Awesome Foundation - Projects

Brumadinho (Non-active) – Educar para a vida e para a luta (projetor)

2019-07-23T00:00:00Z

A escola Elizabeth Teixeira fica do Acampamento Pátria Livre, às margens do Rio Paraopeba, que foi tomado pela lama da VALE S. A. Trata-se de uma escola construída pelos próprios Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, onde estudam aproximadamente 120 crianças pobres, filhas dos trabalhadores. Valor aprovado: R$ 2500 Como o recurso será utilizado: A ideia é adquirir um Projetor (Datashow Retro Projetor Profissional 3000 Lumens Igreja Wifi) para a escola. Além da questão financeira, existem outras formas não-financeiras em que pode ser apoiada? Sim. Vocês podem comprar produtos sem agrotóxicos em feiras da Reforma Agrária e podem apoiar o acampamento Pátria Livre e a escola com quaisquer materiais escolares, inclusive livros de literatura. Sobre o proponente: Morador de Brumadinho há 55 anos, professor, apoiador dos acampados, membro da Articulação , SOMOS TODOS ATINGIDOS (formada por vários movimentos como o MAB - Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens, MAM - Movimento pela Soberania Popular na Mineração -, SindUTE, SindSaúde, Frente Brasil Popular de Brumadinho, membros da Arquidiocese de BH e outros militantes), constituída após o rompimento da barragem da VALE. Articulação foi formada com o objetivo de ajudar os atingidos às margens do Paraopeba.

Brumadinho (Non-active) – Educar para a vida e para a luta (quadro branco)

2019-07-23T00:00:00Z

A escola Elizabeth Teixeira fica do Acampamento Pátria Livre, às margens do Rio Paraopeba, que foi tomado pela lama da VALE S. A. Trata-se de uma escola construída pelos próprios Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, onde estudam aproximadamente 120 crianças pobres, filhas dos trabalhadores. Valor aprovado: R$ 2500 Como o recurso será utilizado: A ideia é equipar 5 salas de aulas com quadros decentes. (5 Lousas Quadro Branco Moldura De Aluminio 300x120) Além da questão financeira, existem outras formas não-financeiras em que pode ser apoiada? Sim. Vocês podem comprar produtos sem agrotóxicos em feiras da Reforma Agrária e podem apoiar o acampamento Pátria Livre e a escola com quaisquer materiais escolares, inclusive livros de literatura. Sobre o proponente: Morador de Brumadinho há 55 anos, professor, apoiador dos acampados, membro da Articulação , SOMOS TODOS ATINGIDOS (formada por vários movimentos como o MAB - Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens, MAM - Movimento pela Soberania Popular na Mineração -, SindUTE, SindSaúde, Frente Brasil Popular de Brumadinho, membros da Arquidiocese de BH e outros militantes), constituída após o rompimento da barragem da VALE. Articulação foi formada com o objetivo de ajudar os atingidos às margens do Paraopeba.

Gainesville, FL – GRACE Grows

2019-07-19T00:00:00Z

GRACE Grows is a program designed to empower individuals experiencing homelessness through horticultural therapy, education, access to fresh vegetables, and community development. We are a completely volunteer based project. We strive to provide a space where people can come together to interact with nature, grow their own garden, and find community. Many guests of the shelter express that the garden is their reprieve from chaos and that they learn more through working the garden than they thought possible. There are two parts of our program, both centered around the garden. One is the therapeutic time spent in the community garden which offers a myriad of physical and mental health benefits for an underserved population. The second is the vocational course to help those who are unemployed and homeless. Why this is valuable: we are providing a vocational program that offers a credential to people who badly need employment. This enhances the evidence-based approach to ending homelessness currently being utilized by the shelter that we assist, GRACE Marketplace. We are currently collaborating with the University of Florida’s Doctor of Plant Medicine Department for Phd students to teach the course. This same certification has been used to teach people with learning disabilities locally and with people in a prison in Florida successfully. This is particularly important because GRACE Marketplace is a low barrier shelter which means there are more homeless folks who have criminal records and learning disabilities. Our approach is unique in that we combine the therapeutic aspect of gardening and growing fresh food, with case management, and assistance with job placement. Thus, we are covering our bases as well as possible for this particular demographic. We believe that success is more imminent when we incorporate a diverse subset of citizens to work towards empowering one another through service and education.

Yerevan – Ճիռոկա մըն (իմ հեքիաթը)

2019-07-19T00:00:00Z

Երկար ուսումնասիրել եմ Արագածոտնի մարզի եզդիաբնակ գյուղերը, առկա հազարավոր խնդիրների մեջ ամենացավալին երեխաների զբաղվածության հարցն է, մանկապարտեզներ չկան, դպրոցները թե շենքային ու թե ուսման մակարդակով անմխիթար վիճակում են, այդ գյուղերում նույնիսկ ծառներ չկան, որոնցից ճոճանակ կապելու հնարավորություն լինի ու երեխաների առօրյան անցնում է անարդյունավետ, անուշադրության մեջ: Ծնողները շատ հաճախ ժամանակ չեն ունենում զբաղվելու երեխաների զբաղվածության ճիշտ կազմակերպմամբ, հաճախ վաղ տարաիքից նրանք սկսում են զբաղվել գյուղատնտեսական աշխատանքներով: Ծրագիր նպատակն է փոքր հեքիաթ տանել այդ երեխաների կյանք՝ կառուցել խաղահրապարակ: Խաղը երեխայի կյանքում մեծ նշանակություն ունի և այդ փուլը պետք է հնարավորինս հագեցած կազմակերպել: Հույս ունեմ, որ այս խաղահրապարակի կառուցումը կդառնա երեխաների առօրյան արդյունավետ կազմակերպելու առաջին քայլը:

Nuremberg (Non-active) – Fahrradfails

2019-07-19T00:00:00Z

Mehrere teils fatale Unfälle von Fahrradfahrenden mit Autos oder LKWs haben uns dazu gebracht, nachzudenken: was können wir als denkende Teile der Gesellschaft tun, um auf den großen Mangel an durchgängigen, sicheren und gut gekennzeichneten Fahrradwegen zu beseitigen? Wir können darauf aufmerksam machen – so laut wie möglich. Deshalb möchten wir neben einer Petition für ein besser ausgebautes Fahrradwegenetz in Nürnberg, Fürth und Umland auch eine Website auf die Beine stellen, die auf Bundesebene die Mängel dokumentiert. Die Website soll 2 Hauptfunktionen (Filter) haben: 1. sie soll Input von Usern (auf dem einfachsten Weg, ohne Registrierung) sammeln und zeigen können 2. sie soll gute, sichere Wegenetze aufzeigen können 3. sie soll Gefahrenstellen auf existierenden Wegenetzen aufzeigen können 4. sie soll gewünschte Fahrradrouten zeigen können und ein Voting beinhalten 5. das Backend muss alle Daten simpel und schnell ausspucken können Wir wurden bereits ins Rathaus Nürnberg eingeladen, was uns sehr freut – nach nur 24 Stunden und einem Facebook-Post zum Thema Fahrradwegesicherheit und mit Bitte um Mithilfe beim Aufsetzen einer Petition. Jedoch wollen wir gerne auch weiter hinaus. Je größer wir das Thema aufziehen, desto größer wird der Druck auf die Politik und die Stadtplanungsämter.

Lake Mac – Lake Macquarie Formal Wear Event

2019-07-18T00:00:00Z

Last year we hosted a free formal wear event at Toronto High for young people in Lake Macquarie. We appealed to the community for donations of used formal wear in good condition and were overwhelmed with the response! We received hundreds of dresses, suits, shoes, jewellery and accessory items. This year we hope to host the event again and would like to purchase clothing racks to display the clothes and vacuum bags to store the left over clothes and items to use the following year. We plan to hold this event each year to support our students to have a fantastic formal without financial stress. This event also promotes sustainability by encouraging items to be repurposed that would otherwise go unused. for a good cause. This event will be held in partnership with Lake Macquarie, Warner’s Bay and Morisset High schools. There will be donations points set up at each school for community members to drop formal wear in. The “browse, try and take” event will be held on Saturday the 24th August at Toronto High.

Ottawa – #1000Strings

2019-07-18T00:00:00Z

July’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Carol Gimbel to support a mass participatory concert in Wellington West, as part of Chamberfest. “Young musician, avid amateur, seasoned pro, and enthusiastic concert attendee – all are welcome at #1000Strings,” says Carol. “The outdoor performance will feature award-winning composer John Oswald's seminal work Spectre, which was commissioned by the Kronos Quartet in 1990 and combines live quartet with multi-layered overdub, creating the illusion of a 1000-piece string orchestra. With #1000Strings, the community joins forces to make that illusion a reality.” Play violin, viola, cello, or bass and want to join in? Signing up to participate is free. Want to just enjoy the show? It takes place Saturday, August 3rd, at 11 AM, in Hintonburg Park. Carol is a performer, producer, and director. She is also Secretary of the Canadian Viola Society and founder of Music in the Barns, which specializes in repurposing alternative performance venues for bespoke, site-specific “installation concerts.”

Chicago, IL – Helping Rebuilding Exchange Build for the Future

2019-07-17T00:00:00Z

At Rebuilding Exchange, we repurpose building materials that would otherwise enter landfills in environmentally overburdened neighborhoods and provide skills training for people living in poverty, with an overarching commitment to workforce training and economic development in Chicago's underserved communities. Rebuilding Exchange has four distinct social enterprise areas which achieve our mission. Our 25,000 square foot retail warehouse provides affordable reclaimed building materials to the general public. Our public workshops educate Chicagoans on how to use reclaimed materials and live more sustainably. RX Made, our in-house custom fabrication workshop, demonstrates the reuse of our materials through the creation of repurposed furniture. This project will support the fourth component of Rebuilding Exchange’s work: a job training program which provides individuals with barriers to employment critical training spanning a six-month apprenticeship that includes both skills and certifications. Our program comprises: - Certifications in Forklift, LEAD RRP and OSHA - Training in building deconstruction, tool proficiency, woodworking, and materials management - Immersive training in customer service and retail merchandising - A full apprenticeship in a consumer-facing warehouse and retail environment Rebuilding Exchange’s employment training program provides opportunities to Chicagoans facing a variety of employment barriers, which include homelessness and prior incarceration, as well as addiction and lack of a high school diploma. We are working with Chicago’s most underserved communities: 77% of our job trainees have only achieved a high school diploma or GED, 86% are formerly incarcerated, and 100% have been affected by homelessness or poverty. In working with our team and immersing trainees in our mission, we help them see the inarguable symmetry between the repurpose of things and the repurpose of self.

Cass Clay – Books in the Park

2019-07-17T00:00:00Z

My name is Kristi Rowekamp and I am an Interventionist at Hopkins Elementary in Moorhead. Many of the students that I work with express to me that they don’t have books at home or at least not the ones they like to read! Moorhead Public Schools is providing a mobile lunch program to certain parks this summer and Moorhead teachers have been volunteering to help with activities there and giving out “books in the park.” A few Hopkins teachers have been going to Belsley and Queens Park on Wednesdays to connect with kids and hand out books. Moorhead kids ages 1-18 are coming to get lunch from the program so we are seeing that we need a wide range of books! This grant will help us get high interest books in the hands of kids that may not have summer transportation to the libraries or quality books in their homes. Thank you so much for the opportunity to put more books in our kids hands!

San Francisco, CA – Russell City, CA: Documenting a Town Now Gone

2019-07-16T00:00:00Z

Russell City, CA was an important example of self-governing African American and Latino communities in western America, however it was destroyed in the 1960s through an urban renewal project. Many former residents of the town still live nearby though, and my previous interviews with them formed the cornerstone of my initial reconstruction of the town’s history. Using that work as a springboard, I am applying for $1000 from the Awesome Foundation to expand my original project. My goal for this second wave of interviews is to understand the impact of the town’s demolition on the residents’ lives post-relocation. The timing is critical as most of the former residents are in their late seventies to mid-90s, and some of those I spoke to initially are now deceased. I have been invited to attend the annual Hayward/Russell City Blues Festival July 13-14, 2019 as a guest of festival producer Ronnie Stewart and his West Coast Blues Society. This event commemorates the music that graced Russell City’s storied blues clubs and is a place former Russell City residents gather. Mr. Stewart has offered that I use a festival booth for free during the 2-day event. There, I plan to conduct interviews with ex-residents who attend, asking about their lives after the town was bulldozed. Keeping the festival environment in mind and that concert-goers may have limited time to talk, I plan for these interviews to be brief, but expect to gather 3 hours of material over the course of the of the festival. I have recording equipment already, and have arranged for a microphone by private loan. Having made contacts at the festival, I then plan to conduct 4 additional 1:1, hour-long interviews, diving deeper into these subjects. I will transcribe all of the audio files using the service Trint.com. Then I will send the transcripts to my interviewees for approval, and will synthesize my findings in a paper which I'll share with all of the interviewees and organizations who are part of this project.

San Francisco, CA – The Jellyfish Camera

2019-07-16T00:00:00Z

The tide in California litters the beach with small jellyfish that are clear and about the size of a marble. Holding one in your hand, you can see that they magnify light the way a camera lens does. A few years ago I took the lens off an old VHS camera, stretched saran wrap over the camera sensor, and recorded some video using the jellyfish as a lens. The result was spectral and super weird. But I was only able to film for an hour before saltwater got into the camera and it died with a puff of smoke. Fast forward to 2019 and I’ve since made a bunch of animal and plant based camera gear. I built camera flashes that bounce off seashells, a microphone windscreen from a skunk, and a steadicam that balances using sticks and stones. I’m ready to rebuild the Jellyfish Camera, but I need help to make it happen. I’ve designed a lens case with a movable aperture and a ring that allows me to adjust the distance between the jellyfish and the camera sensor for focus. Most importantly, the whole lens will be sealed so that no saltwater or sand leaks into the camera. The Jellyfish Camera builds empathy for an unfamiliar animal. I’ve consulted with Todd Oakley, an evolutionary biologist at UCSB who studies jellyfish eyes. Some jellies have eyes like humans, but no brain, so we don’t know exactly what they perceive. Many jellies, like the ones I’m using, don’t have eyes, but have light sensitive cells in their skin, which are used for navigation (no jellies are harmed in this project, in fact many are saved in the process). The Jellyfish Camera is part of a broader series of interactive sculptures, and once constructed will have many public applications. Some possibilities include inviting beach goers to operate the camera, photographing portraits of humans on the beach, or teaching a workshop to school groups about optics (as I have frequently done). My project is a fun entry to photography, but gives the viewer a deeper understanding of our relationship to the natural world.

Cass Clay – Adapt Music

2019-07-15T00:00:00Z

What does passion and a purpose create…a non-profit that provides music enrichment experiences for people with special needs. Our programs adapt musical experiences to meet people at their social, emotional, and developmental abilities. While not music therapy, adapting musical experiences such as singing, dancing, moving, playing, and creating provides motivating and enjoyable experiences while promoting auditory and visual tracking, self-discipline, accomplishment, creativity, self-expression, and social relationships. A passion, a purpose, and now a plan! Adapt Music is partnering with local organizations that serve people with special needs, and creating a program to provide the adaptive music experiences in their places of business. Adapt Music is also hosting our own events twice a month to reach kids and families in the community. All of these programs are provided at no cost to the participants.

Seattle, WA – Ravenna Park Wellness & Nature Guide

2019-07-15T00:00:00Z

My project is an interactive zine that guides visitors to Ravenna Park from the western to the eastern end of the park along the main trail in the ravine. Along the way, there are specific plants to identify, mindfulness practices to try out, and thoughts to be thought - out loud if you’d like! Merging together nature, mental health, and meditation will hopefully strengthen readers’ appreciation for the quiet yet powerful spaces tucked away in our city; perhaps, they’ll even take away 1-2 practices from today and adapt them within their own daily lives. Our urban public parks are powerful spaces, and I hope that we can build a greater sense of community and ownership around them so that they continue to be accessible and protected by all of us. Additionally, I pay respect to native American ownership of the land that Ravenna Park resides on by highlighting the Duwamish tribe’s ancestral homeland and discussing traditional native American uses of each plant identified. “Mindfulness” is a word that’s thrown around a lot today. Originating from early Buddhist teachings that date back some 2,500 years, it’s thought to produce a variety of health benefits and has begun to become integrated into a range of spaces from professional workplaces to kindergartens. It seems as though we’re all seeking a way to “let go.” My hope is that my readers will be able to find a sense of calm within our urban spaces, become curious in the small wonders of nature that surround us, and adapt these mindfulness practices to fit their own needs. My goal is to make this booklet accessible to the surrounding Ravenna community who interact with the park on a daily basis, but ensure that it is also available for POC and minority students at the University of Washington who statistically face higher barriers to accessing our natural spaces. Students face high levels of stress and this booklet will hopefully give them a chance to engage in nature to help to alleviate anxiety and stress.

Seattle, WA – Little Free Pantry movement

2019-07-15T00:00:00Z

“Two pastas, three beans, two tuna fish, and 6 energy bars. OK Mom, that’s the stock in the pantry.” These are the words of my son as he takes inventory of our Little Free Pantry which we built some seven years ago. It sits in Columbia City, on a city park which hosts a ton of foot traffic.. It looks like a Little Free Library, but it’s stocked with non-perishable foods and hygiene products. This little structure has brought the topic of food insecurity to our neighborhood and has become an exchange for those who need to receive and those who are fortunate to give. Not only do we fill our Pantry, neighbors fill it - some we’ve met, others we have not. It’s become a small contribution to reducing food insecurity in our neighborhood and a crossroads for neighbors to meet. I’d like to grow a small movement around this concept of a Little Free Pantry. I hope to build 10, 15, even 20 more pantry’s and spread them throughout SE Seattle and into the Central District. Food insecurity hides. It’s a neighbor, who while has a full time job, might have to miss a few meals to stretch the months income. I have no big dreams that Little Free Pantries will fix hunger, but what I know is it helps my neighbors who may be too proud to ask for help or might only need a little support from time-to-time. It’s not my place to judge or even know who is making use of the Pantry, but I do feel it is my responsibility to care for my neighbor, however I might be able and this is one small way. Our Pantry gets used, and often. As a family, we have made space in our food budget to buy regular staples and hygiene products for our Pantry. Our neighbors have seen our Pantry as an opportunity to support their neighbors by adding to it. Within days of filling the Pantry it will be empty. Items are taken piece by piece. People take only what they need and leave for others. Because this concept is anonymous, one might think a single person would abuse the opportunity of a free grocery

Pittsburgh, PA – Pittsburgh Bereavement Doulas

2019-07-15T00:00:00Z

The mission of Pittsburgh Bereavement Doulas is to support mothers and their loved ones who are experiencing this loss by providing compassionate guidance through the process of birth, meeting baby for the first time, making the time together meaningful, and saying goodbye. We want parents to be left with as little regret as possible, given the overwhelming and sometimes immediate situation. Pittsburgh Bereavement Doulas exists to support grieving parents following the loss of a pregnancy or an infant. We help caregivers and parents mourn and celebrate the lives of their children across their spectrum of need — from assisting with immediate practical decisions to providing ongoing physical and emotional care. Like a traditional birth doula, they provide physical, emotional and informational support during labor and birth but have special training in perinatal loss. Bereavement doulas will work with parents to honor this birth and help them make decisions based on their unique values, beliefs, and preferences. With realistic optimism, doulas will explain what is happening, what is about to happen, and what could happen. More importantly, they have a passion to work with these families and have hearts full of love for these babies.

Liverpool (Non-active) – BlackFest - Shanthi Poetry

2019-07-14T00:00:00Z

BlackFest is a grassroots Liverpool Black arts festival founded in 2018. It showcases an eclectic mix of work from Black creatives, across community spaces and established venues. The program includes dance, visual arts, music, film, spoken word and theatre. The Festival answers a crucial need in the city’s cultural offering, celebrating Black arts and bridging the gap between institutions and the marginalised communities in Liverpool. BlackFest aim to educate, empower and improve equality in the arts. Ensuring we do this with integrity, resilience and become a collective voice for changeWe aim to: Equality – Use arts as a tool enhancing wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion in the city’s arts institutions and community spaces through representation and visibility. Empower - Celebrate Black arts and experiences from authentic lenses through creativity and community participation. Reflecting the city’s growing multicultural communities and artists providing an inclusive platform showcasing their talents. Educate - Fostering artistic development of emerging and aspiring regional artists. Developing communities and providing quality, diverse opportunities, shared artistic experiences for all, inspiring participation in the creation, understanding, and access to the arts. Shanthi creative writing course: BlackFest want to bring together strong women of colour to answer, are you invisible? We want to hear from Women of colour what it means to be a woman of colour in the UK today. Women of colour couldn’t stick out more in the crowd. We will be creating inspirational pieces of writing, real stories from Black woman of their lived experiences. The project aims to improve self –esteem/worth and give confidence to women to occupy any space. This opportunity will open doors for integration and social inclusion as they will get to learn about one another’s culture and identity and create a support network. This space will give a time of relaxation to mind and body

Oakland, CA (Non-active) – Dignity Bags

2019-07-12T00:00:00Z

Adelaide – Sewing Together

2019-07-12T00:00:00Z

We run a sewing group for refugee and migrant women in Salisbury. Many women are socially isolated, have little or no English, and limited opportunities for skills development. This group provides opportunities for any women who are interested to learn new skills or develop skills they already have. We have 15 2nd hand sewing machines and teach sewing skills through a range of projects across each term - from simple pot holders and aprons to pajamas for children and dresses for the women. Many women also teach each other their skills and the different ways sewing that they learned in their countries of origin. We also run a creche /children's program so that the women can fully engage in the sewing, and have precious time to themselves. It's also a fantastic opportunity for the children to develop social skills, learn English, and be part of an enriching program that is designed to enhance their development. This group is full of awesome - women developing skills, gaining confidence, making new friends, creating amazing creations and, most importantly, becoming a supportive and joyful community. We have about 20 women come along each Friday, from a range of countries including Syria, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Uzbekistan and Burma. We're supported by 6 wonderful volunteers who absolutely love every minute of their time with the women. It's a vibrant, sometimes chaotic, but always enriching place to be.

Columbus, OH (Non-active) – Family Fun Festival

2019-07-11T00:00:00Z

The 1st Annual Summer Family Fun Fest (July 27 at Willis Athletic Complex, 2520 Mock Road, Columbus Ohio 43219) will feature live music and DJ from nationally and locally known station, a Car and Bike Show, 3 on 3 Basketball tournament, health and fitness, kids fun and play area, a vendor marketplace featuring vendors from around the country with varieties of delectable food, unique merchandise and more. We have connected with various community partners and with media coverage, we are expecting great attendance. Just 4 Them is asking for your support to help make this event a success! Proceeds from this spectacular event will benefit Just 4 Them a 501(c)(3) organization guiding and inspiring youth, families, and adults that are going through challenges and create connections, relationships, and provide support services. Our goal is to purchase a family community center and a mutli-family unit to further help Franklin County residents have access to much needed supportive services, food, and housing assistance. With your support I know we can reach these goals which will enable participants to live a healthy and fit productive life.

Rotterdam – Motivational Road

2019-07-10T00:00:00Z

Putting motivational quotes on the streets of Rotterdam!

Rochester, NY (Non-active) – Day Of Play For Children With Special Needs

2019-07-10T00:00:00Z

Parents United In Love will be hosting a picnic on August 31, 2019. We are planning a Special Day of Play that is specifically geared for children with Special Needs. We will have several stations spread out throughout the site to offer several options and avoid long lines. We will have a sensory station in which they can create their own sensory bottles, slime, play with water beads and create their own sensory rescue kits. We will have larger than normal games such as Monopoly, bowling and Legos to allow the children with small motor skills to grasp the toy and play as well. There will be an artist on site to provide step by step (and hand over hand, if needed) instructions to create their own masterpiece on their posters. We are inviting special needs children but it is open to the whole community in an effort to promote inclusion. We will have community resources such as Healthy Kids, Be a Healthy Hero, Knasty Knuckles Boxing Gym and Rec on the Move. They all promote nutritional, physical and over-all well being. Special Olympics will also be on site to inform the community about the services they provide as well as recruit children for various sports teams. Best of all, this awesome project will be completely FREE!.

Asheville, NC (Non-active) – Playground Stage

2019-07-09T00:00:00Z

Playground Stage nurtures and empowers children to learn 21st century skills through hands on theatre education and professional theatrical performances. Playground Stage is a newly formed children's theatre serving the Asheville/Buncombe County area. We want to offer after school theatre classes at five local elementary schools in fall 2019. Students in grades Kindergarten-5th grade can sign up and learn the art of musical theatre. Once a week the children will meet with a teaching artist to learn singing, dancing, and acting. At the end of the class the students will have a final sharing for parents, teachers, and classmates. Our programming combines national core arts standards with social/emotional skills that are relevant to each age group. For example: In Kindergarten our students will learn how to identify emotions of characters, portray those emotions using their imaginations, and tell a story along with their cast mates using their body and voice. Just by doing that our students use 21st century skills of critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration, and communication. Not to mention they are learning empathy, focus, and gaining self confidence. Classes are divided by age group so that the instruction can meet the specific needs of each developmental stage of elementary students. Kindergarten - 2nd grade will work on group storytelling, as well as singing and dancing as an ensemble. 3rd-5th grade will work on a mini musical where each child has a different role and responsibility to learn and execute. They will work on singing solos, memorizing lines, and dancing in small groups and alone.

Raleigh, NC (Non-active) – Shadows and Sound

2019-07-08T00:00:00Z

Bring shadow puppets to the people! Shadow puppetry is a rich and timeless artform that is unparalleled in its ability to be captivating. All the puppets are made and manipulated by hand, and the result is a live, cinematic experience that unfolds before you. People of all ages hold their breath as they watch even the simplest actions: a bird fly, a person sip tea, the wind blow weeds in a meadow. The result is the perfect medium for telling poetic stories about humanity and our world full of complexities, imagination, spectres, false trails, deception, and beauty. I want to buy and build the equipment to take traveling shadow puppet shows to schools, afterschools, libraries, and more. Students will be able to see premade shows about literary themes, ecology, and history. During week-long residencies, students will also learn how to research, develop, and make their own shows from hand cutting the puppets to learning how to pan between multiple light sources for dramatic effect. I also would like to develop a show that shares the diversity and joy of music with elementary schoolers, illustrated through shadow puppetry. An austere raven flying alone to the sound of the melancholy piano and a mournful tenor illustrates Schuberts "Die Krähe"; A bustling city with more things to look at than you have time to see, accompanied by Billy Strayhorn's "A-Train". Kids will encounter genres of music that span the globe and learn how the character of the music changes with different timbres and combinations of instruments. They won't even realize they're learning, though, because they'll be too busy being captivated by the story and sound! Many musicians and artists began their fascination with these artforms through the Disney movie "Fantasia" - this project seeks to get kids jumping out of their chairs with excitement for where art and music meet.

Ann Arbor, MI – Inside Out Prison Exchange Program

2019-07-08T00:00:00Z

The Inside Out Prison Exchange Program, housed in the Women’s & Gender Studies department at Eastern Michigan University, provides a unique opportunity for incarcerated women to take college-level courses (at no cost to them or to the taxpayer) while serving out their sentences at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti. This Fall, a volunteer team comprised of myself (a Full-Time Lecturer), two doctoral candidates, and three undergraduate students will be launching the program’s first ever course in the field of psychology. This class, which we are tentatively calling Psychology of Gender, is being built from the ground up to uniquely suit the needs of our anticipated students. Because we are all volunteering to develop/teach this course at no cost, this funding request is entirely focused on purchasing a textbook for our students called: “In Our Own Words: Writings from Women’s Lives.” We selected this textbook for several reasons. First, this is not a standard college textbook with dry academic writing, which would likely be inaccessible (and possibly alienating) to our students. Instead, the book we have chosen is a collection of 42 personal essays written by women from a diverse array of backgrounds. To quote the publisher: “representing many divergent viewpoints… with an emphasis on ethnic, cultural, and age diversity, this well-balanced collection … depict[s] a variety of women’s experiences.” By using a text containing essays written by women from all walks of life, we hope that our students will connect better with the material. In addition, by using a text which promotes the inherent value of diverse women’s perspectives, we hope to empower our students to see the importance/worth of their own voices. Our goal is to not only educate, but to provide our incarcerated students with opportunities for intellectual, attitudinal, and behavioral growth. This is what makes our project “awesome” – its potential to be transformational.

Vegan (Non-active) – Veganism in Chile! Local Plant-Based Lifestyle

2019-07-08T00:00:00Z

Vegetarianos Foundation is a chilean nonprofit educating, promoting a plant-based lifestyle in our country and Latin America. We are the only organization working on dietary changes in the region, which we consider extremely important as it has been greatly affected by the meat industry, rainforest deforestation been one of the most remarkable. As veganism has grown in Chile, we have found the need to bring closer the movement to our local costumes and reality. That is why we are planning a whole plant-based activities cycle! From August to December we are going to hold cooking workshops and film/documentaries screening. With the cooking workshops we will involve our community with recipes that use the available and local ingredients in our country, showing you don´t need foreign or extravagant ingredients to prepare delicious, nutritious, affordable meals. We are going to use special dates and celebrations to develop different workshops themes: August World Plant-Based Milk, September our independence celebration, October World Vegetarian Day, November World Vegan Day and December Christmas/New Year. With this we will inspire people to prepare and share the recipes they learn. At the same time, not many vegan films and documentaries reach Chile or are available in spanish online and it’s our work to bring them to the general public who cannot access them. Because of this will hold one open screening each month: vegan documentaries or films that cover health, environment and ethnics themes; not only this but after each screening we will have a small panel with different guests to debate and answer questions from the public. The objective of our project is to involve our community in interactive activities that promote a plant-based lifestyle in an inclusive way. Our foundation has more that 100.000 followers on Instagram and we want to impact them with concrete actions, to meet them, learn about them and reach new people with our workshops and screenings.

Kingston – Participainting

2019-07-05T00:00:00Z

This AWESOME project engages the public to contribute to a canvas, with high quality paint and brush. Each participaint (see what I did there) is given a set amount of paint and allowed to paint until they use it all. In the end the canvas is full, abstract and unique with many contributors. Participainting aims to give additional value and life to abstract art while supporting local worthy causes. Profits of the final product’s sale and donations collected during the activity will be donated to local worthy causes. 2 paintings are in progress at the moment and 1 is complete, with many more to come! If not chosen this round I hope to have content and (again) a website to share next time. The domain participainting.org has been purchased, but the site is not complete yet. Almost Home is proudly the first worthy cause supported by Participainting. Almost Home provides a place of comfort and respite for families who children are receiving medical treatment in Kingston area Hospitals. The Kingston New Mentality Group is the second worthy cause supported by participainting. It is a youth and young adult mental health agency that is working towards creating change in the mental health system. Home Base Housing is the third worthy cause supported by participainting. They provide housing and support for individuals and families at risk of homelessness in the Kingston area. I'm so sorry I missed the May deadline. I was locked away in academic bootcamp and while mentally drained it slipped my mind and I thought I had more time. I would love to be considered for the May pitch if possible as I believe the Tett centre would be a perfect place for this project. If it is too late (which is likely the case), no worries at all - any consideration to come back and pitch in the near future would be much appreciated!

Sarnia (Non-active) – Curvy Beach Party

2019-07-05T00:00:00Z

The Curvy Beach Party is a FREE inclusive celebration promoting body positivity and self love for all ages, shapes, sizes, genders, and other intersections. The event is free for all to attend and aims to create a space for all different types of bodies - especially marginalized ones - to come together, feel comfortable in their own skin, and enjoy themselves on the beach free from shame and judgement and in the company of like-minded individuals. Things to look forward to at the Curvy Beach Party include music from a local DJ, a 'real' fashion show where anybody can walk the catwalk, professional photo opportunities, selfie stations, body painting, guest speakers, confidence and self love workshops, and of course, the sand and sun! To my knowledge, this is the very first event of it's kind in Canada! It was inspired by plus size pool parties that have been held in the United States and featured on the Hulu show 'Shrill'. We are hoping that if successful this year, we will grow and make it a much larger and annual event.

Fleurieu – Southern Men's Gathering

2019-07-05T00:00:00Z

The Southern Men's Gathering, November 8 to 10 2019, is a men's health event created to improve the psychosocial well being of men. Participants will share a beautiful weekend of connection, openness, authenticity, depth, support, respect and trust as they experience a range of different exercises, activities and contexts designed to allow them to explore their self concept. This event will run counter to the often narrow and repressive culture of traditional masculinity, where superficial conversation, disconnection and suppression of emotion tend to rule. Men will connect deeply with one another, form support networks and community, and exercise their emotional literacy. We look forward establishing the Southern Men's Gathering as an annual event, and helping the Fleurieu Peninsula to become the center of men's work in South Australia.

State College, PA – Golden Basket Cooking Competition Finals

2019-07-05T00:00:00Z

Appalachian Food Works, in conjunction with Centre Markets, is working to revive the Golden Basket Cooking Competition in a new and fun way that promotes farmers market vendors while simultaneously showcasing the culinary skills of our local chefs. Centre Markets will conduct qualifying competitions at four farmers markets in the State College area during the week prior to August 3rd. On Saturday, August 3rd in MLK Plaza (with 3 Dots Downtown as a rain location), the Golden Basket Finals will be held, functioning as a fundraiser for the non-profit food hub, Appalachian Food Works. The competition will feature each winner from the four qualifiers in a Chopped or Iron Chef-style competition, where competitors will use ingredients from market vendors and be evaluated by a panel of "celebrity" judges. This will be a ticketed event (price approximately $25), and there will be other food prepared in small-plates portions and served by downtown restaurants with ingredients sourced from market vendors. In addition, local agriculture and food organizations will be on hand to promote and educate attendees on our food ecosystem in Centre County. Also, local musical artists and cooking demonstrations will take place following the competition. This is the pilot event for this concept, with an eye on growing into something larger by having more qualifiers and becoming the flagship event of Happy Valley Culinary Week in 2020. Obviously in order to get there, we must do this first year the right way. By funding this project, you would be helping offset Appalachian Food Works' costs to conduct the event, thereby better positioning the organization to purchase a refrigerated delivery van, which would allow the non-profit food hub to ramp-up operations and begin delivering locally raised and grown food to area restaurants and institutions with higher volume, allowing the organization to operate more sustainably.

Newcastle – Between The Lines

2019-07-04T00:00:00Z

We are an art gallery in Tighes hill, that serves up a hot cup of coffee 7 days a week and exhibits local artists and facilitates musical performances on a monthly basis. I wanted to take the current formula for a gallery and flip it to a more inclusive and active one. The more people who get a chance to showcase their work in our community the better. I hope to continue this lively space and am making sure the artist comes first. I have been covering costs of exhibitions by being crafty and gaining sponsors and help from friends and family to pull it all together. everything you see in the gallery has been made by me or my brother or found on the side of the road. completely recycled.. even the art rails are old floor boards. i designed the hook system and even the coffee machine and grinder were gifted to me by friends in the industry. this is a real community based business and i have been working 7 days a week for the past three months to make sure this can continue. its hardly work though, i get to practice music in the quiet periods and hangout with interesting and wonderful people everyday. Having started this with very little money pushes me to be entrepreneurial and reach out for opportunities like this one!

North Minneapolis, MN – JEWELS Mentoring Experience

2019-07-01T00:00:00Z

My awesome project is the Re-Launch of JEWELS Mentoring Experience 2019-2020 into a year long opportunity. It will consist of monthly gatherings for Princesses and young Queens to be affirmed in and reminded of their God-Given Worth and Value. Monthly Gatherings will consist of Outdoor Luncheon and Tie Dye, Fitness Day,Movie Night, Half Day Summit, Paint Night, Meal Preparation, Overnight Lock-In Experience,Vision Board Party, Exposure to and time with Adult Mentors.

Alaska (Non-active) – Esther Shea Native Arts Institute for Youth

2019-06-30T00:00:00Z

To preserve and perpetuate Tongass Tlingit culture, art, language and heritage. Our first goal is to hold the Esther Shea native arts Institute for youth in August 2019. This institute will be held in Ketchikan Alaska, and will offer art classes such as form line design with Nathan Jackson, how we heal tool kit from first Alaskans Institute, Tlingit song and dance, drum making and Tlingit language.

Disability – Uro

2019-06-30T00:00:00Z

My current research looks at the boundaries of health and nutrition, looking at how nutrition and art can support better mental health. I want to explore the notion of social prescription and health- the proposition of self-care as a socially prescribed medication. Living with a hidden disability is something that has affected my life in many ways than one. My project is about reclaiming my body through performance; being bold and speaking out against the stigma that comes with dealing with mental health. My project is about speaking out about depression, I have lived my life with the shadow of shame, feeling afraid to talk about depression. not knowing how to ask for help because of fear of being judged. Uro which means clay in English is an opportunity to silence the judgments and explore how art can support equality and promote boldness in times of fear. ‘Uro’, explore's the ideas of dying and rebirth; depression as an awaking rather than a silencing. I live in a body that is multi-dimensional, a body with many historical labels and I exist in a world where human relations have become a factor in the way we see and experience each other. In addition to, the need for justice and the desire to be a voice for the voiceless. The idea of the ‘other’, the concepts of a racial mindset and the domination of a human-centered world also informs my work. In everything I do, I try to question; I work with the issues that impact me and those around me. I don’t want to be in the army, nor do I want to be a politician, so through performance I pick up my pickets and walk the protest line. Life informs my work, whether it be my life experiences or my need to bring light to the experiences of the marginalised. This is not an ideology…. If art can not speak for the underdogs, then what is its relevance? What our grantee is saying: "To be awarded the Awesome Disability Award is a life source for someone like me. I have suffered in silence for many years, not knowing how to get help or who to go to in order to be helped. My project is about depression and this award gives me the opportunity to speak out and be bold about what depression really means for black women like me. This award alone gives me a boldness, I have lived in a shadow and now because of the Awesome Foundation, I am able to stand tall and stand strong in my visibility as someone living and working through an unseen disability''. Photo by Guido Mencari / www.gmencari.com

Liverpool (Non-active) – Convenience Gallery Workshops & Market Project

2019-06-30T00:00:00Z

The Convenience Gallery is into its second month. We have continued to operate as self funded and had our first Affordable Workshop on the 22nd June. Our space has really taken shape and we've had a really positive response and engagement so far. We had a mixture of people attend, from market goers, to those who've heard about us online. We felt this was a really positive start. With participants staying over an hour. We believe with more time and finance, we can continue to turn this into something really positive with a mixture of affordable (£5-£10) and free workshops. This would be opportunity to engage with the local community as well as drawing on the one we have created through our Open Call, and early engagement process. The Workshops will run alongside a project we have planned based on the market. We are inviting artists to work in our space, creating new work based on this area and market. The £500 will be distributed over the two months to the workshops and market project. These two months should benefit both artists and the local community. We have an artist Ellie Brennan, who makes artwork through fabric and rug making techniques. She will be working on the market project - all the artists in this project will have access to use our gallery as studio hot desk space for free across the month long project in August. We have discussed the costing of her workshop with her and have based our costing off of artist feedback and personal experience running workshops. We hope through the project we strengthen our relationship with locals, other stall holders and artists. Throughout the project we want it to give access to techniques that may not be readily available as well as highlighting what the market has still to offer. We intend to then help establish a workshop programme in other venues, where the artists can continue beyond this programme, having got the equipment to continue this with the money received.

Los Angeles, CA – Bike Camp 2019

2019-06-29T00:00:00Z

The goal of UCP-OC’s Bike Camp is simple but life-changing: to teach children with special needs how to ride a two-wheeled bicycle. From Monday, August 5th, to Friday, August 9th, UCP-OC and the Down Syndrome Association of Orange County will hold Bike Camp 2019, a fun and hope-building community event that will draw around 40 families of children with disabilities and nearly twice as many passionate community volunteers. Children with special needs are often defined by the things they “cannot do” and because of this, end up with activities avoided and experiences denied. UCP-OC’s Bike Camp works to roll back this thinking. Bike Camp gives children the opportunity to learn a skill that demonstrates their ability to live independently and is proven to have lifelong mental and physical benefits. Learning to ride a bike opens the door for a child to increase their self-esteem, confidence, and socialization skills. Furthermore, riding is associated with increased muscle strength, bone development, and motor planning for children with disabilities, who often spend a majority of their time sitting or laying down. Bike Camp is an awesome event because of the awesome children we will see ride a bike for the very first time—a proud and unforgettable moment for any child. Bike Camp 2019 will take place at Soka University over five days during daily riding sessions. Each child will be placed in a “camper group” and paired with one or two trained volunteers who will teach them how to ride a bicycle. UCP-OC’s staff and volunteers are highly-qualified in their ability to care for our kids and provide them with a safe, fun, and exciting opportunity to learn and create friendships. UCP-OC would be thrilled to partner with the Foundation to deliver Bike Camp 2019. A grant award could be recognized at the event and in UCP-OC’s newsletter. Additionally, the Awesome Foundation would be printed on the Bike Camp t-shirt worn by all of our incredible campers and volunteers.

Yerevan – Awesome Art Playground

2019-06-27T00:00:00Z

Awesome Art Playground-ի շրջանակներում թիմը կբարեկարգի Երևանում գտնվող բաց խաղադաշտերից մեկը՝ հաղորդելով դրան չկրկնվող տեսք։ Արտերկրից հատուկ հրավիրված սթրիտ արտ նկարիչները կմիավորվեն տեղացի արվեստագետների հետ՝ վերածելով խաղադաշտը բաց երկնքի տակ գտնվող կտավի և խաղադաշտն ավելի գրավիչ կդարձնեն երեխաների և, ինչու ոչ՝ մեծահասակների համար: Դաշտի վրա կարվեն նաև հատուկ գծանշումներ, այդպիսով ավելի հարմար կդառնա բակային բասկետբոլ խաղալը: Նմանատիպ նախագծեր աշխարհում շատ քիչ կան, ուստի Awesome Art Playground-ը նաև գրավիչ կլինի սթրիտ արտը գնահատող զբոսաշրջիկների համար՝ դառնալով Երևանի բակային սպորտի և արվեստի այցեքարտերից մեկը:

Birmingham, AL (Non-active) – Airbnb X Vinegar

2019-06-27T00:00:00Z

In September 2019, Vinegar is launching a new project called Airbnb X Vinegar. It is a collaboration with a local owner of a Airbnb within the city of Birmingham and Vinegar, an artist collective. Vinegar will be curating several site specific installations within the rental over the course of six months, it will be an immersive Vinegar experience where the guest can contemplate contemporary art within their stay. Besides a opening and artist/curator talk with each show, the installation will be open to the public once a month. Our goal is to showcase artists from all over the United States, including Birmingham and connect them to visitors of our city and the local community.

Boston, MA – Mattapan Open Streets/Open Studios

2019-06-27T00:00:00Z

Mattapan Open Streets/Open Studios is a community arts, design and placemaking initiative designed to support local artists, promote arts vibrancy in Mattapan and meet community development outcomes. Through free and inclusive activities and events, artist exhibits, performances and we will provide pop-up artisan markets, we will: 1. Build community; 2. Promote the local arts, cultural fabric, economy (creative economy) and; 3. Celebrate and uplift the built and cultural environments of Mattapan. The “open streets” is about beautifying the built environment. We do this though Design Challenges. These are projects where following brainstorming sessions, residents and design partners are teamed up to create a functional art project (like decorative seating, murals, etc). The idea is for the creation to serve a functional purpose to the community. Each team will be given a small budget to design, fabricate and install a project (in compliance with specific guidelines) to transform existing spaces. Project ideas include but are not limited to bike racks, designing street furniture and mural contests. Projects can be temporary or permanent, as long as they meet our equitable placemaking guidelines (see on our website). The aim is to engage residents to work with partners to identify long term solutions to local landscape issues through collaboratively created functional art that both meet a need identified by the community and are accessible. Residents have brainstormed over 30 projects ideas at multiple different sites around the neighborhood. The goal now is to make these projects happen and come alive.

San Antonio, TX – Sew Much Fun

2019-06-26T00:00:00Z

Teaching students the basic of sewing by hand and with a sewing machine. To learn all the techniques of the machine including, using thread needles, fabric and patterns to learn to create small items first. The goal is to get them excited about sewing, continuing to learn how to create their own designs. Whether it is fashion or accessories, the goal is to have them learn to engineer items by their own hands. If we can get them involved in their own designs, we can encourage them to be more creative in their lives. We have hosted a fashion show every year for two years promoting their garments and accessories. Our students are from all walks of life and all sorts of disabilities. We show positive reinforcement of the craft and willing to learn. Most of our students, have gone on to universities to study fashion or the fashion industry. Some of the other techniques we go on to teach are: Embroidery Beading Crocheting Knitting Polymer Clay Pattern making Pattern design Paper Mache Please consider us for this awesome Project!

Melbourne (Non-active) – Now You See Us

2019-06-26T00:00:00Z

Dinosaur. Now You See Us is a magic show starring 3 female magicians. Uncommon and unique, the aim of this show is to shine the spotlight on women in magic. There are approximately 100 male magicians for every 1 female magician in Australia? It is my hope that this project will be the first of many that will contribute change to that imbalance. My aim with this project has been to establish strong connections between young women currently practising magic in order to encourage them to stay in the industry and to give them a platform to learn the process of producing their own shows through rehearsals, content decisions, photo shoots, sending press releases, writing scripts, etc. In my work with young magicians I have noted that it’s the relationships formed with those who share our passion and are our peers that keep us engaged in the industry. It’s this connectedness and the forming of friendships and alliances that I’m interested in strengthening in my fellow female magi. About the show: Nicola Gidley (17), Prue Spencer (14) and Lee Cohen (35) are challenging the traditional view that magicians are usually men with their show titled “Now You See Us" being presented at the 2019 Melbourne Magic Festival. This fresh new collaborative work aims to highlight both the individual skills of its unique cast as well as seeing them work together to present magic that shows they have the skills (and sass!) to rival their male counterparts. Prue and Nicola have both been 1st place winners at the Australian Junior Championships of Magic and Lee, having performed magic since the age of 8, has performed and taught in Australia and overseas. With regular workshops at Arts Centre Melbourne she is also the former President of the Australian Institute of Magic. In an industry that has strong stereotypes we challenge our potential audience: “we would love to see you, NOW, will YOU SEE US?”

Baltimore, MD – Snowballtimore

2019-06-25T00:00:00Z

For the past three years, I’ve been working on a project called Snowballtimore. Throughout the summer of 2016, I visited over a dozen local snowball stands in Baltimore including Walther Gardens (the oldest snowball stand in the country!), One Sweet Moment, Elizabeth & Zyggie’s, Sensational Snowballs, and Summer Delights. I documented the architecture of each snowball stand in the early morning before the stand opened for the day. I then returned to the stand to order what I considered to be the most unique snowball flavor on the menu and photographed the snowball. I illustrated a map of the locations of each stand and assembled the photographs and map into a small zine (booklet). Each stand has its pros and cons: for example, Elizabeth & Zyggies has the best ice, but Sensational Snowballs has the best marshmallow. I highlight these traits in posters I’ve been designing since that first summer doing research. In addition to designing printed matter, I’ve continued to document, research, and write about snowball stands in Baltimore. My goal with this project is to establish Snowballtimore as an authority and archive for this unique Baltimore tradition and actively share the project (something I haven’t really done up to this point). I plan on building a website that will feature each snowball stand and include interviews with the owners and customers. I want to feature the posters I’ve designed so that website visitors can download them for free and print them out. In addition, I want to have posters printed and distribute them to each stand so that they can be given out to customers. I want to print out the booklets and distribute them for free in neighborhoods throughout the city. I want to publicly “certify” city snowball stands as being recognized by the Snowballtimore project by offering Snowballtimore flags and stickers to be displayed at each stand. I will continue to research the snowball tradition in Baltimore and include that history on the website.

New York City, NY – A game of cat and mouse

2019-06-25T00:00:00Z

The AwesomeNYC trustees are big fans of science, and big fans of hustle, so we loved talking to Laura Plimpton, a Masters candidate working in the Eco-Epidemiology Lab at Columbia University. We love that her research centers on the understudied urban wildlife of New York City, but will have very real impact on every day New Yorkers - specifically the recent spread of ticks (and the diseases they carry) into the urban environment. **It is our hope that by helping to fund this research, Laura will both be able to help raise awareness of the impact of ticks in the city, while showing that you don't ever have to leave this town to get out and study nature.** In her own words: _As someone who grew up in NYC, finding opportunities to not only be in nature but also make a career out of it are difficult to come by, and projects like these help give budding urban ecologists the experience they need to create a career out of their love for wildlife!_ _From Tom and Jerry to Puss in Boots, many have been fascinated by the relationship between cats and mice._ _But beyond cartoons, this predator-prey relationship has large implications on infectious disease risks for human populations. Lyme disease transmission depends on the interaction between blacklegged ticks and a number of wildlife hosts, most notably, the white-footed mouse. Previous studies have speculated the benefit that predators of white-footed mice and other hosts, such as deer, might have through lowering the prevalence of the disease by reducing the number of hosts carrying tick vectors or the pathogen itself._ _However, in the northeastern United States where Lyme disease is extremely prevalent but predators of hosts are scarce, the hypothesis remains difficult to test. With the recent expansion of Lyme disease into urban areas, such as Staten Island, New York City, and an estimated population of 500,000 feral cat predators across New York City, urban parks offer an ideal system to test the predator hypothesis._ _This project examines the impact of New York City’s feral cat population on the Lyme disease system as a predator of the main host of the disease, the white-footed mouse. We aim to determine if cats eat white-footed mice and if their presence in urban parks alters the movement of mice and the likelihood of a mouse encountering a tick, both of which may have implications for urban Lyme disease prevalence._ _In short, it asks the age-old question, will a cat keep the mice at bay?_

Miami, FL – Colors of the City

2019-06-24T00:00:00Z

A 5-week summer intensive artist residency for youth (8-11 years old). Exploring different mediums, and exposing processes of creation to youth in order for them to strengthen their own existing artistic abilities. The youth participating are all being chosen from Kelsey Pharr elementary school in Liberty City (3rd, 4th and 5th graders). The youth chosen to participate in this program met two criteria, an interest in art and curiosity to explore past their current knowledge. The residency will take youth through the process of planning what art medium(s) and work they would like to accomplish within the five weeks. The goal by the end of the art residency is to have completed works from each youth artist, help them create their portfolios, help them apply to art-driven middle schools (if and when applicable), and most importantly a closing exhibition. At the closing exhibition we would like to help the youth curate, explain and price/sell their own work.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – Hello Gold Mountain

2019-06-24T00:00:00Z

HELLO GOLD MOUNTAIN is an original composition by Wu Fei for chamber orchestra, performed by chatterbird ensemble, featuring Wu Fei on guzheng and Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (Silk Road Ensemble) on oud — the traditional Chinese and Jewish plucked string instruments respectively. The work is inspired by real stories of Jewish refugees who fled to Shanghai from Europe before and during World War II, and built lives in China. From 1933 until the end of the war, Shanghai was often the only port at which Jewish refugees fleeing Europe could disembark without a visa. In the early 1940s, more than 20,000 Jews lived in Shanghai and contributed to its cultural and civic life. But the Jews could not stay. As China’s bloody civil war came to a close in 1949, most fled. Many emigrated to the US, often arriving at the port of San Francisco, or Old Gold Mountain 旧金山. What possibilities were lost because the times did not allow neighbors from these different cultures to grow old together, sharing songs and stories? This project shines a light on the loss of identity caused by displacement, while celebrating the cultural enrichment that happens when we open ourselves to the lived experiences of others. It honors the memory of these refugees, highlighting the connections to the current landscape, and bearing witness to the important and difficult work that is being done every day to create positive change. Hello Gold Mountain premiered February 2019 at Vanderbilt University's Ingram Hall in Nashville, TN. The premiere was accompanied with a range of community activities presented in collaboration with the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee as well as the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. In 2020, we will tour the work for the first time.

Chicago, IL – Community-Based Scent Education

2019-06-24T00:00:00Z

After a successful first workshop, the Community-Based Olfactory Research Group (CBORG) is using participant feedback to plan our next series of workshops. The biggest problem we had was a shortage in equipment, as all current equipment is sourced from the lead artist/researchers’ own inventory. Workshops require each participant to use a mix of tools, and we experienced severe bottlenecks as attendees had to share key equipment. Funding will allow us to address this problem, experiment with new topics (e.g. gas sensors) to incorporate, and then host our new expanded and improved workshop. CBORG is a new roving research team working to make sensory education and research more widely accessible to communities around Chicago. We believe that our sense of smell is a skill and way of knowing the world that has been devalued by systems of power for centuries. In an attempt to reclaim this embodied knowledge as a site of legitimate learning, we’re beginning our collaboration with this series of workshops combining a primer in fragrance blending with an introduction to programming open-source hardware (Arduino microcontrollers), resulting in the creation of DIY diffusers (with a microcontroller and a custom-made scent) that the participants take home. Our work is deeply community-based - we believe that people gathering to learn more about the powers of their bodies is radical and generative, and we’re committed to bringing these workshops to all parts of the city. Countering the historic inaccessibility of olfactory education, we are attempting to eliminate as many barriers as possible for folks to be able to participate in the work. Our programming will always be free (including take-home projects), and we serve snacks at every workshop. We’d like to also begin giving out transit passes to cover participants’ transportation costs.

Aviano (Non-active) – Aviano Architecture

2019-06-24T00:00:00Z

We’re taking photos and doing drawings of some of the most interesting architecture of Aviano. The idea is to help preserve it by making local people aware of what beautiful things they have inside of their own town.

Washington, DC – Very Sad Lab

2019-06-23T00:00:00Z

"VERY SAD LAB is a houseplant rehabilitation and research center in DC. The lab offers free rehabilitation for the sad plants and also helps plant owners learn to better care for their plants. The lab acts as a resource for plant care and gardening techniques for all DC residents. Over the duration of the lab, visitors are invited to bring in sad plants for recovery and/or participate in many unique programming including online plant clinic, Yoga Nidra for plants and owners, indoor gardening skill sessions and more. Recovery progress will be recorded through printed zines and an online blog, and these materials will be available to the public as living knowledge base. Upon recovery, the plant will be returned to the owners or offered up for adoption in cases of owner surrender. Although the main location of VERY SAD LAB is located in an artist’s studio in Georgetown, we are excited to collaborate with DC Public Libraries on programming and other opportunities for resource, knowledge, and skill sharing. Proposed programming with the DC Libraries may include opening a pop-up plant clinic, facilitating a plant adoption event, and building a special collection of plant care and urban gardening books and zines which VERY SAD LAB will curate and write reviews on each book to further share information and resources more widely with the public."

Libraries (Non-active) – ALA 2019 (Awesome DC + Awesome Libraries Pitch)

2019-06-22T00:00:00Z

On June 22nd, during the American Library Association Annual Conference in Washington DC, Awesome Libraries teamed up with Awesome DC to throw a collaborative live pitch event at OpenGov Hub. Over 100 folks registered to attend and sponsors included: OpenGovHub, EveryLibrary Institute, and B.Lin Catering. Guest judges included: Kim Zablud, DC Public Library's Director of Public services Courtney Young, University Librarian at Colgate University and the 2014-2015 American Library Association President Overall, 6 finalists were chosen to pitch their library-related ideas and three grants were awarded: DC-related grant winner: Building Equitable Neighborhoods with Entrepreneurial Library Innovation by Shenita Ann Grymes A plan to build a little library in DC's Ward 7 to provide person-centered entrepreneurship resources curated for its community. Library-related grant winner: School of Cosplay by Tanya Knipprath 12 cosplay or crossplay workshops wherein participants will make their own costumes in collaboration with members of the community. Audience choice award: Very Sad Lab by Naoko Wowsugi and Valerie Wiseman A house plant rehabilitation and research center in DC. *During the event the Awesome Foundation grant clocked hit $4 million dollars in grants distributed. We like to think our event put it over the top!

Washington, DC – B.E.N. with E.L.I.

2019-06-22T00:00:00Z

We are looking to establish a little library for the adult population that focuses on trades, skill development and self help! We have many resources for the youth yet in most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods the adult population is not afforded the same attention. This effort is being introduced after countless missed opportunities to enhance the literary capacity of our adult population whom are in the home educating their children. In addition, our specific community in the Ward 7 district neighborhoods of Nannie-Helen Burroughs, Lincoln Heights and Clay-Terrace Housing, we have found that may adults have time and energy on their hands to build community gardens, start landscaping businesses and the like.... This project would spearhead efforts of entrepreneurship, empowerment through knowledge and build a sense of community pride.

Gloucester, MA – Cape Ann Community Boating

2019-06-21T00:00:00Z

Hello Awesome Gloucester! Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this grant. Cape Ann Community Boating is a non-profit working closely with the City of Gloucester and private donors to create a public boating center on Cape Ann. The plan is to provide small watercraft such as sailboats and rowboats, so that residents can have affordable access. With sliding scale pricing and scholarships, membership is intended to be available to anyone who is interested. It is our belief that through working with individuals and families on Cape Ann we can promote environmental stewardship and healthy living. Cape Ann is known for its heritage, vibrant culture and devotion to the sea. Our Founder and President, Guy Fiero, has been instructing sailing in Gloucester harbor for more than fifteen years. He first began working with Gloucester’s little-known public sailing program in 1997. Originally established in 1989, it was first overseen by the City of Gloucester. The YMCA then took over the program in the early 2000s. Last summer they ended the program after 29 years. Today CACB is here to keep this tradition alive! Thanks to a generous donation from the YMCA, we currently have 3 Rhodes Design Keelboats, a C420 tandem racing sailboat, a Boston Whaler, permission to tie up at the Harbormaster’s dock and use of a float off the State Fish Pier. We also occupy a small office space in the Fitz Henry Lane House, kindly granted by Mayor Sefatia Romeo Thekan.

Newmarket – Naturally Mindful

2019-06-21T00:00:00Z

Mental Health and Wellbeing is an epidemic. Children today spend an average of 7 minutes outside everyday. Our extreme excessive use and constant access to technology is proving to cause what is known as Nature Deficit Disorder. Children do not know how to balance, climb, measure risks, build a fire, find their way out of a forest, so many life skills that this generation simply do not have. Mindfulness and Outdoor Learning program will provide children in the Newmarket community aged 3- 12 years old with the opportunity to immerse themselves in nature, engage in unstructured and supervised risky play, and further develop life skills. Through week long sessions our students will have an opportunity to experience forest school, learning hands on about their environment, learning first to understand in order to develop a sense of care for our environment and community around them through an emergent based approach allowing inquiries, curiosities and discoveries to guide their learning. Our daily mindfulness practice incorporated through sit spots, sensory walks, sound mapping and various other activities will help children develop an understanding of themselves, their emotions and improve self-regulation skills, reducing anxiety and building confidence and esteem through sense of self. Providing young children with opportunities to learn in nature, take risks and lead their learning is essential in developing resiliency, problem solving skills, self awareness, children learning their own boundaries. Learning coping strategies is crucial in developing children in order to control emotions and support overall wellbeing. Mindfulness activities outdoors will strengthen children's observation skills using their senses and investigating the natural world. These opportunities provide children with the chance to connect deeply to nature, developing a love for the outdoors. Repeated opportunities in nature ultimately lead to children caring for and sustaining our environment.

Oklahoma City, OK (Non-active) – Enriching Cultural Roots

2019-06-20T00:00:00Z

Back in late 2000, I started the "Eterna Primavera Guatemalan Folklore Group." I noticed that kids with Latin-American roots from countries such as Guatemala and Mexico, in a very short time forget about their rich heritage and get into bad habits. There was a need for these kids to gain self confidence and be proud of their background. To preserve the tradition, I organized classes for free and began to teach young girls and boys about Guatemalan folklore. My hope is through dance the children will develop emotionally, socially and have the focus and discipline to complete any task in front of them. Eterna primavera has performed in many different activities in and around Oklahoma city and the life skills learned will transfer over to school, work and other aspects of their lives.