Awesome Foundation - Projects

Antigonish, NS (Non-active) – NSSSA Regional Leadership Conference

2016-10-20T00:00:00Z

L.I.F.T. U.P. 2016 is an overnight conference that takes place at St. Francis Xavier University in Anitgonish. It's open to all High School Students in the Strait Regional School board for a registration fee of $75. Our conferences focus on building leadership skills in youth through our awesome activities. This year our conference is called "Leadership Involving Fundamental Teamwork and Understanding Possibilities" as we will be focusing on themes of teamwork and planning ahead. Our conferences have many different activities including skill building sessions, How-To sessions , a group leadership challenge, an hour with a motivational speaker, a dance, a talent show and high energy sessions The core of our conference is in the skillbuilding sessions. Students in Antigonish and surrounding area will learn the key skills to becoming a leader including teamwork, problem solving, listening, organization, communication, personal leadership, and working under pressure. The sessions are comprised of 8-10 students and 2 experienced student facilitators. During our conference we have approximately eight one hour sessions, each with a different theme. The How-To sessions are around 20-30 minutes long and range from how to get involved in extra curricular activities to how to end mental health stigma. The group leadership activity teaches students to use both teamwork and problem solving while under pressure. Almost everything for L.I.F.T. U.P. is planned and executed by high school students, with the exception of our Regional Teacher Advisor; Dawn Thompson, our regular advisors and our chaperone, logistics and first-aid team.

Tallahassee, FL (Non-active) – Keeping Godby Heart Healthy

2016-10-19T00:00:00Z

Who We Play For brings together heart screening groups across the country who all have their own lost loved ones, their own motivation and their own story – those who we play for. All these individual groups and foundations, created in memory of a lost loved one, have banded together under the WWPF umbrella. Together we work to inspire and empower communities to provide every student with the opportunity to get a heart screening, no matter the level of athletics, socio-economic status or geographical location. What started as individual efforts in many different communities has grown into a unified heart screening movement with a simple, flexible and expandable delivery method that works in any setting. WWPF provides turn-key methodology and medical expertise to deliver the highest participation rates possible with the most accurate interpretations. It is our great privilege to know that our combined efforts have helped WWPF grow into a program across seven states, screening more than 70,000 athletes and saving more than 60 lives. All with a simple ECG.

Bend, OR (Non-active) – Bend Butt Project - Presented by The Broomsmen

2016-10-19T00:00:00Z

Cigarette butts are the most commonly discarded piece of waste worldwide. It is estimated that 1.69 BILLION pounds of butts wind up as toxic trash each year, creating an enormous environmental, health, and economic burden. Our quaint little mountain town of Bend is not immune to this problem. Many of the discarded butts ends up in our river and water supply which is absolutely unacceptable! A strong stance must be established or we will be overrun by the disrespectful slobs. Our mission will be to actively identify areas of highest litter rates, put into place infrastructure to capture the litter, monitor the results, and finally establish a sustainability model to ensure the program remains properly funded, Local Businesses will be brought into the project, Litter cleanup costs the U.S. more than an estimated $11.5 billion each year. Businesses pay $9.1 billion of the cleanup costs, or about 80%. They can help most by allowing us to put the receptacles on their property, helping us empty them when they become full, and pledging financial support to keep the project running. Cigarettes collected will be recycled by TerraCycle: https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/cigarette-waste-brigade#how-it-works Once collected, the cigarettes and packaging are separated by composition and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled industrial products, such as plastic pallets. The ash and tobacco are separated out and composted in a specialized process. For every pound of cigarette waste collected, TerraCycle will donate $1.00 towards the Keep America Beautiful Cigarette Litter Prevention Program. I will also find local sponsors that would match or pledge a certain dollar amount per shipment to keep the program running. This is a sustainable model which will be funded by local level support from businesses and concerned citizens.

Adelaide – Karma and Crow Cafe and Studio Collective

2016-10-19T00:00:00Z

My business partner and I are converting a warehouse into a cafe and artist studio space 5 minutes from the CBD. We're nearing completion of our project but we're almost out of funds. We are dedicated to using recycled goods wherever possible in our fit out, eco friendly packaging and all our appliances are green. Our mission is to create a community within our building. We are focussed on delivering an art space with diversity in it's occupants so that each occupant can bring with them their own connections, skills and know-how and share these things with the other occupants. We also offer creative people an opportunity to make money and impart knowledge with an area dedicated to workshops attached to the studio area. So far we have an acclaimed painter, a tattoo artist, a comic artist, a yoga instructor and a leather goods artist.

Boulder, CO (Non-active) – Without But Not

2016-10-19T00:00:00Z

When I lived in Denver last year, I was so full of hop and love for the homeless population. I dreamed of having a dinner, block party, a giant picnic, or something of the sort. Basically, I dreamed of starting a movement. At this dinner party, everyone would be invited! This would include but not be limited to the homeless, the churched, disabled, abled, CEOs, janitors, etc. It would be something simple: pasta, salad, tea, beer. At this dinner, I believe it would be important to have cardboard boxes. And each person would be invited and encouraged to write: "Without this but not that." Without arms but not ability. Without a home but not love. Without family but not friends. Without work but not hope. Without debt but not despair. Without child but not memories. I've been gone from the city for about ten months, and I can't shake this desire. People need to know people for who they are and not for what they portray because of where they stand or what they hold or how they dress. People need people to live and grow. And I fully believe that we all have an innate desire to live life to the fullest. We have to do that together, but before we can, we have to be real. My desired has grown, and I have a huge hope to do this in several cities in the US. If able, I'd spend some time in each of those cities, connecting with locals, and researching a good place to have this Without But Not Party. And from the events, a blog/vlog will be created and turned into a book. Social media will be used heavily, and others will be urged to help end a stigma that needs not exist. People are people are people are people. Regardless of socioeconomics, people are people.

Rotterdam – Jurassic Parkoer

2016-10-19T00:00:00Z

“T-Rex doesn't want to be fed. He wants to hunt. Can't just suppress 65 million years of gut instinct.” -Dr. Alan Grant Who doesn't know this scene?! During the first tour through Jurassic Park, the main characters stand in front of the T-rex cage. It's dark and it rains. The power drops out. The lawyer rans away and hides on the toilet. The T-rex however discovers the lawyer and eats him. Jurassic Parcour bought two gigantic T-rex suits to lift people up to race people from the toilet towards the end of the parkour. Awesome!

Ottawa – Project Cold Days

2016-10-18T00:00:00Z

October’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Stephen R. Coleman, to support the completion of a documentary about homelessness during the cold Ottawa winter. Stephen and his team have been working on the film, unfunded, for over two years. “Our main goal is to produce a beautiful film which will be intriguing for people to watch,” explains Stephen. “From the microcosm of each individual to the macrocosm of the city, we want to explore what life is like in the winter for people struggling. At the same time, we want to highlight the triumph of the human spirit and the beauty contained within those struggles.” Over the last two years, Stephen’s team has spent hundreds of hours volunteering at shelters around the city and has worked closely with The Shepherds of Good Hope and its clients. The team released a trailer in September, and to complete filming this winter Stephen will be homeless for one month, living with the main subjects of his film 24 hours a day. Stephen is an aspiring filmmaker who moved to Ottawa ten years ago from Almonte, where he was born and raised. You can follow him on Twitter at @LexMagOttawa.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – #JustSaySorry

2016-10-18T00:00:00Z

#JustSaySorry is an educational grassroots campaign to empower campus survivors of gender-based violence and allies to demand apologies from the institutions that failed them. My co-founder Kamilah Willingham and I regularly burn different items from our academic journeys institutions until we get an apology that we deserve. Using this and other tactics, Willingham and I are using the campaign to highlight just how much power universities have over trauma survivors' healing and creating a safer, rape-free campus.

Beaverton & Beyond, OR (Non-active) – Do You See What I Hear

2016-10-18T00:00:00Z

The Companion Program presents “Do You See What I Hear,” a digital arts project completed and presented by artists who experience developmental disabilities in Washington County. Artists from The Companion Program’s Art Studio in Forest Grove will document their unique experiences using digital media and present a series of free showings at the studio in Forest Grove. The Companion Program’s Art Studio seeks funding for 10 - 7 inch Amazon Fire Tablets tablets, a color printer and projector. With these devices we can explore digital media for storytelling. Filmmaking, animation, photography and music composition will be part of our community showing in Winter 2016. We are artists who struggle to have our stories expressed so it is important that we find dynamic ways to do so. Additionally, artists will be empowered by learning 21st Century skills. The Companion Program in Forest Grove supports local artists in Washington and Yamhill counties diagnosed with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Our Art Studio program encourages adults to formulate their creative abilities and find their identity as local, independent artists. The Art Studio consists of a Art Director, and Staff Artist, and volunteers. All of whom facilitate artists with disabilities in reaching goals of inclusivity, independence and productivity. "Do You See What I Hear," will be held at our studio in Forest Grove, Washington County. When more people in Washington County understand and respect people with different abilities our community becomes more awesome. Particularly in the artist community, when our work is included in the rest of the arts community then the Washington County Art scene becomes immensely rich. At this writing we serve approximately 20 artists with disabilities in Washington County. Success=Artists learn to use digital media and create a product between 11-12/2016. 2) Full house on show dates, 3) Successful reviews from evaluations at show nights. 4) Not sure if we can measure it but a new working understanding of what it means to have a developmental disability in Oregon. Want to Help? The Companion Program Art Studio is looking for community members to volunteer in the studio. Studio volunteers, work alongside artists, mentor specific artists, or present workshops. We are also always in need of quality supplies, such as acrylic and watercolor paints, art pencils, charcoal paper and watercolor paper. Contact: Javaughn Fernanders · artist(at)thecompanionprogram(dot)org · 503-359-2512 Learn more: https://companionartstudio.wordpress.com/

Gloucester, MA – Health and Harmony: Music Therapy at Grace Center

2016-10-18T00:00:00Z

Since its inception, the Grace Center of Gloucester has lived by the mantra: acceptance, hospitality, opportunity. Each element of this expression is crucial to the way in which we serve Cape Ann's homeless population. Whether it be through advocacy, referrals, job training, or simply a listening ear and a hot, nutritious meal, the staff and volunteers at Grace Center are constantly doing the most they can for our guests. An average of 60 guests join us a day! We insist on being adaptive and creative in our work. Most recently, Grace Center has enthusiastically nurtured a budding music therapy program. In fact, as I write this application, a developmentally-delayed guest is playing piano and serenading an attentive and appreciative audience. Our guests are benefitting from the therapeutic potential of music. No where is this more apparent than in our newly-formed Grace Center Jug Band. A heartfelt collaboration among staff, volunteers, and guests, the Grace Center Jug Band embodies the spirit of community. It's a creative outlet for guests, and it allows them to shake away some of the stress associated with homelessness and addiction. With a grant from Awesome Gloucester, Grace Center will initiate a weekly music therapy program. A certified music therapist will visit the Grace Center once a week for four hours, and work with guests in individual and group sessions. Your money will help us strengthen the bond between community and music, health and harmony.

Miami, FL – Birthday In A Box #HappinessIsAwesome

2016-10-17T00:00:00Z

Every child deserves to celebrate their birthday! Ask just about any child what their favorite day of the year is. Most would respond with an excited "My birthday!" However, many families face difficulty in providing their children with what many families may take for granted - a birthday celebration. It’s My Birthday, Inc. is an organization dedicated to celebrating the birthdays of underprivileged children, particularly those who live in poverty or suffer from various illnesses, including cancer, heart failure, leukemia, and many more. For children who are confined to the hospital and may often have limitations on visits or interactions with people for various medical reasons, often we cannot provide a traditional party where we would sing and provide party favors like balloons and cake. However, we still want to be able to provide the children with a birthday celebration. So we came up with the idea of Birthday in a Box! The Birthday in a Box is a “party in a box,” including a fresh cake (or cake mix), or cupcakes, candles, party utensils, and an age-appropriate wrapped gift. A few days prior to the child’s birthday, a Birthday Box is delivered to the family at the hospital. As a component of the box, we would like to also include grip socks to make their stay at the hospital more pleasant. The socks would be customized to include a short, but encouraging message to add a personal touch!

Miami, FL – The Little River Project #HappinessIsAwesome

2016-10-17T00:00:00Z

Miami’s Little River is a habitat home to migrating bird species and a manatee breeding ground running through El Portal, a village where peacocks, native plants and a Tequesta ancient burial ground create a distinctly vibrant neighborhood. Little River is also rapidly developing and attracting the attention of developers and businesses. A flood of new businesses, galleries, restaurants and cafes are beginning to transform the area. All this change will inevitably have significant impact not only on the residents living within the neighborhood but the Little River’s ecosystem as well. The Little River Project will highlight the natural beauty, vulnerability and cultural heritage of the Little River, reimagining the world beneath the river through experimental film and music. The project will include the screening of a ‘work in progress’ of Zenú, a surreal short film shot on the Little River about a musician that embarks on a journey on the river, where he meets natives in a Gauguinesque scene and receives a gift from a shaman under the I-95 Bridge, An augmented reality sound installation with sounds capturing the river’s ecosystem will complement the film and a resource guide/map will be developed to promote local efforts to keep the river clean.

San Francisco, CA – Badass Boarders

2016-10-16T00:00:00Z

At its core, Badass Boarders is a group of women learning to skateboard together. However, its mission extends beyond cruising, ollies, and kickflips; this is an inclusive community dedicated to supporting, mentoring, and empowering one another to become not only badass boarders, but also confident, radiant women unleashing our inner awesomeness into the world. All women, regardless of age, background, or anything else, are welcome. The idea was born out of indignation. Inspired by the Venice Beach Boardwalk and videos of Casey Neistat skateboarding through airports, Kasley decided it’d be fun to try. Her (now ex) boyfriend at the time scoffed and said, “No, that’s stupid,” and the salesman at the skateboard shop asked if she was buying it for her brother. Annoyed, she learned anyway, and found she loved the challenge and how emboldened it made her feel. Wanting to share the experience (and not be the only female at the skateboard park), Kasley created Badass Boarders.

Seattle, WA – AIR SENSOR BETA TEST FOR SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOL

2016-10-16T00:00:00Z

We want to see the invisible and report back to the world! TOPS (The Option Program at the Seward School) is a Seattle public school with a social justice mission. We draw kids from all over to the city to participate in our learning community. This project will enable us to be a part of a the world's most exciting experiment in networked air quality monitoring. We will assemble and program the kit ourselves so that we can test the air over our campus. Our device will measure airborne particulate matter in PM10, PM2.5 and PM1.0 sizes. (That's small!) We will be part of a network of sensors that monitor Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone and Methane. We’ll also be logging temperature and humidity for calibration purposes. We will install our device outside our school which happens to be RIGHT NEXT TO I-5. Help empower kids to learn science by being a part a project that can have a big impact in the Seattle community.

San Francisco, CA – World's Largest Nachos!

2016-10-16T00:00:00Z

Hello! I work with a company called Chirps that makes cricket tortilla chips to get people excited about eating bugs! We have 2000 lbs of tortilla chips leftover from a client that over-ordered that will expire in December... unless we do something ridiculously cool with them like BUILD THE WORLD'S LARGEST SERVING OF NACHOS and invite the entire city of San Francisco to a giant bug nacho party! However, we are a small company of 3 recent college grads, and we don't have the funds to buy the other ingredients- hundreds of lbs of cheese and beans and salsa. $1000 would make this project possible!

San Jose, CA – GO! GO! Gong Show!

2016-10-15T00:00:00Z

I always wanted to experiment with a talent show, but I wanted it to be wacky and in-your-face. So went back to the 70's... GO! GO! GONG SHOW! is San Jose's merciless tongue-in-cheek talent contest hosted by Mighty Mike McGee on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at Cafe Stritch, as part of Wax Wednesdays. Anyone and everyone gets FOUR minutes to compete using whatever entertaining talent or skill they have. The winner takes home $50 in quarters in a sock, a Certificate of Awesome, bragging rights, and San José’s undying gratitude! FORMAT & GUIDELINES • Sign up in person on the day of the show by 9:00pm. • Three “CELEBRITY” JUDGES will be selected by the host prior to the show. The judges will be allowed to make comments and impose bias upon any of the performers they wish. They are the only people allowed to use the GONG per show and may use it any time they wish during an act’s performance. • If the act is not entertaining, the audience is encouraged to chant 'Go! Go! Go! Go!' until the performer leaves or a judge hits the gong. • All ACTS get a MINIMUM of ONE (1) minute and UP TO FOUR (4) minutes to perform. All performers WILL get cut off at 4 minutes by the host. • Performers will be introduced by the host. Host will start the timer and announce: “Your time starts now.” Upon the four minute mark, the host will make a noise and return to the microphone to thank the act and: • IF THE ACT IS GONGED BEFORE THEY HAVE COMPLETED THEIR PERFORMANCE, THEY ARE DISQUALIFIED FROM THE COMPETITION. • If the act completes their performance, then they will receive three scores from 1 to 10. • The act with the highest score at the end of the show wins. • If there is a TIE, the audience will choose the winner by applause, or decide if they should split the prize. • The winner will receive $50 in change and a slot in the FINALS to be announced later this year. • The host is in charge and can allow and veto anything they wish regarding the rules and format.

Cass Clay – The Joy Project: Granted

2016-10-15T00:00:00Z

The Joy Project is simply a network of friends, businesses and community who work together (not a non-profit, we have no funding) to make sure those living in hotels and other temporary living situations have a homemade Christmas Eve meal and a gift to open! Santa Claus takes a break from his busy schedule to hand deliver gifts to the kids living at the hotels. Last year we provided meals and gifts to people living at Grand Inn Motels, Rodeway Inn (West Fargo), Gladys Ray Shelter, Dorothy Day House, Stepping Stones Resource Center, YOUTHWORKS, YWCA Shelter and Project Hart (for homeless Veterans). We visit each location earlier in the day to decorate and make the location as festive as possible. Then we come in later to set up a meal, visit, pass out gifts and clean up. Everything is done by people volunteering their Christmas Eve to help out!

LA South Bay, CA (Non-active) – Special Shades of Color

2016-10-13T00:00:00Z

Special Shades of Color is an online wellness resource for special needs parents. Through a focus on self-care, mental health, and wellness -- we empower, equip, and improve emotional and mental wellness so that special needs parents can better love, care for, and manage the day-to-day challenges of raising a child with special needs. Integrating media, technology, and social media we transform the traditional support group model by busting the door wide open to an easily accessible way of connecting. The Facts - Over 50% of special needs parents report clinical depression. - 14% of family caregivers care for a special needs child. - An estimated 16.8 million family caregivers care for children under 18 years old; 55% of these caregivers are caring for their own children. - Many parents are unable to leave the home to attend support groups because they are primary caregivers and solely responsible to provide care within the home. Our Key Initiatives Mental Health, Wellness and Self-care, Parent Development, and Support Our mission is to provide an online space for parents of special needs children to share, support, and encourage one another in order to build emotionally and mentally healthy and whole parents. Here are a few links to our initial parent contributor videos. We would now like to transition into producing professional-grade videos with the assistance of a filmmaker/documentarian. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3OnIhFPUls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij8ap826RXY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0kEJfiyQDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUrppbP4SQE Helpful Honda Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwvpwJ3eASw

New York City, NY – Game Night Event Series

2016-10-11T00:00:00Z

Game Night is a series of free public events presenting artist-made games for play under a selected theme. Through playful exchanges created by artists, this series invites participants to interact with works of art and each other, experimenting with creative play as a form of public engagement. **Game Night #5 will be held on October 18th, 2016 at the Denny Gallery, 261 Broome St, NYC. Learn more about this event on their website.** This series is organized by Anna Harsanyi, curator and educator and Sheetal Prajapati, artist and educator. As educators, Anna and Sheetal’s work is concerned with how to facilitate, curate, and organize experiences that engage with creative ideas and objects. Game Night brings these collaborators’ expertise and interests together to offer publics in New York new and unexpected ways to connect with art, the world and most importantly, each other. Game Night has hosted an array of experiences for play including: * life advice from imaginary oracle cards * an updated version of Operation where players remove electronic devices from the body instead of body parts * a gambling game where participants arbitrarily assign value to junk food * sharing memories through a mediated Ouijia-style game These interactions have been successful in provoking conversation, often times between strangers, prompting meaningful ways to reflect on daily life. For the 2016 -2017 season, Anna and Sheetal will organize 3 Game Night events at Denny Gallery.

Asheville, NC (Non-active) – Water Catchment System at VEG!

2016-10-10T00:00:00Z

Verner Center for Early Learning is a high quality early education program nestled in the heart of Western North Carolina. For the past 15 years, Verner has been dedicated to the mission of seeing families and children in Western North Carolina thrive. During the 2015-2016 school year, Verner succeeded in serving the educational and social needs of over 200 children—67% of which suffered from the effects of poverty and low income. One of the most devastating impacts of poverty is food insecurity. To combat this problem, Verner created VEG!, a one acre garden that supplies food and outdoor education opportunities to the school’s low income families. For two seasons, VEG! has succeeded in helping students and their families gain access to organic vegetables. The garden has also fostered an increase in physical activity for children at Verner and their loved ones. However, plans to expand and develop the garden have hit a road block. The main culprit of this stagnation is water supply. To grow more food for families, VEG! needs access to a larger and more sustainable source of rain water. VEG! has been working with water professionals and has developed a water catchment system plan that can divert 400 gallons of rainwater to the garden. This system utilizes rainwater that is drained from the roof, converted to copper reservoirs, and spread through the garden through a drip irrigation system. We have designed this system to be accessible to children, volunteers, and teachers who visit the garden during school hours and on the weekend. The water professionals involved in providing insight into this project stated that a 400 gallon reserve is sufficient to keep the garden lush during times of drought. This system would also ease the strain on the Asheville water system, diverting resources to where they are truly needed.

Singapore (Non-active) – Off the Beaten Tracks: Southeast Asia

2016-10-10T00:00:00Z

The preliminary plan is to backpack across the Southeast Asian region, crossing several borders, namely Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam. The goal is to document the life of the ethnic minority tribes there - their cultures, way of life, and traditions. This would also involve ethnographic experience where my team will stay in the villages / homes of these tribes to fully immerse in the experience. My primary findings will be in the medium of photographs, but also include oral transcripts when conversing with these individuals, written accounts etc. Like my past work (see www.maptia.com/nathanielsoon), I will arrange the collected images post-trip into a story-format to convey my thoughts and experiences of these communities before presenting it in full - the story will largely be centred around the images with captions going alongside to provide some explanations. This idea was derived from my love for cultures and travel - I was first exposed to rural village life in 2011 when I visited Chiangrai, Thailand & lived amongst the tribes, witnessing the spirit of community but also the dangers their cultures face. I took away way more than I gave, for sure. & in a twist, I went back again the next year, and the next and to date, I’ve been on five consecutive trips. This interest in human culture simply grew exponentially. I started reading, writing & studying – I remember writing a school paper based solely on ethnographic observation on my third trip there and this interest has also led me to pick anthropology as a course option for college. This interest has also grown over the years to something more – I’ve grown to feel a sense of concern for the issue of cultural erosion within tribal communities not just in Asia but around the world. With increasing modernisation, many youths are starting to abandon their traditions for ‘city life’. & I say this because I’ve witnessed it first hand. Cultural abandonment couldn't be more clear.

Annapolis, NS (Non-active) – Annapolis River Guardians

2016-10-10T00:00:00Z

The Annapolis River Guardians is a citizen-science water quality monitoring program. River Guardians is Clean Annapolis River Project's flagship project, and was the first water quality monitoring program of its kind in Atlantic Canada. This means that in the Annapolis Watershed we have one of the best long-term data sets around, giving us valuable information about our river's health. Our River Guardians are volunteers who have been trained to collect and analyze water samples. They dedicate their time every two weeks to collect and analyze water samples. As a result of the program, over 100 community members are now educated and skilled citizen scientists, who are able to disperse information throughout their community. There are a lot of threats to our river's health, and the Annapolis River Guardians program enables us to detect these issues, understand long-term trends, and develop projects that respond to threats to ecological health. River Guardians data can be used to detect big problems; in fact, in 2005 monitoring results indicated that something was amiss in the Middleton area. Further investigation identified that problems with the local waste treatment facility were resulting in untreated waste being directly discharged into the Annapolis River. CARP was then able to work with the Town to ensure the issue was addressed. The program also helps community members make informed decisions about water use, to avoid potential health risks. Monitoring parameters include E. coli bacteria. E. coli live in the digestive tract of warm-blooded animals and are used to indicate the potential presence of harmful organisms. E. coli results are posted online and on public signs between Bridgetown and Aylesford, to report whether water is safe for recreational use, crop or livestock watering, or other uses. At the end of each year an Annapolis River Report Card is released, so the public can see what is happening to their river.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – Social Promotion of GenderAvenger Who Talks?

2016-10-10T00:00:00Z

We would create sponsored content on Facebook and Twitter in order to increase the reach and impact of the the GA Who Talks 6 Week Countdown to the Election Initiative. Who Talks?, in partnership with Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) and the Women’s Media Center, monitors, collects data, and analyzes the gender balance of pundits who appear on top-rated morning and evening cable shows, calling attention to poor gender ratios in political commentary on MSNBC, CNN, and FOX. Our report would include social media results in terms of increased activity on both FB and twitter as well as look at any increase in subscribers. Two months ago we used $20 worth of sponsored Facebook content to promote our Who Talks initiative and it generated 6000 impressions and 73 actions. Imagine what $1000 would do split between FB and twitter. NOTE: We have not had the resources to use sponsored content on twitter.

Lusaka (Non-active) – BETHEL HOME ZAMBIA

2016-10-10T00:00:00Z

Sarnia (Non-active) – So I asked them to smile: Sarnia

2016-10-08T00:00:00Z

The inspiration for this project comes from an artist named Jay Weinstein who asks people on his photography trips to take one photos without and with a smile. "To document the effect of the human smile on a strangers face." As a hobby photographer, I see the beauty in all faces. I would like to take on this project and ask Sarnia to show me their smile. Locally I am hoping it can be on display at The Refined Fool as they currently have an open call for artists: https://www.facebook.com/A-Call-for-Art-Submissions-Refined-Fool-Gallery-Wall-516609711880469/. Then I would then like to share it with http://www.soiaskedthemtosmile.com/ "So there are no names. No occupations. No confirmed religions or ethnicity. No intriguing life lessons or heart strumming anecdotes. Just one human face. Without, and with a smile." - Jay Weinstein

Oakland, CA (Non-active) – Free Annual Halloween Marionette Show

2016-10-07T00:00:00Z

For three nights leading up to Halloween every year I put on a free marionette show in the driveway of my house in Oakland California. A fully staged, traditional production, the marrionette performance has become very popular, with the street closed off and at least a thousand people in attendance over the night. It is a half hour show made up of various musical stories exploring cultural history, that is repeated the entire night. I have done this for the past nine years and over that time I have worked with a team of professionals to help create my show. I have funded this project myself and in the recent couple years my funds have dwindled. I would like to continue performing the show with the 7 other puppeteers but need help. My personal budget has gotten to the point where a thousand dollars could make or break this project. This show has become a well known tradition throughout the Bay Area and I would like to continue doing it. Here's some quotes from people who've seen my show - We've been coming for about 4 or 5 years; it's one of the only can't-miss aspects of Halloween for us. -Amy Sullivan Magic. Pure joy for little kids and big kids. I am in love with Jitters. Thanks for bringing true art and community to the hood! -Vanessa Hammack World-class puppetry in Oakland! Thanks for doing this every year. -Russell Nelson This show is quite possibly the greatest thing about Halloween. The puppetry is exquisite. A neighborhood treasure. This will be our third year attending. Looking forward to it! -Julie Adams My 7 year old twins and I have attended each Halloween since they were 2 years old. Thank you so much for sharing your amazing talents with the community. -Linda Young

North Minneapolis, MN – Selah's Apothecary

2016-10-06T00:00:00Z

Selah's Apothecary is a muti-modal consulting and freelance practice for health and wellness initiatives . I developed this as an independent practice 8 months ago, though I have been doing consulting and freelance work in different capacities for several years. Selah's Apothecary provides freelance facilitation, organizational development, health & wellness and healing justice workshops with a holistic approach & practice. Most people understand 'apothecary' to be an archaic term for a pharmacy or a pharmacist. An apothecary is a place where individuals seek services and/or products for health and wellness. Modern day apothecaries are often dispensaries for natural medicines like herbs, plants, and or body care items composed of natural elements. What My practice works similarly to this idea but is multi-modal. It includes a practice around food, natural health and wellness but expands to include work and practice that addresses wellness in the other areas that impact our lives including, work spaces and systems, recreational practices, & spiritual practices, My practice is seated in the belief that healing, health, and wellness are not static one dimensional experiences in our lives, but that our health and wellness is a way of being that permeates all of our relationships and experiences. My approach is holistic taking into account the whole person, or whole systems experience. I work with people, groups, and organizations in different capacities but with ultimately the same goal and approach: awareness and alignment with their health and wellness through a holistic framework, approach, and practice.

Atlanta, GA – Therapeutic Artists Residency, TAR Project

2016-10-06T00:00:00Z

Atlanta's newest artists residency moves into its second year by offering its therapeutic support to teens and asked Atlanta creatives to step-up through advocacy by creating a monthly curriculum for the year long residency. The TAR Project or Therapeutic Artists Residency offers once-a-month individual and 2-hour group therapy sessions for free with a Licensed Professional Counselor who specializes in Expressive Therapy. At the end of the year, Atlanta is invited to see the work created during the residency at a group show at Binders Ponce City Market. The current adult residents received all sorts of rewards (i.e., $200 Binders gift cards, membership to C4 and scholarship to a class of their choice, massages, etc.) and are exploring therapeutic themes in their work, developing skills to use expression as a form of self-care and having direct support for their challenging life career path in the arts. During the application process, we had numerous parents and teens reaching out themselves, and I made the decision that this next year of the TAR project will target 15-19 year olds based in this need. Similar to the original structure these four teens in residence will receive all the same benefits, sessions and culminating show. However, they will engage in a curriculum of monthly courses with local artist, experiential experiences, and day long internships focused around different kinds of art to offer the teens real world experiences of the current arts culture in Atlanta. Part of the curriculum: Jessica Caldas working with performance art and the body in response to their struggles in their lives Melissa Coffey to do a silks course on facing your fears Austin Frantz documenting self-portraits and the work created during the residency for portfolios Will Massey and his team of artist that work in the elderly hospitals Malina Rodriguez and the folks of the Work Room apprenticeship on choreographing Tori Tinsley-Warenzak a recent GSU MFA graduate

Washington, DC – Theatre Prometheus presents CYMBELINE

2016-10-06T00:00:00Z

Theatre Prometheus creates diverse, woman-focused productions that examine societal problems and amplify the voices of the marginalized. In this vein, our re-imagining of Shakespeare’s CYMBELINE presents lovers Imogen and Posthumus as a lesbian couple. This perspective allows us to explore themes of sexuality, homophobia, gender identity, and gender roles. In doing so, the world Shakespeare created is revealed to be very similar to our own, challenging preconceived notions of both classical theatre and what it means to be LGBTQ. Imogen and Posthumus’ journey will resonate deeply with anyone who has ever struggled to come out, as many of us at Prometheus have. Our adaptation of CYMBELINE will also challenge limitations on the roles women can play in Shakespeare’s plays, in theatre generally, and in our wider society. In the original version, women comprise only about 25% of the cast, and many of those roles are small. We flipped this percentage and cast 70% female actors, giving women access to the rich character arcs and language they are usually denied. Our hope in doing this is that audiences leave the play not thinking “why were these roles played by women?,” but rather asking of other productions, “why can’t these roles be played by women?” We also chose CYMBELINE simply because of the story itself. The extraordinarily complex plot is funny, sad, silly, scary, and thought-provoking, and at its heart is an earnest joy and love of life that seems quite at odds with the cynical world we live in. It explores a kind of vulnerability that often eludes us -- one that shines a critical light on how we behave in this too-violent world, and asks us “What might happen if I make peace?” Finally, we are proud to say that this project is immediately actionable: we have fully cast CYMBELINE, recently confirmed a venue at the Anacostia Arts Center, and will begin rehearsals in October. The play itself will run from January 12 to 29.

Ann Arbor, MI – Global Water Dances - Flint, MI

2016-10-05T00:00:00Z

Global Water Dances celebrates water and life through the art of dance. In parallel, we are aware that environmental actions are needed. Global Water Dances has had a vibrant history for seven years. We have staged three worldwide events in 2011, 2013, and 2015, with a fourth event planned next year. One day, every two years, 80+ cities from around the world participate in the Global Water Dances event. From Beijing, China to Zadar, Croatia, choreographers take on local water issues through workshops, dance activism and dialogue. On June 24, 2017, the Flint, MI community will come together for their first-ever site of Global Water Dances which will be in four parts. Section I. Ritual: An opening ceremony specific to each site. Section II. Local Dance: A dance created by choreographers from the area, using locally-based music, around specified the poisoning of the river and recovery efforts. Section III. Global Dance: Simultaneous choreography done by all the performers worldwide to the same piece of music, connecting participants and audience globally. Section IV. Participatory Dance: Audience participation in a very simple movement sequence. Leading up to the event, Shawn Lent and other dance artists are conducting community dialogue workshops through the arts. Local partners include Karen Mills Jennings and students at the Flint School of Performing Arts, Emma Davis at the University of Michigan-Flint, and artists Peggy Mead Finizio, Adesola Akinleye and Alisyn Hurd.

South Bend, IN – Round-a-bout Beautification

2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

South Bend has created numerous roundabouts over the past several years. Each roundabout usually includes central and outlying green spaces which include turf and planting beds which are landscaped with are planted with plant material and mulched with bark or gravel. After the initial installation these roundabouts look great. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a budget increase for the parks department so these areas can be adequately maintained and they usually end up being overgrown with weeds and populated with numerous dead shrubs. Our awesome project would be the development of an organization which will find sponsors to fund the maintenance for each roundabout in the city. In addition, this organization would solicit volunteers to clean up a roundabout each spring. This would help reduciethe maintenance costs for the remainder of the year. Each sponsor/volunteer group would be permitted to place signage at the roundabout they sponsor/maintain. Other details will be outlined during presentation

South Bend, IN – Change your lawn. Change your city.

2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

Greater Impact Lawn Care is a for-profit business that seeks to teach the youth of South Bend how to work through meaningful employment opportunities. We have 4 main objectives: 1. It’s our intention to provide jobs for urban youth living in the South Bend area. 2. We intend to teach youth life skills through work (Time management, positive attitude, work ethic, financial literacy, workplace behaviors, effective communication, positive self-image, GRIT.) 3. Our goal is to train up the next generation of youth in South Bend to work hard and be great employees for future companies. 4. We provide quality work and excellent customer service. We stand behind all that we do. Our services focus on commercial and residential lawn care maintenance which includes mowing, trimming, edging, landscaping and cleanup projects. We are fully insured and have highly trained supervisors. We have cut over 800 properties in our community, while investing in the future leaders of our community. We are more than a lawn care company. While we care about our finished project, we are even more concerned about the youth that we employ (currently 9 youth). We hire specialized supervisors to mentor the youth. We have a weekly employee training focused on soft skills needed to succeed in the workforce. Each student employee has an individual mentor investing in their growth.

Paris (Non-active) – VirtuOz

2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

VirtuOz est un instrument virtuel informatique autonome, jouable à partir d'interfaces adaptés à tous types de handicaps. Cet instrument sera utilisable par des particuliers, mais également par des thérapeutes (ergothérapeutes, kinésithérapeutes, psychomotriciens, neuropsychologues etc.) dans le cadre de projets de rééducation utilisant la musique. L'objectif est de préparer des prototypes qui seront testés auprès de structures médicales de rééducation en région parisienne. VirtuOz is a virtual informatic music instrument, which can be played from an interface adapted to all types of disability. This instrument will be used by both individuals and therapists (ergotherapists, kinesiologists, psychomotor specialists, neuropsychologist…) for re-education projects using music. The goal is to prepare prototypes that will be tested in health facilities in the Paris region.

South Bend, IN – Original South Bend Commercial

2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

Recently a commercial aired advertising all of the fun things to do in South Bend and in the surrounding areas. It was made locally for $20,000. The spot was very sleek, and had tons of production value. Soon after its debut, viewers began commenting on the spot - saying there wasn't enough diversity and people of color, and how the promo was a poor depiction of South Bend. Most of the commercial was filmed in nearby Michigan- that upset a lot of people too. To make matters worse, the ad got pulled from the air because it came to light that it was a blatant rip-off of a tourism commercial from Salt Lake City, Utah. It made national headlines. People were so bummed out, embarrassed, and disappointed. The fact that the spot was a carbon copy hurt the city's morale. My project would be to make an original commercial for South Bend that is somewhat like the clothing brand FUBU- For Us, By Us. I would call on the community, by crowd sourcing, to see what locations in South Bend speak to them the most. I would highlight those places as well as real people, not actors, here in South Bend. Through a series of vignettes, I would show real places and real people all in South Bend, not MIchigan. I would highlight more destinations than just local bars, I would feature all the rich diversity on the West Side, and the South Side and local, off the grid eateries and destinations. The commercial would be high energy, fun, warm and nostalgic as well. I want viewers in other states to watch the spot and feel like they'd like to live here.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – Circus Harmony

2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

Baltimore, MD (Non-active) – Moms As Entrepreneurs Academy

2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

Moms As Entrepreneurs Academy (MAE pronounced "Ma") is a grassroots community based organization whose mission is to provide aspiring entrepreneurial mothers with the resources needed to start or grow successful, profitable businesses with the intent to foster growth within their neighborhoods and reinvest back into Baltimore City communities. Moms As Entrepreneurs Academy provide an 8-week entrepreneurship training program to provide moms with resources in creating a microenterprise through hands-on training programs focusing on life, entrepreneurial & financial literacy skills; establish an evidenced based model through documenting the journey of the entrepreneurship academy participants to use it as a coaching tool for other moms and; and partner with financial institutions and other lenders to identify funding resources for participants to access the equity necessary to start up small businesses. We select 20 moms in each cohort. The MAE team developed our curriculum which covers the mindset of starting a business to actually launching the business. At the end of the 8 weeks the participants in the academy launch their businesses at an expo hosted by Moms As Entrepreneurs. During this time the MAEs (moms who attend the academy) have a chance to display their products and services to their friends, family and community organizations and leaders. A team of judges visit each MAE display and talk to the moms. Two moms are chosen by the judges and provided with startup funding for their businesses. Since the start of the academy in April 2016 we have launched 11 mom owned businesses in Baltimore City and is currently working on launch 12 more mom owned businesses in our current cohort.

Liverpool – An Introduction to Wearable Technology with WOW

2016-10-03T00:00:00Z

Wearable tech is a new industry with the more popular examples being the Google Glass and fitness trackers. With the devices saturating the market, the next trend will be wearables in the form of clothing and accessories. WoW UK Women of Wearables is an organization that inspires, connects and supports women in wearables, IoT and AR/VR through its events and wearable tech workshops. The wearable tech workshops encourage girls to get involved in technology in the form of wearables and teach them how to use tech to make their own wearables. The aim is to teach them how to build a circuit using conductive thread and for parents to also learn and understand how to make wearables. This is an introduction to circuitry class with the aim of providing more detailed workshops using arduinos specifically for wearables. We have made LED self light up shoes with pressure sensors, a self lighting bag that lights up when you open it, a UV sensor hat to remind you to put sunscreen on and many more wearable projects to come. Website: http://www.womenofwearables.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/women_wearables

San Jose, CA – Glowing Garden

2016-10-03T00:00:00Z

The open space in front of San Jose Repertory Theatre at the Paseo De San Antonio Walk has always been underused. It is at a great location surrounded by a flower shop, Starbucks, Camera 12, Whispers Cafe, transit stops, and several other cafes, shops, and restaurants. However, there is only one long curb seating that normally does not generate any social activities/interactions in the area. "Glowing Garden" is an easy but awesome placemaking that will encourage people to linger as well as create a safer environment downtown using eco-friendly glowing light materials. The project includes a terrarium coffee table decorated with glowing pebbles/stones and plants inside, garden chairs around the table, and distributed glowing star stickers on the floor around the table and chairs. All glowing materials will be activated by natural sunlight during the day and the powder contained within them will produce a radiant that glows over several hours in the dark. The "Glowing Garden" will look totally different transforming from a normal garden during daytime into a glowing garden at nighttime! Here are some references of the terrarium coffee table: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/214413632233014412/ http://firsttoknow.com/this-terrarium-table-instantly-adds-life-to-any-room/

Jumbos (Non-active) – EchoMe Winter Silent Disco / WNTRBRKR

2016-10-03T00:00:00Z

It's time to make Boston winter better for all the young people who live, work and play here. As a MA native, I grew up playing outside in the snow, skiing and going outside in the winter. After graduating Tufts in 2014, I noticed my peers struggling to stay motivated in their day-to-day lives through 4pm sunsets and bone-chilling weather. In 2014, 20 million Americans were diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder. That number has only gone up. While at Tufts, I started struggling with winter blues myself until a friend invited me up to Igloofest, Montreal's outdoor music festival in the middle of January. Bored with nothing else to do, I packed my snowsuit and hand warmers, and made my way up to Montreal. The temperature was 11 degrees when we got there. I had no idea what to expect. At Igloofest, I found myself surrounded by hundreds of people, bundled up from head to toe, smiling and dancing to techno music. It reminded me of the power of dance and music to bring people together and warm up even the coldest of nights. When I returned to Boston, I realized that we don't all have to suffer through winter alone or drive 2+ hours to the mountains. There are too many people (like myself) itching for something to get excited about right here in the city. In partnership with the founders of EchoMe - a brand new music synchronization app that facilitates silent disco parties, this January we will launch Boston's first outdoor moving silent disco dance party. Complete with a custom winter workout run by Chris Capozzi of The November Project, we will dance our way through the city, goof it up along the way, and end at a landmark location in Boston with hot apple cider (provided by Red Apple Farm) and hearty soup. This is my way of fostering community and spreading joy here in Boston Proper by inspiring people to embrace winter in all its awesomeness. Thank you so much for this opportunity! With warmth & appreciation, Lilly

Twin Cities, MN (Non-active) – Nourish!

2016-10-03T00:00:00Z

Nourish: Film, Food, and Community for the Mind, Body, and Soul is a project we piloted last year and hope to expand. In partnership with LSP we offer monthly events for community to gather together, break bread, watch a documentary related to community gardening, urban agriculture and food systems, and have dialogue about what we are learning together. Last winter we held 4 events in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. These gatherings were well attended and evaluation surveys indicated that the community is hungry to be convened in this way. New relationships were formed, community was built, and neighbors launched growing projects as a result. This year we intend to expand and offer the same events in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul and in North Minneapolis.

Austin, TX – 10th Annual KreweDCM Halloween Parade

2016-09-30T00:00:00Z

KreweDCM's Halloween parades are an opportunity for Austinites of all ages to build costumes, revel, and march with Austin's own Dead Music Capital Band and others in a free parade through East Austin. Thanks to funding from the Austin Awesome Foundation, the 10th annual Halloween Parade will pass not only through Austin's largest low-income development, Chalmers Court, but through the Santa Rita Courts as well, spreading free music, candy, and delight to more low-income families than ever before (2 - long-term) Maintenance for the three float chassis built using the 2014 Awesome Foundation grant. These chassis are available free-of-charge to other organizations in Austin's burgeoning homegrown parade culture, which includes HONK!TX, 12th Night Austin, Queerbomb, and events put on by other local brass bands. This "foundation support" of other homegrown parades is inspired by Seattle's annual Solstice Parade. (3 - short- and long-term) The development and production of "Sound and Vision", an original float design and build for 2016. Inspired by the nonmotorized puppets of New Orleans' Krewe du Viuex, the 'Sound" float will be a mobile, interactive instrument where children and adults can experiment with playing monstrous stringed instruments, horns, and provide their own percussive drum beats. The "Vision" float will be a mobile, giant teleidoscope (open ended kaleidoscope) where children and adults can delight in an altered view of the world around them via optical illusion. Once funded, both "Sound" and "Vision" will be made available to local arts events like the HONK!TX Festival of Community Street Bands at no charge.

Yerevan – Ծուռ խաղ

2016-09-28T00:00:00Z

«Ծուռ խաղը» հիմնված է հայկական էպոսի՝ Սասնա Ծռերի «Սանասարի և Բաղդասարի ամուսնությունը» հատվածի վրա: Այն խաղաքարտերով սեղանի խաղ է՝ նախատեսված 8+ տարիքի երեխաների և մեծահասակների համար: Խաղում առկա են ինը կերպարներ (Էպոսի վերոնշյալ հատվածից), դրանք են՝ Սանասար, Բաղդասար, Քառսուն-Ճուղ-Ծամ-Դեղձուն-Ծամ, երկաթի թագավոր,վիշապ, հովիվ, ալևոր, փահլևաններ և նազիր-վեզիր, որոնք համարակալված են ըստ իրենց զորության և նշանակության: Յուրաքանչյուր կերպար ունի որոշակի գործառույթ՝ համապատասխանեցված էպոսում իր նկարագրին: Խաղը բաղկացած է կերպարները պատկերող խաղաքարտերից, կերպարների գործողությունները և խաղում առկա քանակը նկարագրող խաղաքարտերից և ակերից (որը էպոսում Սանասարը հանում է վիշապի բերանից): Խաղի օրենքները հետևյալն են՝ խաղում են 2-4 անձ: Խաղաքարտերը բաժանվում են յուրաքանչյուր խաղացողի մեկական, այնպես, որ ամեն մեկը տեսնի միայն իր խաղաքարտը, մեկ խաղաքարտ փակ վիճակում մի կողմ է դրվում և չի մասնակցում խաղին, մնացած խաղաքարտերը փակ վիճակում դրվում են մեջտեղում՝ հետագայում օգտագործելու և խաղի մեջ ներառելու նպատակով: Խաղը սկսում է էպոսը վերջերս կարդացած անձը: Առաջին խաղացողը փակ խաղաքարտերի վրայից վերցնում է ևս մեկ քարտ և իր խաղաքարտերից մեկը, ըստ ցանկության կամ տրամաբանության, բաց վիճակում դնում խաղասեղանին, մատնանշում է որևէ խաղացողի, որին ուղղված է իր խաղաքարտի վրա նշված գործողությունը, փահլևանի դեպքում, օրինակ, խաղացողները համեմատվում են խաղաքարտերով և ավելի քիչ ուժ ունեցողը դուրս է մնում խաղից, հովիվը նայում է որևէ մեկի խաղաքարտը (ուժը չափելու նպատակով), նազիր-վեզիրը գուշակում է որևէ մեկի քարտը (Դեղձունի խնձորը գողացողին գտնելու նպատակով) և այլն: Այնուհետև հերթը անցնում է հաջորդ խաղացողին: Հաղթում է նա, ում ձեռքին մնում է վերջին քարտը և արժանանում է մեկ ակի: Եվ այսպես խաղում են այնքան շրջան, մինչև որևէ մեկը հինգ ակ է հավաքում՝ անէացնելով Դեղձունի կախարդանքը և արժանանալով նրա ձեռքին: Այս ինտելեկտուալ խաղը ոչ միայն կօգնի զարգացնել տրամաբանությունը և հիշողությունը, այլ նաև վերհիշել մեր էպոսը և մի փոքրիկ արկած ունենալ նրա հերոսների հետ:

Yerevan – Armenia By Bicycle

2016-09-28T00:00:00Z

Rural tourism development is a hot topic in Armenia, but one area still overlooked is the potential of bicycle touring as a way of exploring the country. This project aims to remedy this in a very concrete way: by developing five (5) self-guided cycling itineraries, publishing a digital guidebook, and promoting it to a large international audience of bicycle travel enthusiasts. Those visiting Armenia by bicycle currently suffer from a lack of information about alternative routes to the main highways, which are dangerous and unpleasant to ride. The truth is that Armenia features a plethora of alternative routes on smaller and less-travelled roads. The roads, to the bicycle traveller, are a surefire way to have a much more interesting and pleasant experience – but remain in many cases unmapped and unknown to a newcomer to the country. This project will aim to remedy that with a multifaceted approach: - Updating the open-source mapping of bicycle-friendly routes to include settlements, shops, water sources, accommodation, and other points of interest, - Developing itineraries which take into account the preferences and daily distance ranges of bicycle travellers, - Incorporating data and information of particular interest to cyclists, including elevation profiles, road conditions and traffic conditions, - Photographing and creating written descriptions of the routes. The routes will range from long-distance itineraries for those hoping to explore the whole country, through shorter day-trips from key Armenian cities to points of cultural and historical interest, through to off-road itineraries for adventurous cyclists looking for a wilder and more natural experience. A PDF ebook will be created for these itineraries, along with a new website, http://cyclingarmenia.com/, which I hope to grow to be a central hub for information about bicycle travel in Armenia. Promotion will primarily be through the popular bicycle travel website TomsBikeTrip.com.

Minas Gerais (Non-active) – Rádio Comunitária Alternativa FM - 92,5

2016-09-28T00:00:00Z

A Rádio Comunitária Alternativa FM, frequência 92,5, está localizada no Residencial Águas Claras, bairro Vila Pinho, região do Barreiro, Belo Horizonte - MG. A rádio está no ar há cerca de 4 anos e possui um alcance de cerca de 16.000 ouvintes. Seu principal radialista, Wallace Paixão, é uma referência comunitária para o tratamento de questões de interesse público, como reivindicação de transporte público e de serviços de correio. A Rádio Alternativa FM segue todos os requisitos legais para funcionamento de rádio comunitária e possui programação gospel, mas não se restringe ao público evangélico, havendo abertura para programação de outros grupos religiosos. A rádio constitui um canal de informação e mobilização comunitária, realizando avisos sobre o funcionamento de equipamentos públicos, campanhas de doação, promoção de debates sobre violência, consumo de drogas pela juventude, combate à dengue e outros. O bairro Vila Pinho é caracterizado por um alto índice de criminalidade violenta e faz parte dos 32 territórios no qual atua a Política de Prevenção Social à Criminalidade do Governo do Estado de Minas Gerais, executada pelo Instituto Jurídico para Efetivação da Cidadania - IJUCI em parceria com a Secretaria de Estado de Defesa Social (SEDS). Parte desta Política é desenvolvida por meio dos Centros de Prevenção à Criminalidade (CPCs) instalados nesses territórios, inclusive no bairro Vila Pinho. Atualmente vem sendo construída uma parceria entre o IJUCI, o CPC Vila Pinho e a Rádio Comunitária Alternativa FM para a criação de programação voltada às temáticas de direitos humanos, cidadania e prevenção à criminalidade. Este projeto tem o objetivo de aumentar o alcance da rádio para toda a região do Barreiro, incluindo a área comercial, o que possibilitará o aumento de apoios para a sua sustentabilidade financeira e potencializará a promoção deste tipo de debate, constituindo uma importante ferramenta para a prevenção à criminalidade e a promoção de cidadania.

Melbourne (Non-active) – The Ultimate Pop Up Junkyard Playground

2016-09-28T00:00:00Z

The Ultimate Pop Up Junkyard Playground, which at times may have roving dinosaurs, is a large scale travelling public art project where the lead artists are young people aged 6-16. Taking inspiration from the first Junkyard Playground built in Emdrup in 1943 we are working with young people to help them design and build their own world. Popping up first at Siteworks, Brunswick we will be hosting a 2 day Pop Up Junkyard Playground, which will bring community together from across Moreland and beyond. Over 120 young people from suburbs including Brunswick, Glenroy and Coburg are coming together over the two days to work alongside our amazing team of artists, architects and adventure play workers. Our team will equip them with the tools required to design and build an amazing world. Our next stop is the outer suburbs of Geelong and from there, well who knows where we will Pop Up, but we have a dream of touring regional Australia and beyond. The project is designed to allow young people the opportunity to celebrate who they are and create their own world within that of the adult world whilst reigniting public space. It encourages at risk play and adventure and allows for young people to share their creativity with a wider audience. The Junkyard Playground Project has a focus on bringing young people from diverse backgrounds together including those from lower socio economic, aboriginal and asylum seeker, refugee backgrounds to allow for all voices to be heard and celebrated in a creative fun and inspiring way. It is literally their project.

Twin Cities, MN (Non-active) – The Family Place

2016-09-27T00:00:00Z

The Family Place is a shelter for families with children. Last year, we incepted Casa de la Bella, an onsite Montessori, that will become fully licensed later this year. Children that come into shelter are often traumatized and coming from chaotic situations. Our Montessori is beautiful and peaceful, providing the nurturing and calming atmosphere so that learning can take place. This grant would help us continue to provide early childhood education for toddler aged children. This we believe is the only Montessori in a day center for homeless families with children in the United States.

Awesome Without Borders (Non-active) – Sunshine Cinema - a solar powered mobile cinema

2016-09-26T00:00:00Z

Sunshine Cinema is a solar powered mobile media initiative and alternative distribution platform. Our aim is connect change makers to wider networks, amplifying the voices of grassroots active citizens. We run solar powered screenings creating audience engagement platforms, and media training workshops. The project grew out of our production company, Makhulu, winning awards for a film we made about a local Zambian entrepreneur Lloyd Maanyina. Zambia has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world and Maanyina was a charcoal burner for many years, cutting down countless trees, and became a tree nursery owner. We showed Lloyd’s film on our pilot mobile solar cinema to local communities to spread the ethos of sustainability that he was promoting, alongside educational content focusing on the benefits of renewable energy. Sunshine Cinema’s journey began in 2013. Within our first year we received attention from international brands and press outlets and we were able to raise necessary start-up capital through profits from events we hosted, as well as a successful crowdfunding campaign. Since then we have screened to over 5000 direct audience members in townships across South Africa and rural areas on our mobile cinemas. We have a SunBox - solar cinema for small scale events that literally fits in a box and can screen to up to 50 pax at a time. Our larger solar cinema can screen to up to 150 people at a time.Currently we host solar powered green events in partnership with brands as well as community focused screenings, partnering with the likes of Red Bull, large scale music & documentary film festivals, initiatives like Live Magazine, 350.org , GreenPeace and The Childrens Radio Foundation. Sunshine Cinema’s project team of community facilitators and media professionals understand local innovators by working with them in workshop environments pre-media production through focus groups, giving our team a unique insight and understanding of the market,

Portland, OR – Youth Making a Change Screen-Printing Series

2016-09-26T00:00:00Z

Youth members of Youth Environmental Justice Alliance (YEJA) and the larger East Portland community will learn how to design and screen print t-shirts that reflect our social justice values. YEJA will hold 3-4 different workshop sessions on t-shirt design and screen print demonstration, with the final session of youth leaving with free shirts. The project will increase awareness and diversity because it brings together low-income youth and youth of color to build relationships over a creative project. It also strengthens our capacity by bringing new students into the YEJA meeting space to learn about our advocacy work, and specifically teaching youth how to channel creative energy through hands-on screen printing. We hope to be able to engage 50 youth (13-18) through this project.

Stockholm (Non-active) – "Det var en gång i Gnesta"

2016-09-26T00:00:00Z

You will find Gnesta, with approximately 5,000 inhabitants, at the end station of the commuter train line, south of Stockholm. Non-profit Samklang wants to inspire the people of Gnesta to share their stories, dreams, poetry, fantasies and memories about their place through workshops and a storytelling app. “Det var en gång i Gnesta” aims to unite people from many different backgrounds and ages through language and text and to get more of Gnesta out walking/biking in public spaces, to reflect and dream together about their common places. Nice ey? Samklang plans to invite inhabitants via social media and from schools, retirement homes, homes for asylum seekers, SFI, pubic message boards, sport organizations, etc. in Gnesta to send in written memories, short stories, dreams or poetry connected to a certain spot (building, address, square, park etc.) in Gnesta. The money from Awesome will be used towards hosting three bilingual writing workshops with at least 2 bilingual teachers (Arabic-Swedish, Persian-Swedish) to gather material for the app. When the texts are collected, as many of them as possible will be translated and recorded in the language it's written in (by the author where possible) and in translated versions. The final stage will be to create a Gnesta-map app that will then contain links by the spot on the map where the collected texts relate to. Every spot with a text connected to it will be marked with a small star. When you're walking in Gnesta and come to a star, you can click on it. Then the recorded text will be read out load. It's will be like a city guide of poetry, dreams and memories. Samklang is a recently started non-profit organization that aims to be a platform for the people in Gnesta to meet each other and develop through cultural and social activities. They work with co-creative, transparent strategies and have a small studio at the main square in Gnesta.

Newmarket – We Are: A Safe Place - LGBTQ Youth

2016-09-25T00:00:00Z

Alaska (Non-active) – Portable Front Porch Project

2016-09-25T00:00:00Z

I read this article in the ADN in mid-July and it got the ideas rolling. http://www.adn.com/opinions/2016/07/19/why-we-need-front-porches/ We like the idea of front porches building a sense of community. Invite someone for a sit in the front yard. Gather, discuss, get to know one another. ACH has had great success with more on the street community by planting gardens in its front yard. People stop to talk and get to know one another all less than a block from Lake Otis. Community is happening right in the middle of town! The idea is to build portable "porches" that can be delivered once the snow is gone and pick them up again before the snow flies. We also plan to add a planter to the porch, some living aspect when not occupied by people, maybe something living on the porch is the inviting aspect to get people to sit and stay a bit. There will be no cost to request a front porch. If we find lots of success with the project, we will ask for donations from those who want porches and can afford to donate in successive years to secure the building of more porches. We've asked Yarducopia,among others, to be involved in the plant aspect of the porches as it is a proven community builder through gardening. ACH can do the manual labor - building or facilitate the building tapping into its tool library and possibly the DIY community to build them by offering how to classes and facilitating the delivery and pick up and general maintenance. The design we have in mind is a folding picnic table that converts into a bench. It can be set on almost any surface. We will burn into the tops of the tables the partners and donors to the project as a form of recognition. General design is here: http://www.woodworkerz.com/one-piece-folding-bench-picnic-table/ We would like to pilot with about 10-15 portable front porches around town.

Asheville, NC (Non-active) – Chefs @ DowntownWelcome Table Creative Partnership

2016-09-23T00:00:00Z

Chefs @ Downtown Welcome Table is a creative partnership between local chefs and restaurateurs and the Downtown Welcome Table, based on the belief that one of the best ways to love people is through food. Each Wednesday at the Downtown Welcome Table a hot lunch is served family style to an average of 450 people -- three quarters of whom are homeless or living in poverty. It's more than a meal, it's hospitality. It's not just serving food but sitting down at table, asking someone's name, looking them in the eye and making a new friend. Details such as cloth tablecloths and napkins, flowers on the table and the use of real china are meant to counter the notion often held by those living on the streets that handouts, hand-me-downs and leftovers are all I deserve. Lunch is served on abundant plates by an attentive wait staff and folks are invited to linger over the meal as in a nice restaurant or dinner at home. Encouragement and a natural support system are provided because "someone knows my name and cares when I don't show up." What is perhaps most remarkable about the Downtown Welcome Table is its diversity. The meal is not just for folks who don't know where their next meal is coming from. Professionals in three-piece suits sit alongside men and women carrying all their worldly possessions in ragged backpacks, construction workers in hard hats, and third-shift workers weary from a long night of work. People who might not otherwise come to know each other develop a friendship over a shared meal. Once a month one of the amazing independent restaurants that has helped Asheville earn a national reputation on the culinary scene plans, prepares and serves lunch at the Downtown Welcome Table. The goal of this project is to enable this creative partnership to flourish and grow through the infusion of professional skill and talent in the design and public relations field. Participating restaurants include Curate, Bouchon, Rhubarb, Chestnut & 25 other greats!