Awesome Foundation - Projects

Ottawa – Bike Repair and Pizza Fair

2016-07-20T00:00:00Z

July’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Clayton Dignard to support a bike fair in the Bayshore community — a low-income, mostly-newcomer neighbourhood in Ottawa’s west end. In addition to free bike repairs, distribution of lights and reflectors, workshops on cycling safety, and information from community groups, the bike fair will feature pizza made in an outdoor community oven — with local youth engaged as oven operators in training. Clayton has been organizing bike fairs in low-income neighbourhoods for the last three years. “I have witnessed,” he says, “how strong and immediate an impact a free bike repair has on a child’s mental and physical health. This is why my volunteers and I continue to do this.” Clayton is a youth worker and community organizer based at the Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre.

Bend, OR (Inactive) – Central Oregon Sk8 Share

2016-07-20T00:00:00Z

Central Oregon Sk8 Share is a grassroots program for the Bend and outer Bend/Central Oregon community. It was founded in May 2016 to connect under-supported youth in Central Oregon with skateboards and skateboard gear. These are youth that are interested in getting into skateboarding but might not otherwise be able to afford it, or youth that already skateboard and do not have the means for replacing damaged equipment. · We believe skateboarding is a healthy, life-long, enriching sport that teaches patience and perseverance while building confidence and self-esteem. Skateboarding naturally fosters positive interpersonal connections. · We believe skateboarding is a positive outlet that should be accessible to all youth of our community regardless of their privilege or resources. · Some youth in our community live in circumstances where access to skateboarding seems unattainable. We feel this is a gap that can easily be filled by our local community. TO GIVE: Our starting goal is to collect enough gear to put together 20 complete skateboard decks with helmets and pads. We accept any skate gear, and it can be used, we just ask that it be in good and safe condition. TO RECEIVE: In exchange for a skateboard, we ask for a one-page essay from the youth recipient that includes a little bit about themselves and how they feel having a skateboard will improve or enhance their lives. The essay and exchange should be completed through a community partner to maintain confidentiality. So far I have collected several donations. Donation boxes are set up in two local skateboard shops. I have already connected three youth with boards! I have achieved this by reaching out to several community agencies that work with Central Oregon youth. Getting this grant will enable me to stretch these donations and reach more youth, ensure all youth are provided with safety gear, purchase supplies that don’t get donated, and provide lessons to get youth safely started.

Austin, TX – Austin Archives Bazaar 2016

2016-07-20T00:00:00Z

The Austin Archives Bazaar is a FREE, fun, and engaging event open to the general public and appropriate for all ages that will be held on Sunday, October 16, 2016 from 2-6pm at Saengerrunde Hall in downtown Austin. At the heart of the event are booths from over two dozen Central Texas archives showing off their amazing collections and services in one big room and promoting the diverse cultural heritage resources available to the public in our region. Other planned attractions include: an oral history storytelling station, an archival film showcase by the Texas Archive of the Moving Image, a Preservation Station where people can get help preserving their family photographs, papers, and other materials, a historic photo booth, and a program of speakers The Austin Archives Bazaar is organized by the Archivists of Central Texas (ACT), a non-profit group of local professional archivists.

Boston, MA (Inactive) – Guhumura: Nosy Interviews from Rwanda

2016-07-19T00:00:00Z

A Nosy Interview consists of just two simple questions: “What do you smell like?” & “What do you like to smell?” But these two disarming questions yield rich, textured, weird, evocative, funny and beautiful answers. We become more human to each other when we think of the ways we smell. Smell is intimate, unsettling, powerful, and strange—we have to invent a language just to talk about it. (Consider perfume copy—sometimes it’s poetry, other times it’s word salad.) I am sitting on a trove of roughly 100 amazing Nosy Interviews collected in Rwanda over the course of a year spent living there. With the help of my partner, an anthropologist fluent in Kinyarwanda and Swahili, we gathered interviews from people throughout the country—people living in refugee camps, working in the country’s first ice cream shop, learning English, giving tours in a wildlife preserve, managing hotels, weaving baskets, drumming and dancing, exporting coffee, farming the land, and so much more. Rwanda continues to be reduced to a single story, but meeting people from Rwanda is the best way to expand that story. In lieu of traveling to Rwanda (recommended if you have the chance!), it is my hope that sharing these Nosy Interviews will help expand a person’s notion of this place and the people who live there. In the past I have featured Nosy Interviews on my website (the currently semi- dormant nosygirl.net), but I hope to showcase these in a place where people will encounter them without seeking them out. A venue like Harvard’s Sensory Ethnography Lab might be a natural choice, but I’d hope to put up an exhibit in a place/places where there’s more foot traffic (coffee shops, the library, Somerville winter farmer's market, etc.). I would welcome suggestions as to the best venue(s) for this!

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – ByKids

2016-07-18T00:00:00Z

BYkids is a non-profit organization pairing master filmmakers, including Albert Maysles and Ric Burns, with youth (ages 8-21) from around the world to create short documentaries that educate Americans about globally relevant issues. By giving kids the tools and mentoring to make documentary films about their lives and packaging those films for a wide American audience, BYkids gives voice to youth from diverse cultures, and encourages international understanding and engagement by giving viewers concrete ways to respond. Each year, the Story Selection Committee — UNICEF and a group of nationally-recognized journalists, filmmakers, teens and non-profit leaders — creates a list of potential stories from which five are chosen. These five stories carry the universal values of courage, perseverance and dignity. Each story is given to a BYkids' Film Mentor who spends one month helping the young person make the film. UNICEF provides transportation, lodging, communications, security, local networking and other diplomatic resources in each project country.

Pittsburgh, PA – John Riegert

2016-07-18T00:00:00Z

Since February 2015, I've been working on a project that's brought 250 Pittsburgh artists together—each one making a portrait of the same person: John Riegert. John's been my friend for over 20 years. He's an artist who was once one of the most engaging people I've ever known. 15 years ago, he started struggling with mental illness. It led to him losing his job, having his marriage break up and almost becoming homeless. It also led to a suicide attempt that put him in a coma for four days. It was heartbreaking to watch John lose his will to be around others and to give up on his art. I thought a project like this could be of great benefit to him and be something to keep him going. Plus being an artist himself, he would know how to relate to many different people and be sympathetic to what they might need him to do. So I invited 400 artists and was shocked when 250 said "yes." They include Diane Samuels, Robert Qualters, Delanie Jenkins, Dee Briggs, John Carson, Ron Donoughe, Jon Rubin, Lenka Clayton, Dylan Vitone, Gavin Benjamin, Ryder Henry, Alisha B. Wormsley, Stephanie Armbruster and Mia Tarducci Henry. Work ranges from paintings to sculptures to conceptual pieces to performances to photographs to films and videos. Some artists worked from a photo of John I sent with the invitation but many wanted to meet John. This has led to a journey through coffee shops, museums, parks, universities, riverbanks, a cemetery, and artists' homes and studios. Each of the artists has been so generous with their time and their talent. In June, the portraits will be part of an exhibition at SPACE gallery. John will will present for the entire run and act as a “docent." So someone coming into the exhibition will be see hundreds of portraits of the same subject—each done by a different artist—and then realize that the person telling them about a particular portrait, answering their question or telling a story about his life, is the subject himself.

Boston, MA (Inactive) – The Body of The People

2016-07-18T00:00:00Z

The Body of the People is a site-specific art installation and performance that interweaves iconic language and visual imagery into a poetic discourse concerning current socio-political disruptions. Installed and performed at The Old South Meeting House in Boston on September 29, 2016, The Body of the People will be a reflection upon the state of current protest movements in the United States at the site of the very first protest in America: The Boston Tea Party in 1773. The work draws on protests that I have participated in and documented to create an immersive artwork that questions individual and class representation in the political upheavals taking place in the United States today. For this project, I have created a series of large-scale drawings (see attached image) of protesters and have compiled slogans, mission statements, and manifestos from the major protest movements in the United States today, including Democracy Spring, Democracy Awakening, Black Lives Matter, etc. From these documents, I have created a surreal and poetic text that will be delivered as an address and sung by an opera singer, accompanied by a jazz trio for the duration of the performance. Hosted in collaboration with Arts Administration at Boston University and a range of international and Boston-based institutional and private partners, the Body of the People will premiere at the Old South Meeting House as part of THE SOCIAL, the International Association for Visual Culture’s Fourth Biennial Conference at Boston University. The event will be free and open to the public. http://www.bu.edu/artsadmin/2016/05/13/the-body-of-the-people/

Boston, MA (Inactive) – iCanHelp

2016-07-18T00:00:00Z

Society, philanthropic organizations, and insurance companies often dismiss individuals combating chronic illnesses because their pain tends to be “invisible” and/or incurable. Several Harvard students, some who are diagnosed with their own chronic conditions, came to this realization and set out to create a service that would directly benefit such individuals. In April 2016, they launched iCanHelp. iCanHelp’s mission is to provide free, empathetic help and companionship to individuals of all ages who struggle with chronic illness or disability. iCanHelp is a website (and soon to be app) where individuals can sign-up to give or receive help. When individuals visit the iCanHelp website, they create a personalized profile and enter their location and upcoming availabilities. Matches are then made based on two criteria. The first criterion is that the helper and helpee’s availabilities overlap. The second, vital, criterion is that the helper be asked to travel no more than 15 minutes (based on their preferred method of of transportation) to the helpee’s location. Once a match is made, both parties are contacted and introduced to one another. The helpee can ask for companionship and help with tasks such as: grocery shopping, packing, basic tidying, food preparation, and laundry. However, the helper is only asked to complete tasks that they feel comfortable doing. After the match-date has come and gone, both the helper and helpee can rate their experience, leave feedback, and enter their new availabilities!

Chicago, IL – Water for a Thirsty Therapeutic Garden

2016-07-16T00:00:00Z

In 2014, our block club received a $5000 grant to create a therapeutic garden for the clients of Envision Unlimited. Located on the north side of Chicago at 4919 N. Clark Street, Envision’s Kathryn Kruger Center serves ten seniors with developmental disabilities and 17 adults with autism. With this grant, we transformed the Center’s outdoor space from an unwelcoming asphalt pad into a vibrant green space for both clients and community members to enjoy. Since the garden was created, community members, Envision clients, and staff have worked together to tend to the flowers and plants. In 2016, we added a small vegetable garden. Unfortunately, our only water source is inside the Center. To water the plants, we must snake a hose across a bathroom and through a side window. Because of the hassle involved, the plants don't get watered frequently enough, and the clients don't spend as much time outdoors.

Madison, WI (Inactive) – For the One Who FInds Me

2016-07-15T00:00:00Z

For the One Who Finds Me seeks to create more magic and more kindness in the world--one tiny hashtagged bouquet at a time. I founded this project in June 2015 in Madison, Wisconsin. I purchase the flowers myself and buy the vases at thrift stores. I tag each one with the social media accounts and hide them in public places such as: the cereal aisle, the public library, art museums, coffee shops, etc. People find them and sometimes tag me back! It's a really exciting random act of kindness that strangers in other states have taken on (leaving their own bouquets and using the hashtags). This is a community-building project that promotes kindness, connection and collaboration between strangers. I hope to build it into a larger and larger movement that has a ripple effect of reminding us all we can commit a random act of kindness at ANY time.

Madison, WI (Inactive) – Walk-in Bike/Theater Series

2016-07-14T00:00:00Z

I am the Neighborhood Police Officer for the Triangle Neighborhood. I am asking for the financial means to purchase an outdoor movie screen and the rights to show 2-3 films on the green space near Braxton Place this fall (see attached map). My reasons for doing so include: Both residents of Bayview and CDA properties do not have extra money to go to the theater, but they love watching movies. It's difficult to find events that both the disabled/mentally ill residents from CDA and the immigrant population at Bayview can both enjoy, and enjoy it together as a neighborhood. This would be an ideal location for Vilas and Brittingham Neighborhood residents to bike to as well. Other neighborhoods could benefit from the same outdoor movie screen. The Bayview Foundation has agreed to be the financial receiver and CDA has agreed to allow the events to occur on the green space (owned by CDA) off of Braxton Place.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Born Just Right 3D innovations

2016-07-11T00:00:00Z

I'm building a 3D printed glitter-shooting prosthetic arm. I'm also trying to build an arm that can hold a phone to take pictures and so I can watch movies. When I get better at building 3D printed arms, I hope I can build things for other kids and adults.

Tilburg (Inactive) – Smile Tile

2016-07-11T00:00:00Z

De standaard 30x30 cm stoeptegels zijn grijs, standaard en uniform. Dat kan dus veel interessanter en leuker. Stel je voor dat je op een dag met een chagrijnig hoofd over straat loopt en een van deze tegels ontdekt. Deze kleine ingreep in de publieke ruimte zal je dag net wat leuker maken.

Singapore (Inactive) – Before I die (CBD edition)

2016-07-11T00:00:00Z

Started in 2011 in New Orleans, Before I Die is a global public art project that invites people to reflect on their lives and share their personal aspirations in public space. People are invited to continue the phrase “Before I die I want to…”. More than 1000 Before I Die walls have been created by people all over the world. We are the two volunteers that are striving to organize the next Before I die project in the heart of the Singapore CBD in August 2016 (subject to permission from the authorities), in order to remind the Singapore business community about their childhood dreams, celebrate life, and help to connect to the most important things in life. If we can break through the shell and remind a few hundred people about their dreams, that would be the best outcome. This is a not-for-profit project, and we are seeking help from Awesome foundation to support the execution.

Sarnia (Inactive) – South Sarnia Community Fair

2016-07-10T00:00:00Z

Over the last seven years our church has been making efforts to bring a quality family friendly event to the southern part of our city. Our Community Fair is designed to have rides, inflatables, candy and a bbq all at no cost for the families of this community. Additionally, we also invite non-profit organizations to participate in the fair. Each organization supplies an interactive game. This provides a fun and exciting end of summer event for hundreds of people in south sarnia. Among the communities who benefit from the fair are families who participate in Circles and also families who have children with Autism. Through our existing partnerships with the organizations that serve these families this enhances the sense of belonging for all involved.

Oakland, CA (Inactive) – Through The Walls

2016-07-08T00:00:00Z

Our awesome project is about overcoming loss and obstacles, the power of music, and how to create positive change. A rare documentary shot inside San Quentin State Prison and throughout Oakland, we're exploring issues of violence, going inside and out, and the nature of freedom. We are halfway through making a feature-length film showcasing Oakland youth activists and the great city of Oaktown itself. Our story follows a local mother, Mona Hall, who lost two sons, and those who go inside prison and out again, including the film's female director and a lifer, who got out, continuing activism and music on the outside. Ours is a story that's both inspiring and entertaining, provocative and moving. Our film features talent rarely heard or seen. We put on a historic anti-violence concert inside where inmates performed original music and spoken word alongside outside kid activists from Oakland. Unfortunately, three months to the day following the concert, one of the young "stars" --- whose own older brother was killed in an act of random violence --- was shot and killed himself in a case of mistaken identity. Since that happened, our film is taking on a new direction. Rather than merely a concert film showcasing inmate talent (which is vast and impressive) we are focusing on telling the tale of the interaction between the inmates and Bobby Hall, the young man killed, and others on the outside. The inmates were so impacted by Bobby that they wrote him a Tribute Song and we were able to record the performance for Bobby's family to see. The Hall family, extremely touched by this act of reaching out, were granted permission to come inside and thank the inmates. We have many harrowing tales of what it's like in SQ and what life on the streets is like in Oakland. We have footage at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-7px-mdX44 & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbYRI5KyRVo as well as on FB & the site. What can you do to reach beyond your own walls?

Gloucester, MA – Pay It Forward Pink Envelope Initiative

2016-07-08T00:00:00Z

In partnership with one another, Awesome Gloucester and Awesome Rockport will distribute 134 pink envelopes containing undisclosed amounts of cash across our neighboring communities. Together, our chapters will give away a total of $2000 in free cash over the course of a single weekend. The dates of distribution are July 16 and July 17. In addition to the cash, we will also insert a brief note in each envelope requesting that recipients (a) do something awesome with the money and (b) share a story about what they did via email or through social media. We intend for our guerrilla philanthropy effort to persuade our fellow community members to help us spread the interests of awesome in the universe.

Rockport, MA – Pay It Forward Pink Envelope Initiative

2016-07-08T00:00:00Z

San Francisco, CA – Deej - community engagement campaign

2016-07-07T00:00:00Z

Deej is a soon-to-be-released documentary film: Abandoned by his birth parents and unable to speak for himself,” DJ Savarese (“Deej”) found not only a loving family but also a life in words, which he types on a text-to-voice synthesizer. As he makes his way through high school and dreams of college, he confronts the terrors of his past, obstacles to inclusion, and the sometimes paralyzing beauty of his own senses. In his advocacy on behalf of other nonspeaking autistics, he embraces filmmaking and poetry, and discovers what having a voice can truly mean. We will use this funding to convene a meeting of leaders in the Bay Area disability rights movement. We are excited to share the film with these advocates; learn more about their on-the-ground advocacy work; and design creative ways to screen the film in conjunction with their ongoing efforts. This will lead to a coordinated campaign of public screenings of Deej in schools, community forums, local libraries, independent living and other advocacy centers, with local and state policymakers, etc... The hope is to create local and national events around this film that raise awareness and debunk negative distorted beliefs about autism.

San Francisco, CA – Screen Queens Face Fail

2016-07-07T00:00:00Z

We live in a society of increasing datafication and surveillance, but haven't agreed on technologies' limits; facial recognition is ever-present in our daily lives, from social media software that recognize friends to police cameras that can ID individuals in crowds. Unfortunately, being recognized can have harmful impacts on marginalized communities, including LGBTQ people, people of color, and violence survivors. Many ask how to mitigate these effects when tech is too ubiquitous to truly opt out. This project looks at how drag makeup and performance can serve as both a metaphor and practical approach for resisting visual surveillance—and a fun one at that! While similar projects create masks to avoid facial recognition altogether, drag allows users to “hide in plain sight.” As a drag queen myself, I am particularly interested in its history not only of gender-bending, but of playing with all types of transformation and artifice that question what “realness” truly means and create new ideas of beauty. I envision this as a hybrid of art, research, and activism beginning with a series of portraits of drag queens made up in distinct looks: the first phase will result in photos for gallery exhibition, which will also be uploaded to social media sites to test how specific techniques affect software. A second phase will contribute to academic writing on facial recognition, and I plan to produce an educational toolkit (including how-to videos) highlighting methods that anyone can use, whether a drag queen or not, to create a more rebellious and fabulous appearance online and URL.

Orlando, FL – Art X Social Change Night in the Milk District

2016-07-06T00:00:00Z

Art X Social Change Night is a summer session of local art revolving around the theme of social issues and community action held at The Milk District's Spacebar. The goal of this event is to encourage civic participation and create communities that are engaged with social issues and change through art. The event will feature visual art, music, song, spoken word, poetry, plays, dance, print graphics, and more all around social themes such as the environment, gun violence, lgbt rights, justice, women's rights, equality, world peace, civil rights, education, mental health, and more. Goals  create communities that are engaged with social issues and change through art  encourage civic participation  inspire the community to come together to take action  advocate for issues  community building  facilitate dialogue about issues  register people to vote Advocacy Groups Present  League of Women Voters  Sierra Club  Equality Florida Event will feature  visual art, music, song, spoken word, poetry, plays, dance, print graphics, Social Justice Themes  environment, justice, women's rights, equality, world peace, civil rights, education, mental health, and more Performances will be held inside, Artist displays, vendors, food trucks will be surrounding the Milk District's parking lot area. Media  WMFE, Orlando Weekly, Bungalower Proceeds to benefit  ArtReach Orlando, a local nonprofit arts outreach program that works with children in under- served communities exploring the nexus between art and social justice in Orange County, Florida  Equality Florida’s Pulse Victim Fund

Yerevan – TOPRAK PETQ CHI / ՏՈՊՐԱԿ ՊԵՏՔ ՉԻ

2016-07-05T00:00:00Z

The functional lifespan of a single plastic bag in one of Yerevan’s grocery stores is literally minutes, from the moment the merchant gives you the plastic bag to transport your items to the moment you get home and remove your items from the bag. Soon after this, plastic bags re-enter Armenia’s environment as trash. It takes over 500 years for each of them to break down, and when they finally do, they poison the Earth and its wildlife for millennia. Here’s the question we want people to think about: Is 500+ years of damage worth 5 minutes of convenience? Toprak Petq Chi is an initiative targeting single-use plastic bags in Armenia’s grocery stores. It will consist of: 1) Pioneering an alternative. We will do this by launching a Design-Your-Own-Totebag Station in one of Yerevan's public spaces where we will invite passersby to stencil their own designs (or those of local graphic designers') onto blank canvas tote bags. People are more likely to use the bags if it has a special meaning. 2) Generating awareness by writing blog posts in Armenian and English on the issue as well as creating posters and slogans to help people "think outside the bag." We don’t have to wait for Armenia’s government to enact legislation to do something about this. Most Armenians are are not blind to the hundreds of plastic bags and bottles that litter the environment, but the perceived convenience and social pressure to use plastic bags is greater than the urge to refuse them, which often results in a verbal altercation between the cashier and the customer. Hence, the name of this campaign: “TOPRAK PETQ CHI”. These are the words we must use firmly and adamantly each time we leave the grocery store... until the day we don't have to anymore.

Liverpool – Bootle Buzz

2016-07-04T00:00:00Z

In Liverpool, beekeeping has become very popular. For many, I have found, it is the first step into learning about our wildlife. However, despite all the good people think they are doing with keeping hives, installing a hive in to a space is essentially like a factory going into a space and all the resources are gleaned - ie pollen and nectar, to keep the factory running. This creates a huge impact on other beekeepers in the area and more importantly, on honeybees that we do not monitor as closely as honeybees. This project will be to us an existing apiary in Bootle where I have 4 hives. It will be used for community groups, individuals, schools and the like to use existing hives to learn about bees, have a go at looking in side a hive, learning about which plants are good for bees and why honeybees are just as important as other bees (the honeybee is only 1 type of bee out of 250 in the UK but many people dont know this). I have been approached by 3 different Liverpool homeschooling groups over Merseyside who are keen on their children to learn about bees, our own Liverpool environment and more about nature and how we rely on insects, plants and trees in our everyday lives. The project will take participants through a season of beekeeping (april - August, we will cover all the seasons even if we start in august, wecan do the rest the following year and continue on) and end with a honey extraction and harvest. This is where we can taste our local landscape and see what the different forage tastes like in spring and in summer. With the existing apiary, this will reduce the need of hives being installed, it will be a place where others can learn about beekeeping in free, informative and in a friendly space taught by a an experienced beekeeper.

San Antonio, TX – Locolobo: A Punk Prometheus

2016-07-01T00:00:00Z

“Locolobo” is the first play written by Jens Rushing and features a fresh perspective of the trouble and love brewing at Drinkenstein's, the hottest joint in all of Texsylvania. The play follows themes of the strange yet familiar and the tension between wanting to be true to oneself while fitting in. Rushing allows the audience the luxury of observing from a distance while placing a mirror for introspection. Is it disturbing or inspiring? Will love overcome fear? Can monsters and people coexist? Will their music rock you into an alternate reality?

San Antonio, TX – SATX Social Ride - Safety and Education

2016-07-01T00:00:00Z

For the last few years, the SATX Social Ride has been introducing San Antonio residents to the joys of social (group) riding in the downtown area. We started off in 2013 with 6 riders and now average close to 300 riders on our weekly Tuesday rides. We strive to keep this a "no drop" ride and a ride which follows the rules of the road. We do this to make the experience less-stressful for new riders and teach safe cycling practices to all riders. In 2015 we had 43 organized rides which averaged around 140 riders. We put over 6,000 bike riders on the streets. We also rode a combined 70,700 bike miles all starting within the downtown area. That's pretty impressive for an all volunteer crew with no working budget (in my opinion). Our group has about 30 "ride marshals" who assist with flat tires, mechanical issues, coaching and occasional first aid. This is definitely a group effort and it takes a dedicated and motivated team to marshal 300 cyclists 10 to 14 miles around the downtown area. We do this a safely as we possible. We use free smartphone apps to maintain contact and awareness. We also have a pre-ride safety huddle to discuss roles and responsibilities. Occasionally we have an "after ride review" to discuss ways to improve future rides. In the past few years we have organized several charity rides and provided material support and promotion for: The Texas Diaper Bank, The Chow Train, Inner City Development, Earn A BIke and Cycling without Age. We will continue to support these, and other, charities with our future rides and activities. This summer we will also start a new monthly ride for families with really small kids who want to ride (think training wheels). It is my goal to grow this group in a sustainable manner and keep our safety standards and practices intact. We are also in the process of becoming a 501c3 non profit organization.

San Antonio, TX – Hearts Need Art

2016-07-01T00:00:00Z

Cancer patients are often stuck in the hospital for weeks and even months at a time. When I started volunteering to sing for cancer patients at a local hospital, I was overwhelmed by the need for a more enriched healing environment. The patients I work with need comfort, they need distraction from their pain, and they need hope. When I walk into their hospital room and sing for them they feel comforted, gratefully distracted, and hopeful. Music and art provide a respite for hurting souls. The need is so great and I want to do more to help them by bringing in more artists to work with patients.

Sydney – HSCHero

2016-07-01T00:00:00Z

You know how Year 12 students often crumble from stress due to the HSC? HSC Hero is a website that provides free online video tutorials for HSC 2016 students especially those who are financially and geographically disadvantaged students. We're a team of 3 under 21, living in South Western Sydney and our vision is to encourage and empower others to learn. As recent graduates from high school, we felt as though it was really unfair that some of us could not afford extra help and tuition simply because our parents didn't have enough money. So after high school we wanted to make learning easier for everyone especially those who need extra help. We used our graphic design experience and worked with HSC tutors, teachers and students to create short video tutorials based on each of the dot points required in the syllabus. This way learning can be interesting, easy and affordable. We love to learn and it makes us saddens us when students hate learning. Most of the times, it was because they didn't understand the material being taught and this had an extremely negative impact on their lives and even their mental health. We not only want to help students access awesome resources but to motivate them and show them that there are many great opportunities in life! We are currently funding HSCHero ourselves. I created a graphic design business to ensure that HSCHero stays afloat, especially in the beginning. We had a soft launch last month and are currently talking to over 5 disadvantaged schools in the West and have around 80 sign ups growing more everyday. Our aim is to help over 2,000 HSC students and 20 high schools before the HSC Exams and finish more subjects. We are currently working on Chemistry and Physics and should have them ready in the next few months. We're extremely passionate about empowering others to learn and we believe that humanity's problems can be solved through education, learning and awareness.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Mr. SOUL! The Movie

2016-07-01T00:00:00Z

Before Oprah, before Arsenio, there was Mr. SOUL! From 1968-1973, America got SOUL! – TV’s first "black Tonight Show." Mr. SOUL! The Movie is a mulit-platform project centering around a feature-length documentary. The film celebrates SOUL!, the groundbreaking PBS series from its genesis to its eventual loss of funding, against the backdrop of a swiftly changing political and social landscape, while profiling Ellis Haizlip, the charismatic man behind one of the most culturally significant and successful television shows in U.S. history. The film explores how, at a pivotal moment in American history, SOUL! changed the country’s perception of African American culture, identity and experience. Once completed, the film will be distributed theatrically and offered to PBS for national broadcast. The immersive, robust website will engage audiences and connect them to others in the space driven by advocacy around the larger political issues of diversity in media.

Newcastle – Adopt A Singer - Singing For Aged Care Residents

2016-06-30T00:00:00Z

Adopt a Singer is a program where Adam Price (an interactive seniors entertainer) goes into aged care facilities, hospital geriatric and palliative care wards and gives joy and happiness to lonely, scared or otherwise lost souls. The project has been going for some time now, but it's become apparent that quite a few aged care facilities just don't have the entertainment budgets to pay for professional entertainment which brings their residents joy and happiness. The other part of Adams project is that he's on call to visit seniors and perform when they become too ill to get out of their room, or go to hospital or into palliative care. With this grant money, Adam intends on performing for residents who otherwise couldn't afford it, and to look into increasing his reach through training others.

Washington, DC – Tour De Bike Lane

2016-06-30T00:00:00Z

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/tripping/wp/2016/06/20/tour-de-bike-lane/ Tour de Bike Lane is something we usually do 4-5 times annually, We go to different locations and gather alongside bike lanes, cheering on commuters and other fellow cyclists going about their everyday business. We believe that riding bikes is fun & super awesome, and we want to make these people feel like they are athletes in the Tour de France, the Giro d' Italia or any other huge bike race by celebrating the act of riding a bicycle in the city. We often have people who come through the cheering section stop and ask about what we are doing, then join us in cheering on more cyclists.

Washington, DC – Punk Shot

2016-06-30T00:00:00Z

I am seeking support for “Punk Shot” which will turn the sound waves from local punk music into healthy wheatgrass shots. I propose to invite 10 DC punk bands to play at Hamiltonian—an art gallery in the historic U Street—as part of my exhibition which opens on August 13th to September 10th, 2016. The shows will not only open DC punk culture to a broad audience on U Street, but will also help test the scientific theory that punk music helps plants grow. Over the duration of the exhibition, we will grow wheatgrass plants, while all visitors are invited to take a free shot of nutritious wheatgrass infused with the energy of DC punk music and its culture. Ultimately, the project will energize the wider DC community. Hamiltonian Gallery will be transformed into a garage-like greenhouse and music venue. We will build a structure where eighty pots of wheatgrass will grow along the interior, resulting in up to 160 shots of wheatgrass offered weekly. Accompanying the wheatgrass, a series of free punk shows will be hosted to cultivate new audiences and enrich the plants. The shows will occur approximately four times over the course of the exhibition and will be free and open to all ages. Photosynthesis helps to explain how punk music helps plants to grow. Sound waves coupled with the increased exhalation of carbon dioxide from the showgoers circulate air around the plants. In return, the plants accelerate the production of oxygen for the punk celebration. The two not only coexist, but form a mutually beneficial ecosystem which extends to our everyday life. Wheatgrass and punk culture share intensity, youth, and raw energy. Drawing from the idiosyncratic ecosystem between plants and music, “Punk Shot” highlights the rich history of the local DC punk scene. Simultaneously, we inclusively energize the wider DC community as they partake in the holistic benefits of this communal wheatgrass shot.

Twin Cities, MN (Inactive) – Learning from our Seniors before it's too Late!

2016-06-29T00:00:00Z

Too many kids are spending time on computers and not interacting with real people or real materials.. I would like to get my 27 students as well as the other 4 classrooms of 27 students at my school to interact with people in a nearby senior center. Together the seniors and kids would create projects. As a result the seniors will teach and the students will learn. Discussion and shared information will happen as well. Ideas include: *taking apart and/or putting together small machines. *hand work such as cross stitch, knitting, crocheting, quilting *writing projects where we listen and write one another's stories * creating Art Students will be matched with seniors interested in sharing their expertise. Students will be far from their "devices" and interacting with people to learn new things.

Tallahassee, FL (Inactive) – Ukulele Players of Pyramid (UPP)

2016-06-29T00:00:00Z

The Ukulele Players of Pyramid is a program recently started at the Tallahassee Pyramid Program, a day-treatment program for adults with developmental disabilities. Pyramid offers a wide range of visual and performing arts activities, in addition to services including physical, nutritional and behavioral assistance, social and life-management skills, and educational classes. Arts activities include painting, sculpture, jewelry making, dance, theater, and a variety of music groups. For example, the Electric People is a group of musicians and singers who perform rock and roll and contemporary songs. The Blues Lab is a group who perform original and standard Blues songs. A new music group, the Ukulele Players of Pyramid (UPP) has recently started under the direction of Ken Winker with assistance of Pyramid music staff who identified students interested in learning how to play the ukulele and to perform songs. Ken meets weekly with the group and teaches them strumming patterns in a variety of tempos, and how to play a sufficient number of chords which lets the group perform a wide range of songs, including original songs. Ken is applying music and music-based experiences to help students develop and re-gain life skills including communication, physical movement, attention and memory, emotional growth, and lots of fun. The Ukulele Players of Pyramid have been provided with a small number of ukulele instruments. However, these instruments must remain on site for the class. Students are unable take the ukuleles home where they could practice more and also share their music with their family and friends. A goal of the group is to perform in shows at the Pyramid Program and at venues and events in the community. And, to share the inspirational efforts of these very special people with the Tallahassee community through UPP- lifting performances. The purpose of the requested funds will be used solely to purchase between 20-25 ukuleles and bags to allow for each student in the group to have their very own ukulele so they can practice and play music for themselves and family and friends and to have a sufficient number of instruments left in the classroom for the group to use during class should they forget to bring their ukulele to the facility. Funds will also be used to design and buy unique t-shirts for the Ukulele Players of Pyramid.

Jumbos (Inactive) – Bringing Pulp to the People

2016-06-28T00:00:00Z

Keep the art of papermaking alive! We are turning a food truck into a mobile studio to teach & sell our wares all around the Portland, Oregon area. Pulp & Deckle is a community studio and small business that is dedicated to sharing the art, science, history and craft of handmade paper with others. We launched our small business in the fall of 2012. Over the past 3.5 years we've grown exponentially. Here's a bit of what we've been up to; -Teaching workshops and classes to hundreds of students -Making and selling thousands of sheets of paper crafted from recycled materials, plants, and textiles - Partnering with the arts non-profit c3:initiative to launch a residency program focusing on introducing artists to the medium of handmade paper and giving them a group exhibition showcasing their work - Providing studio access to artists and students via monthly memberships - Demonstrating papermaking at farmers markets, maker fairs, and street and craft festivals - Selling handmade paper based goods and art via our Etsy shop - Exhibiting our artwork at gallery spaces - Partnering with other organizations to offer free and/or low cost workshops If you live in Portland you probably know all about the housing crisis and massive surge in population growth. As real estate prices have risen many artists have been priced out of living and working in this beautiful, creative city. When we started mapping out our future studio plans and toured potential new locations, it quickly became clear that the neighborhoods where we would be centrally located are out of our price range. So we decided to get creative. How can we stay in Portland and afford our operating costs, while staying accessible for our students and clients? WE GO MOBILE! By turning a food truck into a mobile studio we will increase our community partnerships and have more flexible class offerings for students.

Minas Gerais (Inactive) – Promoção da saúde para as profissionais do sexo

2016-06-28T00:00:00Z

A Associação de Prostitutas de Minas Gerais (Aprosmig) é uma entidade sem fins lucrativos que atua nas áreas de promoção da cidadania e busca por direitos das mulheres profissionais do sexo, segurança no trabalho e reconhecimento da profissão. Dirigida exclusivamente por prostitutas, a Aprosmig visa ampliar a discussão sobre os direitos e luta contra o estigma e o preconceito que envolvem a atividade de prostituição. Desde a fundação da Aprosmig, a associação tem como uma de suas ações a promoção da saúde entre as profissionais do sexo por meio da distribuição de preservativos sexuais, materiais informativos e realização de palestras sobre DSTs/AIDS e Hepatites Virais. Além disso, a APROSMIG desenvolve atividades lúdico-políticas para fortalecer a autoestima e a auto-organização das profissionais do sexo, valorizando elementos culturais vinculados ao trabalho sexual. Para ampliar o impacto das ações de promoção da saúde, queremos fortalecer a "Campanha Saúde nas Esquinas: uma puta transa de direitos". Esta é realizada pela Rede Brasileira de Prostitutas (da qual a associação faz parte) e foi elaborada durante maio, em uma oficina democrática e plural. Foram produzidas fotografias, peças gráficas, depoimentos em vídeo, etc. Essa campanha ocorre a nível nacional, porém não chegou em Belo Horizonte. Queremos distribuir este material nos 28 hotéis da Guaicurus e realizar palestras cujo objetivo é tornar as prostitutas multiplicadoras das ações de prevenções, ou seja, elas são orientadas a como conscientizar os seus clientes sobre o tema. Nas palestras será usada, também, a metodologia de abordagem entre os pares.

Rio de Janeiro (Inactive) – PROJETO TANTA MÚSICA

2016-06-27T00:00:00Z

O projeto Tanta Música é uma iniciativa desenvolvida no bairro Praça Seca (RJ) pelo casal Marcelo Serralva e Marissa de Brito. A meta do projeto é oferecer aulas de música gratuitas ao menos 2 vezes por semana, para crianças e adolescentes, em um bairro com poucas opções culturais. O casal já possui experiência em realizar projetos culturais no bairro e outros locais. Em 2015 eles mantiveram atividades em 2 empreitadas: a Livrocicleta, que doava livros gratuitamente nas ruas para quem se interessasse, e o Praça Seca Cultural uma ocupação mensal da praça com música, que ainda acontece mensalmente e já dura 2 anos. O Praça Seca Cultural foi recentemente chancelado pela prefeitura no edital Ações Locais. O que faltava para o casal era um espaço próprio para desenvolver suas próprias atividades. O que aconteceu recentemente: os dois alugaram um espaço bem amplo no bairro, na rua Florianópolis, e já estão atuando por conta própria, sem apoio oficial ou patrocínio, contando apenas com doações de alguns incentivadores. O espaço, que estava fechado, foi reformado e já recebeu os primeiro instrumentos – violões, ukuleles, bateria, percussões em geral, e um piano que foi doado por uma moradora do bairro. A oficina gratuita de música terá início em agosto e as inscrições serão abertas em julho. Esta iniciativa ocorrerá em um bairro acossado pela violência e necessitado de uma programação cultural que seja realmente voltada para a comunidade. A proposta da oficina será oferecer aulas de percussão com material reciclado para os alunos iniciantes e, de acordo com o interesse e talento, que o aluno possa aprender outros instrumentos como violão, piano, ukulele e bateria. Apesar de gratuita, a oficina cobrará assiduidade e responsabilidade das crianças e adolescentes envolvidos. Além da oficina, há a idéia de se montar uma mini-biblioteca com os livros que sobraram do projeto da Livrocicleta (quase mil) e a participação em eventos beneficentes para a comunidade. O próximo evento já está agendado: uma festa junina bem tradicional (Arraialzinho do Bem), que acontecerá no dia 10 de julho no espaço da Beneficência Portuguesa. ---- The Tanta Music Project is an initiative developed in Praça Seca neighborhood (RJ) by Marcelo Serralva and Marissa de Brito. The goal of the project is to provide free music lessons at least 2 times a week, for children and adolescents in a neighborhood with few cultural options. The couple has already carried out cultural projects in the neighborhood and other places. In 2015, they held activities in two projects: Livrocicleta, who donated books for free on the streets, and Praça Seca Cultural, a monthly occupation of the neighborhood with music, that still happens every month. The Praça Seca Cultural was recently sanctioned by the city in the announcement Local Actions. Marcelo and Marissa rented a space in the neighborhood and are already acting on their own, with no official support or sponsorship, just some donation from few supporters. The space was renovated and has already received the first music instruments - guitars, ukuleles, drums, percussions in general, and a piano that was donated by a neighborhood resident. The free music workshop will start in August and registration will open in July. This initiative is taking place in a neighborhood in need of a cultural programming that is truly oriented to the community. The purpose of the workshop is to offer percussion lessons with recycled material for beginners and students, and according to the interest and talent, that the student can learn other instruments such as guitar, piano, ukulele and drums. Although free, the workshop will charge assiduity and responsibility of children and adolescents involved. In addition to the workshop, other ideas are: setting up a mini-library with books from the Livrocicleta project (nearly a thousand) and charity events for the community. The next event is already scheduled: a very traditional Brazilian Festa Junina, which will take place on July 10 at Beneficência Portuguesa (RJ).

Alaska (Inactive) – Establishing a Natural Sound Monitoring Program

2016-06-27T00:00:00Z

Sound is a significant component of ecosystems and plays an important role in how plants and animals interact with each other and with their surroundings. The field of soundscape ecology studies the overall ecological significance of sound in the landscape. Larger and smaller landscape-scale soundscape research is proving useful in determining relationships of soundscape elements and landscape components. The study of sound as an important property of ecosystems over longer periods of time and across large and small spatial areas allows for a more complete understanding of the role sound plays in the environment. Protection of acoustical environments has received growing attention from managers and policy makers as a result of an increased understanding of its role in overall ecosystem health. Natural sounds are vital to the natural functioning of preserve/park ecosystems. Studies suggest that the acoustical environment is important to wildlife in a number of ways including: • Intra-species communication • Territory establishment, finding desirable habitat • Courtship and mating • Nurturing and protecting young • Predation and predator avoidance • Effective use of habitat Emerging research is finding that when technophony (sound produced by machines and technology) is introduced to a natural soundscape, significant changes can occur in the environment which can be indicators of a degrading natural environment. To establish a point of reference to note changes overtime in the environment, natural sound monitoring programs can be established to document the changes. This project would take the initial steps to establish such a monitoring program on the Inspiration Ridge Preserve, Homer, AK and begin to establish a baseline from which sound can be measured overtime. This project is unique as it has never been done before in the Kachemak Bay and could be used as a model to document change in the Homer area and Kachemak State Park and Wilderness Park.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Musical Playground

2016-06-26T00:00:00Z

Acton Elementary School (Acton, Maine – York Co.) is requesting a grant of $1000 from the Awesome Foundation to help purchase and install a large outdoor musical playground installation, called Percussion Play. These are giant musical instruments made of steel, and are installed outdoors for year-round play. Our goal is to be as inclusive as possible with all of our special needs students. Some students have physical and behavioral impairments, and one of our Kindergarteners has cone-rod dystrophy, which causes him to be legally blind. The instruments will provide auditory clues to help our visually impaired student determine where he is on the playground, what the layout is, and where the other children are at any given time. All children will use and enjoy these instruments as well! Inclusive playgrounds are ones designed specifically to ensure that children of multiple abilities can play together–not just alongside each other. Play, especially group play, is critical to the healthy growth and development of children. This is how they learn to solve problems, get along with others and develop the fine and gross motor skills needed to grow and learn. Research shows active music-making experiences can improve functioning in several developmental areas for visually impaired children. Children don’t realize that they are also learning and practicing non-musical skills, like turn-taking, joint attention, and visual imitation, all while they are just having fun together! The rewards of this investment by the Awesome Foundation would be enjoyed immediately, and by hundreds of children for years to come. Although our location is rural, using innovative, state-of-the-art solutions to help children learn and grow at Acton Elementary is what we’re all about!

Miami, FL – Telemedicine for Free Children's Clinics

2016-06-24T00:00:00Z

Oahu, HI – Campus Beautification with Murals

2016-06-23T00:00:00Z

Kapolei Middle School is a track school, meaning there are always students on campus, except for four weeks of the year. Because of this, the campus is heavily used and wear and tear is seen on the buildings. In order to brighten up school and make students excited to be a Warrior, I want to paint murals on the portables to allow color and excitement to be added to the school. In addition, the murals will help cut down on the amount of graffiti that takes place at the school, which occurs at least twice a semester. Everyone at the school will see we take pride at Kapolei Middle School and it will make the community stronger and greater. Each mural will be different and will depend on what the teacher has requested. Some murals will be inspirational quotes; some will be pictures; some will be artwork. The principal also requested our first project be a sign that says Kapolei Middle School, Home of the Warriors, which we will paint and put up at the front of the school.

Kingston – "Little Shop of Horrors

2016-06-21T00:00:00Z

Whitehall Theatre Company is a new youth theatre company in Kingston aimed at creating opportunities for Kingston's youth to shine both on and behind the stage. After our successful original musical last summer we have decided to take on the cult classic "Little Shop of Horrors" this summer at the Domino Theatre in August. We have already acquired a band, music director, director, stage manager, choreographer, set designer, and are beginning cast auditions.

Beaverton & Beyond, OR (Inactive) – Bringing Music Home - Washington County

2016-06-21T00:00:00Z

This project is designed to provide music via custom iPod playlists to your neighbors who are living with dementia and other disabilities. Throughout the elder care community, recognition of the power of music has been rapidly growing. Familiar music can cut through the fog of dementia and provide comfort and companionship to people previously regarded as 'beyond reach." If you have a Facebook account, you may have seen the videos of elderly people seemingly coming back to life seconds after a pair of headphones is placed on their ears. You can also imagine how valuable the gift of music could be to other individuals who have become isolated by a physical disability that makes getting out into the community challenging. As a provider of in-home primary medical care, palliative care and hospice services to more than 600 homebound and disabled patients in Washington County, we see people like those described above every day. We recognize the homebound population as complex human beings, complete with all of the joys, sorrows and moods that we all have. As a result, we do our best to find ways to do more than simply treat their physical diseases, symptoms and disabilities. We would like you to help us to reach out to them. All proceeds from this grant will go towards buying basic iPods, music, headphones and other equipment (cords, wall chargers, etc.) for Housecall Providers’ Bringing Music Home program. These funds will be dedicated solely to providing Washington County patients with the experience of the music that they love and remember. It will also enable us to garner the data and results necessary to successfully pursue long-term funding for additional patients here and throughout the Portland metro area. Housecall Providers is a nationally recognized local nonprofit healthcare organization that provides specialized services to some of our community’s most vulnerable members. We offer compassionate physical, emotional and spiritual support through life’s journey. We do not turn anyone away based on inability to pay. The Bringing Music Home program will be run as an initiative of the Housecall Providers volunteer program. While our long term plan is to serve patients throughout our service area, 42% percent of our patients reside in Washington County (608 out of 1453 people). Currently we have only 11 iPods and a very modest library of donated CDs. As such, we have not been able to launch this program to serve our homebound, disabled and hospice patients living in Beaverton and its surrounding communities. A chance viewing of the film “Alive Inside” inspired our Volunteer Coordination staff to become certified as a “Music & Memory” site. In the time since we have been working to develop our program, and only lacked the funds to get started. Our target group for this project will be the homebound patients within our care in Washington County. This grant should provide for more than 20 iPods, which may be used multiple times (depending on length of use and condition). In addition to all the patients served, families will also benefit, knowing that their loved ones are happier and more engaged. Caregivers will as well, as studies have shown that music can decrease negative behaviors and often reduces the need for psychiatric medications. But most importantly, countless members of the Washington County area will benefit, as this grant will allow us to launch in the area and qualify for future support from other funders. Caregivers will be surveyed about program satisfaction, as well as health and behavioral outcomes. The project is ready to launch immediately upon funding, and is designed to be an ongoing program. This award will enable us to begin. We’re excited to start reaching out to people living with dementia and other disabilities through the power of music. Want to Help? Housecall Providers is looking for community members to serve as volunteers who would like to visit homebound patients in their area, to assist with various aspects of the music program and donations of materials (CDs, iTunes gift cards, and used iPods). They would be especially thrilled to have a volunteer who has the ability to change batteries in older iPods. Contact: Todd Lawrence / Housecall Providers · tlawrence@housecallproviders.org · 971-202-5515 Learn more:www.housecallproviders.org/music-memory-a-new-gift-to-our-patients/ and www.facebook.com/Housecall-Providers-173153744324/

LA South Bay, CA (Inactive) – LISTEN: IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT.

2016-06-21T00:00:00Z

We are launching a social movement called IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT™. The purpose is to demonstrate how we can improve the mental wellness of our communities through active listening. The catalyzing event is screening the unreleased feature film LISTEN across North America in Fall 2016. It will be 100% free for people to attend. LISTEN was inspired by Writer/Director Erahm Christopher's work with nearly one million youth. The film is about a school counselor who struggles to make a difference as isolation and negative influences spark destructive behavior among broken youth. Prominent themes include: mental illness, self-harm, gang violence, racism, cyber-bullying, domestic abuse and suicide. The trailer may be viewed at: www.listenthemovie.com. We test screened the film to 6000+ people in the U.S. & Canada and received incredible feedback. Here’s a summarized video response: https://youtu.be/1F1f8u83Evo. LISTEN helps youth feel like they are not alone and empowers them to empathize with their peers and vocalize their own struggles. We can provide a comprehensive data packet upon request. Screening event structure: • Intro by Local Mental Health Professional (5 - 10 min) • Feature Film Presentation (1 hour 48 min) • Facilitated Q&A Discussion (30 min) • ‘Just Listen’ Activity Books distributed to all attendees Supporting this event will benefit the LA South Bay community in a multitude of ways. The event will (1) build awareness to mental health (2) reveal the damaging consequences that occur when we fail to listen to those in need (3) bridge the social divide between youth and adults (4) create a space for honest conversation and (5) provide local resources for individuals and families to seek help. Overall, we believe this will make LA South Bay MORE AWESOME by transforming inactive listeners into ACTIVE LISTENERS. Everyone has a role to play in communities therefore we must work together to help our youth grow healthy and connected!

Gloucester, MA – Little River Little Free Library

2016-06-21T00:00:00Z

A Little Free Library is a structure about the size of a bird house that sits on a fence post. It contains books that people can take home with them. People are also encouraged to leave a book in the place of a book they take. With permission from the City of Gloucester’s Waterways Board, and thanks to the generosity of the Building Center and the Gloucester High School carpentry students, a Little Free Library will be installed at the "Stubby" Knowles Landing at the head of Little River in West Gloucester this summer. Building a Little Free Library will help to renew the area's visibility and to foster community appreciation for this lovely piece of Gloucester's land. Opening up a Little Free Library in West Gloucester would be another great, and unconventional, way to put Gloucester "on the map." The Landing's quiet parking area and beautiful view provide the perfect spot to sit and meditate. Especially nice is the presence of a picnic table where families and friends gather after bike rides or walks. More attention from the neighborhood and the community will help keep the benches maintained and in good condition. Our neighborhood is home to many children. The brand-new West Parish school is slated to open this September, and it is about a mile from the future Little Free Library site. Thanks to social media, the LFL has a Facebook page. Our LFL also has a Wordpress blog for those who are interested in goings-on but who do not use Facebook. I am the Steward of the Little Free Library, meaning that I am responsible for its upkeep. I will curate the book collection and will make sure it is family-friendly. Finally, and perhaps most excitingly, I aim to use some of the money awarded to help contribute to registering six other Little Free Libraries around Gloucester. A friend of mine has expressed an interest in founding one in East Gloucester, and another has talked about establishing one in the center of Magnolia. Hopefully, this is just the beginning!

Seattle, WA – Library Birders

2016-06-20T00:00:00Z

I am the Assistant Director of San Juan Island Library. We are a small remote library with a vibrant community. Due to our unique environment our residents are very ecologically and environmentally aware and we have a huge tourism market. I would like to create Birding Kits that the library lends out to our patrons. The kit would consist of a backpack, maps, small set of binoculars, birding book, pencil/paper and information card. To do this I would love a grant for the initial outlay. UPDATE (March 2017): Our San Juan Island Library Bird Watching Kits have been awesome! Constantly in demand over summer, and recently used by school groups, the kits offer our patrons a great introduction to birdwatching. Some people even saw whales! Thanks Awesome Foundation!

Pittsburgh, PA – Traveling Accessible and Integrative Playground

2016-06-20T00:00:00Z

On the playground, what do inclusive groups of children, with and without disabilities, have to build together, throw at one another, and fight over? Often, nothing. To begin addressing this issue, Find Some Flow created the Accessible Playground Locker, a portable, accessibly designed and built device filled with inclusive games and equipment. Designed collaboratively with the Pittsburgh disability community and dozens of other partners, the Playground Locker contains all of the kinetic games and other inclusive materials FSF has been developing since its founding. With the support of an Awesome mini-grant, FSF will be able to bring the Accessible Playground Locker to multiple Pittsburgh-area playgrounds and play-spaces this summer. The Playground Locker is designed to be functional, both on the inside and out. The colorful, interactive exterior of the locker promotes disability awareness and provides social-tools for children and parents with and without disabilities to integrate, collaborate, and play. A large “comic strip” created by an adaptive graphic novelist provides instruction to inspire children to use American Sign Language to ask questions like “Want to play?”. The Blind and Vision Resources Center of Pittsburgh will provide a “Learn to Read Braille” board, a tactile-map of the contents of the locker and game rules printed in braille. The Stigma Project: Let’s Think Again campaign will provide additional awareness information and signage. In addition, the Locker features a “buddy bench”, a designated seating area where children feeling lonely or upset can seek camaraderie. The construction of the locker is now nearing completion by a local Boy Scout chapter and several master-carpenters as part of an Eagle Scout Project. Please support this attempt to bring disability awareness and inclusive play to Pittsburgh-area playspaces.

Newmarket – BridgeNorth

2016-06-20T00:00:00Z

ABOUT BRIDGENORTH (WHAT WE DO) BridgeNorth (BN) is a community program based in York Region, Ontario, dedicated to helping commercially sexually exploited women and children exit the sex industry and build the healthy lives that they want to live. BN’s Founder & Director, Casandra Diamond, draws on her own experiences in the sex trade to provide holistic care to commercially sexually exploited individuals through prevention strategies, exit strategies, and safety planning. Casandra’s work started in 2006, when she began reaching out to women she had previously worked with in licensed massage parlours. She began meeting with women and their children weekly to talk, share a meal and study the Bible together. The success of this group inspired Casandra to want to do more and care for the women’s practical needs. Casandra began working at a local women’s organization, as a Case Manager, where she gained skills in crisis support, counseling and more. While working as a Case Manager, Casandra’s career focus began to include advocacy and she was instrumental in adopting our current legal landscape surrounding prostitution in Canada. It was then Casandra decided to leave her job and begin her own program, founding BridgeNorth in 2014. Casandra’s past experiences have shaped the holistic services that BridgeNorth offers today, which includes spiritual care alongside practical care. KEY PROGRAM OBJECTIVES 1. Assist exploited persons to successfully exit the sex industry 2. Assist exploited persons in successfully reintegrating into society 3. Educate the public & government about the need for cessation of systemic exploitation through licensed facilities in the sex industry CORE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 1. Direct Service (Crisis support, case management, mentorship) 2. Advocacy (Provide consultations to social service agencies and various levels of government) 3. Public Education (Increase awareness of human trafficking)

Ottawa – Sprout

2016-06-20T00:00:00Z

June’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Kim Kirton, Maria Anghelidis, and the Enactus uOttawa “Sprout” team to support their pilot project getting fresh produce into convenience stores. “Sprout is an innovative solution that tackles the problem of food deserts in Ottawa,” explains Holly Todd, Vice President of Social Enterprises for the student-run club. “A food desert is an area that lacks fresh fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods. This usually means a lack of grocery stores, farmer's markets, and the like, so the people living there have no access to healthy food. Sprout can be the oasis in these food deserts,” Holly says, “providing fresh produce to these areas using a vessel that is already present – convenience stores.” Sprout is currently in its pilot phase, with one convenience store at 487 Cumberland St. The award from Awesome Ottawa will support a launch in a second convenience store, and a community event to celebrate it. Kim is Project Manager of Sprout, and Maria is Head of Operations. Both are undergraduate students at the University of Ottawa.

Boulder, CO (Inactive) – Stories to Tell--Barn Quilts of Boulder County

2016-06-20T00:00:00Z

Stories to Tell—Barn Quilts of Boulder County creates a visual narrative. It creates a trail of story, heritage, and place through historically significant patterns of quilt blocks painted on 4 foot x 4 foot panels mounted to barn exteriors. Barn quilts have existed for generations, but a revival of interest began in 2000. Since then, barn quilt installations have been completed nationwide to promote rural landscapes, agricultural traditions, and awareness and knowledge of quilting traditions. Stories to Tell—Barn Quilts of Boulder County does all that and goes further in weaving a tapestry of tales. The Project promotes the unique Colorado landscape and also calls attention to the geography of “we”: the diverse social and cultural populations and individuals who have influenced Boulder County. Each installation will commemorate a person from Boulder County who has impacted the area, drawing attention to place and the diversity of people — Native American, Japanese, Italian, Hispanic, Caucasian, and others — who have impacted our history. Community leaders with a strong knowledge of area history will participate in selecting an individual. A narrative about that person will be crafted for listening or reading at the website and in final printed maps placed in key locations near the sites and along the trail. Although thousands of designs are possible for the barn quilts, for Boulder County the choices have been narrowed to 20 relevant possibilities from the online resource called Antique Geometric, a design archive focusing on the living history of traditional geometric quilt patterns, with original sources and historical notes, including clippings from the 1930s quilting column by Nancy Cabot in the Chicago Tribune and other newspaper illustrations.

Antigonish, NS (Inactive) – Keppoch Kitchen Party

2016-06-17T00:00:00Z

June 10th Our awesome project is a thematic concert created by thirty-eight local people. There will be 28 people on stage with another 10 working on script,music,props, set design, management and costumes.Participants range in age from 6 to 70 with an equal number of males and females. This will involve many hours of colaboration and practice which is underway. Our concept is to recreate a Ceilidh house from the mid 1900's. Our setting is a farmhouse on the Keppoch where a family of three generations are expecting friends and neighbours to drop in for evening of humor,song, music, dancing and story telling with a bit of conflict thrown in. In reality most communities had events such as this with the Ceilidh playing an important part in the life of the community. It was and is a source of local news (gossip), entertainment and a social event. We have four main objectives a)To keep the cultural heritage of the Scottish and Irish relevant, b)To create a positive community project, c)To encourage individuals to create and showcase their talents, d) to entertain locals and visitors. We have an agreement with ACALA to video the show and will make the video available for broadcast and for sale. We are also working with Scotia Highland Dancers,Bauer Theatre,Antigonish Heritage Museum,and The Glengarry Girl's Choir from Ontario . We have a dedicated group who hope to develop future shows that can be presented not only in Antigonish but in other communities as well. After compulsary expenses (below) all money we raise will be go to our students to further their education and or music lessons. We believe that all peoples have the responsibility to preserve and promote their culture and heritage and our project is one way to accomplish this goal. Our concert will be held on July 9th in the Schwartz Auditorium on campus.

Asheville, NC (Inactive) – Forensics in the classroom

2016-06-16T00:00:00Z

Chicago, IL – Sandcastle Maker

2016-06-16T00:00:00Z

I’d like to introduce you to the "SandCastle Maker" a fun tool for today's budding sand architects. The photos attached show my Mum and her family on a beach in the Isle of Wight, in the United Kingdom in 1948. How did they make those extraordinary sand castles? There are no buckets around. My mum tells me they were created with a device my Great-Grandfather Henry Ingham designed for them. He was the chief engineer at a spinning mill in Leigh in Lancashire, in the north of England. The tool consists of a wooden dowel that goes through the centre of the sand pile, a disc that sits on top of the sand pile and a collar that attaches the dowel to a blade that cuts a profile into the sand. It's a sand version of the ceramic process known as "jollying". Each sandcastle has a concentric shape and the tool’s range of reversible blades create a variety of forms from smooth bulbous curves to angular profiles. As inspired by my Great-Grandfather, we need to construct a series of new sandcastle makers with a range of different profiles in order to create an impactful and engaging installation. We have a solo show at the Chicago Cultural Center in September and plan to create a giant sandcastle landscape in the Chicago Rooms. In addition to the installation we hope to run a series of workshops that will teach people to make their own Sandcastle Maker, show them how to use it, and encourage them to see the beach as a creative space for them to make awesome sandcastles and other creative works. We see this an opportunity to bring the sand to the visitors, to try it out for themselves, to learn about the art of manipulating sand and understand how to make the most of this technique. Sculpting sand is a great, accessible form of making and provides a haptic understanding of materials through direct manipulation. In order create a situation where we can share it with the public we first need to build new sandcastle makers and create the installation at the Cultural Center