Awesome Foundation - Projects

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Aravani Art Project

2017-03-06T00:00:00Z

Indian history and mythology is rich with evidence of Transperson*s holding important positions in the royal courts and society. According to several mythological stories they are believed to be bestowed with divine powers. However, in today’s society they are faced with severe forms of marginalisation, exclusion and discrimination – socially, culturally, economically, politically and legally – which has lead to them being denied livelihood opportunities, therefore forcing them into begging and sex work. As a result of which they have been further marginalised and excluded – given that neither of these livelihoods ensure any form of dignity and are frowned upon in Indian society. Transpersons are a sexual minority, which like all other sexual minorities in India have been robbed off their identities. The lack of understanding and negative perception of these individuals coupled with general apathy, stereotypes and stigmas has manifested in the form of limited interactions and conversations with other sections of society, further subjecting them to more severe forms of discrimination -sometimes even by their own families. Public (wall) art has known to be a powerful tool for enhancing community participation, mobilisation and for enhancing public interventions and support systems. The Aravani Art Project, aims at organically bringing together individuals from the Trans*community, the communities they live in and local artists, to collaborate and paint public spaces. With this we intend to use it as a medium to initiate conversations, in this case the aspiration of creating some amount of awareness, the Art projects provides for a forum for interaction among members from the Trans community and those from the public; providing an opportunity for open interactions through which issues of stereotypes, stigma, discriminations, marginalisation and exclusion would get addressed.

Northampton, MA (Inactive) – Welcoming Immigrants: An Immigrant Artist's View

2017-03-06T00:00:00Z

Center for New Americans, a community-based immigrant education and resource center located in a city-owned building in Northampton would like to commission one of our students, an immigrant artist from Costa Rica, to create a mural to welcome students and constituents into our building. Our constituents are not native English speakers, but they would quickly recognize the services we offer if they were portrayed in images by an artist who has been welcomed and served by our program. The artist has been recognized in her home country of Costa Rica and in the U.S., where she has had exhibits. The City of Northampton has expressed a willingness to support this project if they are shown a sketch first.

Singapore – Climate for Change

2017-03-05T00:00:00Z

Climate for Change aims to reach those sympathetic to environmental concerns, but who are not actively engaged. Although scientists and our government have for a long time warned us of the importance climate change, it has been a long standing challenge to effectively engage people to help solve climate change. Climate for Change connects new people that have not previously been engaged on the environment through their friends. We do this through one of our favourite things: good food. Those who are concerned about climate change organise a small gathering of friends (10) to enjoy a meal together and a conversation about climate change. Climate for Change guides them in organising the gathering, and we send a trained volunteer facilitator to guide the conversation. This kind of engagement has been run in other countries and has proven not only effective, but personal and meaningful as friends discover the shared concern they have for our environment and become closer through caring for it together. Each gathering aims to inspire at least 2 participants to host their own gathering, so as to grow exponentially (gatherings in Australia have averaged 2.5). Since EarthFest, we have trained 5 volunteer hosts (including one team member from Ugly Fruits) who are preparing to conduct focus groups. The focus groups will inform how we tailor the conversations and facilitator training for a Singapore audience.

Sarnia (Inactive) – Strange Listenings

2017-03-03T00:00:00Z

Oakland, CA (Inactive) – Anti Lab: A Creative Resistance Resource Center

2017-03-03T00:00:00Z

In the wake of Trump’s election, Bay Area artists wasted no time producing creative resistance projects. Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo made a shirt and poster design reminding everyone to step up as allies to marginalized people; Stephanie Syjuco created elaborate sewn banners accompanied by a make-your-own guide; and the Yerba Mala Collective published a poem online asking its readers to print out excerpts and disseminate the fighting words far and wide. “These pages have no names,” the poem reads, asserting that the work belongs to anyone who finds them useful in fighting for justice. Because of the political climate, the Bay Area art scene is surging with artworks that belong to and can be authored by all of us. Rather than producing singular objects, many artists are creating templates for replicable aesthetic disruptions that can be set into motion by two things: resources and participation. Recognizing this exceptional moment for otherwise non-creative citizens to take part in Anti-Trump resistance through easy activist art projects, Holly Meadow-Smith and I conceptualized Anti Lab. The Anti Lab will be a showcase of creative resistance artworks and resource center for replicating projects that are anti-fascism, anti-racism, anti-patriarchy, anti-oppression, and anti-complacency. It will be launched at Gallery 2301 (Telegraph and 23rd St., Oakland) in early April and live through May, 2017. The gallery will be outfitted with free stations for sewing banners, xeroxing and printing posters, screen-printing shirts/flags/patches, pressing pins, and assembling personal information packets — and each will feature examples and templates designed by local artists. There will also be a robust calendar of events featuring everything from film screenings, to cyber-security workshops, to call-your-rep-athons. Oh, and one crucial draw: free coffee. With Anti Lab, we hope to offer a creative community hub for diverse groups of people to come together and organize change.

Atlanta, GA – Mini City

2017-03-02T00:00:00Z

Mini City is a tech start-up based in Atlanta that is committed to empowering one of America’s most vulnerable and often overlooked populations: the homeless. Mini City arose from the ideation of activists, developers, and strategists with a single vision. We utilize strategic community development and ground-breaking technology to alleviate homelessness. Having gone through the social enterprise start-up hack-a-thon that is Goodie Hack, we have emerged prepared to affect lasting change in the city that we call home. In order to bring about said change we are seeking funding to support Mini City’s initial pilot services programming. Mini City uses wearable Near Field Communication (NFC) technology (similar to FitBit and Nike Fuel) to unlock vital services for the homeless. Through membership, Mini City provides legal identification, employment, nourishment, and wellness services to those in need. This has been made possible by Mini City’s tech sponsor, Tagstand (a leader in NFC and tech-enabled wearable devices). There is no other nonprofit or social enterprise in our nation, that employs this type of tech solution to alleviate homelessness; placing Mini City firmly on the forefront of bridging tech and community development. In the six short months since Mini City's founding, we have partnered with influential frontline organizations such as the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Services. Red Shield is one of the largest homeless shelters in Atlanta which serves veterans, children, LGBTQ youth, individuals living with HIV/AIDs, and the disabled. Slated to begin this February, Mini City and Red Shield are teaming to launch the pilot program for our services. The pilot, which is free to the shelter and participants, will be used to gather data and measure the effectiveness of our solution. We will pilot the program at two additional partner shelters in February.

Annapolis, NS (Inactive) – Easter Eggstravaganza

2017-03-02T00:00:00Z

Easter Eggstavaganza is happening again for the 11th year, this time with the help of Awesome Annapolis. The money will be spent on purchasing treats to fill the eggs, paying for the use of King's Theatre, buying prizes and advertising. The day is full and exciting with people travelling from all over the province to enjoy. We have a giant Easter Egg Hunt at Fort Anne with over 10,000.00 tasty eggs hidden around the fort! Later on in the day we offer a free movie for the children and after the movie, prizes including the chance to win a bike. It's a great family day and we encourage people to spend the entire day in the town of Annapolis Royal Come join us Saturday April 15th at 11 am. Photo copyright of Kate O'Rourke & used with permission. http://themaritimer.ca/2014/easter-egg-hunting-annapolis-royal/

Twin Cities, MN (Inactive) – Woolly mammoth puppet

2017-03-01T00:00:00Z

Imagine a woolly mammoth striding down Reverand Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in downtown Saint Paul. It’s Earth Day, and thousands of Minnesotans are marching in support of climate science and action. The woolly mammoth, while magically life-like, is actually a giant puppet built by master puppeteer Alison Heimstead. We are proposing to build a nearly life-size woolly mammoth puppet to be animated at parades, demonstrations and public events to draw attention to humans’ relationship to and responsibility for climate change. The woolly mammoth, as arguably the first human-caused extinction, is a symbol for what we stand to lose in the face of accelerating climate change. Yet, although the mammoth carries a serious message, it delivers it in a lighthearted way that appeals to our natural sense of wonder. The sight of this mythic animal in a modern, urban environment will open people up to new possibilities for action, rather than paralyze them with fearful rhetoric. Local playwright and performance-maker Elle Thoni came up with the idea to build a woolly mammoth puppet while writing a full-length play about mammoth de-extinction, a real scientific endeavor that has recently taken social media by storm. While Elle hopes to fully produce her play Woolly in 2018, she has been inspired by this new era of renewed civic action to animate the central figure of her play with the hope that it will serve as a playful prompt for conversations about climate change in the public sphere. For Alison, the woolly mammoth is the next step in her artistic exploration in the intersection between puppetry and taxidermy, creating puppets that are as realistic and textured as they are whimsical. As a seasoned builder, she will construct a puppet that is lightweight enough to be operated by four puppeteers for long periods of time and can also be easily broken down and transported.

Washington, DC – Tightshift Laboring Cooperative

2017-03-01T00:00:00Z

Hello family! My name is Juan and our organization is called TightShift Laboring Cooperative. Tightshift's goal is to provide quality employment to returning citizens and troubled youth while providing excellent moving, hauling, landscaping, cleaning, and other home improvement services. It will be also one of the first worker-owned cooperatives in the District, which means it will be owned and managed by its workers. I returned home from prison 3 years ago after a 14 year sentence. Trying to find work was hell for me. Even though I had already served my time, finding a living wage job was nearly impossible. During some of this time I had been homeless. I did laboring work to get by. My clients were always impressed with my services, but because I wasn’t incorporated and formalized I couldn’t charge the same as others with my skill level. I’m so passionate about TightShift Laboring Coop because it will allow me to provide quality employment for myself and others who have faced similar difficult situations, and to provide training and support to the larger community through Buildin’ Bosses. We will show the world what we are capable of, and that we can be our own bosses! The big vision is to change the economy, so everyone's needs are met and everyone has the opportunity to have dignity and respect. Tight Shift Laboring Coop will show the world what the future of work looks like – where the workers have a say in their workplaces, while looking out for their community and the earth. Here are some videos and articles that came out recently that tell a little more about us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgrYyPwmRTQ http://dcist.com/2016/12/tightshift.php http://www.shareable.net/blog/this-co-op-gives-formerly-incarcerated-people-jobs-and-community

Jumbos (Inactive) – Seeing Breastfeeding

2017-02-28T00:00:00Z

I will host a one-day photographic event open to the public at Project for Empty Space in Newark, NJ, called Seeing Breastfeeding. This project would be an all-day event held in the front gallery space in which breastfeeding mothers of Newark, and surrounding areas, would be invited to sit for a free studio portrait while breastfeeding their child. Breastfeeding is a vital, beautiful, and connective act that is still unsupported in many areas of women’s lives -- the workplace, the government, by commercial industries, in hospitals and medical centers, and even in their homes by their own partners or families. My goal is to further the awareness of the beauty and importance of breastfeeding, and to, in particular, empower the mothers of the Newark area to be even more proud of breastfeeding their children. Practically, this event will be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, and the studio will be set up in the window space of PES so that passers-by can observe and learn from the agency of these women. Mothers will be invited to have their portrait taken in whatever manner is most comfortable, exposing their breasts or keeping their chests more covered. This project is intended to make breastfeeding mothers feel supported and proud, no matter how they choose to do it. The event will be promoted through various local Facebook groups, such as Black Women Do Breastfeed, Best for Babes Foundation, the Center for Parenting Artists, the New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition, as well through local medical centers. Each sitter will receive a printable JPEG file, with permission to make reprints for themselves, along with two 5”x7” prints, at no charge. Additionally, several groups and services will be invited to table at the portrait event, or share resources there, including: Planned Parenthood, Black Women Do Breastfeed, Best for Babes Foundation, Newark WIC Program, University Hospital Newark Breastfeeding Mothers’ Group and others.

Newmarket – Modern Learning Commons Club

2017-02-28T00:00:00Z

I am a teacher at a small school in Newmarket whose community is largely made up of lower income families. We would like to further develop our Modern Learning Commons where students come to explore their creativity using various materials and resources that they would not typically have the opportunity to explore. We would like to expand our S.T.E.M areas and expose students to new learning opportunities in this area. We currently have 6 stations set up for students to choose from. The majority of these stations are geared towards the older children. We would like the opportunity to expand the number of stations we have and gear these new stations towards the younger students in our school so that we are providing everyone with an equal opportunity to embrace their creativity and take risks learning new technologies.

Melbourne (Inactive) – Friendship Dog Foundation

2017-02-28T00:00:00Z

The human-dog bond is many centuries old, and is an immensely unique one that doesn't exist with any other animal. There are countless stories of how a dog has helped enrich our lives. Examples include helping a blind person cross the street, giving disabled people independence by retrieving them objects, providing an aged person with calming emotional support during cancer treatment, making a PTSD-suffering combat veteran feel safer by turning on the lights and giving autistic children confidence by acting as a conversation ice-breaker in social settings. The human-dog bond improves well-being, provides mental & emotional & physical support and saves lives. I want to help solve two problems in our society by harnessing the awesomeness of dogs: (1) re-homing shelter dogs and (2) alleviating loneliness. Loneliness is a silent epidemic in Australia. More than nine million people are "always or often lonely" and would never admit it to anyone else. Loneliness isn't just unpleasant to deal with, but also possibly harmful to our health. As someone that struggled with loneliness, a dog was a wonderful companion, was always there for me and showered me with love daily. Dogs are amazing animals that are filled with happiness, friendship and loyalty. Therefore, my awesome project will help create a new type of service dog: friendship dogs. These dogs help provide friendship, companionship and support to lonely people. But these aren't just any dogs, though. These are dogs from shelters, that were abandoned by their owners. They're also sad, neglected and alone. These dogs would do anything to be put in a home with an owner that cares for it, understands it and appreciates it. And what better than a person that is also struggling with the same problem? Because a friend in need is a friend indeed. The Friendship Dog Foundation will pair abandoned dogs from shelters with people feeling lonely.

North Minneapolis, MN – African Drums for Franklin Middle School

2017-02-28T00:00:00Z

I just started teaching an African / World Drumming as elective class at Franklin Middle School. The class has 18 students and only 3 drums. We need enough congas and djembe drums (and some mallets) so everyone can participate. Also teaching a guitar band (we need cloth carry cases for donated guitars) and computer music production (need 10 sets of decent headphones-- $10 each)

Ottawa – Retro Photos

2017-02-28T00:00:00Z

February’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Jen Rosenthal to support construction of a travelling photo studio — mid-1800s style — which she will use to take pictures of ordinary Canadians in Confederation-era costumes to mark Canada’s 150th birthday. “Before the invention of photography,” Jen explains, “the only way to have a likeness of oneself captured was to commission a portrait painted by an artist. Obviously not something that would have been accessible to many people. Then, around the time of Confederation, the photographic image became a reality and photographic technology developed to an extent that even regular folks could afford to get their portraits taken by the itinerant portrait photographers that made their living travelling from town to town.” “My project is a sort of educational initiative,” she continues, “aimed at celebrating the history of portrait photography and fashion from the Confederation Era. I have sewed a collection of Confederation Era costumes — for all ages and sizes, and made from 100% recycled fabric — and my plan is to create a travelling portrait studio to set up at events, museums, and historic sites in the Ottawa area and offer people the opportunity to have their portrait taken in the old fashioned style while learning a bit about portraiture back in the mid-1800s.” The support from Awesome Ottawa will allow Jen to construct an old fashioned wood caravan, built over a trailer, that she will be able to pull behind her car. Inside will be the costumes, equipment, and props, and it will also serve as a change room. Jen is a fashion and textiles historian and a former museum educator. You can follow her project on Facebook and Twitter.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – ZumaPoop - How do you use a toilet without water?

2017-02-28T00:00:00Z

How do you use a toilet without water? ZumaPoop is an awesome project to provide dignified and playful ecological restrooms for kids in Moctezuma, an informal community in the suburbs of Oaxaca, Mexico that lacks water and sanitation infrastructure, and to teach these kids how to use these sustainable facilities. ZumaPoop is composed of 2 parts: 1) The construction of beautiful waterless compost-toilets and hand-washing units. 2) A fun educational program about sustainable hygiene tailored for children. This project was conceived by myself and La Casita, a local, women-led, civil organization that provides free daycare to children from low/no income families in Moctezuma. La Casita will host and maintain the sanitary facilities and has already started the educational program, its been a lot of fun! The children activities include games and songs that teach about hygiene, importance of water, use and maintenance of compost-toilets and composting practices in general. Compost-toilets require no water and all the waste is composted through a natural, proven process based on WASH (Water And Sanitation for Health) principles. It is safe, clean and odor-free. The fertilizer is then distributed to the local community or used in La Casita’s organic farm. Hand-washing units use harvested rainwater collected from the roof. In February of 2017, we will build the children-centric restrooms in a sustainable way by using local construction techniques like rammed earth walls and locally produced materials including roof tiles, wall tiles and reclaimed wood. These are also the cheapest materials locally available! An awesome idea isn’t created alone. Parents, educators, and of course, the children themselves have been involved in ZumaPoop from the beginning. The restrooms will be built by community volunteers together with skilled construction masters. Once completed, anyone in this waterless region can proudly build and use his or her own sustainable restroom!

Rockport, MA – New storage shed at Evans Field

2017-02-28T00:00:00Z

Four students from our Technology/Design class would like to construct a new storage shed. This project would not only educate students on how structures are built, but also open up new doors to students who would like to peruse possible careers in construction/contracting. Our project will benefit the entire community. Evans Field, which is where the new shed will replace, the old storage shed next to the dugout, is a central location where many different people from Rockport go to enjoy all levels of baseball games, youth soccer games, sled in the winter, and use year round for any other activities they have in mind. The field equipment tools are vital in the upkeep of the field so all may use it. The lack of a fully functional storage shed for the equipment puts stress on the tools that leads to unnecessary replacements. A well constructed shed would essentially eliminate these problems and will allow better protection from the elements which will lead to longer usage for tools.

Adelaide – Queer Youth Camp Mural Project

2017-02-27T00:00:00Z

In April this year we are running the FIRST camp for LGBTIQ Young People in South Australia. LGBTIQ young people continue to face discrimination, in all areas of life, with 80% of homophobic abuse happening within school settings. The mean age of first suicide attempt (rates of which are significantly higher for all LGBTIQ people) is 16, often before coming out. Risks of experiencing mental illness and ongoing mental health challenges are higher across the board for LGBTIQ people as a result of discrimination. But, we also know that where young people experience a sense of belonging and connection to their LGBTIQ peers, those risks decrease dramatically. We have been working for over 2 years to create safe spaces for young LGBTIQ people including Drop-in services and special events like the Same Sex and Gender Diverse Formal. Our staff and volunteers are LGBTIQ identified and provide peer support as well as role models that can be sorely lacking. This camp will enable the young people to experience a sense of belonging and uniquely safe space for self expression. The camp is going to run for 5 days and 4 nights with 30 young people between the ages of 12 and 17. We will be running a variety of activities including sport, craft, cultural and educational workshops and art. We are lucky enough to have a talented young local artist from the LGBTIQ community, Azzurro, enthusiastic about facilitating a collaborative painting of a mural with the group across the 5 days of the camp. This would be a unique opportunity for the young people at the camp to be mentored by one of their peers and connect through art. Azzurro started out his prolific and burgeoning career doing wall art in community services such as Headspace and Onkaparinga Youth. He has produced incredible works across Adelaide and is now excited to run workshops and take on more instructive projects. He is passionate about connecting community through art and we are thrilled to work with him!

Alaska (Inactive) – Read On the Fly - Books for traveling kids

2017-02-27T00:00:00Z

As Alaska's only family travel journalist, I see the most rural and urban stretches of our state. Alaska's literacy falls in the bottom third of the nation, with many children unequipped for school due to a lack of reading materials in the home, and little access to preschool programs. Reading is an activity overshadowed during travel by electronic devices, so in an effort to increase access to books, and inspire traveling children to open their minds to other people, places, and ideas, I started Read On the Fly in June 2016 at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Kids can take a free book with no obligation to return it, in the hopes they will read, read, and read some more during their air travel. My team of all-volunteer helpers has stocked our four shelves with 2,000 books since June, spending a few hours each week at the airport, meeting kids, parents, and airport/airline staff, all of whom react with a "WHAT A GREAT IDEA!' sort or response. I have a fiscal sponsor - but we just launched this effort, and I am a lowly freelance writer trying to good where I am. I love books. I love kids. And I am passionate about the idea that books and travel are similar: both can open kids eyes to the world around them. I don't often get big ideas like this - but clearly - this one stuck.

Adelaide – The Mary Lee Exchange

2017-02-27T00:00:00Z

The Mary Lee Exchange aims to create and nurture a new public forum. It provides a space for women, and gender diverse people, to hear stories from leaders and role models in a relaxed and inspirational setting. The Mary Lee Exchange values open dialogues and story sharing between and across communities, generations, and cultures. Through intimate, but open and multi-directional conversation between speakers and audience members we hope to build networks of women and feminists that are strong and supportive. We launched the Mary Lee Exchange in August 2016 with our first event at the Wheatsheaf Hotel. We invited four panellists to share their stories on the theme of Work; Kristin Alford, Barbara Pocock, Angela Schilling and Cassie Alvey, followed by a DJ set from Angela Schilling. The next Mary Lee Exchange event will focus on Family and Relationships and will be held at Nexus in January. The Mary Lee Exchange purposefully selects accessible, queer and family friendly venues. To further ensure accessibility tickets will be kept as cheap as possible ($5) to ensure the event is as inclusive as possible. We value diverse perspectives and this is reflected in the age, race, sexuality and socio-cultural backgrounds of the panellists. Mary Lee Exchange #2 will again be hosted by award winning South Australian theatre maker, Sarah Dunn. Our aim in putting on these events is to create an open community of women and gender diverse people that will provoke new ideas, strengthen the knowledge and confidence of these audiences and, by sharing their stories, help to empower and encourage leadership amongst historically marginalised groups. With the success of these events we hope to continue them into the future as an ongoing series, further building this community.

Boston, MA (Inactive) – Ten Footer

2017-02-23T00:00:00Z

At the birth of industrialization, in a desperate attempt to preserve their way of life, bands of craftsmen in Europe threw their wooden shoes (sabots) into the cogs of the Mill gears, hoping to grind the wheels of change to a halt. Their protest survives still in the word saboteur. Across the sea, similar independent shoemakers around Lynn MA (soon after to become the Industrial Shoe Capital of the World,) worked in small shops adjacent to their homes called “Ten Footers.” These craftsmen would be the last of their kind in the region to produce a complete shoe by hand, using age-old techniques and simple tools. These workers determined their own pace of life and the conditions of their labor, they fit their craft seamlessly into the rhythm of their families. Ten Footers were ubiquitous. The atmosphere and the work in a Ten Footer defined the shops as community gathering spots, fostering social conversation that bound the neighborhood and promoted discourse. As large mills materialized they drew craftsmen away from their art into an industrial life of assembly. By 1890, the Ten Footer was obsolete. Industry grew, as did the disparity of wealth and classes. The Individual Shoemaker, and his knowledge, were no more. By 1990, the cycle of large-scale manufacture had eliminated shoemaking entirely in the Greater Boston area. Shoecraft was by all determining factors a good, true, decent way of life both for the shoewrights and for their communities. In most communities of Greater Boston, suburban Zoning Bylaws prohibit the conditions of a Ten Footer studio. I am building a Ten Footer and working with Wakefield’s Town Planner to refine language to allow for and support these creative pursuits townwide. I endeavor to establish a new generation of the Ten Footer, to reinstitute a vernacular way of life, space and tradition. A Ten Footer will strengthen a neighborhood, Zoning support will pave the path to Open Studios where Ten Footers will strengthen the Town.

Newcastle – Deeper Voice of Textiles project

2017-02-23T00:00:00Z

DVOT is a unique project. 20 iconic Newcastle businesses, that primarily employ men will create work that celebrates the skills of their trade. Skills that have, traditionally, been passed on from one generation of men to another. Men would be working with UK based International artist Tim Johnson, with the support of Graham Wilson, a well-known local artist. There will be a series of hands on workshops where participants will create sculptural artworks using the tools and skills associated with their specific trades. The resulting artwork will be installed at a three-day exhibition event in a Wheeler Place (adjacent to the Civic Theatre) on Friday 28th April 2017. The exhibition is like a smaller scale version of Sculpture by the Sea. Following this exhibition, the individual sculptures will be displayed in the participating local business that created them. This will result in an engaging artist trail of ‘DVOT’ works hopefully in May 2017.

Amsterdam (Inactive) – ChillBoat 2.0

2017-02-23T00:00:00Z

Sometimes you just want to take fun to the next level. Sometimes you don't want to choose between having a BBQ, boating and sitting extremely comfortable. Sometimes, you just want it all. At least, I wanted it all. For those situations, I designed and built the ChillBoat. With a new summer approaching, I want to add extra awesomeness by building the ChillBoat 2.0, a bigger and potentially faster version of the original ChillBoat.

Oahu, HI – Stage curtains

2017-02-23T00:00:00Z

In February, we began renovation

Boulder, CO (Inactive) – Colorado Teen Retreat

2017-02-21T00:00:00Z

Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme) is a nonprofit that offers in-depth mindfulness programming for youth. Our main office is located in Concord, MA, but we host residential mindfulness retreats across the United States and in Canada. Our programming guides teens and young adults in developing self-awareness, compassion, and ethical decision-making, and empowers them to apply these skills in improving their lives and communities. iBme is committed to caring for the natural world and addressing issues of social justice in all that we do. Our vision is to support future generations of heart-centered, diverse leaders who are prepared to respond to the challenges of our time with focus, resiliency, and compassion for themselves, their communities and the global environment. The majority of iBme’s programs are residential teen retreats, and each weeklong retreat teaches proven awareness and concentration practices to youth ages 15-19. Through guided mindfulness meditation, small group discussions, and mindful movement, participants learn how to settle a busy mind, direct and sustain attention, investigate emotions and thoughts, cultivate compassion, and communicate with their peers. This summer, we will host a Colorado Teen Retreat at The Blazing Mountain Retreat Center in Crestone from July 2-8. Blazing Mountain is a beautiful center in the spectacular Sangre de Christo Mountains - a beautiful backdrop among which we will introduce young people to mindfulness. Through guided meditation, mindful movement, small group discussions, and fun group activities, participants in our retreat will learn self-awareness, empathy, techniques to calm and focus the mind, and mindful communication – the foundations for success in all areas of life. NOTE: We will also be submitting applications to The Awesome Foundation chapters in Boston, Northern Virginia, and the Twin Cities to support residential retreats in those regions.

Antigonish, NS (Inactive) – Musical Instruments for In-Patient Mental Health

2017-02-21T00:00:00Z

As a pharmacist who is also a musician, I know that music is a powerful drug. It was music that helped me cope with very stressful personal circumstances this past year, and the AWESOME Foundation that allowed myself and those I consider my "weekly music therapy session" to record an album of ourselves playing the music we love to raise money for the local food bank. While working at our local hospital I witness an actual Musical Therapist, Tom Curry, working with patients. He provides therapy on the in-patient Mental Health unit, Geriatric/Stroke unit, and Transitional Level of Care unit. Sometimes patients who are unwilling to take part in other offered therapies will anxiously await Tom's arrival. I have seen patients who are unwilling to interact with staff open up and transform during music therapy, some whom I've thought could have likely been professional singers given different circumstances. Not everyone is blessed with with the confidence or talent to sing out loud, but still enjoy and benefit from his sessions. I would love for patients to have musical instruments available to have another way to actively participate in Music Therapy, and to have them available as a therapeutic way to pass the time while admitted to our mental health unit. I brought up the idea to apply for an AWESOME Foundation to the Unit Coordinator; she agreed that instruments on the unit would be a great addition, and supported the idea. We brought the idea to Tom Curry, and he was in favor of the idea as well. He has lent the unit an extra guitar of his own, which many patients have used, but I am sure there are other instruments which he could engage people with. For now I would like the project to focus on the Mental Health Unit and musical Instruments, but after discussion with Tom I discovered he would very much like to be able to have I-Pods for patients in the Stroke Unit. I am unsure how far $1000 will go, but perhaps that could be a second project.

Baltimore, MD – LGBTQ Youth Prom

2017-02-21T00:00:00Z

LGBTQ Youth Prom is solely for LGBTQ youth and supportive youth allies between the ages 16 to 19 years old who want to experience prom within a welcoming and safe space. The LGBTQ Prom has quickly become an essential component to Baltimore’s LGBTQ culture, and is seen as a space to celebrate LGBTQ youth gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation without fear of prejudice. Youth who attend will enjoy food, entertainment, and an interactive community resource fair.The LGBTQ Youth Prom planning committee is comprised of community members and youth-serving organizations such as STAR TRACK Adolescent Health Program at the University of Maryland, Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Community Center of Baltimore (GLCCB), and the Baltimore chapter of The Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN Baltimore). The prom planning committee members are Jabari Lyles, Michael Franklin, Anastasia Pierron, Eva Fury and Kurt Ragin.After some discussion, it was decided to pursue hosting a prom event. The planning committee immediately got to work, and produced Baltimore's first LGBTQ Youth Prom in May 2015. In November 2014, a small group of youth-focused, nonprofit organizations and coalitions in Baltimore met to discuss possibilities for an event that would provide a safe, affirming, positive and magical place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ) young people. This event provides a safe space for LGBTQ youth to enjoy their special night while being validated and honored. Over 300 young people attend the event, with schools represented across Maryland and continuously growing each year.

Tallahassee, FL (Inactive) – Community Kitchen

2017-02-21T00:00:00Z

Bread & Roses Food Cooperative is a non-profit, member-worker food cooperative opened in Tallahassee, FL since 2009. We are currently located at 915-2 Railroad Ave. in the heart of the All Saints District, walk able/bike able from both FAMU and FSU. We are a great place to shop for affordable, healthy, organic, vegetarian/vegan, local, and ethically-sourced products. We do our absolute best to provide the most sustainable, ethical, and healthiest products we can for the best prices we can. We have the space and ability to create and sustain a commercial kitchen that can be used by local entrepreneurs who would like to take their market products to the next level.Meaning they can move from only being able to sell at farmers markets to being able to sell to grocery stores and restaurants. Being located on the south side which is known for being a food desert we have seen and heard the need for this service in our south side community. On top of this we have recently teamed up with a youth outreach program that is interested in starting their own catering company. This would empower youth who may have a hard time maintaining employment to take control of their lives and see value in their hard work. The building we have is older and needs repairs to ensure the space is safe and running efficiently. Once the initial costs are covered we will be able to maintain the space so that it can be used for year and years. As a grocery store that runs solely with volunteers this project has been out of our reach simply because of the start up cost to make the needed repairs. with your help and generosity we will be well on our way to strengthening the community and allowing so many marginalized communities the leg up they need and deserve.

Gloucester, MA – Salt Marsh Farm Agroforestry Project

2017-02-21T00:00:00Z

Liz Jaeger and Edgar Foudray are the co-owners of Salt Marsh Farm of Gloucester & Essex MA. Working on leased land around Cape Ann, Liz and Edgar strive to improve environmental health on local landscapes through the ecological applications of intensive livestock grazing systems and the planting of perennial fruit and nut-bearing trees and shrubs. The Salt Marsh Farmers believe that good, wholesome food can be grown locally while improving the environmental quality of Cape Ann's diverse landscape. Educating people about Agroforestry practices is one of the multiple benefits of the Salt Marsh Farm Agroforestry Project. Residents of Cape Ann can benefit from taking part in the Agroforestry Project by planting fruit trees and nut-bearing shrubs at the residences and in public community greenspaces.

Austin, TX – A Girl Named Sue: world premiere

2017-02-20T00:00:00Z

The Austin Awesome Foundation is excited to support the production of A Girl Named Sue, a new play by Vietnamese-American playwright Christine Hoang with songs by award-winning Korean-American singer/songwriter BettySoo. A Girl Named Sue is an important work that will shine light on stories from within the Austin community that have not historically been told. This play deals with romance and racism between Black and Asian-American communities in America. The story is centered on a fictitious Vietnamese-American college student named Sue Nguyen and the storytelling is woven through theatre, poetry and music. A Girl Named Sue will also be the first bilingual play in Austin, Texas to prominently feature a Vietnamese-speaking character.

Sydney – Comedy Of Art

2017-02-20T00:00:00Z

“The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.” Alders Huxley Our vision is to help adults to get in touch with their inner child. To do this we employ techniques from Commedia dell'arte or Comedy Of Art a traditional Italian Improvisational theatre, whilst at the same time, we are giggling due to the fact that we've put fart into a domain name. Comedy Of Art has creating spectacle, joy and exuberance as a theatre troupe at festivals attended by over 50000 people, going undercover as Insecurity Officers, travelling across space and time as Future Scientists and playing Adult Charades to name a few...and now, we feel like it's time to share it with even more, namely Sydney Fringe Festival, where we want to set a World Record For The Number of Spinning High Fives. Why and how do we do it? It's s all to do with a well of joy bubbling in our minds. That we want to share.

Pittsburgh, PA – Kenny's

2017-02-20T00:00:00Z

Working in Homewood for the last seven years allowed me the opportunity to hear first-hand what one of the most disenfranchised neighborhoods in the city desires to see in its future. Once you meet a resident who has lived in Homewood for decades, one of the first conversation topics will assuredly be about ‘the way Homewood used to be’ – the liveliness, the bustling businesses, and the sense of community. Presently, Homewood does not have an outdoor community-friendly space to host various activities. There are countless positive, enriching ideas in the works, art in the making, and conversations in process without a space to engage with and elevate them. While Homewood is often portrayed negatively by the media, it is actually asset-rich with an expansive cultural history and houses many current newsmakers ranging from makers to musicians to craftsmen. Kenny’s will be a platform for these creatives to showcase their product, whether that be artwork, music, or classes for wellness. The events schedule will reflect the residents’ vision for the site, including regular outdoor yoga classes, an art market, and a music showcase featuring musicians from the community and regional acts. We will also have annual signature events: a fundraiser, an open spoken word community day, and Cancers and Cookies - a summer birthday celebration. The site will also be available for usage by community members for activities such as family reunions, networking events and mixers, community days and cookouts, etc. Bringing the residents’ vision to life and giving the neighborhood a positive, open atmosphere to promote health and wellness, arts and culture, and entrepreneurs and existing businesses will be a tremendous win for the community. For more information, please see the video on this link: https://vimeo.com/198507279

Kingston – Build Bridges, not Walls (BBnW)

2017-02-18T00:00:00Z

Taking Donald Trump's election in the United States as a call to action, 'Build Bridges, Not Walls' is a newly-formed collective of Kingstonians whose goals include working on building community, encouraging a culture of resistance (as opposed to acquiescence), and developing skills around having difficult conversations with folks outside people's subcultural 'bubbles'. We want to work on strengthening local organizations and their important work by building capacity and bringing in new members. We are currently planning two events! These are: 1) February 2, 2017- A panel and community discussion on Trump and the rise of authoritarians: There will be a brief panel discussion, after which people will have the opportunity to strategize about local action in break-out groups and will be able to connect to representatives of different local political groups for long-term local involvement. Speakers include Burcu Baba, Brea Hutchinson, and Aric McBay, with fourth panel spot- maybe David Pugh, maybe someone else. 2) February 28, 2017- A workshop: Having tough conversation across the political spectrum: There will be an opening activity/warm-up, then breakout skill-building groups. People can select to join one of three groups- understanding bias & logical fallacies, role-playing across political spectrums, strategies around self-care. Facilitators may include (pending) Barb Danielewski, Kayley Marsh, and one other spot to be filled.

Chicago, IL – Operation Evergreen: Guitars Over Guns Program

2017-02-17T00:00:00Z

Last year, I began working as a music mentor with an organization called Guitars Over Guns (GOGO), an arts-based youth development non-profit that provides high-quality music instruction and mentoring to kids in challenging environments. In partnership with two co-teachers, I directed a group of 9 students in an ensemble setting, teaching the habits & mindsets of excellent musicians. In December of 2015, GOGO was awarded a $7,500 grant to fund in-school programming to supplement our already existing after-school music program at Evergreen Academy MS in McKinley Park. Our Guitars Over Guns mentors worked collaboratively with the in-house music teacher to create and implement units for 317 6th-8th graders over the course of 12 weeks, emphasizing a unique blend of National Arts & Social-Emotional Learning standards. During these lessons, students explored the cultural & historical contexts for different eras of popular music as well as performance-related skills, working collaboratively with their peers to build relationships & persevere through challenges. Each unit culminated with a concert, which for some students, marked their first ever public performance. Under our leadership, the GOGO after-school program at Evergreen tripled in size over the course of the 2015-16 school year. Participating students cited improvement in their self-image, confidence, & discipline, and 88% agreed by program's end that working in a musical group could help them make positive decisions both in and outside of school. Due to lack of funding, we learned the same $7,500 grant will not be renewed this year. Through end-of-year fundraising projects and a generous contribution from Evergreen's administrators who believe in our program, we've recouped $6,100 of the lost funds for this particular program, leaving our deficit at $1,400. We are applying to the Awesome Foundation because of their commitment to excellent ideas & to make an investment in some of Chicago's most deserving kids.

Minas Gerais (Inactive) – Bloco da Judite

2017-02-17T00:00:00Z

O Bloco da Judite foi criado com a intenção de diversificar ainda mais os ritmos tocados no carnaval de Belo Horizonte, trazendo a cúmbia, tecno brega, carimbô, calypso, arrocha, pagode baiano e reggaeton, além de destacar bandas/cantoras(es) autorais do cenário musical brasileiro que compõem grande parte do reportório do bloco. ***A apresentação do bloco será no dia 03/03/2017, as 20h no NECUP (Av. Nossa Sra. de Fátima, 3312 - Prado, Belo Horizonte)*** A Música, por meio de manifestações culturais, eventos religiosos, apresentações e festas ou por meio das diversas mídias eletrônicas, está sempre presente no cotidiano das pessoas. Acompanha os contextos históricos e é uma ferramenta de comunicação e educação. A percussão e seus ritmos, principalmente as derivadas da cultura popular, são a base estrutural de nossa cultura musical, que se origina dos guetos, quilombos, praças e salas de concerto. Nesse sentido, o desenvolvimento da prática de atividades musicais percussivas propostas nesse projeto, visa atender cerca de 20 ritmistas, 300 foliões e 270 crianças, adultos e idosos com oficinas percussivas em Belo Horizonte, possibilitando vivências lúdicas de uma manifestação artística tão rica e tradicional, além da conscientização sobre a importância da valorização da cultura popular , e nela o nosso carnaval, festa que carrega consigo uma tradição de resistência do povo. Nosso objetivo é despertar, por meio da música, o sentimento de pertencimento dos beneficiados, sendo o carnaval e a música os representantes das diversas manifestações culturais populares do Brasil. Nesse sentido, reconhecerem a música e essa festa como um movimento de estímulo à apropriação dos espaços públicos, espaço de (con)viver, de ressignificar, de se tornar protagonistas de uma cidade que (re)conhece sua diversidade cultural.

Miami, FL – Liberty City Bee Girls

2017-02-17T00:00:00Z

Liberty City Bee Girls is a project of CombCutters: Live Bee Removal & Education Service - a small business owned and operated by two female beekeepers dedicated to preserving South Florida’s honeybee population through relocation of wild beehives and education on importance of honeybees. The Liberty City Bee Girls program seeks to bring 7-10 year old girls from Liberty City - a historically lower to middle income black neighborhood - together, to learn the art of beekeeping. The Bee Girls will learn the inner workings of a beehive and why bees are integral to our survival, through crafts, games, and other bee/pollination centered activities. Each week they will don beekeeping gear, and open up the hives, first getting comfortable with the bees, and later actually doing the work of tending the hives. Beekeeping is a powerful educational tool that these beekeepers use to cover topics that reach far beyond the bees, themselves. Using bee society as a model, the Bee Girls topics of learning will range from food systems, to geometry and engineering, to communication and social skills. The Bee Girls will meet with CombCutters’ beekeepers on a weekly basis for 2 hour sessions. This program will run for six weeks and will be free of charge to all participants. Liberty City Bee Girls creates a safe and empowering environment for girls from frontline communities to gain knowledge in a relevant, accessible and fun way. The program gives participants direct avenues to understand and change their environment and food systems, while they build confidence and confront fears and stereotypes they are faced with. By the end of the six week series, the Bee Girls will be able to handle bees with confidence and lead tours through the apiary, for other kids and community members while sharing pertinent information about the bees. And who doesn't love seeing kids smiling big in bee suits?!

Miami, FL – Sensie - measuring intuitive response of the body

2017-02-17T00:00:00Z

Working with researchers out of Oxford University and UC Berkeley we have developed a neuromuscular signal that represents the intuitive response of the body to any topic a person would like to explore. We use sensors on smartphones combined with machine learning techniques to track the fluidity of movement in an active whipping gesture. By measuring the response of the golgi tendons in the wrist we are able to detect when a topic is in balance or out of balance for a person's overall well-being. Topics include: food allergies/sensitivities, well-being methods such as different meditation techniques, mindfulness techniques, positive psychology, etc. We've spent the last year and half researching and developing the core signal. Majority of our research has been conducted on mindfulness, meditation and other well-being methods. We just recently completed two preliminary studies on food sensitivities/allergies and we had fantastic results - we were able to accurately detect foods that were in balance / out of balance for participants as corroborated by widely accepted blood testing exams. We are now preparing to bring the product to market focusing solely on food sensitivities/allergies. Imagine what it could mean for us if our choices for our own well-being were self-guided based on the bodies innate guidance.

Miami, FL – The Legend of the Pink Elephant

2017-02-17T00:00:00Z

Luckner “ Lucky “ Bruno here and I hope all is well with you. I am writer, director, choreographer of the “ The Legend of the Pink Elephant”. It is a circus , theater, musical hybrid show with a message. It debuted on the main stage at the Miami Theater Center (MTC). It was thrilling to see the house so full of happy and enchanted little faces. The show ran for 2 and a half weeks . In that short time it played for a little more than 3000 people. We had not only second graders come to the show , but also a great number of high schoolers attended our production. Young and old were able to connect with the show, and more importantly our message. We are doing another run of the show! We will be playing again at MTC this coming spring 2017. In our play an elephant is born different from the rest of the heard. He is born with pink skin, and is bullied out of the heard by the other elephants for this. He runs away and finds colorful characters that love his difference. Eventually they get him to appreciate and love his different -ness. Now a more confident elephant ,he decides to go back home. When he returns he finds his home is not how he left it. Humans are there hunting elephants for there teeth. This is a piece of living theater. In this hybrid show actors have trained in circus arts. I felt this was important as this is not a ‘circus show’ with a lose story tagging along. This is a message of love and respect for the world. Such a journey needs good storytellers with amazing skills. We want to have more runs of the show as well as a tour. We would love to create a school tour of the show, so that we can take this show and it’s beautiful message to all of Dade county and abroad . We are also planning to make a children’s book of our story. It is important for the next generation to see that different is not a crime . “The Legend of the Pink Elephant” is more than a show. It is a message of love and compassion .

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Name that Bone!

2017-02-17T00:00:00Z

Imagine you are out for a hike in the woods, and come across a pile of bones. Or perhaps you are a student of archaeology or forensic anthropology, and need a quick reference. Or a teacher in a K-12 classroom who desires to give students an interactive science lesson. Name that Bone! will be a bone identification app, allowing the public, students, scientists and professionals a quick and easy guide to compare a multitude of species, including H. sapiens and common North American animals. Our app will utilize GIS technology, which allows us to create photogrammetry (combine photos and create a 3D image), for optimal identification. First, we will photograph each bone from multiple angles. Software will then allow us to perform the needed photogrammetric triangulation, create a dense point cloud, calculate measurements, and provide the 3d models. With this technology, we can create a highly accurate and extremely detailed image of the bones. The app will lead the user through a series of questions designed to rapidly assess type of bone and size, before providing a selection of photos which match the specified criteria. Additionally, users can browse photos by selecting species or bone type. For students or amateurs interested in more in-depth studies, the app will also provide a list of additional sources and references. These photos will be taken from bones in our personal collections, and from collections at local institutions. Why an app? Although multiple textbooks have been published with similarly detailed photos, these are often expensive. Providing an electronic version will allow participation of a much wider audience, as well as promote science. We anticipate our app finding an audience in public and private sectors, from classrooms to museums, and be used in a wide variety of settings. We are also applying to Boulder, Plano, and San Antonio chapters in the hope that one of you will find our project as fascinating as we do!

Orlando, FL – “From Orlando With Love” book project

2017-02-16T00:00:00Z

“From Orlando With Love” is a creative writing contest, book publication, and art project featuring 15 Orlando high-schoolers and 15 Orlando artists. For the last 5 years, Page 15 has held a county-wide writing contest for local high school writers. Hundreds of submissions are evaluated and the best 15 are published in a printed book. This year, our book theme is L-O-V-E. Inspired by the incredible outpouring of love in our city following the Pulse shooting, we’d like to honor and celebrate that love in this year’s anthology. Page 15 received a total of 179 submissions of poetry, essays, and short fiction that explore love in all its manifestations! Additionally, this year we’d like to match each of the 15 final pieces with a different Orlando artist who will create a custom work of art to be published alongside the writings in the book. The finished book featuring all 15 authors and 15 artists will be released at a book release party with a gallery showing on Third Thursday at the Gallery at Avalon Island in spring 2017. Each of the authors will read their pieces and artists will have the chance to sell prints of the art. The final published book will be available for purchase through Page 15’s website as well as partner venues across Orlando.

LA South Bay, CA (Inactive) – The Rhymecology Game

2017-02-16T00:00:00Z

The Rhymecology Game is the first hip-hop self expression game. It is a card game created to act as a bridge between therapists, counselors, teachers and the hip-hop loving youth that they serve. I recognized that one of the main disconnects between therapists and "at-risk" youth is the inability to find a common language in which to discuss deeply personal issues. More importantly, they need to find a safe way to discuss them. Through years of work in mental health as well as the music industry, I discovered that in the client's eyes, hip-hop was always an inviting topic to discuss and that it would often lead to deeper, therapeutic conversations. I figured out how to create "Rap Rapport" with kids who often don't allow much rapport to be developed at all. So with an old wooden box, scissors, scotch tape and a hell of a lot of hip-hop knowledge, I was able the first game which I brought around to my sessions (in South Bay, LA and Long Beach) and started to see more and more children open up to me in ways that they had not before. Even kids who were not "in" hip-hop culture would ask me for the game. "Can we play the Rhymecology game Mr. Jeff??" I smile and say, "Well if you are going to twist my arm!!" Seeing the need, seeing the results (from both research and field study), I knew I had to make this a tool available to others. There is no game on the market. No game that uses hip-hop as a self expression tool, no game that teaches youth to think critically about hip-hop, and no game that gives children pause to self-reflect while in full hip-hop mode.

Cass Clay – Goats = Opportunities for ND

2017-02-15T00:00:00Z

What is the most popular meat in the world? Did you guess chicken? How about beef? While those are very popular choices here in the US, the most popular meat in the world is.... goat! Approximately 63% of the world's population eats goat meat. It is mainly considered an ethnic dish here in the US, but is gaining a foot-hold in other markets as health-conscious consumers are beginning to take note of this nutritious protein source. According to the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 3 ounces of goat meat contains 122 calories (chicken = 162, beef = 179). It is lower in cholesterol (63.8) than chicken (76) or beef (73.1), but contains nearly equal amounts of protein (goat = 23, chicken = 25, beef = 25). Approximately 97% of goat meat consumed in the US is imported. Recent estimates indicate that the US is more than 750,000 head deficient in meeting current demand for goat meat. Goat meat is popular, nutritious, in demand, and... environmentally friendly! Goats efficiently convert noxious weeds and low quality pasture to high quality meat and milk. Compared to cattle, they require far less feed supplementation, promote female participation in agriculture due to their ease of handling, and many of their health needs can be addressed by the producer vs. professional consultants such as feed specialists. I am interested in humanely raising goats for local consumption. According to current census data, ethnic and cultural diversity is growing in our state, up 1.4% since 2010. Many ethnicities have traditionally incorporated goat meat into their diet, but finding locally raised, quality goat meat can be difficult in our area. I have been contacted by individuals from Fargo looking for local, humanely raised goat meat on several occasions. Besides filling a need in our community, my enterprise will benefit the local economy by providing business for local meat processors, veterinarians, alfalfa/hay/straw producers, and agricultural retail stores.

Piqua, OH (Inactive) – Making holidays happier

2017-02-15T00:00:00Z

Taking photographs of people around Piqua engaged in the everyday tasks and, later, surprising them with a photograph of themselves in action and letting them know that they matter, and they are part of the reason that Piqua is awesome.

New York City, NY – Women Who Build: Artist Who Own

2017-02-14T00:00:00Z

Women Who Build: Artist Who Own is a project that empowers women to build their construction skills, grow their networks, and increase their confidence. Women and girls are stereotyped as being helpless when it comes to building and using tools. Women Who Build; Artist Who Own is a project that brings women and girls together to fight and prove these stereotypes wrong. This project is giving us confidence when it comes to using machinery, installing a roof, installing flooring, and more. The skills we learn will help us go back to our homes and communities, feel empowered, and have stronger women networks to draw strength from. The way we are accomplishing this is by having monthly meetings. In these monthly meetings, women are broken up into groups: fundraising, sourcing, design, project management, skill building, marketing and volunteer coordination, and documenting. Each woman is responsible for volunteering at least 6 hours a month to accomplish the task assigned during the meeting. After each meeting, women from ages 14-70+ participate in a 1 hour skill building class designed by the skill building team. This project started in October and will be completed at the end of August. In June, the women participating in the project will build an actual tiny house on wheels at knockdown center in maspeth. Any woman can participate as long as she signs up online at meetup for a new member meeting. We love this project, both for its grassroots nature, and because our funds will help buy power tools that participants in the workshop will use to make a very small house. Power tools are Awesome. If you would like to participate, check out their Meetup group.

San Francisco, CA – The Banana Peel

2017-02-13T00:00:00Z

I enjoy absurd humor and the surreal. This is an attempt to combine the two into a single project. The idea is to produce as realistic a 5-6' tall banana peel as I can out of available materials. (Preliminary research leads me to believe I may be able to do this with thick foam padding, latex or vinyl, and paint.) The original idea for this project was to produce many of these large banana peels, and install them through the city of San Francisco. Attempting to install these large, cartoonish peels drooped over street signs, hanging from street lights, flopped over the corner of a building's roof, or just splayed out on a park side bench. Unfortunately, due to a lack of materials and resources, I have yet been able to more forward with this aspect of the project. As a possible beginning (and a way to help find further funding for the more elaborate project), I would like to create just one large banana peel. I would then photograph the peel in different locations. At first, I would attempt to make the banana peel seem somewhat to scale, or in mostly banal places. As the photo series continues, I would begin to place the peel in more unusual situations, perhaps even anthropomorphizing it into some sort of sentient being. My hope would be that the peel begins to do normal human things, like taking a walk, enjoying coffee, watching a movie with a cuddling friend. I may even attempt to leave the peel, posed as if reading a book, at a local coffee shop and record how passerby react to its presence.

Singapore – Bottle Cap Art

2017-02-13T00:00:00Z

The creation of my BOTTLE CAP ART came about as a result of my interest in collecting bottle caps during my holidays and my interest in working with resin. By combining the hollow of a bottle cap, the use of recycled paper as the background, a charm and resin, I was able to create a beautiful piece of miniature art. These ubiquitous beer and soda bottle caps destined for the bins are given a new life through these Bottle Cap Art creations. With a good eye for composing a picture-story, old magazines, flyers, cards or hong baos packets from my children are used to form the background of the artwork. These bottle caps have been turned into Bottle Cap Magnets and the responses and feedback I get from visitors have been truly encouraging. From elicited smiles and head turning re-look at what they just saw, to comments like "What a clever idea!", "How did you get the idea to make these?" and "Do you conduct workshops?", these responses have validated the many hours I have put in to this project. It served to reinforce how an overlooked object like a discarded bottle cap can be recycled, reused and re-purposed with a little imagination and creativity!

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Girls Onstage!

2017-02-13T00:00:00Z

An all girls production of Pippin?? YOU BET. The Young Women's Leadership School is a title 1 school located in Astoria, New York and we have a passion for performance. The TYWLS of Astoria Drama club has been growing over the past 8 years. We started with small productions in our gym across the street and we've started to expand to renting ACTUAL theater spaces with casts of 20-30 students. We aim to not only perform our productions with zest and aplomb but each aspect of the show is student run and created. Set design, costume design, sound design, lights- the list goes on and on. However, affording this level of production can be a real struggle. That doesn't stop us, in fact working hard to create something we love without very much money can really lead us to some excellent innovation. Cardboard and hot glue go a very long way and we are masters of scenic painting and quick clothing alterations! There is a PR team that works for the drama club to help fundraise but each year we are faced with a gap that is very hard to fill. We have started to come up against this gap as we get closer and closer to production.

Moscow (Inactive) – VETKA

2017-02-11T00:00:00Z

VETKA - это международный благотворительный арт-проект, в рамках которого художники, организаторы, волонтёры объединяются и делают художественное оформление мест, психологически и эстетически в этом нуждающихся. НАША МИССИЯ Мы мечтаем сделать мир красивее, вернуть веру в добрых людей, в бескорыстное желание помочь. Мы вместе станем сильнее и покажем, что можем влиять на настроение в обществе, привлечём внимание к социальным проблемам и поможем их решить. Мы покажем на сколько сильно может влиять искусство на жизнь людей, как оно может помогать. Это места, которые психологически нуждаются в художественном оформлении и не имеют возможности его себе позволить. Мы не рассматриваем коммерческие площадки (развлекательные учреждения, рестораны, частные интерьеры) Мы базируемся в Санкт-Петербурге, но работаем по всему миру. Проект VETKA не ограничен пространственными рамками, нам интересно рисовать в различных уголках нашей планеты. Вы можете тоже поддержать проект, перечислив любую сумму его команде или став волонтером - http://www.artvetka.com/blank-5

Moscow (Inactive) – Связующая нить

2017-02-11T00:00:00Z

Связующая нить - это связь между поколениями. Подростки вместе с представителями старшего поколения (бабушками и прабабушками) занимаются продуктивным рукоделием. Учатся вязать, создавать вещи своими руками. В процессе происходит обмен опытом между поколениями, улучшается взаимопонимание, укрепляются семейные ценности. Созданные в процессе вещи - передаются в дома престарелых, нуждающимся пожилым людям. Реализуются через интернет площадки и благотворительные акции-ярмарки.

San Francisco, CA – Why Fish Don't Exist

2017-02-10T00:00:00Z

I am a science reporter who is working on a book about taxonomy and when the desire to order the word becomes madness, all told thru the real-life adventures(!) of a 19th century fish collector who battled lightning, hurricanes, and earthquakes, never believing for an instant that the World would overcome him. What I wondered about this man is, what does behaving like this do to you? Is it heroism to believe you can conquer all earthy Chaos? Or is it delusional? The mark of someone deeply out of touch with his place in the world? What I found is that, on one hand, he achieved incredible success. He discovered more fish than nearly anyone alive on earth at that time. He won peace prizes, had buildings named after him, even a mountain peak. This desire to control got him ahead. But at the same time, there is a lesser known side of this widely celebrated man. His passion for ordering world slipped over from fish into people. He became one of the country's most prominent eugenicists, helping to order the sterilization of thousands of people in California. He has even been posthumously accused of murder. I want to fly to California to explore his legacy, walk through his home, explore his archives, and interview those who can help fill in his tale.

San Jose, CA – theCodeMatrix

2017-02-10T00:00:00Z

theCodeMatrix is a nonprofit organization that strives to introduce club members in grades K-8 to coding. Through a series of games, activities, and projects, members explore the fundamentals of coding and application of computer programming in the real world. Our high school level student-volunteers teach and mentor club members with an emphasis on creativity, communication, collaboration, and community. Our leadership crew is divided into 3 groups: media, marketing, and technical. Technical team teaches our club members using our curriculum and develops our website, upcoming apps, and VR experiences. The Marketing team manages our budget and handles communication with sponsors, speakers, and coordinators of our branch locations. The Media team creates our content for our social media and writes articles for our blog. During the summer of 2016 we started a pilot program with 8 officers, and we taught 30 club members in grades 3-7 the basics of how to write code and how to create a static webpage using HTML5 and CSS. It turned out very successful with acclaims from the parents and the staff at the library who have expressed interest for us to return next year and expand as well. Since then, we have recruited 14 more club officers and plan to expand to 3 branches this year around the San Francisco Bay Area. We have also initiated a new project called Code + Infinity in which we introduce our club members to the connection between computer science and a variety of other fields, such as movies and philosophy. As part of this project, we are hosting a technology conference for middle schoolers next fall centered around these connections. Overall, the matrix is an environment in which something develops and our goal is to provide access to CS education in an encouraging and stimulating environment. Ultimately, what sets us apart is that we emphasize interaction, creativity, collaboration, and leadership and use code as a tool to teach those important life lessons.

Birmingham, AL (Inactive) – Futureproof Bama

2017-02-10T00:00:00Z

Futureproof Bama was formed to ensure education and innovation are the driving forces as Alabama stares down a massive paradigm shift where up to a million jobs will be lost to robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) driven autonomy. In 2015, AL.com reported that the top job on Alabama job boards, more than four thousand job postings, were for truck driving. Truck driving is incredibly important to the types of industries found across Alabama, especially when you consider the states focus on manufacturing. With this job being in demand, it is enticing more and more Alabama residents to commit the often significant investment in purchasing a personal truck. A proud moment for many, but will it end up be a wise investment? Jump to 2016, and now the LA Times is now reporting that Autonomous Trucks like those created by Uber owned startup, Otto, are set to displace more than 1.7 million truck drivers across the country. This displacement could be devastating to Alabama. According to Indeed, at the time of this posting, the average salary for truck drivers across the state is about $52,000 and is 1% higher than the nationwide average. This number easily moves these families into the middle class. This same idea about the dangers to the middle class was recently echoed by Stephen Hawkings when he said that the middle class would be decimated by these latest innovations. So where does Alabama go from here? Our nonprofit paperwork has been filed to start our mission aimed to help all of Alabama, with our Futureproof Bama initiative and we are currently awaiting 501(c)(3) status. With this initiative, we will firstly focus on the state of Alabama. Secondly, we look to raise awareness for a pending workforce crisis, encourage businesses to continue to innovate and do so in-state and get Alabama ready for working in the new economy. Just as bulletproof vest protects its wearer, together we will futureproof Alabama together.

Rio de Janeiro (Inactive) – Passageiro.org

2017-02-09T00:00:00Z

O projeto se resume em um SITE - passageiro.org - e um APLICATIVO MOBILE (APP) que, interligados entre si, será uma grande ferramenta para ajudar os usuários dos modais de transportes, bem como auxiliar as empresas e os órgãos de fiscalização a direcionar melhor, como já dissemos, os recursos para essa área, pois enviaremos para ambos, relatórios das problemáticas nos transportes. O projeto se justifica pelo quadro de degradação que está havendo hoje nos transportes do Rio de Janeiro. Estamos tendo muitos problemas relacionados a retiradas de linhas e remanejo de outras, confundindo os usuários e prejudicando seu direito de ir e vir; aliado a um serviço já precário e de péssima qualidade, vimos nesse projeto uma maneira de concatenar os problemas e ver onde ele é mais grave e, com essas informações, passar para as autoridades para que eles possam redirecionar melhor os recursos para área de transportes. Serão beneficiados pelo projeto: usuários de transportes públicos em todo o estado do Rio de Janeiro, não importando raça, cor, crédulo ou condições sociais; mas, por óbvio, nossa defesa sempre atinge as pessoas menos abastadas da sociedade carioca.