Awesome Foundation - Proyectos

Awesome Without Borders (Inactivo) – Flipping Physics

2014-08-25T00:00:00Z

Flipping Physics is dedicated to creating free, concise, real and entertaining physics educational videos other teachers can use to flip their classes. The hardest part of flipping a class is creating and/or finding effective and entertaining videos for students to use at home. Flipping Physics allows me to provide those videos for other teachers to use. In my videos I play three students, Billy, Bobby, and Bo. I film them separately and then splice them together so they appear on the screen at the same time and interact with one another. This creates an environment where questions can be asked and answered and mistakes can be made. Mistakes are an important tool in learning. I also try to make the videos as real as possible. Rather than just being numbers on the board, I go out into the world and film real events and analyze what is going on, then I provide all the videos free for anyone on the planet.

Miami, FL – Lotus House Barista Job Training Program

2014-08-22T00:00:00Z

Our Barista Bar and Job Training Program is a new project by Lotus House Women’s Shelter and the Lotus House Thrift Chic Boutique designed to empower women and youth, raise public awareness and build grassroots support for creative and collaborative solutions to homelessness. Our Barista Bar and Job Training Program is based on the success of our earlier Retail Job Training program at the Chic Boutique. We are working closely with local community partner Panther Coffee to diversify our employment programs hoping to better serve individuals on the work path. Beyond offering specialty coffee service and generating proceeds for Lotus House operations and programming, our Barista Bar will prepare Lotus House women and youth to enter the barista and restaurant industry. In a fast-paced, “real life” work environment, interns will learn everything from crafting espresso to customer service skills. They will gain work experience and professional references, and have the opportunity to save a “nest egg” as they prepare to leave Lotus House and live independently. Like our thrift store, the Barista Bar will be entirely staffed and managed by our homeless and formerly homeless guests and alumnae, showcasing the exemplary work of Lotus House women and youth. Why do we do this? We recognize our individual and communal potential to empower and uplift those in need and strongly believe solutions to homelessness should remain inclusive. Our mission is to improve the lives of homeless women, youth and children by providing sanctuary, support, education, tools and resources that empower them to improve the quality of their lives on every level, achieve greater self sufficiency, and build safe, secure lives. Each cup of coffee from our Barista Bar and Employment Program supports women in our community build the foundation for a brighter future and blossom into who they are truly meant to be. In their dreams come true, we all benefit from the fruit of their potential realized.

New York City, NY – Forget Me Not: Shining Light on the Forgotten Boro

2014-08-22T00:00:00Z

Sitting in Manhattan’s shadow, the outer boroughs of New York City get a bad rap. But none more so than Staten Island. Sometimes called “the forgotten borough,” Staten Island is notoriously overlooked and seriously in need of some love. The Five Boro Story Project has produced exhilarating and uplifting storytelling and arts events in all five boroughs – all for free – and we are now planning “Forget Me Not: A Staten Island Storytelling Extravaganza” to serve up a big dose of Staten Island love. We have partnered with the Staten Island Museum to hold a series of free community storytelling events, beginning with a Story Circle on August 9th (http://bit.ly/NddZQu). The Story Circle will be a hyper-localized, participatory celebration of Staten Island, featuring local storytellers, poets and residents who have something important to say about their borough. After thought-provoking performances, the Story Circle will invite the audience to share memories and engage in discussion about their neighborhoods. The act of sharing personal stories has an unparalleled power to turn strangers into neighbors. Themes from the Story Circle will shape a larger Staten Island Extravaganza in the fall. The Extravaganza will feature more borough-centric storytelling, poetry and musical performances, plus participatory activities. By turning the spotlight on Staten Island’s rich culture and interesting people, and providing a platform for Staten Islanders to connect with one another, the series will boost pride and strengthen community connections.

Ottawa – HopShop

2014-08-21T00:00:00Z

August’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Brent Kaesler to support a weekly “electronic beats” workshop for youth from low-income neighbourhoods. “Pathways to Education,” explains Brent, “is a community-based program to support these youth to succeed in high school, graduate, and move on to post-secondary education. One of the ways we keep them engaged is exploring their interests and connecting them with education or careers in those fields. Our most recent such project has been something the students have dubbed the ‘HopShop.’ It’s a weekly workshop that explores how to create electronic beats, write lyrics, and sample existing music to create something original.” “We would love to continue this project permanently,” wrote Brent in applying to Awesome Ottawa, “but to do so need to purchase licensed software and invest in some recording equipment.” He shared some early work, available here. “The program serves approximately 430 youth from designated social housing neighborhoods in the west-end of Ottawa,” says Brent, ‘and from the evidence we have seen so far, this initiative will help hook a number of those students who would otherwise be disengaged.” Brent is a Student Parent Support Worker at Pathways to Education.

Detroit, MI – Electric Roots: The Detroit Sound Project

2014-08-20T00:00:00Z

Electric Roots: The Detroit Sound Project is a documentary feature film project about electronic music roots in Detroit. A rough cut of this documentary was shown at the 67th annual Cannes (CON) Film festival. The Film was also nominated for a NAACP Image Award. To view the trailer, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAas-nNogwo

Portland, OR – Diode Gallery for Electric Art - TUIO Jam

2014-08-19T00:00:00Z

The Diode Gallery for Electric Art is Portland's first and only art gallery devoted entirely to digital & electric artwork. We showcase artworks that are typically relegated to computer screens and twitter feeds in a gallery context. This is a non-profit effort pursued out of personal passion and interest in digital art. In addition to creating the gallery I am growing a community of digital artists who work together to produce group shows at the gallery and offer educational events to the community. The first such event is the TUIO Jam which this grant would be supporting. The idea behind the TUIO Jam is to work as a group to create and showcase a set of original interactive artworks that are all driven by a single touch screen display. These pieces will each stand on their own as unique artworks while also blending together to transform the entire gallery into one big interactive piece of art. Imagine walking up to a window display and touching it to discover that countless art pieces behind the window all react to your touch. The show will be open to the public during weekends in August with the window installation open 24 hours a day. The Diode Gallery and the TUIO Jam are experiments. We plan to offer many more events like them in the future however the economics are challenging. Electric art has struggled to find footing in the more traditional art world. This is very similar to the struggle Photography went through last century. We want to help move the medium forward. Electric art is not something most people are willing to pay for yet which is why we are dependent on grants and sponsors for growth. For the longest time Portland was host to the 24 Hour Church of Elvis. This iconic electric art installation was a fixture in Old Town until it was closed last year. We want to bring back the quirky excitement that the Church of Elvis did in a sustainable way that allows for interactive art from many local artists to be shared with the public.

Seattle, WA – Orchard & Origin: A Piper's Orchard Abecaderium

2014-08-19T00:00:00Z

I want to create a site-specific installation at Piper's Orchard in Carkeek Park by "printing" words on apples using adhesive stencils applied to the apples that will be exposed to the rays of the sun. As the apples ripen and stencils are removed, words will be revealed forming a longer site-specific poetic text that functions as a visitor's guide for families and children based on the history of the orchard and the land. Apples will be unharmed from this process and still edible. Because apples fall off trees and get picked, I'd plan on creating a cell phone tour so that callers could hear a complete reading of the poem. I also wish to engage sound artists to make ambient field recordings of the orchard at different times of the day and season to use as a soundtrack. It's likely that I may also create a project website. At this particular time, I need to first test the stenciling technique during the upcoming apple-ripening season which will be around September 1, so that I can perfect my technique and put together a grant application to 4Culture for the full text installation for Fall 2015. I need to pilot test my printing technique to refine the typeface/text and an experiment to see which of 3 kinds of apples in the orchard will ripen the best and highlight the contrast between the red peel and unexposed skin of the Gravenstein, Wealthy, and Red Astrachan apple varietals. If all goes as expected, I will take what I have learned to apply for a 4Culture site-specific grant (and perhaps other grants) to write a longer text that would be installed on the apples in Fall 2015. The text that I am conceiving of is an alphabetical visitor's guide to the Piper's Orchard intended for families and children that helps to teach visitors about connection to the land, where food comes from, and the history of the Orchard itself. I am attaching an image of the apple stenciling technique (not my image - pulled from the internet) to provide visual context.

Gloucester, MA – TAG Fashion Program

2014-08-19T00:00:00Z

We hope to launch a fashion department within TAG that would provide space for TAG students to create their own unique designs. The idea is to create a program where teens have the opportunity to learn the methodology behind designing clothing, accessories, and fiber art. We would like to implement a system of teaching sustainability in fabrics and clothing through "up-cycling" old garments into wearable, usable art, but also work to teach basic sewing and design skills. We aim to spread the knowledge of fashion throughout the Gloucester community and provide space and materials for budding fashion designers to create their masterpieces. Other existing TAG programs (graphic design, screen printing, painting, film/photography) have allowed participants to foster passion for different aspects of creativity and art, and turn these passions into paths of study and subsequently, careers. We hope that our Fashion Program will reach out to a new demographic of students in the Gloucester area, and allow them to explore their interests. While the initial draw for students is to get involved in design and fashion, our programs teach the students much larger-scale ideas such as job skills, problem solving skills, dedication and project follow-through, entrepreneurship techniques, how to handle responsibility, and how to develop their creative style. It is also dually beneficial to the community, who is able utilize their services. Our TAG program has a history of great success, and we would love to expand in order to reach students who are not interested in the programs we currently offer. We hope to create a fashion program that yields just as much success as our other departments, and serves both the kids in the community and various businesses and organizations whom they are able to service. Our current TAG departments have proved to be both successful and sustainable, and we have great confidence that the fashion department would follow suit.

Sydney – Primary Schoolers Programming with Bee-Bots

2014-08-18T00:00:00Z

Steve Jobs is quoted as saying “Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer... It teaches you how to think”. We want to get our students started in programming! And that is where the Bee-Bot robot comes in. (Yes, it looks like a tiny adorable Bee. On wheels. Because, robots.) The Bee-Bot's simple and child friendly layout is a perfect starting point for teaching control, directional language and programming to young students. It is a hands-on and interesting way to get our students to understand how robots and computers are programmed at a basic level. The Bee-Bots are small robots with directional input buttons on the top of them. A student must press the buttons for the directions first, hit go and watch as the Bee-Bot buzzes off on its journey based on what has been pressed. This input mirrors the basic programming language used in programs such as Scratch, which the older students at the school are introduced to. Having the Bee-Bots in our school would enable students in Kindergarten, Year 1 & 2 to think critically and use problem solving techniques whilst interacting with robotics. Computer programming and coding develops students’ computational and critical thinking skills and shows them how to create rather than simply use new technologies. This fundamental knowledge is needed to prepare students for the 21st century, regardless of their ultimate field of study or occupation. The use of these robots also fulfils educational outcomes across the curriculum such as direction and using coordinates in maths, experimenting and problem solving in science and exploring language use for a range of purposes in literacy. If we start these little minds ticking over about the possibilities coding and programming can have... we may be a few steps closer to the ultimate app, computer program or robotic space exploring cyborgs.

Boulder, CO (Inactivo) – Sabes Quein Soy?

2014-08-18T00:00:00Z

In Nov 2013 Motus Theater premiered the performance "Do You Know Who I Am?" This performance is scripted by playwright Kirsten Wilson from monologues written by five immigrants from Boulder County about their experience of being undocumented Americans. It has played to rave reviews to over 2,000 people in Boulder County and an additional 500 across the state. Boulder County Commissioner Elise Jones had this to say about the show: “I went to an AMAZING, sold out performance last night called “Do You Know Who I Am?” where 5 brave Latino immigrant youth tell their compelling stories. Equal parts cheering and crying. If you ever had doubts about the need for immediate immigration reform, you won’t anymore.” But this performance has never happened in Spanish - despite the fact that the performers families are all Spanish speaking and it is the lives of these immigrants that are portrayed in the play! We were asked to premier the play in Spanish (Sabes Quein Soy?) in collaboration with El Centro Amistad on Saturday, Sept 27th, but the only grant money we have on this project is $500 just to do a simple reading (instead of a performance of the play). We would like your support to do a full premier of the play in Spanish.

Perth (Inactivo) – WAMBA Trail Builder Accreditation Launch Weekend

2014-08-15T00:00:00Z

WAMBA has been around for nearly 10 years and we now have over 2000 passionate volunteers around WA, who are keen to grow our sport. My project is building the capacity of our AWESOME volunteers to build their own dreams. My project is the Trail Builder Accreditation Program, which will provide a framework for educating volunteer trail advocates to gain skills, knowledge and experience. The project will be launched at the end of the year, alongside a state strategy and planning process in partnership w The weekend will bring together our affiliated clubs, expert trail builders, experienced trail advocates and our partners and stakeholders, to share their experiences and build and strengthen relationships. ith our state government supporters.

Chicago, IL – Cage and Garden

2014-08-12T00:00:00Z

I just finished a project whereI took the square footage of a luxury condominium building that is now in the gentrified Cabrini Green area and I translated it to an amount of seed bombs, which was about 100,000 square feet. (Which are pellets of inert matter and in this case mid-Western Wildflower seeds.) I then planted them in the Englewood and Austin neighborhoods of Chicago which is where a lot of people who were pushed out of the towers ended up. This is to say that there will be one hundred thousand square feet of Austin and Englewood covered in flowers. For this project I will be constructing 2.3 million seed bombs, out of clay and a single perennial sunflower seed. There are 2.3 million people in prison in the U.S. I believe a number like that is impossible to understand until you see it. And after viewing the bombs the viewers will be able to take home the bombs and plant them, making visible a hidden population. The sunflower will be a symbol of transgression against the prison industrial complex and rebellion against the over jealous and class and race motivated criminal justice system. I will construct them in a storage facility that will be about the size of prison cell. My term will last roughly two years in which I will spend ten hours a day, once week, making the bombs--so about twenty thousand a day. It will be partially a performance art, guerrilla gardening, and a sculpture show. I want to educate people about the life of the prisoner starting with a collection of letters I have been writing with prisoners allowing them to conduct their own interviews from inside their cells, telling their own stories in their own words.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactivo) – 2014 Free Shakespeare in the ParkS

2014-08-11T00:00:00Z

2014 FREE Shakespeare in the ParkS is an All-Female production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet performed for free in 4 parks around New York City and 3 free outdoor summer festivals. Manhattan Shakespeare Project’s dual mission is: - To Facilitate the Growth of the Female Artist - To make Shakespeare both Financially and Physically accessible to all communities. Our Free Shakespeare in the ParkS project fulfills both our mission objectives. It employs female artists from all walks of the community: actors, director, dramaturg, publicist, designers & builders, photographer & videographer, stage manager, graphic designer, fight choreographer, musicians, coaches, teaching artists, IT gurus, & producers. It’s free to anyone & everyone, and we go out to the communities bringing the production to as wide and diverse an audience base as we can. In 2010 Titus Andronicus did 6 performances in Central Park and reached an estimated 200 audience members. In 2011 Henry V did 13 performances in three different parks (Central Park, Harlem, Brooklyn) & reached over 500 audience members. Last year Twelfth Night did 17 performances in 4 parks (Central Park, Harlem, Brooklyn: Prospect Park, Brooklyn: Sunset Park) and reached over 600 audience members. For this season, we’ve added performances in Morningside Park, and plan to perform at 3 summer festivals (LMCC 4th of July, River to River and SummerStage). Our audience goal for 2014 is 1000 people. 2014 FREE Shakespeare in the ParkS will bring the power of Shakespeare’s words and imagery to underserved communities and connect social groups through the breadth and depth of the human condition. In addition, we bring fun! MSP’s specialized approach to interactive theatre invariably gets children dancing, everyone singing, & audiences that are engaged and actively involved in the theatre going experience. Our mission for our 2014 FREE Shakespeare in the ParkS project is to stir our community to active involvement in the world.

Pittsburgh, PA – The Ramble League

2014-08-11T00:00:00Z

The Ramble League is a project in which I will use the intimate, co-working experience of a tandem bicycle ride as a jumping off point for conversations with local artists—spanning their stories, their work and concepts, our immediate landscape, and the city space we share. After selecting each participating artist, I will invite them to lead the ride or will plan a route based on places that may resonate with their work—whether through personal, historical, or conceptual significance. The rides and conversations will be casual and intentional. Taking place atop a tandem bicycle, these sessions will tap into my ongoing interest in site-specificity and the spaces that we build through our interpersonal interactions. The Ramble League will, however, bring these concepts into direct social engagement with Pittsburgh’s local artists. Through the rides, I will instigate connection and exchange. I will document each session with audio and video recordings, publishing a blog to chronicle the ongoing project. I will generate short videos edited from the rides with a longer, written summary and response. The final documentation is currently open-ended but will reflect the project's exploration of personal landscape, meaningful exchange, and artist as participant. I am interested in asking Bike PGH or local bike shops to curate rides, as well as potentially bringing the project to gallery crawls or other outdoor events. Over time, the accumulation of this documentation will form an evolving portrait of Pittsburgh’s artist community. With this open format and irregular context, we will invite chance encounters and unplanned interactions. Tandem biking demands communication, trust, and a surrendering of control—as do great conversations. It will be humble and candid, equalizing and intimate.

Pittsburgh, PA – Diverse Mothering Initiative

2014-08-11T00:00:00Z

Pittsburgh Brown Mamas is a social connector for moms-of-color that simultaneously diversifies what ‘effective mothering’ looks like and is defined as in the region. We would like to use Sprout’s catalytic funding to assist moms-of-color in developing a personal template for effective mothering within a socially supportive environment. This project is called the Diverse Mothering Initiative. Our initiative will host a series of seven events with the common thread of helping moms-of-color transform their ideas about effective parenting. We will tackle issues such as family planning, co-parenting, literacy and diversity. The focus of the Diverse Mothering Initiative is to assist Pittsburgh’s minority mothers in developing their own personal template for effective parenting in the confines of a socially supportive community. The issue at the center of this project is that poor, Black and Brown, mothers have long been the targets of a potent and centuries-long culturally hostile current that says we are not equipped to be effective parents. This current continues today in the stereotyping of Black mothers as financially, emotionally and intellectually unable to raise healthy, college-bound, responsible children. Because mothers are the backbone of minority families, when the Diverse Mothering Initiative gives moms the tools they need to develop effective parenting strategies and the social support necessary to apply those strategies to their everyday lives, these mothers have a real opportunity to change the way minority families function. Effective mothering has the potential to tremendously impact minority communities. Bottom-line, moms becoming better mothers make fathers better fathers, children better adults and communities’ better communities.

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactivo) – פעילות קיץ - עמותת החצר הנשית

2014-08-10T00:00:00Z

עמותת החצר הנשית הוקמה עבור נערות ונשים המתמודדות עם מצבי מצוקה וסיכון. מדובר בנשים הנמצאות בשוליים החברתיים של ישראל ומתמודדות עם עוני קיצוני, מצבים משפחתיים מורכבים וחוסר התאמה של השירותים הציבוריים לצרכיהם. בשנת 2003 פיתחו מייסדות העמותה, ליאורה קסל ומירית סידי, מודל ייחודי וחדשני שבבסיסו קיימת כתובת קבועה בקהילה - החצר - אשר מהווה מעין בית שני עבור הנערות, בו כל אחת מקבלת מענה לפי צרכיה (אוכל, ביגוד, סיוע משפטי או כלכלי, סיוע רפואי, עזרה במציאת תעסוקה ועוד). בנוסף, מקיימת החצר קורסים, סדנאות ופעילויות שמטרתם מחד ללמד את הבנות דברים חדשים, ומנגד - להנעים את זמנן הפנוי ולגרום להן להרגיש לפעמים כמו כל נערה אחרת בת גילן. כיום פועלות בארץ 4 חצרות - ביפו, חיפה, נתניה וקריית מלאכי, אשר אליהן מגיעות בנות מהאזור, בגילאי 13-25, ללא הבדלי דת, גזע או לאום. הפרויקט הספציפי שאנו רוצים לארגן בימים אלו כפעילות קיץ הוא מאוד פשוט - לקחת את הבנות לסרט. הבנות שמגיעות אלינו לחצר מעולם לא היו בקולנוע, מעולם לא חוו את החוויה של קניית פופקורן ושתיה וצפייה בסרט על גבי מסך ענק. לחלקן זהו ממש חלום שנראה להן שאינו בר השגה. אנחנו רוצים להגשים להם אותו.

San Antonio, TX – Solstice Organic Market

2014-08-09T00:00:00Z

The "AWESOMENESS" started 2 weeks ago with the beginning construction of the east sides first organic market!! The first phase is just a small 300 sqft slice of love right off the side porch at sweet yams 218 cherry ST. Are plan is to first provide, what we call the organic rejuvenation essentials to the east side and downtown areas. "AFFORDABLE ORGANIC" Organic proteins, nuts, rice, beans, pastas, Produce, vegetables, fruits, eggs, cheeses, milk,water and much more including some of your favorite desserts and home made organic ice creams. Sweet Yams will be moving to the new location at Montana and cherry on January 2015 at which time we will be combining the entire 1000 sqft property at 218 and expanding the building into what is to be Solstice Organic Markets. This organic market concept will be unique and non-compromising. Our goal is 100% affordable organic or nothing. Our relationships with local organic farms and producers as well as east sides future of urban organic farming will give us the opportunity to consistently provide quality product that is free from contamination both by pesticides and profit motivated price manipulators. The market will most importantly be the home for our awesomely successful juice program "our crown jewel". We plan to use part of the profits from our organic restaurants and markets to activate what we call Solstice Free-habilitation, free juice programs for those that cant afford the commitment to change. This is just a glimpse of the potential we believe this market has to bring light and access to many lives on the east side and all SA. The foundation of this market is not based on just a cool idea or current trend. It is built on 20 years of research and experience, and 10 years of proof and confirmation. We are committed to the needs of the people, and we don't compromise. we love you SY

Jerusalem - רוח חדשה (Inactivo) – גריזלדה - סדנאות ותלבושות

2014-08-07T00:00:00Z

במיזם אני מעבירה סדנאות לנערות קצה, הסדנאות עוסקות בדימוי גוף ומיניות דרך יצירת תלבושת לדמות, באווירה שמחה ומכילה בימים אלו העיסוק הציבורי במגדר ובמיניות יכול להוות מקפצה טובה על מנת לעסוק בנושאים אלו, במיוחד אצל נערות בעלות סיכויי פגיעה גבוהים יותר. - הסדנאות שאני מציעה לא קיימות כרגע בשום צורה. כלומר אין כרגע בשוק סדנאות תפירה טיפולית בתפירה יש אלמנט טיפולי מאוד חזק של איחוי ויצירה מתוך חלקים שונים, הבעלת השלכות רבות ומעצימות לנפש, כמו גם לחיזוק הבטחון העצמי, מודל עסקי – תוכניות בעלות אופי עסקי ברור עם תכנים איכותיים כגון מסיבת רווקות וסדנאות בת מצווה יהוו את הבסיס הכלכלי לעסק, כך שהסדנאות לנערות יוכלו להגיע לעלויות מינימליות, כאשר הנערות ומוסדות הקשורים בהם שותפים בעלויות, כמו גם קרנות שונות. כרגע אנחנו נמצאים בשלב גיוס של שותפים פוטנציאלים, ביניהם שירותי רווחה, עמותות העוסקות בנוער, שותפים עסקיים ושותפים פעילים שיעזרו בהקמת המיזם.

Rio de Janeiro (Inactivo) – Tunnel Lab Brasil

2014-08-07T00:00:00Z

Tunnel Lab é uma ONG que auxilia jovens de baixa renda a utilizar a tecnologia para criar soluções de negócios para os principais problemas de suas comunidades. Nossa ideia é simples: durante 12 semanas adolescentes participam de um divertido programa de incubação onde irão criar e apresentar suas próprias start ups! Em agosto realizamos o nosso primeiro projeto piloto no Rio com 17 jovens de diferentes comunidades através de oficinas de formação de times, design thinking, programação com arduíno e modelo de negócios. O resultado foi um sucesso! Agora estamos prontos para nossa próxima fase, realizar um curso de 4 semanas onde iremos aprofundar o aprendizado em prototipagem das ideias de negócios, user experience, técnicas de futurismo e, é claro, tecnologia! Para isso estamos captando recursos para que o programa aconteça. Que tal se juntar ao Tunnel e nos ajudar a espalhar a inovação pelo Rio? We are a nonprofit that empowers low income teens to harness technology to design business solutions that address their communities greatest challenges. Our idea is simple: An interactive, fun, hands on learning 12 week incubator program, where teens can create their own start ups and present it on a demo day! From July 28 to August 1, we had our first pilot where 17 teenagers from different slums participated in a training in the areas of Design Thinking, Business Modeling and Arduino Coding to develop their own businesses. Now we are ready for our next phase, a 4 week course! Our participants will go deep on prototyping, user experience, futurism and of course, more tech! In order for this to happen we are collecting funds. Support us on this adventure! Tunnel Lab: stream knowledge, spread wisdom.

Toronto – HA Halbert Jr PS Community Garden and Kindy Yard

2014-08-06T00:00:00Z

Our project is part of a larger Eco-revitalization of our school. We have never been an Eco School and decided this year to attempt to become a Bronze Level Eco School. The kids and staff did such an awesome job that we skipped Bronze and earned Silver. This has motivated our students so much and we are aiming for Gold level next year. One piece is adding some nature to our very barren school yard. The concrete gets so hot during the summer months that it is impossible to play on and there is no shade. We would like to first, begin by excavating some concrete area and adding in a community garden with local plants - annuals and perrennials - that our Eco Club and Parent Council can take ownership of and make a beautiful space to be. We would also like to have some stone seating around the area and some shade structure with a sand-pit for the kindergartens to play. WE have a larger plan for the entire area but this grant would allow us to begin our journey and motivate everyone to continue!

Yerevan – Garbage yesterday - a souvenir today!

2014-08-06T00:00:00Z

Our Awesome project is about plastic bags that we see in Yerevan and other towns and villages of Armenia every second. These plastic bags are thrown away after being used and they pollute the environment badly. They fly in the air, hang on the trees and it takes ages for them to decompose. Instead, we teach people to re-cycle and re-use these plastic bags so that they can be made into something useful and nice. Our idea is to teach young women from socially vulnerable families in the town of Ashtarak how to make new items of this type of garbage. We have once had a similar project with children and it was a big success. We will teach about 30 women how to knit bags, purses, bathroom rags, toys and other handy things out of plastic bags. This will serve two purposes at once: to make these women (and others through them) think more about the environment and reduce the usage of plastic bags, as well as to teach them a new skill that can be used as a source of income for them and their families. Since the raw material, i.e. the plastic bags, does not cost anything and needs to be collected by the women themselves, they can use the skill whenever they want and even spend their pastime knitting nice things. In the beginning of the project we visit polluted areas together, collect plastic bags, thus cleaning the area substantially. We then wash these plastic bags, cut them in pieces and prepare for being knitted. My colleague, the knitting teacher, will teach these women the skill and they will start producing really nice items, which they can use in daily life, give as presents, as well as sell them and bring some income into the family. Another positive effect of our awesome project is that those who will get these items as a present or buy them, will also start thinking more about the environment and will probably think twice before using too many plastic bags or throwing them away. Re-use, re-cycle and think creatively – those are our mottoes!

San Francisco, CA – Capturing Pinball Physics

2014-08-05T00:00:00Z

It is awesome to teach kids the basics of physics using pinball machines! All the forces of physics can be demonstrated on the pinball playfield. I am developing and teaching classes using play and observation to show how physics is the foundation of forces in pinball. Torque, friction, tension, magnetic force, electrical forces and gravity all happen on the pinball playfield. Patterns in collisions of the pinball off the surfaces, bumpers, flippers, slingshot rubbers, are harder to see because the ball is moving so fast. Capturing Pinball Physics is working on a way to slow down ball collisions so the patterns of interaction are easier to observe. This will be a big step in development of the pinball physics program! To do that, we will use the grant to buy a camera, flat screen TV (with wall mount) and a holding boom to suspend the camera above the pinball machine's playfield. When it's complete, hundreds and eventually thousands of students in our classes will be able to view and experience the camera and screen setup, and will learn beginning physics in a very graphic way. Older students will be able to use the camera to vary the speed of the ball on playback.

New Orleans, LA (Inactivo) – EMERGE: Crossroads Diversion Program

2014-08-05T00:00:00Z

The EMERGE: Crossroads Diversion Program provides an alternative to incarceration for sex workers in New Orleans. A diversion program allows individuals arrested and accused of a crime with an opportunity to gain access to social services and other assistance. Successful completion of a diversion program allows individuals to avoid trial, conviction and jail time. Crossroads Diversion Program is dedicated to assisting women arrested and charged with misdemeanor state and municipal prostitution offenses. If arrestees qualify and elect to participate in Crossroads, participants will be released on their own recognizance by the Judge to report to Women With A Vision (WWAV) for an intake interview and assessment. Case management and counseling services are provided by WWAV. The WWAV case manager will work with the participants to develop an individualized service plan tailored to their needs. The service plan would consist of a discrete number of mandatory sessions. A session is a group/individual counseling or class/activity focusing on: Communication Styles , Safer-Sex Ed., GED Classes, Job/Interview Skills, Identifying Emotions, Healthy Relationships, Undoing Internalized Oppression, Stress Management, Financial Responsibility & Understanding Triggers Women in our program will be given space to examine and enhance their personal strengths using the Moving On Curriculum. The purpose of this curriculum is to aid women in the exploration of historical trauma and oppression faced at the intersection of their identities. We do so through holistically approaching each session with a special focus on art as a therapeutic tool for addressing trauma and stress. Through workshops where we create vision boards, take part in reflective writing sessions and other arts based processes, we encourage women to empower themselves to make the decisions they need to. As one participant said: "I'm glad that there's a program that's trying to help women & not put them away".

Awesome Without Borders (Inactivo) – "The Human in the Bird", an opera buffa

2014-08-04T00:00:00Z

Reaching Out to all Friends of Talking Birds. Today, more than ever, my musical work investigates interfaces between nature and people. With this project, "The Human in the Bird", an opera buffa, I envision the creation of a comic musical drama made exclusively with the recordings of talking birds, their sounds being collected form all over the world. It is exciting to already see reactions coming in after the first few steps of developing this project. A time consuming but crucial step is the creation of a platform which allows me to collect such audio samples from all over the world. The platform is the internet and the web site for this is called avesloquendi.org Open for fun, and free to use for anyone interested, it invites people to contribute to a talking birds sound library by uploading audio recordings they made of their beloved pet bird. I am particularly interested in the vocabulary of birds who have been influenced by our environment and human relationships. I also see it as an opportunity to interconnect socially, learn and improve our relations with awareness to our winged friends. The goal is collect a vast array of words uttered by the birds, in order to chose from to create an original work, the opera buffa "The Human in the Bird" I believe it can serve as a social mirror, will be ultimately fun, and engages us creatively. As a professional sound artist for many years, I have already been incorporating the concepts of improvisation and experimental music as a powerful tool in my contemporary compositions. Within this project I can very much see the challenges in catching the magic of a bird talking, and the often futile attempt of the human wanting to control it. Please help me gather the amazing, surprising and delightful sounds, words and sentences your talking bird shares with you, by uploading the sound files to avesloquendi.org For your help, you will receive a free digital copy of the opera buffa "The Human in the Bird", once completed

Atlanta, GA (Inactivo) – Learning Garden Project

2014-08-04T00:00:00Z

Our Community Garden is a part of our healthy lifestyles program. Our project is based upon learning and seeks to address food desert issues starting with the Bankhead neighborhood. Our collaborative initiative is to create a learning garden for fresh vegetables and fruits with the local middle schoolers. In essence we want to connect the dots of fresh food and how to practice better food choices to make food fun, interesting and cool. We at RCF will be the lead organization to host an educational site to teach children, teachers and parents about the benefits of harvesting corps, planting roof top gardens and the benefits of fresh food. We believe our project is awesome given we want to partner with food vendors to provide live presentations of snacks, lunch and main course meal preparation with ingredients from the learning garden or their school roof top garden. Our primary goal is to engage students on-site and within their lunch rooms presentations of healthy foods in the cool new ways. One example: How to make a smoothie? What vegetables are needed? What fruits are necessary? How much or many items do I need to make it? Our program is scheduled to begin on September 1, 2014 s at the site with weeding, pruning and planting gardens. Our curriculum module will include on-site program with a “hands on” learning environment, studying plant life cycles, and environmental science.

Lusaka (Inactivo) – AGENTS OF CHANGE FOUNDATION

2014-08-04T00:00:00Z

A simple idea powers the Agents of Change Foundation: give young people tools and skills to express their ideas and share their stories, and you will give them a spring board to a world of wider opportunities. Today, we face immense local and global challenges, including, changes in climate, poor infrastructure, education and health concerns, and rapid population growth. But where adults see problems, children and young people see opportunities. Radio, the most accessible and impactful technology in Zambia and many African countries is the means to these possibilities. By training and equipping young people with skills in the use of radio technology, Agents of Change Foundation will develop a new generation of leaders to meet these challenges. The idea behind this youth-led foundation is to inspire, uplift, and improve the lives of children and young people in Zambia by giving them the skills and tools to make their voices heard. Using radio and other low-cost communication technologies, we build local capacity to create and sustain community based youth initiatives. Training young people to report on pressing issues in their communities, listening to other people’s perspectives, sharing struggles, solution finding, and saving as well informed peer educators are among the various things we do. We also create high quality radio programs around issues that matter to young people. We broadcast youth produced radio, reaching millions with inspiring educational programming on local and national radio stations, including international social media platforms like Sound Cloud. Why radio? Agents of Change Foundation believe that radio is an intimate medium of voices,stories, and dialogue. It allows young people to share personal experiences and talk about issues they face in their communities. Radio is easy to learn-it requires minimal technical expertise and young people pick up the conceptual and production skills quickly.It is universal and the most widespread.

Melbourne (Inactivo) – Our World Our Vision

2014-08-02T00:00:00Z

I recently ran a photography workshop for people who are blind, vision impaired, had suffered a stroke, forgotten seniors, physical disabilities and mental illnesses. I received funding to run this workshop from the Moreland City council, but not enough to complete my project outcome. The people who attended, attended at no fee, the idea is that they are given an opportunity to gain access to the arts without having to worry about paying fees to attend the workshops. The feedback from all who attended was astonishing. Many felt alive for the first time, as they realised that they could achieve something that they never would have dreamed possible. The person who had suffered a stroke, realised that holding a camera and trying to use it, helped with his rehabilitation as it forced him to use the other side of this body, which was affected by the stroke. The senior citizen had found new friends and realised that she has a real knack for taking photos. She hardly ventured out of her home and would never have imagined that she would be taking photographs so late in life. She has teamed up with the blind woman, who loves going out and about, but needs some assistance. Together they now venture out and take photographs. The gentleman with mental illness was able to express himself in a very real way, but taking the focus away from himself and putting it into his photos. I used the money that I received from the grant, to pay a vision impaired photographer to help run the course. This provided them with an opportunity to earn some money teaching and to share what he had learnt. It also gave him confidence that strengthened belief in himself. The idea behind the project is to give people who are disadvantaged in some way access to the arts by giving them opportunities to explore their creative side.

Orlando, FL – The Dance Happy Project

2014-08-01T00:00:00Z

The Dance Happy Project will provide a series of 4 weeks of dance classes for the children living at the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. It will do so through a program that already exists at the Coalition, ABCs or Art by Coalition Children program. Over the years,this program has brought many artists to teach the children. However, this will be the first time that the children will be offered dance lessons. The dance lessons will be taught by a professional dancer and educator, Dario J. Moore, who has more than 15 years of experience teaching dance and who has partnered with Jacques d'Amboise of the National Dance Institute. He is the artistic director of The Center for Contemporary Dance, a non-profit, and he teaches more than 1000 kids in Title I schools each year because of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. He and the other teachers have helped me during some sad times by showing me how to express myself with dance. Did you know that, according to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, homeless children have twice the rate of emotional and behavioral issues? They are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and withdrawal. I read this on their website. I think that dance can help the children at the shelter the way that it has helped me. Dance is an art form you can carry with you all of the time, something you can do whenever you want. All you need to dance is YOU, not paints, paper, clay, or anything else. I hope that the dance lessons will give the children confidence so that no matter where they are, they can feel their power to move.

Austin, TX – KOOP: Bringing the power of radio to the people

2014-08-01T00:00:00Z

KOOP is a community radio station that serves the people of Austin, Texas. Almost all station operations are performed with the cooperative involvement of local community members. Our mission is to provide high quality, innovative, and diverse community-oriented programming to Austin, with an emphasis on those communities that are ignored or under-served by mainstream media. We achieve this by offering training, volunteer opportunities, and access to equipment and broadcast time. One of the ways that we serve the people of Austin is through the remote live broadcast of local events that are otherwise not made accessible to the wider community. For example, in the past we have broadcasted live music being performed at venues such as Cherrywood Coffeehouse and Club DeVille, as well as the 2012 Austin Mayoral debate. An Awesome Foundation grant would allow us to expand and upgrade our current remote broadcast setup and owning the equipment that we used to rent, will allow us to train volunteers how to use the equipment. This Awesome Grant will help us to engage with the communities of Austin creating a collaborative media that enriches the cultural lives of Austinites in a way that differs greatly from other local and national radio stations broadcasting in the area.

Knowledge (Inactivo) – DIYbio Wetware

2014-07-31T00:00:00Z

When I began researching bio I was in 7th grade and I had to ship the DNA transformation kit I wanted to use to my classroom just to get it. Then, lacking tools and experience I began DIYbiology, which my projects there landed me a place at a research lab at UCI What I noticed is the DIYbio community was made of mostly tinkers and people that where into hardware and software, but there was very few that worked with wetware. While the amount of projects for common lab tools are abundant, I found that actual DNA parts and bacterial strains still need to be obtained by outside organizations, and these will only ship to businesses and schools There needs to be more wetware in DIYbio This is where I want my project to try and help fill the gap. Right now I am creating biobrick compatible plasmids that will be under GNU public or Creative Commons license, but in addition to this I want to be able to buy materials to make protocols and strains that will be easier to use for DIYbiologists I want to 1) Make a strain of Bacillus that can uptake DNA from plasmids very easily under a sucrose promoter 2) Make a strain of Bacillus that uses negative selection for easy transformation without antibiotics 3) Make protocols for the transformations and make them openly available 4) Test using a single PCR reaction to integrate proteins for expression in Bacillus 4) Test remake and optomize E coli transformation If I complete these goals with money to spare, I will use any leftovers to spend on a few other ideas I have such as 1) Expressing all BioBrick enzymes in Bacillus for secretion and easy purification 2) Modifying CRISPR tracrRNA/ repeats for easier usage using negative selection 3) Make easy to use transcriptional regulator Cas9s 3) Distributing strains produced to anyone who wants it for free 4) Making more cool easy to use, open DNA plasmids and devices! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at Koeng101@gmail.co

Austin, TX – Spaces for reflection at Austin's green cemetery

2014-07-31T00:00:00Z

Three years ago, Ellen MacDonald established Eloise Woods Community Natural Burial Park, the first and only green cemetery in central Texas. She had an overwhelming passion to create a woodland burial park where bodies are allowed to go back to nature quickly, efficiently and naturally — with no preservatives, chemicals or non-biodegradable materials. Now, 56 people and 66 animals have made the burial park their final resting place. "I love helping people bury their family and pets in a simple, affordable earth-friendly way," MacDonald told us. "Austin is an amazing community that is supportive of its people and celebrates their lives. I believe that burials are a unique way to be a part of that support system." MacDonald will use the Awesome Foundation grant to create engraved stone benches throughout the park. "A stone bench may seem simple in theory," she says, "but in practice, a place to sit will provide people with space for reflection, and welcome them to return."

Delhi (Inactivo) – 1001 Breast Cancer Nights

2014-07-29T00:00:00Z

1001 Breast Cancer Nights is a mosaic of audio-visual diaries of Indian breast cancer experiences: vibrant tales of medicine, myth, stigma, survival, romance, tragedy, comedy, artistry, burlesque and even erotica. Taking the form of an online portal, the project will facilitate exchange of information that initiates public dialogue, significantly improving the understanding of the disease, compliance to medical treatment and better quality of life for survivors. Why is this project important? By 2020, 70% of the world’s cancer cases will be in poor countries, with a fifth in India. Breast cancer will be the most common type of cancer among women in India. Living in a patriarchic and stigmatized society, women in India struggle to “come out” publicly about their breast cancer in fear of abandonment; they silently suffer the medical and emotional consequence of the disease alone. The likelihood of dying of cancer is much higher among these women because of age-old barriers such as illiteracy, stigma, shame, religious beliefs, misconceptions, cost and poor access. Social and gender inequities severely hamper their ability to seek medical help. This results in delayed medical intervention and high mortality. What will the project have? The portal will feature: i) Audio/video diaries made by cancer survivors educated on participant storytelling using tablet devices; ii) Professionally made short films; iii) Stories of men who are gatekeepers to woman’s health; iv) Messages uploaded by the public via video and photo booth; v) Geo-coded information on demographics, treatment centers, support groups and other resources; vi) Thorough integration of social media and search capabilities. Summer 2014: First phase of filming will include the following: 1. Video interviews of several hundred people to explore and document the perceptions of breast cancer among Indians 2. First person narratives of cancer patients told using tablet devices Day

Awesome Without Borders (Inactivo) – IAmElemental Action Figures for Girls

2014-07-28T00:00:00Z

We have designed a series of 4 inch articulated action figures which embody the Elements of Courage: Bravery, Persistence, Honesty, Industry, Energy, Enthusiasm, and Fear. Because we believe you can't have Courage without Fear. More Heroine than Hooters: We have designed the series with healthier breast, waist and hip ratios than any on the market; fierce, strong females worthy of an active, save-the-world storyline that fosters creativity in kids. It's Character, Not Characters: Our figures encourage girls to reinvent the superhero myth by creating their own empowering stories. In the IAmElemental universe, the girl herself is the superhero - and she has all the superpowers she will ever need already inside of her. We hope to challenge the notion that girls won't play with well designed action figures. We believe if you give a girl a different toy, she will tell a different story! We feel it is time to Play With Power and want to radically change the game for girl's toys.

Nairobi (Inactivo) – Traffic Jam Sessions

2014-07-28T00:00:00Z

Traffic Jam Sessions is a project spear headed by Pawa254, popular afro-fusion Kenyan band Sarabi, spoken word artist Teardrops and comedian Timothy Ndisii Traffic Jam Sessions is a grassroots creative project aimed at creating awareness and facilitating discussions among Kenyans about the current political climate and relevant social issues, through music. It will use ‘soft’ protest to spark social change in Nairobi. Currently, Kenyans don’t need a revolution, they need a revelation. Matatu – A local Kenyan form of public transportation. Matatu’s are either 12, 36 or 42 seater vans that travels a certain route across town. 75% of Kenyans use matatus making it the main form of public transportation in Nairobi. The project will do this by creating and mass distributing a mix tape to be played a number of matatu routes. This mix tape offers listeners an alternative to mainstream radio programming and provides intelligent, engaging and relevant content. The mix tape will feature conscious tracks by Kenya’s biggest musical artists and will have elements of spoken word and poetry incorporated into the playlist. The aim of this project is to offer Kenyan’s an alternative to mainstream radio programming and engage them in thought and discussion about issues facing Kenya.

Miami, FL – Pretty in Little Haiti

2014-07-26T00:00:00Z

Currently in Little Haiti there is a lack of garbage bins and at times trash can be seen through out the corridor. Our efforts of advocating to local government so far have been unsuccessful. However, we have found a solution to this issue that will also promote Haitian art and culture. Our project would engage the community and empower business owners to be house proud. NE2P would like to obtain trash bins to be painted in traditional Haitian art by local artist. We would recruit painters and artist through an open call for solicitations. These trash bins would then be distributed strategically along the corridor. We hope that these bins would be a staple in the community and help promote Little Haiti as a destination while helping to keep the area clean. The goal would be to have 10 beautiful trash bins located along NE 2nd Avenue between 54th St and 62nd St in the heart of Little Haiti. This location is prime and the bins will easily assimilate in the vibrate corridor. The buildings are painted in beautiful pastel colors with a Caribbean theme.

South Shore – Aerial Videography

2014-07-25T00:00:00Z

Huge congratulations to Cameron Lane for delivering the winning pitch at our 3rd Awesome South Shore grant event. He walked away with $1000 to put towards getting his aerial photo/video business off the ground.

Miami, FL – DoodleVille: Public Space. Creative Collaboration.

2014-07-24T00:00:00Z

After three years, and 200 interactive public art projects, we at U-Doodle have noticed two distinct issues: (1) Public spaces are not equipped or designed, spatially and physically, for community building. (2) Participant interactions are serendipitous and exciting, but they rarely develop into long-lasting collaborative relationships. To address these issues, we plan to design and build a “pop-up” public art structure that transforms any public space into a community art hub. The structure will be portable and compact, for the purpose of sustainability and adaptability. The surface of the structure will be layered with chalkboard paint, making it an open canvas that welcomes artists of all ages and abilities. Additionally, every element of the structure’s design will emphasize free form uninhibited expression, face-to-face conversation, and artistic collaboration. This pop-up structure, titled “DoodleVille” will generate trust, cooperation and participation among people from various cultures, income levels, and backgrounds. DoodleVille will become a regular convening point for those wishing to engage with their community and with the arts in one inclusive experience. The structure will consist of 16 wooden cubes of various sizes. Cubes will be easy to stack, set-up, break down, and transport. The sides of each cube will alternate from a wooden panel (converted into an open chalkboard) to an empty frame, allowing participants to interact with one another as they bond through a shared artistic experience. Additionally, each cube will be deliberately placed, creating multiple entry points into DoodleVille while providing space for people to sit, draw and converse with new friends. DoodleVille will travel throughout the city of Miami, bringing community art to locals who need it most. It will revive public spaces, like parking lots, street corners, bus stops, building lobbies, and metro stations, converting them into collaborative and creative hub.

Miami, FL – Paisajes De Mi Abuela: My Grandmother's Landscapes

2014-07-24T00:00:00Z

As a young Cuban American filmmaker who was born and raised in Miami and never had a chance to go to Cuba, I have always been fascinated in exploring different aspects of my culture. My grandmother was born in Cuba and migrated to Miami in 1958; She hasn't returned to Cuba since. She, like so many others in Miami who were born in Cuba, has never been able to return due to medical reasons and political issues. Because of my participation in a fellowship program with Sundance, I was invited to attend a Sundance New Frontier Lab in Miami. This lab inspired me to go beyond the traditional means of filmmaking in order to give my grandmother a unique gift, in which she would travel to Cuba via film using virtual reality technology and relive her memories in a truly immersive and interactive experience. In "Paisajes De Mi Abuela" I recorded my grandmother storytelling vivid memories of specific locations in Cuba that were special to her using binaural audio technology (which is used to create a 3D AUDIO effect.). I then traveled to Cuba with a 360degree camera rig in search of the exact locations where her stories took place. Now that I have returned to Miami, the audio and 360degree video are being edited together and uploaded onto the Oculus Rift virtual reality system. My grandmother will then be finally documented as she virtually re-lives her memories and the places that birthed them. Besides the documentary, there will be an exhibition open to the Miami public where spectators will also be able to enter the virtual reality experience and explore specific landscapes in Cuba and the stories they hold. This project also has plans to expand to include stories and recaptured memories from Cuban American elders from the Peter Pan Project.

Sydney – TRAP'D - The Rhythmic Arts Project Downunder

2014-07-24T00:00:00Z

In March 2013, I travelled to the USA on a disability arts grant, to attend a train the trainer seminar for The Rhythmic Arts Project (TRAP) in Santa Barbara, California. TRAP is an educational program for people with various disabilities teaching participants to read, spell, count and use basic life skills using hand drums and percussion instruments. Although this isn't my idea. It is something new I am trying to get off the ground here in Australia, and will be working it under the name of TRAP'D (The Rhythmic Arts Project Downunder).

Boulder, CO (Inactivo) – David Polka Mural for Boulder

2014-07-22T00:00:00Z

I intend to bring out Oakland based emerging artist David Polka out to create a new mural on the wall facing pearl street between 21st and 22nd. David creates vibrant engaging artwork and murals. He has a teaching and graphic design background and is a professional fine artist, who has exhibited in many group and solo shows in New Mexico and Oakland. The mural space we have is very high profile and has become somewhat of a landmark for Boulder Art. (Previously we had the Monarch Dragon by Android Jones) This mural will be painted the week of July 20th - 25th 2014.

Gloucester, MA – Private Freedom

2014-07-22T00:00:00Z

I am drawing upon my background as Honor Guard team leader (we did ceremonies, parades, and memorial services) to support veterans. The Private Freedom website, twitter feed, and Facebook page are all integrated towards that cause. The Private Freedom project will either help raise money for veterans who have returned home and/or collect food and other daily needs for care packages to send to the troops still overseas. However, it is not totally "Gloucester-centric". I am working with the DAV in Gloucester, with the goal of also lending a hand to the AMVETS and the American Legion (I guess it depends on how big it grows!). But I am also working with Operation Troop Support, located in Danvers. Private Freedom's overarching philosophy is to increase public awareness of the weekly needs of our veterans and troops still deployed and not just the handful of times per year of "peak interest".

Awesome Without Borders (Inactivo) – Awareness and Prevention Through Art (aptART)

2014-07-21T00:00:00Z

Our group is called Awareness and Prevention Through Art (aptART). In partnership with ACTED, we organize educational workshops for children affected by the war in Syria who live in host communities and refugee camps in Jordan. Each workshop is led by a local or international artist and results in the creation of a piece of street art made through a collaboration between the artist and children. Workshop themes are based on issues affecting the children such as peace, hope, education and hygiene. The work of the children is then shared with an international audience through exhibitions serving to raise awareness about the issues the children face. The murals give the children an opportunity to take ownership of shared spaces, have a creative outlet, learn to work together and share their voice with the larger community. The process of painting also allows children to regain the feeling of childhood that has often been lost through displacement and the effects of war. The murals are an effective means of communicating messages because of their lasting presence in the community and their public locations. So far, aptART and ACTED have worked with over 3,000 children across North Jordan and inside Syria. We have created almost 100 murals and put on four exhibitions. We plan to continue our work by launching a regional project in July 2014 that will bring street art to refugee youth in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.

Washington, DC – STEAMfwd ™Creating socially responsible innovators

2014-07-21T00:00:00Z

DiversiTech will be holding its third youth outreach program, “STEAM fwd ™: Creating socially responsible innovators” in Arlington, VA, 9:30am- 5:00pm, on Saturday July 19, 2014. STEAMfwd™ is a platform that allows DiversiTech to curate impactful programming to build a bridge and expose future socially responsible innovators from underrepresented and under-served youth demographics (ages 14 to 18) to various aspects of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering/Entrepreneurship, Arts and Mathematics). Students will have the option to select from the following tracks during the day program: 1) BUILD IT! - Students will individually select a problem relevant to their interests or community and create a mobile app product to solve their identified topic. The curriculum includes an overview of concept development and introduction to creating a mobile app, led by DiversiTech Ambassador Kristin Bolton-Keys. 2) MAKE IT! - Students will gain hands-on experience with tools and machines, build leadership and community engagement skills to identify and develop their own technical solution for a problem in their community. TechShop staff and instructors will assist students in the design, production and assessment of the use of their machine. Student/mentor partnerships will be sustained in order to further support skill development and continue exploration of new technology concepts and design solutions beyond the tech day. Through our youth technology programming, we have also sought to increase the number of culturally responsible and diverse individuals who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact society by encouraging students to develop solutions for their communities. Past programs have taken place in the Washington Metropolitan area and Baltimore, Maryland. Participants have hailed from the mid-Atlantic region - Philadelphia to Northern Virginia, 40 to 75 students.

Oahu, HI – KIS Band Instrument Repairs

2014-07-18T00:00:00Z

This year the Advanced and Beginning Bands consists of 115 students in the 7th and 8th grade. The band program is growing each year, and next year enrollment is expected to be around 140 students. The KIS band program teaches students not only how to play an instrument and read music, but how to work together. Our teacher, Ms. Kusunoki, emphasizes life lessons like responsibility, teamwork, respect, leadership, compassion and how to be a good person. Our students live in Kailua, Waimanalo, Kaneohe MCBH, and as far away as Waianae. We perform multiple concerts a year and hold many fundraisers to cover the costs of transportation, purchase of music and supplies, and instrument maintenance. With so many more students next year, we need more instruments. The band loans instruments to students for no charge. The school only budgets about $9000 for the program, which covers the cost to buy one instrument among other necessary items and services. The KIS Band Boosters 501(c)(3) non-profit organization holds fundraisers to help with expenses. Fundraisers we held this year were: malasada and sweet bread sales, a rummage sale, two recycling drives, two McDonalds fundraisers, two bake sales, a silent auction, food concessions at concerts, and concert DVD sales. However, these fundraisers are not enough to cover all of the needed expenses. [Because of the increase in band students we need to repair at least 15 more instruments for the 2014-15 school year.] We want to help the KIS band program because we want others to have this great experience. This program has taught us that if we try our hardest, we can succeed and accomplish our goals. We have become more responsible and mature after only 1 year in the band program because of the experiences we have had and the challenges we faced.

Oahu, HI – Getting to Know the Ko'olaus

2014-07-18T00:00:00Z

Our project is focused on developing a hands-on community outreach program so that residents and visitors, but most importantly youth/students, recognize and appreciate our native forests. People will only understand the difference between a weedy, unhealthy forest and a diverse, water-generating forest when they get out and see both types firsthand. This project will allow us to raise awareness of watershed conservation on O‘ahu and raise our profile in the community. Most importantly, however, the work that volunteers will conduct through our volunteer work trips will significantly contribute to the forest conservation and restoration work that needs to get done. Small environmental management organizations like us rely solely on grants to fund our entire program. We simply do not have the staff or monetary capacity to accomplish everything that must be done. Until just recently, KMWP never had an outreach program or position dedicated to developing and managing an outreach program. Our recently hired outreach specialist has selected volunteer work sites throughout the Ko'olau mountain range that are appropriate for a range of skill sets and fitness levels. Volunteers will directly and positively impact the watershed by removing invasive weeds fragmenting the native forest and outplanting native plants. They will learn about the flora and fauna of each area, field safety and work techniques, and the importance of maintaining healthy forests. Volunteers will also be involved with data collection for progress monitoring, using tools such as GPS units, compasses, and clinometers. Some of our proposed project outcomes include but are not limited to: 1. At least 24 volunteer trips coordinated in the year 2014 2. At least 240 volunteers and others reached through outreach events and media in the year 2014 3. Presence at five community outreach events minimum in the year 2014

Chicago, IL – Beach Party at the End of the World

2014-07-17T00:00:00Z

The Walkabout ensemble along with 35 Chicago-based dancers and performers will create a flash-mob summer spectacle that will travel to eight Chicago beaches during the first two weekends of August, 2014. The 25 minute performance will materialize unexpectedly for beach-goers as the Walkabout performers create a instantaneous beach party. The spectacle will explore a world of Midsummer magic, the “Beach Party” film craze of the 1960’s, the transformative power of water, and the unbridled passion of young, epic love. Featuring new choreography, flash-mob antics, live music along with choral singing, acrobatics, and lyrical water staging, Beach Party at the End of the World will capture the surging power of youth and transformation on the very edge of Chicago's magical Lake Michigan. In our June – July rehearsal process, our multi-disciplined ensemble will team up with Chicago-based artists to develop choreography, music, and a visual tale of star-crossed lovers. June will be spent engrossed in a few weeks of intensive research with the ensemble; experimenting with sound, light, costumes and props, and adapting our vocabulary of physical training to embrace our new sand and water-filled playing space. In July, we welcome our fellow artists and friends into the process to begin building the show. In August, we’ll arrive at eight of Chicago’s beaches at sunset and treat unsuspecting beach-goers to the fruits of our labor. A visual, aural, joy-issuing spectacle, it promises to be part Annette Funicello, part Beyonce, part 2012 USA Women’s Gymnastics Team, and ALL Chicago heart.

Kingston – Rhythm and Spirit

2014-07-17T00:00:00Z

My project is called Rhythm and Spirit. When I care for individuals in homes, retirement homes, and long term care facilities - I often sing softly. One time I was with a client with communication struggles and we sang together. We walked by a recreation room with other individuals, and they joined in. I would like to make instruments out of recycled materials if possible, and low cost supplies. I would like to offer group activities around making or personalizing hand made instruments. I would like it to be a weekly activity if different retirement and long term care facilities, and for those interested, have a performance night where they can invite their families and friends. The performance may include playing music, singing, and dancing. These are activities which lift my spirit and it would be a joy to start this project. I feel this idea will enhance the quality of life of many individuals as well as their families their families. All individuals will also gain awareness of the Kingston Drum Circle and gives a possibility, for those able, to join the the open community drum circle. Some hand made instruments will also be brought to the community drum circle to ensure that all individuals have an opportunity to play music and enjoy being included in this growing community. I greatly enjoy organizing events and the 'performance days will be a celebration of accomplishment, and each practice day will be a celebration of life. These ideal lightweight drums will make it feasible for me to carry in my bicycle carrier and not require to use the car. I have a variety of heavy djembes; however, it is not feasible to carry them with me unless I use the care. This these made instruments will help the environment, engage creativity, and enhance quality of life.

San Antonio, TX – Humans of San Antonio

2014-07-16T00:00:00Z

The Humans of San Antonio Project (HOSA) is a documentary blog that shares visual images along with a short written phrase that is focused on revealing the real life diversity and individuality of our city, and the hidden beauties in between. HOSA thrives on social media that acts like a "digital water cooler", where discussions and healthy debate take place on unique topics that affect our daily lives and experiences. HOSA is evolving, and we inspire to turn HOSA into a platform where citizens can voice their opinions and address social issues in their communities to the public without having to compromise their daily routines. What is great about HOSA is that it has the ability to capture our city perspective as it evolves from a street level point of view on a daily basis. The ultimate goal of this project is to enhance and diversify our downtown community through photojournalism and with the help of our city organizations.

Perth (Inactivo) – IndGenius

2014-07-15T00:00:00Z

IndGenius is a social enterprise which aims to support Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander youth with their secondary and tertiary education. Our goal is to recruit and train tutors with cultural awareness so that they may support students academically and pastorally. We have identified a massive lack of transitional support for remote indigenous students relocating to Perth to continue their studies, as well as cultural and stigmatic issues. IndGenius recognises the growing number of Indigenous students attending high school and tertiary institutions, and the need for academic support to achieve their goals. We also recognise that Aboriginal Liaison Officers are frequently time-poor and unable to find, hire and monitor academic tutors to advance their students. IndGenius solves this issue by providing a selection of academic tutors through a tailored, bespoke program. We propose a casual tutoring workforce with demonstrated academic ability, commitment to the project’s objectives and employment, comprehensive training as well as tailored, bespoke tutor selection/match making.

Nairobi (Inactivo) – Silent Stories

2014-07-15T00:00:00Z

Silent stories would be a series of photography workshops for disadvantaged children from Mathare slums by Mathare Foundation.The project will conducted in Mabatini area in Mathare slums. The children who will undertake the trainings would tell unknown stories in their neighborhood.The stories will be through photographs that have taken and captioned. In each story there will be a series of photographs and an article to summarise. The training would be conducted for 20 kids from Mathare slums and their will be 2 facilitators to train the young children in photography.The workshop will focus on both theory and practical classes for a period of three months.The first 2 months the training will focus on practical classes.The third month which will be the final month the trainees will only focus on practical sessions.After the 3 months we will conduct 2 photography exhibitions,one will be in Mathare slums and the other one at the German Cultural center ,Goethe Instut in Nairobi.The photographs will be printed in A3 size. Why is the silent stories project so important to the Mathare Child?The chief reason is that children from the slums are vulnerable to child abuse,drug abuse,prostitution,crime and early marriages and pregnancies.Anita a 12 years old girl who lives with her mother,has been practicing prostitution.She is one of very many children who we have restored hope to them by giving them a platform to develop their talents and avoid vices that would jeopardize their lives. The silent stories project is in place to not only develop the young children talent but also to give them alternative measures that will enable them to restrain themselves from the vices. The project would be one of a kind since it will be able to bring children together and tell stories of their own community through the lens of a camera.The uniqueness of this project is that we will replicate this project in other parts of the slums so that other children can benefit. Find out more at http://www.matharefoundation.org

Pittsburgh, PA – Mobile Sculpture Workshop

2014-07-14T00:00:00Z

The Mobile Sculpture Workshop, a pilot program of The Industrial Arts Cooperative, is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based summer workshop aimed at demonstrating the techniques of safe and proper welding and metal fabrication while producing a large-scale sculpture for public display. This program is an effort to inspire the youth of Hazelwood and its neighbors with an opportunity of design, conception and completion of public art. At the end of the workshop, student apprentices (Pittsburgh-area high school youth, grades 9-12) will: Know the basic fundamentals and terminology of welding and metal fabrication, including safety procedures, welding preparation, operation of a welding power supply, basic horizontal/vertical welding, torch cutting, and the bending/shaping of metal. Learn and exhibit the imagination and design knowledge necessary to conceive a large-scale piece of public art. Be able to efficiently work within a team and recognize the importance of organizational cohesion. Understand the history of welding and sculpture, and what it means to the community and beyond.

Ottawa – Breathlace - The Breathalyzer Necklace

2014-07-13T00:00:00Z

July’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Britta Evans-Fenton to support the development of a breathalyzer necklace she is calling Breathlace. “Made up of a breathalyzer sensor, sewable LEDs, thermal colour-changing fabric, an e-textile micro-controller, and a battery,” Britta explains, “Breathlace will be an interactive piece of jewelry to encourage fun and break down barriers at parties, while also supplying a hint of safety. As people consume alcohol they will be able to breathe on the sensor, and the more alcohol they have consumed, the more the necklace will light up.” “Wearables — electronics that are sewn into fabric — are still quite new to Ottawa, with very few people working on projects that include them,” says Britta. “I’m hoping this project will not only be fun to have around, but will also encourage people to try more of these types of projects.” Britta is the Technical Coordinator at Artengine, a technology-based artist-run centre in Ottawa, as well as the host of Modlab, Ottawa’s first hackerspace, and a co-organizer of the Ottawa Mini Maker Faire.