Awesome Foundation - Projects

Detroit, MI – Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company comes home!

2014-03-19T00:00:00Z

But now we have an amazing opportunity: to lease a storefront on Grand River from Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation in the heart of that amazing neighborhood. For the first time, we will put down roots, become neighbors and not just itinerant artists, and go gangbusters to fulfill our mission and have a real impact on our community. Beyond productions, being in a permanent space means that we can greatly expand our programming. We can share space with other theatre companies and local theatre students. We can reserve gallery space for local visual artists. We can host open mic nights, concerts, film screenings, and other events. We can provide space for workshops and educational programming not only for artists and adults, but for youth. And we will do all of that with input from the community. Magenta Giraffe putting down roots means we can dedicate ourselves even more to providing services and programming that our community wants, needs, and deserves.

Plano, TX (Non-active) – Make a Splash

2014-03-18T00:00:00Z

The Make a Splash program is a community outreach program that focuses on teaching the lifesaving skill of swimming to children. There are approximately 3,000 unintentional, fatal drownings in the United States each year. This averages out to nine per day. Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death for children under the age of 14 and is the leading cause of accidental death in children up to four years old. There were more fatal drownings in Texas in 2009 than ever recorded previously. The YMCA understands this and is trying to make a difference. One program that we have had great success with is Make a Splash. The program is centered around the knowledge that the kids that need swimming instruction the most are the ones who are not able to make it in to traditional aquatics programs. Our Make a Splash team is made up of a travelling group of two Lifeguards and four Swim Instructors who take YMCA Swim Instruction in to local apartment communities and offer free swim lessons to the community. We bring all our own safety equipment and teaching aids and while we are at a pool we treat it like any of our actual facility pools. While in the water we never exceed a one to six student to instructor ratio and focus on very basic water safety skills. Over the course of 8 classes, each 45 minutes long, our goal is develop the skills in every child to make sure they could save their own life in an emergency. In 2013 our Make a Splash team taught swimming lessons to 165 kids in 6 different Plano apartment communities. We do not deny any child the right to learn and last summer we had mothers with their toddlers in the pool alongside 15 year olds who had never had the chance to learn. By the end of the lessons 89% of the kids tested could jump in to deep water, turn to find the wall and then safely climb out. 65% could swim at least 15 feet unassisted. Our goal for the 2014 summer is to expand to 8 Plano Apartment Communities.

Plano, TX (Non-active) – The Leading Tone Foundation

2014-03-18T00:00:00Z

Our name, "The Leading Tone Foundation", is derived from the name of the seventh scale degree of a major scale. A leading tone often leads into the start of a new scale, so just like a leading tone, we hope to lead a copious amount of people to a life of music and beauty. The Leading Tone Foundation's project is focused on spread. My peers and I want to spread music to whomever we can. We focus on people who don't get the chance to experience music all the time or who have not yet even gotten the chance to be exposed to music. As musicians, every single person in our group understands how music has benefited each of us personally. With that being said, we all collectively volunteer to perform for free to change people's lives. Our group is run by a board of six people, of which I am representing. Recently, we have performed at senior homes, schools, public parks, museums, and etc.; however, our methods aren't limited to performances. We accept donations to help to support fine arts programs in schools and to buy instruments/music for the underprivileged. We, as members, individually encourage and perpetuate the passion of music. We think music begins at any age. Whether it is from a family, a friend, or even the media, music has, in some way, manifested itself into every person’s life. Music is a blessing, and we are here to be its ambassadors. This is what The Leading Tone Foundation is about.

Plano, TX (Non-active) – STEM 4 R Gym

2014-03-18T00:00:00Z

The overall goal of “STEM 4 R Gym” is to introduce Hickey Elementary to various STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) concepts and the physical sciences while learning core content in the fitness arena. The program will seamlessly connect both the physical sciences and physical education, while reinforcing concepts through kinesthetic learning. The STEM 4 R Gym program will allow our students to use multiple senses to experience, comprehend and remember core concepts. Statistics show that 75% of children remember a concept when they experience it, rather than just hearing a lecture. STEM 4 R Gym allows the students to be physically involved with the learning process by utilizing human power to complete the tasks, all while keeping their heart rate elevated and working on muscular strength and endurance. The STEM 4 R Gym program will allow our students to maximize their senses for a full mind-body comprehension of STEM concepts. The focused goal for K-2nd students is to build a foundation in vocabulary for STEM concepts. After completing the program, the students will be able to understand and identify the relationships between the various simple concepts. Since these concepts are tied to a tactile or physical activity (wheel and axle, levers, pulley), the students will be able to discover the concepts through their own body movements. Over time, they will develop their insight to begin investigating connections between energy and force. The focused goal for 3rd -5th students is to allow the students to demonstrate their knowledge of force, load and energy through physical fitness concepts. They will then demonstrate that they are able to analyze and modify these core concepts to create cause and affect scenarios. While demonstrating their modified concepts, the students will also be working on their cardio and muscular endurance, which is part of our state mandated Fitnessgram.

Plano, TX (Non-active) – Operation Grease

2014-03-18T00:00:00Z

I am looking to improve the choir and theater departments at my school, which have not had nearly enough funds to do as much as they would want to. This year, the Choir and Theater departments are combining to create a musical production named Grease. This is only the third year of the school's existence, and the first year anything like this is occurring. Both the choir and theater teachers are looking to expand and this production will greatly help with that. Unfortunately, neither of these departments have had decent funding from the district due to budget cuts, and although they do hold fundraisers, they still don't have sufficient funds to be able to expand like they would want to. This production will really be a big step in developing the programs, and hopefully will spark interest in others to participate in more of these types of productions in the future, as students don't have to be in the actual choir or theater classes to participate. Talent is always wanted, and there is always a bunch of hidden talent within the students at school. Because of the lack of money there are several apparent issues within these departments. For example, the school's light board and communication system has always needed improvement, as sometimes the lights just completely shut off or the sound system malfunctions and productions have to be delayed. Along with these, the sound system could really use individual and hanging microphones for the actors. With the way the stage is set up, the acoustics aren't a;ways the best, and it is often difficult to hear anything on stage, even though there are a already few microphones there. This obviously will not bode well with the type of production that is planned. Also, wood is always needed to build the sets and costumes, and makeup and meals are needed for the actors. This production will go a long ways, not only in the choir and theater departments, but also in the overall success of the school.

Gloucester, MA – The Cape Ann Social Club

2014-03-18T00:00:00Z

The Cape Ann Social Club is a community based group of individuals who are over 18 years old that suffer with serious emotional challenges and mental health disabilities. Through The Cape Ann Social Club members are able to meet consistently twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Saturday from 12:00pm until 4:00pm. The club provides social, recreational and rehabilitative support to these adults who have been stigmatized against due to their disabilities. Members of this club find friendship, support and are able to focus on empowering themselves by attending the club. The activities that club partakes in are things such as karaoke, bingo, trivia, talent shows, lunch outings, holiday parties, leisure activities, arts & crafts, movie outings, ice cream socials and annual anniversary celebration.

Boulder, CO (Non-active) – The Humanity Project

2014-03-18T00:00:00Z

As the leading service provider, Bridge House plays an instrumental role in educating the public about homelessness. To do so, we create provocative and innovative campaigns to explore the complexity of this pressing issue. The goal of The Humanity Project is to generate awareness and provoke conversation using photography as a medium for exploring both the similarities and differences of how housed and homeless people live in Boulder. The concept is simple – we selected individuals from both the housed and homeless communities to photograph snapshots of their daily lives, such as where they sleep and what they ate for dinner. Those selected from the housed community include active/well known Boulderites, including a member of City Council, a CU Professor, athlete and several business leaders. We gave each participant a suggested shot list and disposable camera if needed. Once the images are turned in, we will curate a visual display and accompanying video that juxtaposes the photos of the housed and homeless. The photos will then be shared with the community at large through a variety of channels creating a dialogue about homelessness and humanizing those who are homeless. The initial launch of the project will be the evening of May 29th at the Dairy Center for the Arts.

Oahu, HI – K9 Emergency Evacuation Preparedness

2014-03-17T00:00:00Z

The tsunami warning sirens sound across the island. Families begin packing up their cars, grabbing belongings & heading to higher ground. Some people make their way to the nearest emergency shelter. For the homeless, evacuating dangerous areas in an emergency is extremely difficult. For homeless pet owners, the difficulty is amplified. They know that an emergency shelter will not let them bring their pets because they do not own a pet carrier and other pet supplies required by shelters. What do they do? Stay with their animals and risk their lives? In an emergency, access to supplies may mean the difference between life and death. K9 Kokua is comprised of unpaid volunteers who assist and rescue dogs on Oahu and Maui. K9 Kokua is the only animal welfare organization in the State of Hawaii whose primary focus is assisting dogs owned by the homeless and financially destitute. Assisting 100’s of dogs annually, volunteers provide dogs with medical care, veterinary services, flea/tick preventatives, community advocacy & education at events year-round and more. When K9 Kokua responds to a distress call, everything humanly possible is done to assist a dog in need, and often it means paying for medical costs, supplies, etc. out of volunteer’s own pockets. While K9 Kokua can provide cover basic needs for the dogs, K9 Kokua does not have all items necessary to assist homeless dog owners in the case of emergencies. According to the American Red Cross, “With the threat of flu pandemic, terrorist attacks, and major natural and man-made disasters…It is not “if,” but “when” a major disaster in Hawaii will occur…” When disasters arise, homeless dog owners face increasing danger. Not only do many of them reside near beaches and lack transportation, but emergency shelters that allow companion animals will not permit an individual to enter unless their pet has an appropriate carrier, food , leash, medications, and all other necessary items.

Portland, OR – Youth-Empowering Sewing (YES) (working title)

2014-03-17T00:00:00Z

I want to teach people how to sew. Specifically, I want to teach youth. My main focus with this project is to offer my services to those in the Queer and Houseless Youth Continuum (which have a large than average overlap due to social, educational, housing and job discrimination). Knowing how to alter your own clothes is a vital skill for low-income and at-risk youth; being able to present yourself in a professional and or fashionable light is vital to acquiring employment and education. It's also huge for maintaining self-esteem. If you were ever a teenager, you know how important clothes are! Low-income youth are often left at the mercy of charitable donations for clothing and food. Fortunately, Portland youth can get clothes for free at the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC). My project is to hold recurring classes that teach youth how to alter these donated clothes to fit them. I also want to teach them how to mend their clothes, and how to dress for interviews. Clothing is everything when it comes to presenting yourself to the world, and my classes would be hugely empowering. I'm also a great role model for how to be an awesome queer adult. (Hey kids, it gets better!) Body issues are so present for youth, especially those who are trying to figure out how to present themselves in a gender or size that is not mainstream. This hits home for me, and is something I feel very passionate about, because this is a struggle common and current in my community. Right now, SMYRC has 2 donated sewing machines, which do not work properly. This grant would allow me to outfit SMYRC with supplies for a functional sewing studio that will serve them for years to come. I have already been approved by their steering committee (which is run exclusively by the youth attending programs at SMYRC) to come in twice per month to teach. I would love nothing more than to be able to show up with the necessary supplies. And please note, I am not paying myself for any of this.

Oahu, HI – Bringing "Most Good, Least Harm" to Honolulu!

2014-03-17T00:00:00Z

We have worked very hard on this over the past 10 months, and are proud that the first Hawai’i Humane Education Week, March 11-15, 2014, is becoming a reality! We have already sought and obtained funding for the Tu-Fri itinerary shown below: Tues, 3/11/14: –2 Student Lectures at Kaimuki High School: Become a Solutionary –Public Lecture at Vegetarian Society of Hawaii: Doing the Most Good and Least Harm when You Eat Wed, 3/12: –2 Student Lectures at ‘Iolani School: Become a Solutionary –‘Iolani&Kaimuki Teacher Training Workshop: The World Becomes What You Teach: Educating for a more peaceful, just, and sustainable future Thurs, 3/13: –Kaimuki & ‘Iolani Schools, Evening Lecture for Parents: Doing the Most Good and the Least Harm Friday, 3/14: –Public Lecture at UH Manoa, through the Dai Ho Chun Distinguished Lecture Series: How to be a Solutionary Each of these events is free for the audience, and the Tuesday and Friday evening lectures are open to the public. On Sat, 3/15/14, Ms Weil will offer IHE’s transformative 8-hour Most Good Workshop for the Honolulu community. Participants will “examine what’s most important to you, combine your passions with your talents, and connect with others who share your commitment to live according to their deepest values to create a just, compassionate world for all” (IHE website). We need help to fund this community workshop. We’ve reserved and paid for a lecture hall and classrooms at UH Manoa for the workshop and its breakout sessions. IHE’s cost for the workshop is $2500, with a maximum of 50 participants. If we charged 50 participants $50 each, we could raise the $2500 fee. We request $1000, to help make this workshop more affordable for the community. We would like to offer 10 partial scholarships for students; they’d pay $25 for the workshop. The general public’s cost would be $40. With 40 participants @ $40 ($1600) and 10 participants @ $25 ($250) we would raise $1850 from registration fees.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – Mothlight Microcinema

2014-03-17T00:00:00Z

When Ben and I moved into a loft in downtown Detroit two years ago, we took one look at the long and narrow open room and immediately thought: this would make an amazing micro-cinema. We purchased some cheap folding chairs on craigslist, bought a large screen to cover the front windows, and began putting together programming for what would become Mothlight Microcinema. Mothlight holds monthly screening events that are free and open to the public. From the beginning it was our mission to use our resources to highlight the work of local filmmakers as well as bring high quality film and video to Detroit audiences. Each month we ask a local filmmaker to show some of their work, attend the screening to speak about their work, and take questions from the audience. We then curate a program around their work, bringing together material that either provides context or contrasts in interesting ways to the themes and styles of the local maker. In this way, we aim to elevate the conversations surrounding the work and to put them into a broader artistic and historical context of film and video production. We have consistently had about 30 people in attendance at our screenings and we hope this number will increase as we move into a larger and more public venue in the coming months. Given the rather large income disparities in Detroit, it has always been important to us to keep these screenings free and open to the public to increase and expand the growing film and video community in the region. Additionally, our long-term goals include starting a film residency program, which would bring filmmakers to Detroit for an extended period of time, help them connect with people and places in the local communities, and provide them with an opportunity to program a screening as well as screen their own work. We may team up with the Windsor-based Mobile Frames (http://mobileframes.org/) program to bring additional free workshops and screenings to Detroit.

Austin, TX – SKAM mural rehab: Preserving a piece of history

2014-03-15T00:00:00Z

Creative Action’s Color Squad, in collaboration with mural artist Nate Nordstrom, will be renovating of the four-sided “Don’t Drink And Drive” mural, originally by artist Al “S.K.A.M.” Martinez. The mural is located on the concrete base of an electrical tower located in the Longhorn Shores hike and bike trail off of East Pleasant Valley. The mural was originally created in the early 1990s as a commission from the city. It is a four-sided mural that includes a Selena memorial and a mural encouraging passers-by to not drink and drive. The other two sides are script based spray can art. The original artist, Al Martinez, passed away in 1995 and this mural has become a memorial of sorts to him as well. For that reason, his family and other members of the spray can art community of Austin, would like to restore the mural to its original condition. Martinez was an important figure of the spray-can art community in the 90s and is still considered and important figure to this day. One side of the mural was restored in 1998, but the mural has suffered fading from the sun, peeling, and small pen and marker additions from passers-by. There are also parts of the mural that have been painted grey by the city due to tagging. Color Squad would like to work to restore it in collaboration with Nate Nordstrom, a professional mural artist and a mentee of Martinez, along with other local spray can artists. We feel that the restoration of this mural is a valuable contribution to the community as well as an incredible learning experience for the youth involved. The mural is located in an area of Austin that is rapidly changing. We feel that the renewal of this mural will both reflect the general facelift of the area and preserve an important part of the history of that neighborhood. It will also serve as a chance to teach our youth about local history of Austin while providing an opportunity for them to hone their technical skills.

Seattle, WA – Seattle Loves Rain

2014-03-15T00:00:00Z

Seattle is full of dreary, drizzly days. Because we can't change that, I want to give people a reason to look forward to our rainy days! Here's what it looks like: Imagine—Each day you walk to work, along the same gray sidewalks, past the same ordinary walls. (Maybe you don't need to imagine.) One day you wake up and it's raining out. On your walk to work, you notice a heart-shaped spot on one of those ordinary walls is dry, Cute. You take a picture. A little further on, you stop and stare at a dry section of sidewalk that literally spells out "I <3 RAIN". What! You take a picture and post it for all of your friends on facebook. The next day is dry, and you see nothing in those spots. But every day it rains after that, the mysterious rain-proof messages show up again! You hear that other dry messages are showing up elsewhere in Seattle when it rains! Awesome. Here's how it works: NeverWet is a superhydrophobic coating sold as a 2-can package. When you spray those two cans on a surface (like a sidewalk), over the course of two hours, you can make any surface superhydrophobic—meaning that water will ball up and roll right off it. It will not get wet AT ALL. So by creating various stencils of positive messages and spraying over them with NeverWet, we can make any surface have a secret message that only shows up when it rains. Because most surfaces get darker when they get wet, anything coated in NeverWet is lighter, visibly standing out. If it's on a rough horizontal surface like a sidewalk, lots of tiny water droplets actually ball up on it, making it sparkle. What's the plan? I have a lot of friends willing to help. Over the course of a few weeks, we will design and cut out a variety of stencils (some small, some HUGE) then travel all over Seattle and make the magic happen! How long will it last? I made my first Neverwet test 5 months ago on a sidewalk near my house and it's still visible any rainy day of the week! (See attached pictures)

Pittsburgh, PA – Art in the Garden

2014-03-15T00:00:00Z

When we planned the garden, we left open space for future projects and community fun -- such as the concert we had here in the fall. But one of the wonderful byproducts of this venture has been the number of kids who are involved with the garden. We would like to create an experiential art space for these children and their families, so that they can experience what they're learning about planting, growing, and harvesting through art. Ideally, we'd like to set up art boxes, art tables and seating, art equipment and supplies, and even musical instruments that can stand the elements! We want the kids to be able to come to the garden and open up the art boxes and have access to paints, paper, chalk, beads, wire, triangles, chimes -- you name it. We'd also like to have exhibit space to show their art work. We do have a roof over part of the open space, so it could be assembled underneath. We had a contest for the kids to design how the rain barrels will be painted, and they look great! We want to have sights and sounds of art all around the garden, created by children. Last, but certainly not least, we'd like to bring in artists who can teach the kids and their parents to create artworks they can't do within the confines of school or home. Large works or small, collaborative or individual; the only common strand would be a connection to nature. And we want more concerts! As you can see, we visualize a true community arts environment for families, within the realm of our treasured garden.

Ottawa – Chirps, Tweets, and Trills

2014-03-13T00:00:00Z

March’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Adam Smith and the Ottawa Bird Count, to support “Chirps, Tweets, and Trills,” a free birdsong identification course. “The Ottawa Bird Count,” explains Adam, “is an environmental and educational organization that runs a volunteer-based bird survey in the city of Ottawa. Our volunteers survey birds in their neighbourhoods, and we store and analyze the data, making the results available to the public, conservation organizations, and city planners.” “Participants in the Chirps, Tweets, and Trills course,” Adam continues, “learn to identify the birdsongs of Ottawa’s neighbourhoods. After the six classes, many participants can identify 70–100 species, just by their songs! We do not charge for the course because we want no economic barriers for people to learn more about the biodiversity of their neighbourhood.” “Participants in the course,” says Adam, “start to realize that everywhere they go they can hear ten times as many bird species as they can see. They say things like: ‘I can’t believe I heard that bird singing in our park. I’ve never seen one. I had no idea such a beautiful bird lived in the city.’” You can learn more about the free course, which runs over six Saturday mornings in April and May, on the Ottawa Bird Count website. Adam is Coordinator of the Ottawa Bird Count.

Connecticut (Non-active) – The Look for the Good Project

2014-03-13T00:00:00Z

The Look for the Good Project uses public art and gratitude to build a more peaceful community within schools, hospitals, public parks, and retirement centers. How does this work? Researchers are finding that gratitude builds stronger bonds, it makes you happier, healthier, decreases teen violence, and builds the resilience you need to carry you through tough times. This is why a public display of grateful thoughts has such a positive impact on the community. Not only are we inspiring viewers to read a multitude of grateful voices and creative expressions, but we are giving THEM a voice too with the invitation to answer the question, "What Makes You Grateful?" So far, this has been wonderfully effective in transforming lives. In fact, the project is being used at CT Valley Hospital, the largest mental health hospital in the state, as a tool among all their units (including their forensics unit). In addition, the CT Association of Schools has recently endorsed the project and I have been featured on MSNBC, WNPR, The Huffington Post, Reader's Digest, and Good Housekeeping Magazine, among others. This summer, I am installing the second annual gratitude trail at Hammonasset Beach State Park. This consists of 100 grateful moment postcards reproduced on weather proof signage, strung along the boardwalk. As project founder and curator, my job is choose these cards, design the reproduction signage in an artistic way, and then print and install these cards along the beach. I will additionally have to maintain the trail all summer as well as start the process of producing gratitude trails like this in other areas. Additionally, I am putting together another book as well as creating a video series sharing some of the more powerful stories that have come in. Please see www.lookforthegoodproject.org for more Or: http://www.msnbc.com/craig-melvin/watch/postcard-movement-helps-look-for-the-good-144520259800

San Francisco, CA – NMU, The Wire People

2014-03-12T00:00:00Z

The Wire People is a growing family of human-like sculptures made out of chicken wire and recycled electronic chords. There are seven in total and more to come. They sit, slouch, and stare into their clear plexi-glass shaped phones of nothingness. They are placed in public places-from restaurants to the Bart, serving as a commentary of simply what we see constantly: a growing population with heads down using smartphones or other devices. The Wire People is a portrait of this all too common scene, yet when placed among others doing the same thing, they promote a striking image. An ironic twist. Interactions. Engagements. Discussion. Our project, although the main theme centers around a connected disconnect, has an underlying theme: it is a visual representation of waste and environmental degradation. While searching for our materials, we are continually astonished by the excessive amounts of electronic waste. We find laptops, printers, keyboards, phones, and an endless massive entanglement of chords. Our personal electronic devices are extremely disposable. By taking the chords from the trash, or from student free piles, we bring them back to life, yet in another form, in the form of that which has thrown it out. To be able to discuss all of this, through art, is the most important part for us.

New York City, NY – LICKESTRA: A Lickable Orchestra

2014-03-11T00:00:00Z

Lickestra, a collaboration between designers Emilie Baltz (www.emiliebaltz.com), Carla Diana and musician Arone Dyer, is a musical licking performance at the intersection of food design and smart objects. Created as part of a residency at the School of Visual Arts, Lickestra plays with the experience from tongue to taste by presenting a series of conductive ice creams that trigger various baselines and tones when licked. Riffing on the "ice cream stand", guests are invited to stand inside a classic white pedestal and lick the ice cream that is presented to them. The result is a "4-piece band" that operates only by the licking of each guest. Lickestra lasts until all the ice cream is licked. We would like to place Lickestra in "Specials on C" (http://specialsonc.com) a bodega for community and expression, located on Avenue C and 12th street in Manhattan, across the street from the public housing projects.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – Terminus

2014-03-10T00:00:00Z

I am a site-responsive artist who uses simple, temporary materials that evolve into sculptural work. With twine I make three-dimensional drawings to emphasize obscured elements within recognizable objects and correlate the symbolic with lived experience. My work is multi-sensory and requests participatory involvement that reawakens the simple intrigue of looking. Lines expand and contract in spaces examined to uncover hidden meanings and encourage appreciation for what they are. Inspired by both the interior and exterior, I look for sites where nature has been permeated by manufactured elements or ways in which structures can communicate certain particulars about the current human condition. Both natural and synthetic light interests me as an additional drawing medium. I believe the use of light encourages one to slow down and reconsider where they are standing. Blacklight creates an incorporeal feel to the installations because the work is experienced in the dark, an unconventional way in which to view art. Light influences the design of my work as a form of emphasis, highlighting the lines that accentuate the intricacies of the surrounding elements. I have been invited to participate in the Hambidge Art Auction and Performance Gala at the Goat Farm Art Center in Atlanta, Georgia on May 31, 2014. The work I have proposed is a large scale, site-specific installation based on Atlanta’s original name, “Terminus”. The audience will be able to interact with “Terminus” directly: the piece will be a work of art that people can walk directly into and become submerged by blacklight illuminated twine. A video of Brooklyn subway trains will be projected onto the work and the walls behind creating horizontal movement against the verticality of the line. Conceptually, “Terminus” references Atlanta’s public transportation issues, a city that is rapidly growing into the emerging artist capital of the US.

Los Angeles, CA – Swipes for the Homeless

2014-03-07T00:00:00Z

By the end of the school semester, college students are often left with hundreds of dollars in meal points or "swipes", which disappear at the end of the term. Swipes for the Homeless [Swipes, as we affectionately call ourselves] allows students to do donate those remaining dollars to their local homeless population while learning about the realities of homelessness on campus and in their community. Students sign off on their meals, the school converts those dollars into non-perishable food (or writes a check), then students drop off the donation to a local food bank or shelter. Simply reallocating an unused resource. In march of 2012, our original chapter at UCLA was invited to the White House and acknowledged by President Obama. Since, over 60 universities have reached out to us to start their own chapters. Swipes's next step is to meet this need and create an effective, smooth and streamlined process (or tool-kit) making chapter establishment easy. The greatest challenge students face in starting a chapter is getting their school's Dining Services on board. This is when we usually step in the most and provide counter arguments, troubleshooting & community organizing strategies to ensure the students success. Some background: Swipes was created at UCLA in 2009 to address the hundreds of thousands of dollars that disappeared from our meal plans every semester. Once the program gained notoriety in 2012, we decided to become an incorporated non-profit to help the program spread. Swipes grew from the dedication of a few friends who invested themselves in it voluntarily. In September of 2013, I came on as our first staff person and Executive Director in order to dedicate the time the organization needs to scale and expand. We're now up to 5 student run chapters. We (the "royal we") work out of The Hub LA in Downtown Los Angeles and love being able to connect with our community. More details/video/info-graphics on our website! Thanks for considering us.

Yerevan – Who Bought Yerevan in 1264?

2014-03-07T00:00:00Z

My awesome idea is the following: to produce a max 3-minute documentary on the oldest inscription (1264 A.D.) in Downtown Yerevan, located on the northern wall of St. Katoghike Church, and to screen the film on the very same wall for the public. The inscription is very interesting and unique. Many people cross Sayat-Nova and Abovyan streets every day, yet very few (if anybody) know that there is such an artifact -- probably the oldest Armenian document stating that Yerevan has been bought and that if anyone refuses to recognize the owner's right will be subject to several curses. Thus, my goal is to produce a short documentary on this inscription and screen it to the public to raise awareness on this unique treasure. I'm going to organize this in partnership with Tsirani NGO in order to pass them all rights toward the documentary and use its channels for disseminating the clip.

Sarnia (Non-active) – 4 Friends

2014-03-06T00:00:00Z

We "four" friends want to make mittens "for" friends in the community. We have been invited to team up with Feather Your Nest, a eclectic gift store in downtown Sarnia. They have offered to sell our mittens with all monies going to our chosen charity, Community Living, an organization that supports individuals with intellectual disabilities. Our opening night would be First Friday, October 2014. We would be providing warm mittens for our community and the community would be supporting Community Living.

Liverpool (Non-active) – Pawsome dog coats for the Homeless and dog

2014-03-04T00:00:00Z

My awesome project is to make dog coats and give them to homeless people who have animals with them on the street, when I go to my shop in town I always see homeless people with dogs, I would like to make pet hampers which would have a travel water bottle for dogs, and a travel bowl, and a warm coat which I will make as I am getting really good at sewing now. I think this would bring joy to the dogs and the people who have them, also it will solve a problem of them being cold and might help them to not get sick.

Liverpool (Non-active) – Norris Green News

2014-03-04T00:00:00Z

My project is called Norris Green News NGN that is a project I have started off on my own. My project is a newspaper to rid the community of Norris Green of its bad press and change the stereotypical view portrayed on Norris green to a positive lime light that people feel safe in. This is a project that I want to not only not consider them thoughts but banish them completely. Norris Green News is helped by local councillors and youth attenders that make it a huge success and I am the Editor of this magnificent project that will be a great success. Norris Green News provides positive news around the area and some great events to look forward to. It also helps various young journalists reach their abilities and achievements to the highest of their abilities when they write in and we display their articles about the area. Now I could go on for the next 988 characters but I am hoping the project speaks for itself and if this is called awesome Liverpool then hopefully This paper can make Liverpool that.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – Mondays at Racine

2014-03-03T00:00:00Z

Mondays at Racine began in 2003 when we opened the doors of our spa & salon on the third Monday of every month to provide beauty and wellness services to anyone undergoing treatment for cancer, free of charge. At a time when no one was recognizingthe emotional side of being diagnosed with cancer, Racine set out to attempt to offset cancer treatment's ravaging side effects and provide solace, care and support to it’s community members stricken with this disease. Having addressed the needs of this population for more than ten years, we have a keen understanding that the key to a patient’s wellbeing entails more than just the clinical side of healing; it requires attention to the mental, physical, spiritual and social side as well. We aim to work in conjunction with a patient’s standard care regimen, and offer services and support that treat the whole person, and not just the disease. We now offer our services every Monday.

Washington, DC – Funk Parade

2014-03-02T00:00:00Z

Funk Parade is a one-of-a-kind street fair, parade and music festival for DC and the U Street neighborhood, on May 3, 2014, the 211th anniversary of the DC’s incorporation. It's a celebration of what makes U Street great, what makes Washington DC, great, and what makes being alive such a groove. The day's schedule is as follows: The Funk Parade street fair (noon-5): The U Street neighborhood teems with music and performance, artists and vendors, food and art, workshops and spontaneous acts of soul. The mighty Funk Parade (5-7): The main event! Imagine a gyrating horde of dancers, a marching band behind them, and a drum corps. Hear beat-boxers and junkyard drummers, see pot-bangers and clappers and kids on their parents’ shoulders. Horn players wander in and out of the crowd, neighbors come out of their homes to join the procession. A thunderous syncopated army of groove, winding its way through the neighborhood, calling the city to the funk. The Funk Parade music festival (7- ): Grooves from all corners of the human soul play in venues on and around U Street. The sounds of the city’s best acts call from every doorway. One day, one spirit, one celebration of funk: the subatomic particle of love. The Funk Parade — free your mind and your city will follow!

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – The Indigo Theatre Project

2014-03-01T00:00:00Z

My colleague Nick Gereffi and I founded The Indigo Theatre Project in the fall of 2012 when we realized that there were many remarkable pieces of theatre we'd never had the opportunity to see live. We decided to present readings of these pieces, but resolved to do more than simply reproduce them. Combining artistry and advocacy, The Indigo Theatre Project's mission is to produce readings of high-profile plays to benefit specific, related non-profit organizations. We seek to pair our plays with an organization aligned with the play's author or that resonates with the plays' themes. In 2013, we were fortunate enough to present three sold-out readings with star-studded casts: Lynn Nottage's INTIMATE APPAREL in January 2013, directed by Jade King Carroll as a benefit for Donor Direct Action; Wendy Wasserstein's UNCOMMON WOMEN AND OTHERS in May 2013, directed by Leigh Silverman as a benefit for TDF Open Doors; and Craig Lucas's RECKLESS in October 2013, directed by Kate Whoriskey (starring Golden Globe winner Tina Fey) as a benefit for Safe Horizon. In total, we were able to raise almost $20,000 in our first year. Audiences have responded positively to our mission and we recognize that we've developed a powerful artistic model. This year we endeavor to produce two benefit readings: Robert Harling's THE FIRST WIVES CLUB screenplay in the summer of 2014 (to aid a women's center, as they do in the script) and Lisa Kron's IN THE WAKE in fall 2014 (to aid an LGBT organization as the play explores the themes of sexuality). However, we still have to cover the costs of space rentals, marketing tools, food for actors, and various other expenses that arise throughout the process. For these reasons, I've decided to apply to Awesome Without Borders. We believe that with a grant from Awesome Without Borders, we would be able to extend our impact--bringing in more audiences and funds to the nonprofits we support--thus empowering the mission of The Indigo Theatre Project.

Austin, TX – Old Books for New Teachers

2014-02-28T00:00:00Z

Many young teachers want to offer students rich experiences with literature but lack the resources. The Old Books for New Teachers project will put good books into students’ hands by providing first-year teachers with the means to build a classroom library. By building classroom libraries and sharing good books with their students, teachers would give students engaging literacy opportunities. Currently, many area schools have a sustained silent reading program, but students are uncertain of what books to select, and many skim through books hastily checked out of school libraries. With high-interest and varied texts available in the classroom, students will have easy access to books as well as an instructor who could help them make informed reading choices. These classroom libraries could benefit hundreds—even thousands—of students over time.

Nairobi (Non-active) – Desks for Neci Education Centre in Mathare

2014-02-28T00:00:00Z

Neci Education Centre is a school located in the Mathare slum, and provides a basic education to 340 children in the community and surrounding areas. Without Neci these children would not receive an education. The centre focuses on reaching the neediest children in Mathare slum and neighbourhood: children with special needs, learning disabilities and those from drug addicted families. The orphans and vulnerable children who come to the centre receive basic education from pre-school to year 8, along with alternative care, feeding and love. However, Neci faces a number of significant challenges. It does not have a permanent donor or source of income. It currently operates from a rented premises, and has little capacity to purchase learning materials or facilities. Samson is a yoga teacher with the African Yoga Project who undertakes yoga outreach in ten disadvantaged schools in the Nairobi area, including the Neci Education Centre. He has also been working with Neci to improve facilities at the school. Despite there being over 300 students, the school has only 100 desks – many of which are in disrepair. With Awesome Foundation’s help, Samson and the team at Neci will build new desks, providing workspace for many more students. What is awesome about the NECI project is that the parents who are mostly low-income earners provide the labour that goes into building the desks for the school in exchange for offsetting the tuition fees that they owe the school. This is a win-win for everyone: the school gets to make improvements in their learning facilities at low cost; the parents get some relief on the debt they owe the school and are happier to see improved learning facilities for their children. More importantly, you have the kind of “school-parent” engagement that goes beyond supervising homework or attending PTA meetings, and which is an absolute requisite for any school to succeed. We see this as a model that can be replicated in many other schools from disadvantaged neighbourhoods and hope that the small contribution from the Awesome Foundation Nairobi is a step towards making this a reality.

Orlando, FL – Creative City Project

2014-02-27T00:00:00Z

The Creative City Project is built on the belief that art has the ability to change the way people experience and connect with their city. By placing live performance, visual and interactive art in public places, the Creative City Project has helped shape the creative ethos and face of Orlando. In its first two years, the Creative City Project has partnered with Cirque du Soleil, Orlando Ballet, Mad Cow Theatre and SAK Comedy Lab. It has engaged hundreds of artists and thousands of residents of and visitors to Orlando. As we continue to grow, we anticipate seeing a greater level of engagement by arts organizations as well as residents of and visitors to Orlando. In 2014, we will - once again - have a single night of events featuring dozens of arts organizations and hundreds of artists. In 2013, several thousand came out to be part of the night's festivities. We anticipated an even larger turn out in 2014.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – B'Seder

2014-02-27T00:00:00Z

B'Seder is a visual system for healing conflicting histories. The system is designed to collect and store fragmented anecdotes of cultural conflict and then transform them into into whole, flowing narratives through a collaborative process. B'Seder uses the paradigm of a "memory palace" and collaborative photographic and painterly tools to produce a visual map of stories. This visual object is used as a kind of script for interactions between communities. This initial version of B'Seder is interested primarily in the contested histories of Polish and Jewish communities. Future versions of the project may be applied to other communities with contested histories.

Maldon (Non-active) – Freedom from plastic bag tyranny!

2014-02-26T00:00:00Z

This project will move Maldon towards becoming plastic bag free. It seeks to fund production of reusable bags together with an education project to encourage the community to choose reusable. The ultimate aim is a ban on plastic bags locally. The branded bags will also be beneficial to Maldon's tourism industry as purchasers of the reusable bags return to their home towns with them.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – EpiBone: living bones grown from stem cells

2014-02-26T00:00:00Z

In the past, humanity viewed the body as a “machine” with “interchangeable parts” provided by cadaver tissues and prosthetic devices. We envision a future in which the body is viewed as a “renewable resource” by mobilizing stem cells to grow living replacement parts in the laboratory. EpiBone is a NYC-based biotech company seeking to improve human lives by growing living bones are customized to the patient and defect being treated. Every year, millions suffering from craniofacial defects due to cancer, trauma, or birth defects are left without options, and without the ability to reintegrate into the society. We take the patient’s CT scans and fat-derived stem cells to engineer mature, living bones with precise anatomical fit to the defect, and no risk of immune-rejection, Our technology is based on fifteen years of NIH-funded research in bone tissue engineering. EpiBone is a technology platform serving surgeons and patients who may benefit from anatomically precise, patient-specific grafts. EpiBone's main competitors are patient bone harvesting, cadaver based products, and prosthetics. EpiBone is better for three main reasons: (1) EpiBone's precise anatomical shape means a better fit than patient or cadaver bones (2) EpiBone continues to remodel, unlike tissues taken from cadavers or prosthetics and (3) because EpiBone is grown from patient cells, there’s no second surgery. We envision EpiBone as a “grow your own bone” approach to repair the head, face, shoulder, arms, legs, knees and beyond, and pave the way for other fully biological implants grown using the same principles to repair our missing or diseased organs. We are thrilled at the prospect of pioneering a new paradigm for skeletal reconstruction that unlocks the power of the patient’s own stem cells to regenerate the body. But we're brand new, and don't even have our own lab yet -- we're ready for our own space! With this grant, we hope to get our own, first "new home."

Melbourne (Non-active) – Seen & Heard Film Festival - Melbourne

2014-02-26T00:00:00Z

Seen & Heard is a festival for films that are made by women, i.e. the primary roles like writer, director, producer, cinematographer are filled by a woman. This is definitely not a festival just for women to attend, though - it is about balancing the representation of female-made art in this world and we encourage all people to attend! So, S&H has been running in Sydney for the past five years and I have the exciting plan to bring it to Melbourne around April during a several week run (with maybe two nights a week). Most entries are artist-submitted, however we do source some of the films ourselves. I will be using some of the S&H Sydney's films but I also hope to do a special horror night in collaboration with some cool peeps from Tasmania who run a horror film festival there as well as source some films from quality international film festivals. Not really sure what else you want to know about this cool little film festival, but I would very happy to answer any questions you have about it! A lot of the things I am still nutting out myself, so I answering any questions you have may actually aid myself!

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – Naked Narratives

2014-02-25T00:00:00Z

London, ON (Non-active) – Rambot vs World 2014

2014-02-25T00:00:00Z

The St Joseph’s Catholic High School Robotics Team aka ”Renaissance Robotics” aka Team 4525 consists of students, teachers and community mentors working together to achieve a common (and awesome) goal; building a real live robot to compete in the 2014 FIRST Robotics Competition. Our regional competition takes place in Waterloo, Ontario in March where we plan to be awesome enough to continue on to the international competition in St. Louis, Missouri. Last year, we were the recipients of the Rookie Inspiration Award, for our spirit, enthusiasm and overall level of awesome! Our robotics team offers opportunities to many students who would otherwise not be involved in extra-curricular activities, and we think that is pretty awesome in itself! The team requires the dedication and talents of a diverse group of young people and their mentors in a variety of roles in order to be successful. This gives students who have a passion for art, computer programming, marketing, finance, construction or design a chance to utilize and apply their talents in an effort to achieve one co-operative goal. We hope to represent our community at these competitions with not just an epic robot but also the kind of team spirit, co-operation and gracious professionalism that FIRST encourages young people to strive for. These qualities are what make London and area youth and the mentors with which we work nothing but pure awesome!

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – HOLOSCENES

2014-02-24T00:00:00Z

HOLOSCENES is a suite of multi-format artworks that manifest states of drowning — both in water and the larger systems of our own devising — in order to directly connect the short-term, everyday behaviors of individuals to the long-term patterns driving global climate change. HOLOSCENES re-imagines historical antecedents of public spectacle, and simultaneously translates related streams of scientific investigation into a visual, visceral, and public address in urban communal space that challenges our personal and collective capacities for long-term thinking and empathy. The heart of HOLOSCENES is a large-scale performance installation and intervention in urban public space — such as a metropolitan plaza, city park, courtyard of a science institution, or hub of an arts festival — featuring three custom-made aquariums (10’ cubes of transparent acrylic raised 4’ above the ground) set proximate to one another and viewable from 360 degrees. Each is inhabited by a performer conducting an everyday behavior — highly choreographed secular or sacred habits with attendant objects, costumes, and utterances — gathered and shared with us by collaborators in 52 locations in 38 countries. As water fills and empties from each tank at varying intervals and rates by way of a sophisticated hydraulic system, the choreography of the performers, the appearance of costumes, the functioning of objects, all change. Pushed to the top of the aquariums for air, the performers dive below, where they adapt their behavior to the new underwater environment. As water drains, the performers continue, soaked by these mini-floods, aware that the water will soon rise again. The ebb and flow of water and the resulting modified behaviors will conjure mythic, historical, and coming environmental tragedies as the performers, carrying out their actions, offer complex human portraits of myopia, persistence, and adaptation.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – Providing Online Access

2014-02-23T00:00:00Z

Many of our publications have won awards and have been best-sellers in their field. We'd like to transform these publications into e-media so that they can be distributed online at cost or for free. This would enable us to bypass the shipping or mailing costs that have limited the distribution of these works to countries outside of North America or to other non-profit organizations within North America.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – BOT S Pots

2014-02-21T00:00:00Z

Although Connecticut is one of the richest states in the nation, paradoxically, its capitol city, Hartford is one of the poorest in the nation. There are over 4000 people experiencing homelessness in Connecticut, 700 of whom are Hartford-based. In response to the immense need within Hartford, Charter Oak provides three programs that work to address homelessness and other issues faced by Hartford residents. One of these is BOTS Pots: BOTS Pots-- named for Beat of the Street, Charter Oak’s “street” newspaper written by individuals experiencing homelessness and their allies-- places large potted organic vegetable plants throughout the City of Hartford. Individuals who are experiencing homelessness are hired and trained to tend the pots and the vegetables are provided for free to anyone in need, addressing hunger in Hartford. In addition, local artists volunteer to transform the pots into public art. As far as we know, the program is the only one of its kind in the country, although the model has been sought out by other cities asking how they can bring it into their communities. BOTS Pots brings food, jobs and art to Hartford and provides much-needed work experience and a resume line item for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Sydney – Rooftop Garden for refugee's and asylum seekers

2014-02-20T00:00:00Z

Well, above our soup kitchen is a refugee and asylum seeker support service. (jrs.org.au). Above them is a rooftop that is screaming out to be transformed into a rooftop garden. There is an accommodation centre next door that houses about 14 asylum seekers. It takes about 5 years for their application to be processed. In this time they cannot work or study and often fall into depression. Our project is a garden of opportunities, a place of meaningful and familiar activities. A place to allow the asylum seekers to grow food and feed back into our soup kitchen.

Oahu, HI – Ku’i Hui

2014-02-20T00:00:00Z

Mahoney Hale is Hawaii’s only Federal Residential Re-Entry Center (RRC) for offenders preparing to release to our community. Up to 90% of Mahoney Hale’s female residents have been sexually abused. Such past traumas strongly correlate with a woman’s pathway to criminality, her crime, and even her experience of prison as a re-traumatizing event. Now, imagine a convicted felon has served her sentence and is moving onto your street. Would you rather she had only experienced punishment during her incarceration, or that she’d been offered opportunities for change? Mahoney Hale is exemplary in its trauma-informed care perspective1, which addresses the continuing impact of past traumas, including incarceration itself. Through healing these old wounds, female residents obtain healthy coping skills and self-images. This creates a strong foundation from which to make different life choices to reduce recidivism. Why boxing? As counterintuitive as this may seem, boxing can be an antiviolence experience, especially in the non-contact format of my awesome project. Let a participant in a similar program for survivors of violence2, explain: “It’s a creative release valve for me because I tend to harbor my emotions inside so that they become toxic. And with the heavy bag I imagine that the bag is all those people who made my life a living hell…..While you are letting it [anger] out you’re not hurting anybody, in fact you’re helping yourself. I mean a lot of times we’re told ‘turn the other cheek’….but what happens if you’ve had years of doing that? How do you deal with or release all that pent up anger and hatred inside of you safely?” Anger is a dominant and appropriate emotional response to violence and trauma. The opportunity to safely embody and release the anger can be transformative, a motivation for real change. 1Roe-Sepowitz, D., et al. (2009). Social Work with Groups, 32: 4, 330-341. 2Van Ingen, C. (2011). Sociology of Sport Journal, 28: 171-188.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – Let the kids surf in the Philippines

2014-02-20T00:00:00Z

We create after-school, surfing programs in the Philippines that keep the children in school by offering the incentive of surfing lessons, and access to surfboards as a reward for good school attendance. There are 6 programs in the Philippines we have in operation: 2 on Siargao Island and 4 on the island of Mindanao, namely in the Southern remote regions of the Philippines. Over 50 boards have been shipped to the Philippines since beginning in 2008 and we continue to expand, with an upcoming trip in Feb 2014 to the typhoon hit area of Guiuan, Samar. Working with the local surf community and teachers at the program locations, we monitor our participating youth and help them achieve educational success by partnering with other organizations offering scholarships to college. We have helped over 80 kids complete their schooling since 2008, with 15 of them receiving honors. Maintenance of the equipment is an annual cost which includes repairs and stipends for managing the surfboard borrowing program. We have been working with other organizations towards branching out to other countries using our community model of success. Voluntourism with our group is encouraged when we visit our program locations via organized trips. In our San Francisco headquarters we teach surfboard repair and surfing to our volunteers and hold annual art sales to raise money for our yearly operational costs. We accept donations of surfboards, skimboards & bodyboards year round. Contact us for a pick-up in Northern and Southern California.

Miami, FL – Universal Diagnostic Platform

2014-02-20T00:00:00Z

Problems: - Each medical test only gives you just one piece of information... and you are charged for each test - Millions go undiagnosed from treatable diseases - Tests take years and million of $ to develop - Millions throughout the world lack means of assessing water or soil quality, infections in live stock or contaminants in food Solution: Develop an easy to use diagnostic platform able to simultaneously analyze any sample quickly and at a low cost. One platform for all applications. How do I test samples? Apply sample (e.g. water, blood, urine, saliva, etc.) onto a capture device called NUTeC (nanoscale unbiased texture capture). This device has a series of molecular binding pockets that bind to small molecules, proteins and cells found in the sample and creates a unique signature that's specific to a given condition. For example, the signature for breast cancer looks different than the signature for a STD or celiac disease. You then take a picture of the NUTeC device using your smart phone, Google Glass device or you can use an office scanner. This picture is then uploaded to our cloud-based analysis portal that uses machine learning techniques and our innovative algorithm to provide you with the results along with a confidence indicator. One can simultaneously screen for various conditions using this approach. How do I make my own test? Simple, you only need samples that you know are positive and negative for whatever you want to test (e.g. contaminated vs clean water). These samples "teach" the cloud-based system what's positive and negative in your test. Interesting... but does it really work? YES! Prototypes are able to correctly detect various samples and even diagnose bladder cancer in 30 min and breast cancer in 1 hr. Are there applications outside healthcare? Yes, MANY, the exact process can be used for any application throughout the world. Our open platform allows users the freedom to develop tests as needed.

Miami, FL – Save Our Stories (SOS)

2014-02-20T00:00:00Z

Once Upon A Time… There lived a youth in Miami. He had two brothers and one sister and lived in a small apartment with his mother and grandmother. He took two buses in the morning and afternoon to get to his school but he did not mind. In his classes, he would always pay attention and do his work. His favorite days where those when his class would be allowed to use the library, the days his whole grade had testing, except he wasn’t allowed to take out the books. No one was. The sad reality is that although free resources such as school libraries, Miami-Dade County libraries, and non-profit organizations at times provide books to children, many youth here may never have the opportunity to take out a book. Literacy is vital to youth development and can drastically change a child’s situation much like a community can shape a child. Save Our Stories proposes to bring the power of books and their stories to the communities of Miami-Dade. The idea is composed of two elements: a mobile library and story time. The mobile library would visit different public spaces (parks, urban gardens, etc.) to bring the power of books to places close to the community and accessible without the restraints of public transportation, hours of operation, or a membership card. The story time would accompany the bookmobile and would feature a children story read aloud by a volunteer (in English, Spanish, and Creole) throughout the time the bookmobile would be at the space. The objective is to promote literacy but also foster community involvement so as to garner support from local organizations, empower community members to occupy public spaces, and prove a catalytic force for pop-up community fairs to occur.

Kingston – Healing through Music

2014-02-20T00:00:00Z

Can music heal? As mental health crisis workers, Richard Tyo and Chris Trimmer support individuals in the Kingston community who are struggling with mental illness. Since there are many people at various stages of recovery, it has often been discussed that a need exists for programs that help facilitate mental health support for hard-to-reach populations, and in a context that operates outside of the traditional mental health system. Being avid musicians, Chris and Rich wondered why music couldn’t be used both as a form of therapy, and as a tool for discussing mental health. After all, who doesn’t have some type of meaningful connection to music? Music brings us together. It’s also the perfect metaphor for life and our struggles. Since April 2013, Rich and Chris have been running a weekly music group session at a local mental health support drop-in centre. Clients attending the group have reported that positive coping arises from music-based group cohesion. Activities include shaker circles, singing, using song to discuss and reframe positive/negative events, & writing lyrics to discuss coping with, for example, seasonal affective disorder and social isolation. In addition to observable benefits for clients, having Crisis workers associated with musical programming, while still discussing mental health, appears to reduce stigma towards mental health workers in the community. Rich and Chris are asking the Awesome Foundation for support in bringing the Healing through Music group to the larger Kingston community. There have been numerous requests from various community agencies for bringing the music group to their clients. We would like to expand the weekly group session to also include a weekly roving session - going to various community agencies, such as other mental health facilities, hospital wards, long-term care facilities, in Kingston and the surrounding area.

Detroit, MI – Detroit REPRESENT!

2014-02-19T00:00:00Z

Detroit REPRESENT! is a project conceived by a handful of other LGBTQ youth of color from across the city. Although there are several social service agencies for young people in Detroit, we wanted a space not just to receive support resources, but to put our heads together and creatively solve the large-scale problems that formed our need for those resources. Detroit REPRESENT! is our attempt to create this space. We decided that the best place to start, when addressing the issues of racism, homophobia, transphobia, and negative bias against Detroit youth, was with our own stories. Creating our collective, we partnered with the Allied Media Projects, CHASS Center's La Vida program, Detroit Latin@z, and a few other groups, to learn how we could use the telling of our stories to create a major culture shift in Detroit. Our goal is to connect as many LGBTQ youth of color from Detroit as possible with each other, equipping them with the means to create graphics, videos, blogs, photographs, short stories, and even more art and media messages, which tell our personal stories of struggle, resilience, rejection, and inner strength. Sharing these stories with youth, adults, teachers, social workers, and Detroiters at large, we hope to fill the void of affirming media portrayals of youth like us, help others in our community to overcome isolation and feelings of powerlessness, and produce media that can be used as practical tools to fuel social justice. Some of the topics we hope to address with our media include: - LGBTQ youth legal rights (so youth can advocate for themselves with schools, police, or other bureaucracies) - resources for homeless youth, runaway youth, and youth in foster care - tips for LGBTQ youth in need of employment - ways that LGBTQ organizations can better include and serve youth of color Our workshops culminate in a gathering of LGBTQ youth of color, where we will create large-scale media messages to share with our community.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – Tribal Justice Project

2014-02-19T00:00:00Z

The Tribal Justice Project will create a documentary featuring Abby Abinanti and Claudette White, tribal court chief judges who serve the two largest Native American tribes in California. Through their judicial lives, the film will explore the critical issues in Indian Country, including the removal of children from their tribes; and the legacy of history’s ravages that has led to high rates of alcoholism drug abuse and domestic violence. In following the judges at work, we will see them creating a tribal judicial system that will restore justice and help rebuild their nations. Our intent is to create a film that is both enlightening and inspiring. Walter R. Echo-Hawk, an important advocate of Native American rights, advises that “the widespread lack of reliable information about Native issues is the most pressing problem confronting Native Americans in the United States today.” The tribal justice documentary can make significant strides in addressing that pressing problem. As Executive Producer, I am working with Anne Makepeace, who for more than three decades has directed and produced consistently outstanding films; Jennifer Walter, Supervising Attorney on Indian matters in California’s Administrative Office of the Courts; Native American field producers; and scholars and activists steeped in knowledge about Indian culture, Indian law, Indian history, tribal courts and tribal concepts of justice.

Gloucester, MA – Backyard Growers School Salad Days!

2014-02-18T00:00:00Z

Backyard Growers will lead our second annual Salad Days initiative in all five of Gloucester's elementary schools based on our successful 2013 pilot program. In early April, BYG staff will coordinate with school principals, teachers, and parent-led school garden teams to have all elementary school students (over 1,300 children) visit their school gardens to plant lettuce varieties. In late May all the students will visit the gardens once again to harvest the lettuce, which will go directly into the school cafeterias to be enjoyed by all of the students. Now I bet you're thinking, "But do the children really eat the salad?" And the answer is yes. The Center for Disease Control Guide to Strategies to Increase the Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables states that home and school gardens play an important role in the consumption of fresh vegetables, and that increased exposure to fresh vegetables through gardening increases the likelihood that people will consume what they grow. By giving children the full experience of eating fresh food--from seed to fork--children gain a greater appreciation of where food comes from and are inspired to make healthier food choices. In our pilot year we had children tell us that they had never eaten salad before, and many expressed pride at having grown the lettuce themselves. Growing food as a school community also helps build school spirit--everyone has participated and thanks to everyone's efforts a meal is shared together.

Boulder, CO (Non-active) – Pollination Planet

2014-02-18T00:00:00Z

Pollination Planet is a nonprofit organization with the mission to educate and inspire communities to protect our food supply by providing habitat for pollinators. This will be accomplished through hands-on education with students in the Boulder Valley School District, outreach, and habitat planting. Our education program starts in the classroom, introducing students to the life of a pollinator through interactive lessons. Next, we make the connection between pollination and our food supply by a visit to a local farm. Students learn the important role pollinators play and how they are connected to our food. Plus, they get to explore a really cool working farm. Finally, students have the opportunity to plant and maintain habitat at their school or in the local community.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – Sharing knowledge: a meeting of indigenous midwive

2014-02-17T00:00:00Z

We want to organize a regional meeting of Mayan midwives of the state of Chiapas to be held 27-28 of February, 2014. The participants come from 11 indigenous communities of the state of Chiapas. This project will carry out a 2 day meeting of representatives (1 man and 2 women from each community) in San Cristobal de Las Casas and produce a video that will be used in the communities as a pedagogical tool. . Chiapas is one of the states with the largest indigenous population and is also one of the poorest states in the country despite the fact that it is rich in natural resources. Despite the importance of it having a large indigenous population (27%), indigenous knowledge is not respected – and in particular, midwives knowledge are not legitimized by Western medicine although Due to financial difficulties the midwives have not been able to meet since 2010. The midwives have asked us to organize this meeting because they feel that their knowledge is being lost and the impact of this loss is felt by the indigenous communities. This loss is due to the fact that the younger generation does not show an interest in learning traditional medicine and midwives have increasingly less patients. The direct beneficiaries of the meeting would be 33 individuales who represent 11 communities. During the meeting, they will exchange information regarding health problems in the communities, solutions to these problems and they will exchange their knowledge regarding medicinal plants and birthing techniques. The indirect beneficiaries of this meeting would be the people of the indigenous communities. When the midwives return to their communities they will take back with them enhanced knowledge and greater confidence in their work. In this way, the health of their patients will be improved. They will also share their knowledge with other midwives (and apprentices) in their communities.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – SPARK GIRLS-MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

2014-02-17T00:00:00Z

Spark Girls Mentorship Program. AIM Creating a safe and secure environment to inspire girls to lighten up their communities and discover their potentials. SCOPE OF THE PROGRAM This is a grassroot program which is seeking to empower girls in high risks situations so as to empower their peers through a mentoring designed program which includes digital mentoring(visual,audio,global changemakers stories and motivations). The mentorship program will act as a glimpse of hope to rural young girls as they will be exposed to curriculum based and one-on-one mentorship which incooperates trainings on: 1.Self-esteem and self confidence building 2.Human rights and peace building 3.Community service and development 4.Goal orientation and Women's issues 5.Leadership skills and sexual health. PURPOSE 1.To enable the girls to know of their rights and be able to defend themselves and others and be the voice of the voiceless in their communities. 2.To empower a girl inorder to create a positive change and a ripple effect around her. 3.To have positive role models for young women who encourages their ambition,self confidence and supported growth,girls are inspired to achieve more through guidanceeither from community sheroes,international change agents or inspirational global stories. 4.To nurture girls to realise the impact they can have inspite of their background standing OBJECTIVES 1.For girls to expand their horizons and harness true capabilities. 2.For girls to have positive attitudes towarsds science and technical subjects in schools. 3.For girls to develop a deep understanding of their rights. 4.For girls to see life beyond their situations aiming for higher achievements and thinking out of the box. ACTIVITIES Three(3) trainings per month with twenty(20) girls participants,two volunteers and one facilitator. TARGET GROUP AND AREA *The program will be implemented in a rural school with participants ranging from 12-18years,the program is sustainable in the sense that we are able to follow the girls from primary final grade level,through high school and onto college at which point will encourage thepast beneficiaries to come back as mentors to other girls.In addition,this project is replicable can be replicable in various schools henceforth,reaching more girls.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – EcoSan Toilets for Miruya Primary School in Kenya

2014-02-17T00:00:00Z

The goal of the project is to construct 7 EcoSan (4 Arborloo and 3 Fossa alterna) toilets for Miruya Primary School in Kenya. When I visited the school in summer 2013, it had no toilets. The kids used the bush next to the playground for toilet purposes. This makes the children more susceptible to cholera. Arborloo is the compost toilet that eventually becomes a tree. A shallow pit is dug and a concrete slab and easily movable superstructure is placed on top. A mixture of soil and ash is added after each use, until the pit is nearly full – this may take 4 – 9 months. Thereafter, both the slab and superstructure are moved to another pit. A thick layer of soil is added to the full pit and a young tree is planted in the soil. Tree planting may be delayed until the rains begin. The tree grows utilizing the compost to produce fruit. After a few years the result is an orchard producing fruit with a good nutrition and economic value. The compost is never physically handled and it requires minimal behavior change in relation to using a traditional pit latrine. Fossa alterna is the alternating pit compost toilet. Two shallow pits – A and B are dug next to each other; housed within the same brick walled structure. Pit A is used whilst compost is maturing in pit B. When pit A is full, the slab is moved to the pit B for use. Pit A is then covered with soil to compost until pit B is full. Pit A is emptied of compost and used again. The compost is either stored in sacks for future use or dug into the garden to increase soil fertility. This alternate use continues almost indefinitely. As in Arborloo, a dry mixture of soil and ash is added after each use, facilitating the aerobic decomposition, reduction of odors and discourage flies. This differs from the traditional toilet pit, which is saturated, anaerobic and smelly. To ensure sufficient reduction in pathogens, the compost is processed for at least 12 or 6–9 months in warmer climates, before it is spread on the garden.