounts or materials to support, 'le petit jardin' - barely 100 square feet with almost 200 plants that will grow over the next few months, providing the important lesson to children that just because you are small, you can still inspire wonder. Almost half the children (46%) of Estes Elementary are minority students, and 29% are economically disadvantaged. Tea time would allow these children to be seen as part of the community, just by using the simple and time honored tradition of offering a cup of tea.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – The Doula Project

2018-06-18T00:00:00Z

The Doula Project provides free compassionate care and emotional, physical, and informational support to people across the spectrum of pregnancy. We work to create a society in which all pregnant people have access to the care and support they need during their pregnancies and the ability to make healthy decisions for themselves, whether they face birth, miscarriage, stillbirth, fetal anomaly, or abortion. We believe that all pregnancy outcomes should be honored and supported. The Doula Project is a NYC-based, volunteer-run, collectively led organization of over fifty full-spectrum doulas. Our doulas have backgrounds as social justice activists, teachers, childbirth educators, birth doulas, social workers, and reproductive health professionals. We partner with Planned Parenthood Brooklyn, Planned Parenthood Bronx, several public hospitals, and other service providers to provide full-spectrum doula services. Given the rising maternal mortality rates and health care disparities that disproportionately affect pregnant people of color, the work of doulas is increasingly critical in protecting the health of marginalized populations. Full-spectrum doulas also help defend reproductive freedom by providing the support people need to exercise their rights and make free choices regarding their reproductive health.

Asheville, NC (Inactive) – Ukulele Chorus

2018-06-18T00:00:00Z

I teach at Sugarloaf Elementary School in Hendersonville. My school's music teacher and I would like to start a Ukulele Chorus at my school in the upcoming school year. The Ukulele Chorus will learn to play fun, sweet, and uplifting songs together on the ukulele. The Ukulele Chorus will be one of the school's clubs, The Chorus will range from 15 - 20 students, and students get to pick the club they join so they tend to be invested in their choice. In addition, the Chorus will include students from all grade levels, learning together and helping each other. Parents will be invited to help out with the Ukulele Chorus, helping build bonds between school and home. Depending on the parents' interests, they may help with crowd control, teach a song, or give one-on-one support to the youngest learners. The Ukulele Chorus will have many opportunities to perform for the student body and parents at school events like pep rallies, parent-teacher nights, talent nights, and community open houses. In addition, we are planning to have at least two field trips to play for folks at the Carillon Assisted Living Center two miles from the school. Sugarloaf Elementary is a rural Title 1 school in which all students receive free breakfast and lunch. We work hard to make sure our students' basic needs are met, and also to create opportunities for them to explore the world and expand their horizons. So why the ukulele? Ukulele is relatively easy instrument for young children to learn, and there is a wealth of songs with simple fingering that make them accessible young learners. These range from nursery rhyme favorites to the ever-popular-in-elementary-school Katy Perry.

Piqua, OH (Inactive) – Fix It or Flip It Project

2018-06-18T00:00:00Z

On Saturday, August 25, Positively Promoting Piqua (PPP) will be sponsoring a community workshop entitled "Fix It or Flip It" at the Upper Valley Career Center from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The workshop, which is free of charge, is designed to educate Piqua area residents about either renovating their present homes and/or "flipping" a home for a profit with the end result of aesthetically improving their properties and enhancing the community. The workshop will include speakers who will provide "how to" tips of renovating homes as well as financing such improvements. Several Piqua residents have successfully "flipped" homes and will relate how they accomplished the feat. Other speakers will talk about creating "curb appeal" and how such things as landscaping or new paint can add value to one's home. UVCC's building and trades department will also be asked to participate as part of this collaborative venture. Following the morning presentation, local businesses will be present to meet with the general public. Vendors will include electricians, plumbers, painters, landscapers, realtors, bankers and others who can provide guidelines on home projects. Each participant will be asked to provide a door prize for drawings given throughout the morning. Donuts and coffee will be served. PBS Woodworker Scott Phillips is also being invited to participate. PPP's planning committee is hopeful this workshop will be beneficial to those who are now planning fall and/or winter home improvement projects.

Piqua, OH (Inactive) – Magical Birthday Party on the Square

2018-06-18T00:00:00Z

We are a chapter of the Harry Potter Alliance, a group dedicated to doing good deeds in the name of Harry Potter. Harry Potter’s birthday is July 31, and we would like to throw a birthday party and invite the whole town! The farmers market date closest to his birthday is July 26, and we have talked to Lorna about partnering on that date and having the party during the market. Our group’s main goal is to promote literacy, so we would hand out books to everyone who came, have cupcakes and other treats, and have Harry Potter themed activities for kids and adults to enjoy (wand-making station, sorting hat ceremony, etc.). Though many activities will be Harry Potter themed, the idea is to make the party fun and inviting for anyone-- regardless of age or familiarity with Harry Potter.

Pittsburgh, PA – I SHINE Beauty Academy

2018-06-18T00:00:00Z

“I SHINE” Beauty Academy will serve young ladies in grades 3-12. The academy’s goal is to empower young ladies with the tools to define their own beauty. In a society where media often dictates what, and whom are deemed beautiful, women have entered a battlefield the moment they look in the mirror. For minority women especially, their image is often scarcely portrayed, thus, young ladies, need to be able to care for themselves, and take ownership in that process. “I SHINE” Beauty Academy will grant young girls, particularly of African American descent the chance to develop their own hair and skin care regimen. It’s often been heard that “A woman’s hair is her glory,” and of course skin care is essential. Instead of just listening to proclamations regarding the latest trends for hair and skin care, these ladies will be able to be the voice behind their creation. In the academy they will learn how to be active participants in defining themselves. No longer will they just adhere to popular customs of hair and skin care, they will learn to question and research the products they become consumers of, to which point they will have a hand in making the products, which may save them money. In collaboration with D&K Whip Appeal, a partner of S.H.I.N.E. Society of Excellence, and Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants, over a 6 week time period, ladies will attend workshops that will educate them regarding natural hair and skin care techniques. Through the S.H.I.N.E. model the ladies will in turn present their own regimen they recommend based on what they have learned. This regimen will include a weekly process for natural hair and skin care. Young ladies will be able to develop a custom whipped hair and body butter to complete their regimen. The process of making a whipped hair or body butter includes research about the ingredients used, such as Shea, coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil etc.,-all natural butters and oils. A final presentation of products will take place.

Moscow (Inactive) – Театр - студия этнической моды "Коштан"

2018-06-16T00:00:00Z

Мы живем в Удмуртии. Делимся на северных и южных удмуртов. Наш Кезский район относится к северным удмуртам. Южные удмурты смогли сохранить свою национальную идентичность. Даже сейчас можно встретить их на улице в национальной одежде. А мы можем потерять, даже то, что смогли сохранить в бабушкиных сундуках и в музеях. Поэтому нужно уже сейчас формировать в детях уважительное отношение к национальной культуре и развивать интерес к познанию культуры, традиций и искусства. Наша задача состоит в том, чтобы сохранить уникальную культуру удмуртского народа. Удмуртская народная одежда конца 19 – начала 20 века чрезвычайно разнообразна по своей форме, используемому материалу, художественному оформлению, она неповторимым языком выражает эстетический вкус народа. Но молодое поколение удмуртов стало забывать свои корни, оно теряется в толпе китайской штампованной одежды, они перестали быть носителями своей самобытной культуры. Мы стараемся популяризировать наш национальный колорит среди молодежи. Для этого организуем конкурсы красоты «Чеберина» (Удмуртская красавица), в школе с 2012 года работает ДО «Дарали», где девушки 8-11 классов занимаются пошивом одежды в этно стиле и демонстрируют её на конкурсах разного уровня, шьем школьную форму в этно стиле. Но хотелось бы более системно подойти к данной проблеме и приобщить детей к миру культуры национального костюма через создание и постановку театрализованных представлений коллекций моделей одежды в этно стиле. Для этого на базе школы мечтаем создать театр –студию этнической моды «Коштан» (Модница).Но чтобы воплотить мечту в жизнь у школы не хватает средств. Надеемся, что ваша потрясающая организация нам поможет осуществить мечту.

Moscow (Inactive) – "На счету каждая секунда"

2018-06-16T00:00:00Z

Наш проект "На счету каждая секунда", мы студенты ДВГМУ создали данный проект на базе нашего замечательного вуза. Цель данного пректа: Акцентировать внимание учащихся 9-11 классов на важной роли первой неотложной помощи при внезапной остановки сердца, асфиксии (удушье) инородным телом, артериальном и венозном кровотечении. Сформировать представление об основных базовых навыках оказания первой помощи. Мы группа инициативных студентов во главе с нашим руковадителем, ходим по школам с манекеном и обучаем школьников неотложной помощи. Проводим не только теоретическую, но и практическую подготовку, каждый школьник отробатывает навыки на манекене.Данный проект долгосрочный, мы планирум охватить, не только школы, но и не медицинские вузы, сады, сузы, обучение граждан на улицах и тд. Я являюсь создателем и участником данного проекта.

Moscow (Inactive) – ДарыМузыки (Инклюзивные программы)

2018-06-16T00:00:00Z

Я развиваю свой проект ДарыМузыки.Одним из направлений стали занятия музыкой с особенными людьми.С сентября меня пригласили вести мою Музыкальную Лабораторию с группой актеров с особенностями развития , в том числе слабо -слышащими, глухими и слепо-глухими. Мне очень интересно с ними вместе творить, искать,пробовать.Я постоянно в поиске новых путей и решений.У меня есть немного музыкальных инструментов, которые помогают нашей музыкальной коммуникации.Я тщательно отбирала их из тех, что у меня были до этого, так как для занятий с глухими людьми важны хорошие резонирующие свойства и их ритмы человек должен ощущать своим телом. Глухой и особенно слепо-глухой не получает звуковой реакции обратно ( а слепо-глухой даже зрительно-звуковой) от своих действий,движений.Это словно говорить в пустоту, очень тяжело и одиноко.И так я пришла к выводу о необходимости какой-либо поверхности, общей для всех нас, через которую они бы могли воспринимать друг друга, как обычные слышащие музыканты.Сейчас мы работаем за обычным столом ( причем подходит не каждый) и с помощью бумвокерсов (это такие Музыкальные пластиковые трубки). Они выступают в роли резонатора, и так идет наш музыкально-ритмический диалог или ансамбль,и глухой человек тогда может «слышать» руками другого и других, может реагировать на звук (точнее вибрацию другого) создавать и участвовать в ансамбле. но стол - это не живой инструмент, потому что когда прикасаешься к живому музыкальному инструменту - это абсолютно другие ощущения, другие впечатления и вдохновение.Он живой. он реагирует на твои прикосновения, на твоё настроение,он как Друг, и возвращает тебе обратно твой звук (вибрацию) - мягкий, настойчивый, твёрдый или нежный.Много-много вариантов. И моя мечта-купить еще музыкальные инструменты , которые помогут в таких инклюзивных занятиях.

South Shore – Nathans Nuisance Nature Wildlife Management

2018-06-16T00:00:00Z

Hi my name is Nathan Lavigne and my awesome idea is a wildlife management company called Nathans Nuisance Nature. As time goes on and land is developed, people come into contact with wild animals more frequently. When this happens, people can be exposed to a wide array of diseases such as dysentery and botulism. Wild animals may also loose their natural fear of people making them dangerous and unpredictable. Nathans Nuisance Nature favours relocation over termination. When an animal is causing a problem it can usually be live trapped and relocated if it is healthy and shows no signs of disease. When an animal is diseased or acting aggressively and cannot be relocated it must be terminated. What makes Nathans Nuisance Nature different from other wildlife management company's, is the fact that all humanely terminated animals are skinned and processed into pelts. Pelts can be made into goods such as hats and mittens. Animals are then re-purposed into the fur trade. The fur trade generates over 300 million dollars of revenue for the Canadian economy every year.

Cass Clay – Preserving & Promoting Lakota OFF The Rezs

2018-06-15T00:00:00Z

All Native languages, including Lakota, are in serious danger of extinction. Spoken language speaks the soul of a People & their culture. We lose speakers, especially fluent speakers, daily. The average age of our remaining fluent speakers is over 70. We need to reduce that! We have a free class in Bismarck, ND that meets every Wednesday in the Veterans Memorial Public Library. Our teacher is a certified Lakota Language Teacher. We gift him for his help. We need books & other such materials - the dictionary alone is $50 + tax. The workbooks we need are about $40 each. And so on. Natives in the US have the worst economic statistics of all groups. We simply can't afford to buy the books & supplies we need to successfully teach our class. Some of us get government assistance to live; others work at low-wage jobs. I am self-employed but spend a great amount of time & what money I can spare helping my People at no cost to anyone (except me). Currently, we make scans or photocopies of my books to pass around. This is not a good way to proceed with this vital work, because there aren't enough books for everyone to have one. Much is lost without the entire book to refer to, when someone is learning. Cultures are only truly expressed through their languages. Each language expresses that culture's soul. Most of any culture cannot be expressed accurately in another language. It is vital to preserve our Native languages. Once the spoken language is gone, it cannot be recreated. Extinct the spoken language & extinct its culture. Our Indigenous holocaust has continued for over 500 years. This money would help us help more people to speak - & now, to read & write - Lakota, OFF the Rez. Despite laws that say our Native languages are to be taught in the public schools, there are no classes off the Rez here. This $1,000 grant would enable us to increase the number of speakers & reduce the average age of them.

Sofia (Inactive) – Bus Stops into Monuments of National Pride

2018-06-14T00:00:00Z

It is my strong belief that public spaces need to evoke national pride. Bus stops around the city are probably some of the most used facilities, yet some of the most neglected ones, especially in neighbourhoods outside of the city centre. Therefore, I want to focus my project on promoting patriotism through painting images of famous Bulgarians on some of the most unkempt bus stops. Ideally, each painting will be placed on a boulevard or street that already has the name of a national hero, poet, ruler, etc. Apart from a portrait of each personality, there will also be a signature quote from them. This is surely an awesome way to bring some life into uncared-for public spaces, while "teaching" national history and pride.

Glasgow – Free Friday Fives

2018-06-14T00:00:00Z

We will be able to continue to provide football and other fun opportunitiesfor 12 to 17 year olds as a diversionary tactic to help reduce vandalism and other anti social behaviour. We have storage containerson the grounds if St Angela's Primary schoolin Darnley that allows us to store football goals, bibs, football's and other items like tug of war ropes. We are all volunteers and have had an immediate impact with this project with a regular 30 to 35 young people attending who otherwise may be walking around the streets with nothing to do. There are no open public facilities in this local area so we are trying to maximise what us available - mainly two local primary schools. The whole project is awesome as young people from this group have now become volunteers with us.

San Jose, CA – The SJMQT Mural Project

2018-06-12T00:00:00Z

The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles (SJMQT) proposes to create a public mural on the front exterior of the Museum's building. The SJMQT Mural Project will enhance an unused space on the building that is vulnerable to graffiti. In addition, the mural will help pedestrians and other people from the community showcase what people may find in the Museum. The Museum is located in the SoFA neighborhood, downtown San Jose's arts and cultural district, and a mural will add to the artistic aesthetic of the community. Currently the Museum's exterior does not portray the exhibitions and artwork inside, and the Museum would like to use the mural to make the Museum more inviting for the public, as well as embracing and appreciating public art for all to enjoy.

Louisville, KY (Inactive) – Project Uncaged + Sarabande in Youth Detention

2018-06-11T00:00:00Z

Our unique project brings together "Project Uncaged," Metro Louisville Youth Detention Services (YDS), Sarabande books, and UofL's Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky (CIK) to provide trauma-informed, arts-based programming for girls in juvenile detention while amplifying girls' voices in local policymaking, media, & research. In the U.S., girls are taken into custody primarily for running away, truancy, and substance use: 3 of the most common symptoms of abuse. Girls are also more likely than boys to have been victims of sexual assault and to have mental illness diagnoses. Unfortunately, the juvenile justice system struggles to adequately meet girls' needs. In response, Tasha Golden began in 2012 to develop a research-based curriculum, "Project Uncaged," that offers gender-responsive programming while forging creative opportunities for girls to inform local decisions. Having conducted programs in OH and IN, she began running week-long intensives in YDS in 2016. In 2017, Golden partnered with Sarabande Books to publish an anthology of poetry from YDS girls, available online & at Carmichael's. The book was mailed with customized action steps to Louisville judges, the Mayor's office, local/state legislators, and community leaders. Because YDS is striving to improve programming, they requested that Project Uncaged operate in YDS on an ongoing basis in 2018. So Project Uncaged again partnered with Sarabande Books; we now run twice-weekly workshops in YDS as part of girls' JCPS school day. Workshops teach expressive writing, poetry, songwriting, and coping skills while providing group discussion, mentoring relationships, and true local influence via publication & amplification. Our project received coverage from WFPL & Louisville Mag, with promise of even more public connection via upcoming events. Workshops will result in more Sarabande books, program evaluation by CIK, & analysis of girls' writing to help the city recognize girls' assets & needs.

Libraries (Inactive) – Reading Corner to Deconstruct Gender Roles

2018-06-11T00:00:00Z

Melissa Network is a grassroots organization, a network for migrant and refugee women living in Greece. It aims to promote empowerment and active citizenship, and to build a bridge of communication with the host society. Melissa's community center has a pool of more than 120 women attending its activities and psycho-social program on a daily basis. The majority of women have escaped structural economic, political and social violence as well as health and education systems that did not guarantee the future they wished for. Although their access to education has been limited if not existent, Melissa’s participants have expressed their interest in accessing books and attending a book group. The Reading Corner to Deconstruct Gender Roles aims to provide a space where women will have access to books, culture, and an opportunity to express their opinions and thoughts about global issues. Women will have access to books in their mother tongues and storytelling options will be proposed for women who never had a chance to learn to read and write. In addition, women will be provided with other tools for expressing their opinions, experiences and thoughts such as photos, pictures, music and paintings. What our grantee has to say: "Melissa's vision of society is not as a collection of isolated cells, but as a beehive of creativity, communication and exchange. Having a reading corner with many books from all around the world as a collective, safe space will enrich Melissa's participants creative and story-telling capacity." What our trustees have to say: "This project is a new initiative for Melissa Network and will provide a unique and enriching opportunity for its participants." "An inspiring project that seeks to use literacy and dialogue to empower a group of women largely disenfranchised from education and opportunity."

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – KIOO New York

2018-06-11T00:00:00Z

We are KIOO Project. Pronounced “KEY-oh,” our name means ‘mirror’ in Swahili and reminds us about the power of reflection—literally & figuratively. We advance gender equality in economically challenged communities by teaching photography to girls who, in turn, teach photography to boys. Girls build self-confidence while improving their leadership & presentation skills, while boys respect & value the girls in their communities. During our 2017 Ethiopia workshop, the girls went into the community to photograph portraits of the villagers. A group of girls & one boy gathered around Teshfanesh, our 13-year-old student, while she photographed a teenage girl. Babita, our ED & photography teacher, mimed to add the boy from the gathered group into the portrait setting. The crowd of girls giggled as the girl & boy were photographed together. Afterwards, while back in the classroom to discuss the lesson, Teshfanesh picked the portrait of the girl & boy as her favorite. The norm in Ethiopian society is for men & women not to interact – not to walk together or sit next to or talk to each other. Teshfanesh internalized this practice to mean she was not equal to boys. However, seeing an image of a girl standing next to a boy showed her that was not the case. It was possible for a female to stand side by side with a male to show that they were actually equals. In July, we are bringing this same awesome, powerful experience to children in New York City by partnering with PowerPlay NYC, an organization that keeps girls active & provides a safe space to raise self-confidence and foster a healthy & well-balanced lifestyle through sports participation & mentorship. Girls will first learn photographic techniques. They will also get trained on how to teach others, lead a session, command a room & work together as a team. Afterwards when the boys join the workshop, they will learn photography from these newly-minted teachers. We picture equality.

Minas Gerais (Inactive) – Translado: narrativas trans da Av. Pedro II

2018-06-11T00:00:00Z

Translado é um projeto que registra e fortalece identidades, territórios e memórias de travestis e mulheres trans da Av. Pedro II de Belo Horizonte. Com o objetivo de empoderar a população LGBT, o projeto realiza diversas oficinas para discutir os temas e criar narrativas que fazem um contraponto às representações estereotipadas e preconceituosas veiculadas hegemonicamente. O resultado do trabalho é um livro e uma plataforma online com as histórias e imagens das travestis, produzidos por elas mesmas. Este livro será lançado em um evento de rua, no dia 17 de junho como uma forma de dialogar com a comunidade de Belo Horizonte sobre a causa e democratizar o acesso das pessoas ao material produzido. Contamos com a parceria do NaAção, um co-working social na Av Pedro II, para auxilio do local; do cursinho-social TransEnem, que auxilia pessoas trans a prestar vestibular, responsáveis pela comida e bebida; os blocos Garotas Solteiras e Alô Abacaxi, que levantam a bandeira LGBT em suas festas e a Gaymada, que promove jogos e convivência de LGBTs nos espaços públicos; para as atrações. Iremos fazer uma Festa Junina Queer, chamada de Queerdrilha, aproveitando a data e o caráter agregador dessa festa. Acreditamos que um mundo incrível é aquele em que o respeito rege as conexões das pessoas e vemos um caminho a ser percorrido para que pessoas LGBTs sejam respeitadas. O Brasil é o país com mais mortes e assassinatos da população LGBT no mundo (Transgender Europe) e Minas Gerais é o segundo estado com mais morte do país (Grupo Gay Bahia). Só este ano, de 2018, 153 mortes de LGBTs já foram registradas no Brasil. Contribuímos para reverter essa realidade ao registrar e fortalecer outras narrativas e representações da população LGBT e promover a conexão das pessoas com essa comunidade. Uma das causas da LGBTfobia é justamente a falta de informação, o problema da história única como diz Chimamanda Amanda Dich, em seu TED. É por isso que precisamos reverberar outras histórias.

Newburgh, NY – The Together We Can Time Bank

2018-06-10T00:00:00Z

Launched in January 2018, Together We Can is a TimeBanking Chapter specifically for the City of Newburgh. TimeBanks are made up of members who exchange their time and skills with other members at an equal value: 1 hr of one member’s skill in exchange for 1 hr of another member’s skill. Member profiles and exchanges are recorded in Community Weaver, TimeBank USA’s online platform. TimeBanking recognizes that everyone has a unique talent to contribute, redefines work to include civic engagement, is built on reciprocity and engenders a common respect and care, noticeably lacking in much of our culture. TimeBanking and its sister, HourExchanges, are helping to restore neighborliness and neighborhoods throughout the world, with a combined presence of over 600 chapters and 50K members in the US alone . For Awesome Newburgh grant, we propose to grow Together We Can Time Bank into a Core Community of 100 members over a years time. While we will engage all community members, this Awesome Foundation grant will allow us to focus our outreach efforts on Newburgh's 1,607+ people who are un- and underemployed peoples and the 9,000 people living in poverty with a team of core timebanking members. For more information on how a timebank works, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB8ifVJ34JU #timebanknewburgh

Vegan (Inactive) – Youth Animal Rights Conference (yARC2018)

2018-06-10T00:00:00Z

YVA’s next project is a Youth Animal Rights Conference (yARC) which will run in September this year. yARC aims to create an empowering and engaging youth space where young people can open their minds to a more nuanced and complex understanding of animal rights and its position alongside other social justice movements. Working with the theme “"IMAGINE: Envisioning an Ideal World."” yARC will bring together speakers and content which encourages young people to build their own vision of a fair and equal future, and understand how they can work together to accomplish it. yARC aims to be a radically inclusive and actively engaging conference where young humans from all backgrounds and perspectives can hope and plan for a fairer society. After already completing an extremely successful leadership and development program in March 2018 (www.yva.org.au/catalyst), this next project from YVA aims to capitalise on the momentum generated from Catalyst and build the groundworks for an event which will continue long into the future. With a great team behind us and an ever-growing network of support and participants, YVA is in a unique position to inspire and support the next generation of changemakers in the vegan community.

Newcastle – If You Don’t Measure It, You Can’t Manage It

2018-06-08T00:00:00Z

Newcastle Cycleways Movement promotes bicycle riding as a primary mode of transport, for all of the attendant benefits including improved fitness and mental health, reduced road congestion, much lower environmental impact and reduced transport costs. Studies and surveys repeatedly show that 70% of people who don’t currently ride a bike would do so if it perceived to be safer. Together with the Heart Foundation, the Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment and others, we have proposed that the CycleSafe Network be constructed by the state government throughout Newcastle and northern Lake Macquarie, connecting 90km of existing routes with 160km of new ones, as the most cost-effective transport infrastructure project for our region. NCM is represented on the Cycling Advisory Committees of both Councils, and has proposed collecting bike usage data on their behalf. In the past, this has taken the form of bike counts at specific locations for limited morning hours once or twice a year. We would like to dramatically increase the quantity and quality of the data by using automatic bike counters to cover longer hours and a greater number of locations. Both councils have indicated a high level of interest in the data, and will likely agree to purchase it on an ongoing basis, thereby providing a modest income stream for our organisation.

Seattle, WA – The End-FLUenza Project

2018-06-07T00:00:00Z

The Flu Exterminators will make way through to low income after school facilities. We will be offering empowerment to the children through education with our exciting presentations from our Flu Exterminators. This includes a hand-washing program (drown a bug, save a life), education on actions to keep flu from your family as well as vaccine access. We learned through recent studies that most families are too busy to get a flu shot or intended to, but never made it due to time or access. We will be bringing the Flu Vaccine to them at NO COST. This initiative is really going to be bug dropping! We cannot wait to put these Flu strains behind bars for life! We will be drowning the flu bug and saving lives!

Oakland, CA (Inactive) – Good Grief Zine

2018-06-07T00:00:00Z

Good Grief is a zine about queerness and healing. The idea for the project came from my own experience in recovery for an eating disorder. Many of the resources offered to me were designed with straight, cisgendered people in mind. As a non-binary queer femme, I felt invisible to those that were supposed to provide resources. Instead, I leaned on my queer community for support and was sent pieces of writing, exercises and ideas dug up from the deepest corners of the internet. In that spirit of community, this project is also deeply informed by observations and personal experiences of queer communities processing grief and engaging in mutual aid after the Orlando Pulse Shooting and the Ghost Ship Fire. Queer folks often lean on their chosen queer families as much as or more than their biological ones and, at our best, we show up for one another in remarkable ways. Good Grief brings together practical and artistic solutions for, and reflects on, healing and community building. Good Grief will not only provide inspiration but will also include activities and reflective exercises to help readers create their own self or community care action plans. Good Grief includes work by incarcerated womxn participating in an arts program through the California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP). Proceeds from the sale of the zine will go to CCWP. I have included two images, though most of the work is in written form. Please let me know if you'd like to read some samples!

Liverpool (Inactive) – Plastic in our Canals

2018-06-06T00:00:00Z

Last summer I was part of a research expedition sailing around the UK sampling for micro plastics. During the trip we visited the capital ports of the UK doing outreach work with the public - I use plastic marine litter as an art resource with young people to encourage conversations about single use plastics. In Edinburgh we had access to two labs and their micro scopes enabling me to photograph micro plastics. I want to continue with this research work by canoeing the North West canal system, picking up litter and taking water samples to look for micro plastics. I have already started near to my home in Macclesfield, picking up litter, and developing my own protocol to collect and analyse the micro plastics. I am in contact with several researchers working with micro plastics, in Plymouth and Heriot Watt universities, the latter having kindly donated me a smartphone desktop microscope. My intention is to travel extensively in the canal system of Cheshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester, contributing my data to the global plastic litter map. This data may also help identify where this litter comes from to enable local communities to tackle the issue. Marine, river and domestic waters are already being researched for micro plastics, but not the canal system to my knowledge. Our canals are fed by run offs from the neighbouring environment and although canal water is not part of of our agriculture or aquaculture, eventually like all water sources, they do run into the sea. As a keen outdoors person, my intention is to take camping gear and water collection analysing equipment with me, doing the science as I go. A natural networker, I will be speaking to the public en route, keeping a blog and updating on social media. I already have several people who are committed to making small monthly donations to pay for my food etc. As a scientist and artist, and competent writer, I will also be writing for magazines etc - 2 articles already published.

Annapolis, NS (Inactive) – French Tourism Booklet on Annapolis Royal & Area

2018-06-06T00:00:00Z

Genealogy Tourism, sometimes called roots tourism, is a segment of the tourism market consisting of tourists who have ancestral connections to their holiday destination. These genealogy tourists travel to the land of their ancestors to reconnect with their past and "walk in the footsteps of their forefathers". We are fortunate to have strong ancestral connections with France, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Acadie and parts of the US such as Louisiana and Maine. In 2017, from 16,000 to 18,000 people visited the Visitor Information Centre in Annapolis Royal. We are developing a French booklet that will cover the history of the area, the many cultural and heritage assets, the activities, and the international and provincial prizes that have been won over the years. What is unique about thisproject is that the presenters are from the home town of Pierre Duguas de Mons who helped to establish Port Royal. They are in a position to personally explore both of these big book ends in history and to deliver the first French tourism materials to the Town and area.

San Francisco, CA – Trace Evidence

2018-06-06T00:00:00Z

Trace Evidence is an art exhibition at Minnesota Street Project in San Francisco during the month of September 2018, in conjunction with the Global Climate Action Summit, also taking place in San Francisco. Visual artists from China and the U.S. Bay Area will be exhibited who are considering issues of environmental change. We are interested in the exhibition as a platform for cross-cultural conversation about climate change here in San Francisco. Americans gaze over to China and see the physical conditions produced by late capitalism magnified because of the scale and speed of development. China’s processes of industrialization and urbanization have degraded their environment in parallel fashion to US industrialization but, due to its rapid progress, are uniquely perceptible. Thinking with professor Timothy Morton, we conceive of climate change as a hyperobject; its entirety can never be seen, yet it affects everything. How are artists taking the visual elements of climate change, pollution and extraction and making them accessible? How are artists trying to see this thing that is impossible to see, but felt everyday? Climate change is a form of slow violence, harming and displacing people, doing violence without acting at the speed violence usually occurs; climate change forces us to rethink timescales and perception. The work we will show in this exhibition deals with these issues on different levels of directness; the work offers the opportunity to meditate on the questions and be in a sensible relationship to landscape and environment, while others more critically expose the violence of extraction and the factors at work in climate change. A public panel discussion will be held during the week of the summit to discuss environmental issues of extraction, the connection between the violence of landuse and peoples, pollution as a tool for modern colonialism and the efforts Chinese and American governments are making to combat climate issues.

Boston, MA – Blockchain STAR Names To Find SHARK Aliens

2018-06-06T00:00:00Z

Look up at the night sky. Almost none of the stars you see have names. Our mission is to allow people like you to choose meaningful names for those stars, in the coolest way possible... As space missions become increasingly ambitious and blossom into reality, it becomes ever more vital for the public to pay attention. Why? Because when these historic events do eventually take place, it is crucial that all people benefit from our collective inheritance of the universe, not just a select few with the means and technological access. The vision of the Astro Ledger Institute is to use creativity and collaboration to bring these abstract issues back down to earth. The first step in this process is our project of community-driven star names, which will likely result in a fun de facto catalog of star names (particularly considering the vacuum of secure and democratic star-naming alternatives). By allowing regular netizens to name actual stars and new planets, we are instilling an appreciation for astronomy in the broader public - and nurturing an awareness of our collective stake in the Solar System. THE ASTRO LEDGER INSTITUTE INSPIRED BY THE INSTITUTE OF HIGHER AWESOME By distributing naming rights via open auctions we expect that the income earned from sales will give us the opportunity to use the revenue in creative ways. Inspired by the Institute of Higher Awesome, we will accept grant applications from the public and disburse profits among projects that advance our vision. We’ll probably fund cool space-themed educational outreach projects. But if we get millions of dollars you’d better believe we’ll put out an RFQ for a ROBOT SUBMARINE space probe mission scouring the oceans of Jupiter’s moon Europa for SHARK ALIENS!

South Bend, IN – ReForest South Bend

2018-06-05T00:00:00Z

The effects of trees on cities are just now starting to be understood. A healthy tree canopy provides cities a multitude of benefits including but not limited to energy conservation, improving air quality, controlling traffic speed, absorbing and filtering storm water, and improving walkability. Trees also add to quality of place. The benefits of urban trees are fully utilized when planted in the tree lawn between a sidewalk and streets. Planting new trees in the tree lawn parallel to the road helps our neighborhoods both functionally and aesthetically. It is no secret that South Bend is facing a big challenge ahead achieving our Long Term Control Plan limiting the amount of rain water entering out sewers. Having more thirsty trees in our tree lawns will help with this project our entire City faces. Trees placed in proper spacing on a tree lawn also provide a long term investment that improve with age. As they mature and grow, the trees begin to form a cathedral like ceiling to the street furthering the sense of place and improving safety. Through the past few years, South Bend has experienced a number of powerful and damaging thunderstorms. These storms have left our tree lawns vacant and bare. My project proposes that we begin the process of repopulating South Bend's tree lawns. With a hopeful partnership with the City of South Bend and local neighborhood associations, ReForest South Bend will focus on one or two neighborhoods hit hardest by the recent storms. Individual residents may apply to have a young tree given to them for planting in the tree lawn. The individual will plant the tree themselves and be given information on the best way to maintain and care for the young tree. Through the simple process of adding trees back into our urban neighborhoods, especially in neighborhoods that have recently lost mature trees, we can improve the quality of life in South Bend. An awesome City is one that embraces the powerful benefits of urban trees.

South Bend, IN – West.SB Murals

2018-06-05T00:00:00Z

We want more public art in South Bend, so we're going to create it. Over the past two years West.SB stories have hit a nerve with people who believe that our city has a rich history and even richer future. We want to communicate this ethos on a larger scale with bold murals on old buildings. We plan to paint two murals near downtown South Bend during Summer/Fall 2018. Our current locations are Hope Ministries on Lafayette, and Vested Interest, a burgeoning small business incubator on Sample Street. Our first two murals will center around the concept 'Rebuild.' This concept will be paired with bold imagery and aim to capture the zeitgeist of a post-industrial city making a historic comeback. We chose this concept 1) because it captures the current atmosphere in South Bend, and 2) because we believe that it communicates what South Bend is about to people around the country. To fully realize the potential of that second point, we will create a series of videos, photo essays, and written pieces communicating the mission behind our work as it progresses.

South Bend, IN – The Birthday Chair

2018-06-05T00:00:00Z

We propose to install a 12 ft tall giant red or yellow Adirondock chair at 911 Portage. The Birthday Chair will have a height ruler on one leg so families may come each year to take pictures of their children on their birthdays, to document their growth through the years and post on Facebook. Public art installations are a key part of our plan to activate Portage Midtown, a sustainable urban infill neighborhood demonstation project we are developing along Portage, in and around the corners of California and Rex. Through Portage Midtown we will demonstrate how high performance building techniques can be used to construct sustainable missing middle housing and small to moderate sized mixed use and commercial sturctures that produce as much energy as they use. We will integrate the principles of new urbanism, strong towns, complete streets, walkability, multimodal transportation, blue zones, placemaking, public art and health and wellness into Portage Midtown. Our goal is to show how all of these innovations can be used as a catalyst for urban infill that can be replicated throughouth the NNN, South Bend, and beyond. Phase one of Portage Midtown is under construction, six net zero homes being built on Shetterley Triangle, off the corner of Portage and California, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity. Phase two is the rennovation of 909 and 905 Portage (909 completed). Our challenge is to activate this stretch of Portage. We believe interactive public art is one key to such activation and that the Birthday Chair will help do this. In addition to the Birthday Chair, we will create Redbud Lane, a "green alley" behind 909 and 911. It will include picket fences on both sides of alley with a row of Redbuds inside each, and wildflowers along the 1 ft verge between fence and alley. We will also create a large wild flower garden with a single Redbud tree in the middle, surrounded by a patio made of chimney bricks reclaimed from 905 Portage, as a focal point.

Louisville, KY (Inactive) – OT3D: Improving Quality of Life in Older Adults

2018-06-04T00:00:00Z

As a board certified occupational therapist (OT), I've valued interventions that generate improving quality of life in the older adults I treat. A few years ago I was given the opportunity to be the supervisor of the Elder Mentor Project. The Elder Mentor Project was designed as an experiential learning project that provides occupational therapy students an opportunity to develop interactive reasoning skills and share lived experiences of older adults. It provides the student opportunities to gain insight into changes in client factors, occupational performance patterns (AOTA, 2014), contextual demands of housing, and environmental influences that emerge as one ages, and how these influence occupation (Bonder & Bello-Hass, 2009). The process was designed to allow students to take the lead in their learning experiences, and to work as a team, within a community, and with an older adult. To enhance the learning experiences of the students, the immersion in CAD and 3D printing was developed through a pilot program, OT3D (representing Occupational Therapy to the "3D" power). The pilot project involved a one-on-one mentorship of a community-dwelling elder on life skills and assistance in improving quality of life. I supervised 41 OT students in developing 3D printed items that would prove to be beneficial to the older adult population. Many of the items were complex in nature; however, the most meaningful items not only addressed the physical needs but also incorporated the psychosocial needs of the older adult. The project was evaluated on three levels: usability, client specificity, and affordability. This project served as a gateway to a new community resource, interprofessional collaboration and as inspiration for future occupational therapists to embrace the unique technology of 3D printing as a viable resource for adaptive equipment. Occupational therapists are essential in developing future technologies to improve all aspects of daily living for older adults.

Louisville, KY (Inactive) – Rethinking the Importance of Water

2018-06-04T00:00:00Z

My goal is to increase clean, sustainable drinking water access at Lincoln Elementary by implementing 3 Water Bottle Filling Stations within the school. As the chairman of the health & wellness committee, we try to host increased water intake challenges and the lack of a bottle filling station hinders our staff and our students from drinking as much water as they should. Benefits of having water bottle filling stations at Lincoln Elementary: Quick and easy way to fill up reusable bottles – no more awkward bottle fills. Less money spent on bottled water means extra cash. Filtered water assures water is clean and healthy to drink. Easier way to be eco-friendly Water is a precious resource. The student body can be part of solution as opposed to problem. More hydration = better mental performance.

Louisville, KY (Inactive) – School Startup

2018-06-04T00:00:00Z

School Startup works with teachers across disciplines in a design process modeled after the startup industry. In the startup world, accelerators and incubators accept applicants with good business ideas that have potential, then provide mentorship, support, resources, and opportunities through an intensive program centered around human-centered design. School Startup is an educator accelerator, modeled in a similar fashion as startup culture, but for teachers who have innovative ideas pertaining to deeper learning and classroom practice. School Startup applies entrepreneurial philosophy to professional growth for teachers by engaging teachers as instructional leaders inside a school context and applying a design process to cohorts of cross-discipline teachers who work on individual classroom-based deeper learning projects. During the 2017-18 school year, 8 teachers from Fern Creek High School formed the first School Startup cohort. These teachers have completed the following activities, among others-- -Met regularly with instructional coach, Ashley Lamb-Sinclair-a former Kentucky teacher of the year-to plan and implement a startup cycle (Disrupt-Discover-Seed-Build-Break-Bridge-Demo) -Shadowed and interview students to understand barriers to student engagement -Tested out mini-projects that were inspired by student input and supported by the instructional coach -Shared initial results through a WDRB news feature, website (http://www.schoolstartup.org/), and partnerships with community organizations -Presented at a local chapter of a national conference, ECET2 (Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teachers and Teaching) -Will present at a national conference in San Diego called Deeper Learning at world-renowned high school, High Tech High. Of 140 proposals, 50 were selected, including School Startup.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – SAYERS & DOERS Talk Series in Harlem, NYC

2018-06-04T00:00:00Z

SAYERS & DOERS is a new cultural Talk Series in Harlem featuring experts - authors, artists, academics, adventurers, comics, musicians, journalists, bartenders, chefs and designers - who are passionate about their work. Designed to educate, entertain and inspire, four experts speak for up to 12 minutes each, to present an evening of conviviality, networking, and intellectual cabaret. Launched in June 2017, three installments have been held. Next up are April 16th and June 11th. SAYERS & DOERS is rooted in a desire to build greater community, around good ideas, by promoting people whose passion projects - be it a book, film, research project, comedy bit, musical composition, cocktail recipe or work of architecture - would be conducive to sharing with a wider audience. As part of this, SAYERS & DOERS is deeply committed to diversity in terms of gender parity and color. We feature four or more timely, compelling speakers, centered around business, lifestyle and literary themes. Representing the best of local, national and international talent, past speakers have included National Book Award's winner Masha Gessen and finalist Min Jin Lee; film critic A.O. Scott of The New York Times, The Economist's Daniel Franklin, and emerging Harlem poet, Chloë Mitchell. "I loved SAYERS & DOERS, and you did such an outstanding job of MAKING something wonderful for our community." Min Jin Lee, novelist

Louisville, KY (Inactive) – Latinx Leadership & College Experience Camp- LLCEC

2018-06-04T00:00:00Z

The LLCEC is a week-long intensive college/career preparation and leadership development program designed for rising juniors and seniors in high school that takes place every summer in July with follow-up activities throughout the school year. Open to all, the LLCEC specializes in providing intentional support, resources and programing for Latinx, immigrant, and refugee first-generation college students. Students attend mock college classes and college/career planning sessions each day and engage in peer mentorship through “Familia” meetings and Nation Games during which discussion about important topics such as Creative Resistance, Anti-Blackness in the Latinx Community, Gender Identity, Toxic Masculinity/Machismo, Healthy Relationships and Self-Care takes place. Each evening includes culturally responsive keynote speakers or performers. The camp provides a theme for each day connecting to the overall program goal of youth leadership and engagement in meaningful educational and career development. The LLCEC also includes amazing social justice project classes that help particpants develop existing artistic skills or practice new ones while they learn about social justice movements and cultural organizing skills as a strategy for shifting consciousness. Through classes focusing on murals, zine making, beat production, sewing, knitting, poetry, podcast production, baile folclorico and mixtape making, the social justice courses are designed to connect creative outlets to the pursuit of social justice and supporting youth leadership through artistic expression. Additionally, the courses provide a space for students to learn self-care through the arts as a means to tell their stories, heal from past/current traumas, and empower self-affirmation through a completed production or a new skill rooted lifelong artistic development. At the end of the week, students have a clearer vision for who they are and who they want to become.

Ann Arbor, MI – National Day of Action- Sport, Lawn, and Garden

2018-06-04T00:00:00Z

On June 21st, thousands of people across the nation will be banding together to support the health, education, and financial well-being of every person in every community. This "Day of Action" is a reminder that when we come together to support the greater good, every day is a day of action. This year's Day of Action will be hosted by Home of New Vision's Sport, Lawn, and Garden Project's committee, and we will focus on improving the lives of our clients in the New Recovery Residence! Exercise can increase wellbeing and release endorphins, making it a useful long-term strategy to combat substance abuse and decrease the risk of relapse. Our Sport, Lawn, and Garden (SLAG) Project provides our clients in the Residential Treatment Program with fun and rewarding activities. Our goal is to help our clients replace their bad hobbies and habits with good ones! This year we will be joining up with United Way, Volunteers, and other community members to implement the SLAG project. We will be fixing up the yard, installing a walking path, starting the garden, and setting up the sports/lawn/harden activities for the clients.

Louisville, KY (Inactive) – Localmojis - Hyper-local emojis

2018-06-04T00:00:00Z

I am creating hyper-local emoji keyboards to encourage involvement in the city and community. The more top of mind something is, say the art museum or local park, the more likely someone is going to get out and participate in it. The model is completely scalable as we are pairing with local community activists to decide which items to make into emojis. There is also an opportunity to work alongside organizations to create organization-specific sets. Each icon takes approximately $4 to make and we're hoping to expand by offering each keyboard for a small cost in which a portion of the cost is given back to the community.

Louisville, KY (Inactive) – Movie-in On Up!

2018-06-04T00:00:00Z

Smoketown Family Wellness Center (SFWC) will provide several opportunities for community fellowship in Smoketown. Based on our community-informed model, we will respond to the desires of Smoketown residents in regards to desired programming and community collaborations. Our facility includes a teaching kitchen to inspire healthy meal preparation for children and families, a literacy corner to encourage parent-child engaged reading, exam rooms and a multipurpose space designed to support parents in building a culture of physical, mental and emotional wellness for their families. The “Movie-in’ On Up!” Project encourages community members and partners to come together in order to present movies, documentaries, and presentations that foster cultural enrichment and robust discussions focusing on community wellness. The project is in direct response to community request for more positive environments for youth. The project title, “Movie-in’ On Up!” is a play on the theme song, “Movin’ On Up” from an old sitcom, The Jeffersons. The song speaks of the matriculation of a family moving from one side of town to another—the more affluent side . . . the side with more provisions. The song distinctly captures the idea of attainment. The focus of the “Movie-in’ On Up!” Project is to evoke dialogue around the idea of “finally [having] a piece of the pie.” We want to encourage conversation about creating a culture of health and wellness within the community while exploring the various opportunities that abound as well as the issues that percolate as a result of societal conditions. We are partnering with other local organizations such as the Academy of Music Production Education and Development (A.M.P.E.D.), Steam Exchange, and ArtsReach to encourage youth involvement. The documentary, Resilience, will be one of our first viewings offered to the community for the proposed project. We anticipate utilizing our multipurpose space for the project, and if the demand increases beyond

Louisville, KY (Inactive) – Maya Collection Expansion Project

2018-06-04T00:00:00Z

The MAYA Collection is a collection of Nepali refugees in Louisville, KY, who utilize their God given abilities to create unique jewelry, handmade crafts, soaps, and various textile products. MAYA means “love” in the Nepali language. Through this business, the artisans have an opportunity to become financially independent and share their love of created beautiful, wearable art. A refugee is someone who has had to flee his or her home country because of danger of persecution based on his or her race, religion, or nationality. Typically, a person is in a refugee camp for several years before they are resettled to another country. Louisville has a large refugee population, even though it is a relatively small city. Refugees in America struggle due to a lack of formal education and job experience, as well as the challenge of learning English. Beyond that, they often miss their home country and their families very much. Although there may be other refugees from the same country nearby, many refugees are seeking community and friendship once they arrive in their new location. MAYA Collection began in 2009 when a few of the current volunteers met refugee women in the south end of Louisville and saw their desire for relationships with Americans. The refugee women expressed an interest in learning about the Bible so a weekly Bible study began. The economy was sluggish so the volunteer team decided to try to make some products to sell. The refugees knew how to knit so the first products sold were knitted scarves, and MAYA Collection began. It is 8 years later and the ministry has touched the lives of over 80 refugee women and children. MAYA is led by a team of volunteers who share a Bible story, lead small group times, and also assist the ladies with the various craft projects. The goal for MAYA Collection is for refugee women to have the skills to become independent local artisans.

Aviano (Inactive) – Media Psychology Across Generations and Cultures

2018-06-02T00:00:00Z

Media Psychology Across Generations and Cultures – Phase 1 – Generations and Media My project focuses on the emerging field of media psychology, which applies the theoretical foundations of psychology to real-world media in order to understand its effect on human behavior and interaction. I propose to engage in a two-phase comprehensive study of the psychological aspects and impacts of media over generations and cultures. Phase 1 will explore the impact of the rapid evolution of media on current generations, including their media consumption habits and preferred means of communication. Generations from the Traditionalists to the Gen Zs will be analyzed with respect to their use of and relationship to media.

Austin, TX – Home Street Music

2018-06-01T00:00:00Z

I have always been drawn to helping the homeless community but really never knew how to get deeply involved. One day I was asked what my dream project would be in my own community and out came the vision of Home Street Music. I wanted to bring music workshops & classes to the homeless community in order to help build community, restore confidence, reclaim dignity and empower individuals who have experienced homelessness. Since beginning this journey, I have realized just how much hard work and dedication is required of me in order to really see this dream through. I will say that I want nothing to get in the way of me sticking with this. I have seen huge transformations take place just in the 16 weeks that I have been holding music circles with people who have been homeless for most of their lives. Their radiance, confidence, joy, and creativity has exploded before my eyes and I feel so sure that I am doing exactly what I need to do right now. Every week, we meet up at a wonderful place called Community First! Village in East Austin. We gather in a circle and chat about life while we settle in. Then once everyone is there, we begin our creative exercise for the day. This changes, but often involves writing, singing, playing together, and sharing. We always have a musical jam and then a closing song. Through these simple creative exercises, people feel comfortable sharing what is inside of them, and they begin to realize just how creative they truly are. I believe that we are all born creative beings, but somewhere along the way, we lose that ability to identify as artists. I hope that through these music circles, each person who comes gets more in touch with their innate creativity. In the two pilot sessions, which have totaled 16 weeks, we have seen so many songs written, heard amazing poetry, and witnessed extremely shy and/or traumatized individuals able to share and eventually laugh together and know they are supported in this journey - all through music.

Alaska (Inactive) – Housing and Homeless Coalition

2018-06-01T00:00:00Z

We are the Housing and Homeless Coalition in Fairbanks, Alaska. We are the center of all agencies in town. We work with many other Non-Profits in the area, to help and stop homelessness. Just recently we got a grant for a program called Rapid Re-Housing. Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) is for people with short-term barriers to housing. RRH clients are generally in the program less than one year and Nationally 84% of RRH clients achieve independence and are never again homeless. The Rapid Re-Housing grant we got was a big deal but also a big win! There are many things to come, Like in May we are doing a Panel Discussion talking about homelessness, how other agencies help and try to prevent homeless also what services they offer. We are planning other great events for the year but will need more funding as that time comes. Now its time to move on to our next project which we will have a few coming up this summer! Next month on May 4th we are doing a community panel discussion talking about homeless. We will also have 15 other agencies at the event to talk about what they are doing to help and stop homelessness and also talk about what resources they offer and can help with. But after this event, we will have many more to attend and also create ourselves. In July we will be helping with a big resource fair, We also have many more ideas for events this coming year which should and will have a big impact on Fairbanks Alaska. Later this year we are going to do another huge Symposium talking about homelessness, unemployment, Housing and much more! funding from The Awesome Foundation could even help with that. We don't really do just one thing we do a lot of things in our community with other agencies and also to help the people in our community and make those who aren't aware more aware on how they can help and make a difference. This coming year is going to fill with greatness and amazing things, with the help of The Awesome Foundation we will be able to achieve these goals.

Gloucester, MA – People Against Litter (PAL)

2018-06-01T00:00:00Z

About the project: Welcome to PAL (People Against Litter)! Our mission is a clean Gloucester. We believe that Gloucester citizens can make their city clean if they have the knowledge, tools, and support to accomplish that goal. PAL is going to be the resource Gloucester citizens can turn to when looking for knowledge, tools and support in their efforts to help make Gloucester a clean city. The three points of interaction established for PAL include the following: 1. KNOWLEDGE: Interactive float for the Horribles and St Peter’s Fiesta parades. This will be PAL’s initial marketing effort and introduction of the PAL project to the citizens of Gloucester. Float participants will be dressed as elements that are affected by litter (plants, animals, birds, fish, etc). We will distribute beautiful magnets and yellow litter bags and encourage parade spectators to sign up to be a PAL. 2. TOOLS: Yellow bags for litter collection. Provided by the city, the bags will be distributed to PAL volunteers that have signed up to help with the clean-up of public areas. We will also distribute bags at city events and other occasions where we can engage a conversation about the PAL program. 3. SUPPORT: Web site. The site will feature a map of the five Gloucester Wards with “pins” marking where volunteer PALs have accepted responsibility for the cleanliness of that area. We will use this site to encourage, educate, empower, and engage the citizens of Gloucester through blogs, fact pages, interactive conversations, and a digital reward system.

Gloucester, MA – Beautify Lincoln Park

2018-06-01T00:00:00Z

We plan to beautify and improve the grounds of Lincoln Park to benefit its residents. The recent drought has taken a toll on its landscape. We currently have one raised bed, courtesy of Backyard Growers. We envision more raised beds as part of a community garden. Our goal is to create and restore garden spaces which promote socialization, relaxation, and enjoyment.

State College, PA – Project Picnic Tables

2018-06-01T00:00:00Z

It has become more and more evident to me with conversations and doing a little research that good neighbors provide the answers to a lot of common community problems. The isolation of our era with being inside and online, stuck to our virtual world instead of sharing deeply with those next door is overwhelming. But when it comes to meeting neighbors people tend to feel awkward. It feels like your trying too hard if you go over with cookies more than once. My proposal is to use this grant to create almost a mini grant for multiple communities within Centre County. We could buy 8 or 9 new picnic tables with $1000 and give them away to people who commit to hosting a block party for their neighbors this summer. We could also paint them to stand out and show that they were gifted through Meet at the Trailhead to raise more awareness for opportunity to do fun and cool stuff throughout the community!

Sydney – Collarenebri sporting Leadership Project

2018-06-01T00:00:00Z

The Aim of this project is to provide the youth and community leaders (17 to 50 yrs old) of Collarenebri with a program that combines health, fitness, skill building and community development through positive leadership and mentoring. We are currently endeavouring to enter the ‘Collarenebri Men’s Team’ in the 2018 NSW Indigenous Rugby League KO Carnival. This event attracts over 120 teams from across the state contesting in the U’15, U’17, Women and Men competitions. It is attended by more than 50,000 spectators and is televised, with much more coverage relayed back to urban, regional and isolated communities through newspapers and social media. The hard work of our volunteers has led to on-field success. We have had several players selected to play for the County Rugby League Group and Representative teams. In 2018 our team will have the luxury of 2 former NRL players joining our ranks. We are hoping that they will bring experience to our team and act as mentors for our younger players. In addition to this, our playing squad and training staff will be involved in a variety of other activities including fitness, first aid, sport strapping (PE Teacher), healthy eating and living (Aboriginal Medical service), event management, administration, community development etc (Colly Gamilaraay), emotional well-being (Elders/Community Leaders). It is envisaged that through the knowledge and skills gained, the Youth and Men of Collarenebri will be fit,healthy and capable of organizing, managing and participating in future events. There are however many expenses connected with participating in the Indigenous KO and we rely for funding solely on our own fundraising events and the support of the community. As Collarenebri is an isolated community, our funding opportunities are very limited. The major expense for competing in the Annual KO Carnival is Uniforms, Team Entry Fee, Tournament Nomination Fee. We were hoping that this might be something you would consider helping with