Օսմ հիմնադրամ - Նախագծեր

Newcastle – Flexible Food Bus Hire

2017-03-31T00:00:00Z

Flexible Food is about supporting socially isolated over 65's, with a meal component. Lack of socialisation is the root cause of many ongoing issues with older people. It can cause: Depression Lack of appetite Poor nutrition leading to malnutrition Falls due to malnutrition 60% of hospitalisations of over 65's can be directly related to malnutrition and its ongoing affects on a person's health. During our Meal Program Assessments, we identify those at risk of social isolation and encourage them to join our small group outings. Trained staff and volunteers work with these clients individually and as a group to ensure they feel valued and supported. Clients are encouraged to take ownership of the outings, helping devise the monthly calendar. Some attend Cooking for One or Two classes, to encourage them to enjoy producing meals again, and our Lunch with a Sailor initiative is very popular, particularly with our veterans. However, most just enjoy a visit to their local club to have a beer (or a glass of wine) and a meal with good company, something they are unable to do with out our support. Our program has had some 'awesome' results: -clients have developed a social network, something many of us take for granted - who wants to eat a meal on their own all the time? -appetites have improved as clients are enjoying eating again -health has improved as better meal choices are encouraged -reduction in depressive episodes and use of medication -light exercise, such as seniors ten pin bowling, is improving mobility, considerably reducing risk of falls -most importantly, our clients have learned to laugh and enjoy life again! As an added bonus, our volunteers who support this group are giving back to their community and are generating their own self worth and esteem. This grant will help us to help more over 65's!!

Rio de Janeiro (Ոչ ակտիվ) – doebem

2017-03-30T00:00:00Z

De acordo com pesquisa do Instituto para Desenvolvimento do Investimento Social (IDIS - 2015), os três principais motivos que impedem as pessoas de doarem são a falta de recursos, a desconfiança nas organizações sem fins lucrativos e más experiências com doação. Existe uma preocupação em encontrar organizações de confiança que usem seus recursos de forma eficiente na promoção de impacto positivo. Por isso, a doebem foi criada como uma nova experiência de doação, baseada na confiança e na eficiência. Através de uma plataforma online, a doebem conecta pessoas dispostas a realizarem doações financeiras com organizações sociais eficientes, aquelas que proporcionam o maior impacto pelo valor doado. As organizações são selecionadas com base em critérios rigorosos de gestão (ex. equipe, foco e organização), transparência (ex. relatórios financeiros e prestação de contas) e impacto social (ex. relatórios de atividades, estudos científicos sobre a intervenção e impacto pelo valor investido). Dessa forma, a doebem promove a cultura de doação, capta recursos para organizações eficientes e, assim, maximiza impacto positivo. Para fazer uma doação, o potencial doador acessa a plataforma da doebem (www.doebem.org.br), seleciona a causa com a qual mais se identifica, e, então, visualiza as organizações recomendadas e suas respectivas análises. Em seguida, seleciona o período e o valor de sua doação. O doador também terá acesso a um dashboard para que possa acompanhar o impacto da sua doação. A doebem tem como missão reinventar o processo de doação, tornando-o mais seguro, simples e confiável. No longo prazo, além da expansão para outros países da América Latina, a doebem estuda o seu funcionamento na estrutura do blockchain, proporcionando ao processo uma transparência e confiança nunca antes experimentadas entre quem ajuda e quem está sendo ajudado.

Melbourne (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Pay A sack Forward

2017-03-29T00:00:00Z

Pay A Sack Forward (PASF) offers frontline support to those experiencing homelessness, sleeping rough, or individuals at risk of homelessness. As we grow we'll endeavour to look into the needs of our dinosaur community. PASF offers survival sacks containing essential food, hygiene and warmth supplies, which are distributed through supporting service channels and by our own volunteer staff. Our Melbourne headquarters “St Kilda Courtyard” doubles as a social enterprise cafe. The space is open to the community, offering an educational and hands on experience to the public. The community is encouraged to become engaged with issues surrounding homelessness. One way this is encouraged is through our on-site packing station, stocked with all the items that fill the survival sacks. Community members are offered an interactive and tangible experience that contributes to helping people in need. The sacks help meet a basic human need to those that are at a disadvantage and the space itself promotes a inclusive, shared and positive community that does not shy away from the issues in their community. A fully stocked packing station will allows us to hold a Winter Warmer Packing and Education day. This will be an organised event outside our walk in packing opportunities. The education day will allow the community to come together, pack some sacks, discuss the issues surrounding homelessness, how they can make a difference and how we, as a whole can make a difference. Pay A Sack is entirely community supported. This means we don’t always have the resources to keep our packing station stocked and ready to go for the community and packing days. We would love to keep this wall stocked throughout our quieter winter months and have supplies for a packing event. As this is when we know donations slow down and we struggle to keep the space open.

Antigonish, NS (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Awesome Pink Envelopes

2017-03-29T00:00:00Z

Dozens of stories of charitable actions flowed back to us on our recent Awesome Pink Envelope Campaign. We saw everything from the good old fashion coffee buy, to free stamps at the post office, getting people free lunches, flowers for an awesome mom and donations to charities and families in need. We also saw a lot of smiles.. a lot of folks who clearly appreciated the notion of folks doing something nice for one another for no other reason then to do it. This was especially true for the young kids both giving and receiving. We made a lot of news with this event, the CBC, Huffington Post Post, CTV National and Atlantic News, Sirius XM Radio and so on. We have put together an archive to collect all this goodness and you can find that in the links section below, interviews can also be found in the comments section. If you or someone you know have a story related to the event please send it to us, we want to share them. Now for some shout outs... big thanks to all the trustee's, those that gave out the envelopes and those who couldn't make it but donated their hard earned money.. you guys are the bee's knees. Shout out to Bounty Print here in Antigonish, Dave, Greg, the whole crew, they covered the free inserts and have done a bunch of free promotional materials for us in the past. Big thanks to our community, all the people of Antigonish town and county... the fabric of our community is sewn with the threads of kind, selfless actions, Mr. Coady would be proud. Photo, Press & Story Archive: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15L3s2bPYmjlaKmpZAKSZBwaqrBNJF-xClT0f1GuwmK8/edit?usp=sharing

Twin Cities, MN (Ոչ ակտիվ) – The Wildflower Project

2017-03-29T00:00:00Z

We are The Wildflower Project (TWP). We install wildflower gardens in urban environments and underutilized or vacant spaces. Our mission is to revitalize and restore the health & wellness of pollinator habitats; to bring vibrant, natural beauty to our urban, industrialized communities; to foster education and community development through volunteerism and partnerships; and to take spaces with no hope, and give them a purpose. We’re a grassroots organization founded in St. Paul, Minn. in the summer of 2015. We are three guys who care about the environment and our community. We see an opportunity to be a good neighbor – to all those who inhabit our ecosystem. These gardens are vital to the rehabilitation of pollinator habitats. Our project aims to reconcile with nature in a way. Human development has destroyed countless ecosystems, and we're only now learning the harsh impact that it has on our agriculture and food supply. By targeting areas that have fallen between the cracks, or partnering with like-minded organizations, we can begin to bring pockets of nature (and the pollinators) back to our urban communities. In our short time working on this project, we have partnered with 2 community gardens, a local rec center/city park, and our local community council. We believe these partnerships are the most effective way to draw in volunteers and show them first hand how be good stewards of the Earth. Our 2016 goal is to plant 2,000 sq. ft. of wildflower garden. We have 3 more garden installations planned for this fall which will exceed our year-one goal. In 2017, our goal is to plant 5,000 sq. feet around Minneapolis and St. Paul, build 5 additional partnerships, and host 2 volunteer events. The idea is simple. The impact could be substantial. And it only starts with a seed. Simply put, we are planting with a purpose. #TWP

Buffalo, NY (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Rainbows on Allen

2017-03-28T00:00:00Z

'Rainbows on Allen' is an ongoing collaborative project created by the Allentown Association and the Pride Center of WNY meant to create an enduring visual display of acceptance and inclusiveness in Allentown. For many years Allentown has been considered the center of the LGBTQ community and to strengthen our community as a whole we envision Allen Street with rainbow crosswalks. This may seem bold but we believe this global symbol of acceptance is most important in recent uncertain times. Not to mention the numerous custom crosswalk precedents made around the world. While the image is not hard to picture, the impact of this symbolic imagery will be a strong reminder to our community and WNY. We understand that a project of this scale at every crosswalk may be daunting, and have logistical challenges, but we are confident that with our combined organizational experience and positive support of Councilman Franczyk that the project has wings. It is also our intent that this is not only a collaborative project between our two organizations, but with the community at large. We will organize the event to have team leaders who will work with people from the community to make this project a realization at a single event. What better way than to do this together. The first rainbows were painted on sidewalks during Buffalo Pride Week 2017, as well as, on the Allentown Association's First Friday Gallery Walk providing maximum enthusiasm and impact. The Allentown Association and The Pride Center of WNY stand for opportunity and inclusiveness and we believe Rainbows on Allen contributes toward that vision.

Check out photos from Awesome Buffalo Pitch Night.

Read more about Rainbows on Allen in these articles:

Minas Gerais (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Ocupa Mídia

2017-03-28T00:00:00Z

"Ocupa a mídia" é um projeto que deseja e atua para capacitar jovens comunicadores nas ocupações urbanas da grande BH. Como pregado pelo movimento por moradia: “Enquanto morar for um privilégio, ocupar é um direito.” Direito de ter o mínimo para se viver com dignidade. Direito de se orgulhar do seu espaço e do ser o que somos. Sofremos ameaças contínuas de despejo e somos maltratados por grande parte da mídia que nos chama de “invasores”, eles não reconhecem a legitimidade da nossa luta. Com condições de vida precárias e, muitas das vezes, ausência dos serviços públicos básicos, precisamos de atenção especial para estudar, crescer e dar continuidade a nossas conquistas. Quem sabe assim, auxiliando para um crescimento plural e uma sociedade mais justa e igualitária. Por estes motivos considero o projeto "Ocupa a mídia" tão importante. Quero que nossos jovens possam falar por eles mesmos. Queremos a nossa própria mídia, um grupo de comunicação para ampliar nossa voz. Nossa Ocupação se chama Izidora (norte de BH-divisa com Santa Luzia) com 20.000 moradores que recebem ameaças constantemente. Capacitando esses jovens para utilização de câmeras, celulares, redação de texto e comunicação nas redes sociais, esperamos que a voz da ocupação seja ouvida. A sociedade precisa saber da nossa luta e dos nossos valores de solidariedade e igualdade. Assim constituímos um grupo ativo de jovens que se tornarão os porta-vozes da ocupação, desejamos também, despertar o desejo por mais conhecimento e que, os que desejarem, tenham as ferramentas para se especializarem e traçarem os seus caminhos pelas lentes e aos olhos atentos da sociedade. O projeto começou no final de 2016 por iniciativa de duas jornalistas da ONG internet Sem Fronteiras, elas elaboraram o projeto junto com o MLB (Movimento de lutas, nos bairros, vilas e favelas) e as Brigadas Populares e conseguiram um incentivo da igreja católica para compra do equipamento audiovisual e cobertura de despesas básicas. ***Confira o vídeo do projeto: https://youtu.be/cSdPf8pkxbg***

Awesome Without Borders (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Still I Rise

2017-03-27T00:00:00Z

Still I Rise - a documentary feature Still I Rise is an intimate character driven story about the complexities of human resilience. Araceli and Leah survived child sex trafficking and refuse to be defined by their trauma. Araceli was forced into sex trafficking at the age of sixteen while living in a foster home. Weeks before her 21st birthday, her luck dramatically changes when she meets a social entrepreneur in Oakland who takes her under her wing and mentors her. Leah was fourteen when she was ensnared in a teenage sex trafficking ring in the San Francisco Bay Area. Today she bravely shines a national spotlight on sexually exploited children in America. Her remarkable story is featured on Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric and BET TV News. Leah’s and Araceli’s warmth, humor and humanity drive us to take a closer look at child sex trafficking in America, why it disproportionately impacts girls and women of color, and how survivors are at the forefront of the anti-trafficking movement. Our incredible film team includes: four-time Academy Award winner Mark Berger, Emmy Award winning producer Layda Negrete, editors James Grisom & Maureen Gosling, and UC Berkeley Professor Dr. Nikki Jones. Our goal is to complete the film by summer 2017 and share it with a global audience. Please take a look at our latest film sample and perhaps we can discuss ways to collaborate! https://vimeo.com/194467448 password: confidential

Asheville, NC (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Reach for the Sun

2017-03-26T00:00:00Z

In 2016 I visited a school in Port au Prince, and I saw how much Haiti is in need of alternative energy. So I came up with an idea to connect my school in Murphy, NC with the students in Haiti while we design and install solar USB device charging stations at each school. I will lead a group of students at my project-based high school to design and install a solar charging station. It will be located at an outside pavilion and used to charge devices during lunch. We live in a small rural town with a lot of economic disadvantage (about 40% of students) but not a lot of diversity (about 10% minority). Designing a solar station will help students acquire skills in an alternative energy field, and Phase 2 of the project (the Haiti installation) will encourage solidarity with students from another culture and increase our ability to think globally. Community experts (a solar company owner; a licensed electrician) and a physics teacher will mentor to ensure the project’s success. In the fall of 2017, I’ll travel to Haiti to help students there install a station based on the NC prototype with components from a Haitian solar company. Having a solar charging station at the school will be invaluable, as electricity is unreliable. Learning about solar and helping to install/maintain their own station will empower students to consider other things they might do to improve their school and/or lives. Throughout the project, community-building between the schools will take place. The NC students have already sent down a scrapbook of letters, and this exchange will continue through email, photos, letters, and videos. This project will help us understand that we are more alike than we think, that young people have the power to make change in the world, and that we can reach across borders to make the world a better place. This goal is more important than ever in these divisive times. I have support letters from the schools involved and a solar company upon request.

Alaska (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Lakeside Learning Lab

2017-03-26T00:00:00Z

Sand Lake Park (SLP) is nestled between Sand Lake and Sand Lake Elementary (SLE) school on the west end of Anchorage, Ak. With 5.1 acres of green space, two docks, and a paved trail adjacent to the school the access to the outdoors should be easy but not enough classes take advantage of this opportunity. Many of our families are also unaware. 6th graders in my classes are partnering to improve our park through the Sand Lake Makeover Project, which actually began last year with my '15-'16 students. They are in the midst of designing a Lakeside Learning Lab to serve as an extension to our classrooms and to improve the park for the community. My students’ work began last year when we officially adopted SLP. While small, SLP is important to the community. The roughly 2 miles of shoreline are almost entirely bordered by private property limiting public access to the lake. For this reason, the park provides an excellent access point to the lake and is crucial to providing recreational and educational opportunities in the area, especially for the SLE. Residents use the lake for boating, fishing, and general outdoor enjoyment. In addition, it is home to a variety of plant and animal life that utilize the habitat in this suburban oasis. The Lakeside Learning Lab we are designing sits on the southern end of SLP on a hill just above the paved trail. The hill has an approximate 30 ft. by 30 ft. open space surrounded by birch, cottonwood, and spruce trees. The students selected this location because it has an outstanding westward view of the lake, it is relatively flat and is already cleared of many trees. Students will design, landscape, and oversee construction of the Lakeside Learning Lab. Students will choose the best route to enter and exit the space. Two Anchorage Park Foundation Schools on Trails design professionals are leading students in designing the space.

Newmarket – The Sacred Canoe

2017-03-26T00:00:00Z

The Sacred Canoe is a theatrical production being created in partnership with drummers and elders from Webequie First Nations, Georgina Island and Students and teachers from Sacred Heart CHS. It is a play that is sending a message of unity and partnership between two different cultures that also answers a call to action from The Truth and Reconciliation Report. The message of the play is we can travel together in a canoe of partnership and friendship into a promising future by learning about and from the past. The partnership will reflect the great partnerships created by early explorers and First Nations people in charting much of the Canadian water system by canoe and establishing the fur trade throughout Canada. As we head towards our Canada 150 Celebrations, this project will recognize and commemorate one of the oldest relationships in our history.

Seattle, WA – WHAT'S POPPIN' LADIEZ?!

2017-03-24T00:00:00Z

WHAT'S POPPIN' LADIEZ?! is an event series and movement that celebrates female poppers while providing them with a platform to exchange and tell their stories, Popping is an Urban American street dance style that started around the 1970s in the Bay Area. Popping is also a male-dominated dance culture. WPL?! serves to bring visibility to female poppers (since there is a large gender disparity) while addressing challenges the face while navigating a male-dominated dance culture and how they overcome them. Popping and non-popping communities will witness showcases, panel discussions, masterclasses, and a main event that includes an open sign up all-styles dance battle and a 2v2 popping battle with internationally invited female poppers. WPL?! is organized and led by women of color and centers female DJs, emcees, dancers and hosts. During my past three years of experience as a spectator of the hip hop dance scene and as the only female popper in Seattle, I have noticed a large gender disparity in the popping community both locally and internationally. Female poppers exude a great amount of grit to be asserting themselves in a community that easily discredits them. Gender violence, stereotypes and notions of femininity, and internalized/learned female rivalry make it difficult for female poppers to exist in hip hop and popping dance cultures. WPL?! 2016 inspired women to either begin or continue pursuing their popping, dance, and life journeys. A young woman from Portland, Oregon even stated that she decided to finally take a popping class because a fierce female popper was teaching it, and she, “wouldn’t have tried popping any other way.” It is here that women are able to see reflections of themselves in women that are unapologetically powerful. WPL?! was able to create a space for these dancers and their communities to thrive.

Oahu, HI – WASUP Days! Wheelchair Adapted Stand Up Paddle Day

2017-03-24T00:00:00Z

Adaptive Freedom Foundation is a nonprofit based in HI. We build Versatility Boards, standup paddle boards adapted to secure a wheelchair, and holds paddle days. Paddle days are free and open to the public. A typical paddle day has 5 people. We have had as few as 2 and as many as 38. We provide hope and fun by giving people with disabilities or limitations, who previously couldn't get out on a SUP the opportunity to do so. Right now we are operating on Oahu and plan on growing onto the outer islands and California. We have paddle with Shriners Children's Hospital and Make a Wish HI. We will be paddling quarterly with Shriners HI. We believe if we can get a wheelchair out on the water, there's nothing we can't do! We believe this opens the minds of the paddlers to other possibilities! The ocean has such healing powers and there is such a peace about paddling across the water. We can't help but want to share it! We put smiles on faves and hope in hearts! We think that's kinda awesome!

Milano (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Metti alla prova la memoria!

2017-03-24T00:00:00Z

Le diverse forme di patologie neurodegenerative sono considerate tra le malattie a più alto impatto sociale nel mondo poiché coinvolgono milioni di malati con i rispettivi familiari. Secondo recenti dati, gli anziani in Italia sono in costante aumento, ed è risaputo che l’età avanzata è il più importante fattore di rischio per lo sviluppo di una forma di demenza. Altro dato scientifico di rilievo riguarda l’importanza dell’attuazione di uno stile di vita attivo sia a livello cognitivo sia fisico al fine di prevenire il decadimento cognitivo in ogni sua forma. Spesso, però, si tende a sottovalutare l’impatto di alcuni campanelli d’allarme per lo sviluppo di una patologia neurodegenerativa, quali dimenticare una strada familiare, perdere frequentemente gli oggetti, non ricordare la data corrente o il nome delle cose. Come esortare dunque le persone a prendersi cura della propria mente? NEPSI – Centro di Neuropsicologia e Sostegno Psicologico offre gratuitamente a Milano, all'interno di campagne di sensibilizzazione nazionale, valutazioni neuropsicologiche con lo scopo di indagare il funzionamento cognitivo in atto della persona ed intercettare eventuali condizioni cliniche agli esordi. A seguito della valutazione a quanti presentino un quadro di deterioramento cognitivo viene indicato un intervento clinico specifico. A tal fine NEPSI propone abitualmente interventi di stimolazione cognitiva con l'obiettivo di rinforzare le capacità cognitive residue cercando di favorire il più possibile il mantenimento dell'autonomia dell'individuo. Per fare questo oltre all'expertise dei professionisti, NEPSI vuole utilizzare validi supporti tecnologici tra i quali alcuni risultano essere pensati specificatamente per la riabilitazione cognitiva.

Seattle, WA – New Holly & Rainier Vista College and Career Club

2017-03-24T00:00:00Z

With the goal of connecting disengaged youth, this project is meant to provide several in-depth college and career workshops to youth from high school to age 24. Rainier Vista and New Holly neighborhoods are mostly low-income housing, and home to many immigrant and refugee families. In a partnership between Seattle Housing Authority Washington Service Corps member Mary Ruffin and Horn of Africa Services Americorps VISTA member Jenn Charoni, we will work together to provide in-depth college preparation workshops and college tours to youth during students' early dismissal days. Youth have expressed an interest in support with college and career guidance and applications- but we've lacked funds to institute resource-rich programming. With our combined outreach efforts, we're able to connect more youth with college and career resources than we are alone. Mary's work specifically targets disengaged youth between the ages of 16 and 24, and she's been making connections in both neighborhoods. Jenn works with East African immigrant and refugee youth in Rainier Vista and has relationships with these youth from the Horn of Africa Services after school tutoring program. We are specifically planning to provide 1-2 campus visits to the University of Washington and/or Seattle University where youth will go on a private tour. We will also have a college and career night where professionals and college students will come to our communities and talk about their experiences in a particular school or field. We will provide a workshop on funding, FAFSA and scholarship applications, and/or a general application workshop day. We will continue to consult youth on their needs and interests and provide them with interactive workshops concerning topics they select. We'd love to be able to bring these services to our target low income immigrant and refugee youth, and have the connections to do so. We just need a small budget to help make the workshops happen.

Sydney – Pocket Sized Precincts

2017-03-23T00:00:00Z

Pocket-Sized Precincts is a free itty-bitty city art quest in Sydney. 2017 will be our second iteration and this year we want to grow to include other artists and new suburbs! Here is a little snapshot of our project: Explore amazing parks, uncover local businesses and tap into your own imagination. Hidden within five City of Sydney parks are pocket-sized artworks. To find the secret locations of the parks visit the businesses on the quest map and collect the clues. Once you or a member of your team have visited all the locations on the map, it’s time to put your own creative skills into action to enter the competition. There’s no limit when it comes to your own artwork, so whether it’s a sketch, a photo, a poem, a song, you - inspired by your city - can decide! Winners will have their artworks displayed in the front window of 107 Projects - a gallery in Redfern - and can also choose one of the artworks from the quest.

Tilburg (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Krijgkunst

2017-03-23T00:00:00Z

Krijgkunst is een kunst weggeef project. Het doel is om de stad vol te zetten met ingelijste kunstwerkjes en een deel van de werken persoonlijk uit te delen Samen met een groep van ongeveer 10 kunstenaars willen we ongeveer 250-350 werken maken. Deze werken maken we in oplage doormiddel van zeefdruk. Hiervoor werken we samen met John Dohmen, die zijn atelier en expertise beschikbaar stelt. Niet alle meewerkende kunstenaars zijn bekend met het zeefdrukken en dus zal dit voor hen ook leerzaam zijn. Fotograaf Marieke Plasier gaat het project vastleggen. Iedere kunstenaar houdt een paar van zijn/haar zeefdrukken, welke we vervolgens gaan tentoonstellien bij café Berlijn. De inspiratie voor het project komt onder andere van de Londonse kunstenaar Adam Neate, die nog altijd zijn werken op straat neer zet.

Amsterdam (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Happy Little Moment

2017-03-23T00:00:00Z

My goal is to make someone, somewhere happier by creating happy little moments in envelopes and leaving them in public spaces. They are all handmade with lots of love and beautiful paper. It really makes my day when I hear that someone found the right message at the right time.

The Hague (Ոչ ակտիվ) – The Kitchen- The Hague-

2017-03-23T00:00:00Z

We are The Kitchen, a group of passionate young people trying to stop food waste through the instigation of building up a sustainable community while cooking. Since September 2016 we have saved food from Supermarkets and The Haagse Market that could have otherwise been wasted. With the food we have created a big community of people coming from different backgrounds that are interested in sustainability, anti-waste and sharing. Each Thursday we organize a free three-course-meal dinner. We believe in a more conscious and considerate world where people can coexist in harmony with each others, themselves and the natural beings surrounding us. Our inspiration is to raise awareness of failures of our global food system that has lead to poverty where enough food is being produced but there is an unfair distribution of food. The Kitchen is more than a business, it’s a movement. We invest our time on it Because we care, care about our planet and humanity

Miami, FL – PedalPower

2017-03-22T00:00:00Z

Students (and adults) are ever more connected to their mobile devices and electronics. As a result, students are becoming less physically active. Our awesome project aims to increase physical activity while keeping students connected. PedalPower is a stationary bike equipped with a mobile device charger. The more calories you burn, the more you charge your phone. On average, a student can burn 75-110 calories per ten minutes and create between 20-40 watts of energy (.02-.04kWh). The average smartphone requires 8.4kWh to charge. However, on some devices 5 minutes pedaling can yield about 5% of battery life. At Miami-Dade County’s iPrep (a magnet high school that uses a blended-learning curriculum) there are about 300 middle and high school students who are each using technology in the classroom. On average, those 300 students have about 60 minutes of free time throughout the day from the time they enter the school and leave each day. Knowing students will remain connected to their devices, we can create the opportunity to burn calories while simultaneously charging their devices.

New York City, NY – Free Water Ecology and Engineering Field Trips

2017-03-22T00:00:00Z

Free Water Ecology and Engineering Field Trips, a program of NYC H2O, educates and inspires New York’s youth about the incredible NYC water system. Launched in 2014, field trips are offered to public schools in response to low youth engagement in environmental science and physical activity. Last year NYC H2O offered 141 field trips to over 3,900 students in grades 2 through 12. Field trips bring students to sites in all five boroughs, including: Lemon Creek, Plumb Beach, Ridgewood Reservoir, Silver Lake, Baisley Pond High Bridge, Central Park Reservoir, and Jerome Park Reservoir. On field trips to historic reservoirs, we show how trees protect reservoirs in city parks and watersheds. We also teach students how water from the Catskills flows to New York City by gravity. At beach sites and wetland habitats, students explore and identify marine creatures such as oysters and horseshoe crabs. Students learn about tides, water absorption and storm surges and how shoreline areas help protect neighborhoods from major flooding. Most of our students come from underserved schools that lack opportunities to explore natural areas. Our Water Ecology and Engineering Field Trips provide STEM education and place-based learning entirely free of charge. NYC H2O believes that teaching children at inspiring water infrastructure sites helps advance curiosity about the world around them. With the Awesome award, NYC H2O will hire and train two new guides and will be able to expand to 180 field trips to 120 schools, reaching 5,000 students across NYC. They will also add a new site, the Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge, in partnership with the National Parks Service. We love this project because of its focus on science, water ecology, and environmental awareness, and our ability to make a difference in students’ lives by providing more free field trips. Plus they use a giant map during field trips so students can track where their neighborhood water comes from!

Gloucester, MA – Real Deal Gourmet Stuffed Clams

2017-03-21T00:00:00Z

Kingston – Concussion Education Safety and Awareness Program

2017-03-21T00:00:00Z

The Concussion Education Safety and Awareness Program (CESAP) is a volunteer based initiative that works to empower civilians and athletes on concussion injuries through evidence-based education and on field clinics. Our program acts as a bridge between athletics and science, as a way to fuel the current movement aimed at improving players’ safety in sports. As we strengthen the relationship between student-athletes and the youth, we strive to keep the next generation healthy and active in team-based sports. Sponsored by the Queen’s School of Medicine and the Centre for Neurosciences, CESAP was developed with the help of physicians in the Kingston community. Recently, our program has received support from Parachute Canada (ThinkFirst), the Ontario Brain Institute, and the Limestone District School Board. This has allowed us to integrate educative clinics within high schools throughout the city of Kingston. Over the past 13 months, our group has presented to over 3,000 individuals ranging from Vancouver to Québec city, with involvement at four universities across the country. Additionally, the Canadian Association for Neuroscience recognized CESAP, last year, with the Advocacy & Outreach Award for its work in advocating mental health in the community. CESAP focuses on two main components of head injuries: education and prevention. Our classroom sessions are designed to educate about the signs and symptoms, management, and prevention of concussions. By ensuring that appropriate resources are distributed to students, athletes, coaches and parents, we seek to increase awareness and empower the community about sport-related concussions. In attempt to improve injury prevention, CESAP also offers on-field clinics lead by varsity athletes to teach the youth proper technique in high-risk activities, specific to any sport. These interventions are designed to reduce head impacts and exposure to concussive blows, without taking away the integrity of the game (and the fun!).

Louisville, KY (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Available Light

2017-03-21T00:00:00Z

In the mid-to-late 20th century, there were a number of remarkably talented African American photographers working in Louisville, doing a wide range of work: photojournalism for African American newspapers like the Louisville Defender (and for the Courier-Journal after it integrated its photojournalism staff in 1968), fine art photography, portrait photography, street photography, nightclub photography, and a wide range of other work. Their work is significant both for what they documented—the fabric of daily life in the African American community in the West End—and for the technical excellence with which they documented it. Yet much of at work is currently sitting in basements and garages, in danger of being lost forever. “Available Light” is an intensive effort to preserve the photographic histories of African American life in Louisville, in close collaboration with numerous African American photographers who worked in Louisville in the era of black and white film photography. Their work is significant both for what they documented—the fabric of daily life in the African American community in west Louisville—and for the technical excellence with which they documented it. Yet much of at work is currently sitting in basements and garages, in danger of being lost forever. We will work closely with these photographers to preserve and contextualize a remarkable body of work that documents places, experiences, people, and events to which many thousands of Louisvillians have a connection. We will achieve the following outcomes: (1) locate, scan, and preserve thousands of photo negatives and prints that have not yet been archived for posterity; (2) publish a highly professional book of community history through the lens of participants’ life experiences and photography; (3) draw at least 400 people to the book launch event; (4) organize a significant photography exhibit; and (5) produce a companion radio story with WFPL.

Tallahassee, FL (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Code Caravan

2017-03-21T00:00:00Z

According to the US Department of Labor, in 2020, there will be an estimated 1.4 million computer specialist job openings. Unfortunately, U.S. universities are expected produce only enough qualified graduates to fill 29% of these jobs. An enthusiasm for programming and computer science must be cultivated at an early age in order to combat this trend. Enter Code Caravan! Code Caravan is an educational outreach program staffed by IB STEM students that aims to instill an enthusiasm for programming in Tallahassee's 16,693 elementary school students. Developed under the mentorship of Samantha Vance, founder of the 501(c) non-profit organization Ladies Learning to Lead, Code Caravan seeks to bring hour-long, mobile coding workshops to local elementary schools utilizing the Ozobot Bit. The Ozobot Bit is the world’s smallest smart robot. This programmable bot builds both creativity and coding skills in ages 6 and up, and provides opportunities for young programmers to advance from basic color coding to intermediate block-based programming with Bit. Basically a dome on two wheels, the Ozobots use optical sensors to follow colored paths either on paper or on an iPad. At its simplest, the Ozobot follows a black path wherever it goes. By adding a variety of color codes to the path, students can make the Ozobot perform a variety of different actions, from making a left or right turn to performing a tornado spin. By combining various codes and paths, these little bots can be programmed to perform complex actions. Code Caravan utilizes the Ozobot to introduce students to sequential thinking, logical reasoning and coding concepts that will enable children from all walks of life to succeed in the digital age. Ozobots come with comprehensive hour long lesson plans and activities correlated to Florida's Sunshine State Standards. Code Caravan believes that through exposure to the Ozobot curriculum, elementary school science classes will be enriched and students will be inspired.

Ann Arbor, MI – COBBLESTONE FARM MARKET

2017-03-20T00:00:00Z

The Cobblestone Farm Market is an earth-friendly non-profit organization that focuses on strengthening community and increasing local food accessibility, security and quality. The Market is a project of the Cobblestone Farm Association. The farmer’s market creates profitable micro-business opportunities for local small-scale organic growers, producers, and artists. We engage in community outreach and partnerships with local food pantries and other organizations to build community, share knowledge and create awareness of local markets. This self-sustaining market provides a safe community space that allows individuals and families from diverse backgrounds to connect over healthy food, fun activities, live music and cooking demonstrations. This Tuesday tradition has become the hub of the neighborhood, providing a lively location to gather and do good.

Boulder, CO (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Achilles Boulder

2017-03-20T00:00:00Z

Achilles Boulder was founded 3 years ago with the goal of helping people of all abilities (e.g. visually impaired, hearing impaired, cerebral palsy, wheelchair, PTSD, wounded vets, etc.) participate in mainstream athletics to promote personal achievement and goals.

Pittsburgh, PA – Spare Change

2017-03-20T00:00:00Z

Spare Change is a web series where I, a former professional musician, take to the streets of Pittsburgh to raise money by busking (street performing). Each episode, the money is used to "pay it forward" in a unique way meant to spread positivity through the region. This idea began organically last week after playing an open mic night on Carson Street. My bandmate, Pete, and I finished performing around 10pm and realized we had more energy to burn. Inspired by the warm weather, we decided to start playing outside. A homeless person walked by and asked for money, we gave him everything we had. Then, a young man walked by and said, "No wonder my girlfriend isn't making any money playing up the street, you guys are here." We then headed up the block to play with a young girl named Kayleigh who just lost her job. We helped her raise additional dollars and learned playing with us was the first time she played music anyone. The entire experience was filmed and shared online. The reaction inspired us to head back out on the street a second time (see the link above). On our second night, we ran into a minister named Ray Kelly who heard us playing in Shadyside. Ray had a beautiful voice and began singing "Stand By Me" with us. We attracted a small crowd and then surprised Ray by donating all of our funds from that night to his Church. The video of that night currently has over 3,600 views in one day. Moving forward, we plan to turn this into a full-fledged web series where each week we take off in the streets hoping to spread positivity through our music and our ability to help those in need. Each episode will feature new locations and new musicians and will end with us finding a unique way to benefit individuals in Pittsburgh who are in need. We see Spare Change as a vehicle to launch "crowd giving" - creating a platform for those who have had success playing music to give back to our community while documenting the journey in a professional docu-series.

Awesome Without Borders (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Seeing is Believing: Women Direct

2017-03-20T00:00:00Z

Who’s afraid of one little number? Not director Cady McClain. And she doesn’t want anyone else to be either. Defying the odds, Cady’s pivoted an Emmy-award winning acting career into a directing career. But when she finally arrived in her own director’s chair, she couldn’t find many others like her. Thus, “Seeing is Believing: Women Direct”, an educational documentary series on female directors was born. This half-hour, stand-alone, documentary series on female directors in TV and film (10 eps) puts women who direct front and center in the conversation on creativity, careers, and equality. Each episode brings three directors into the spotlight as she shares the ups and downs of her own journey to, and in, the directing chair. Profiling heavy-hitting award-winners to up-and-coming directors, this series is as practical as it is get-up-and-go when it comes to a creative career. Original animations woven throughout stitch the stories together as viewers get to know a treasure trove of today’s female directors. “Seeing is Believing: Women Direct” brings the journey of cultural leaders to the forefront of the current conversation, providing female seekers and storytellers guideposts along a formerly uncharted road. The film juxtaposes original interviews with elegant animation, original narrative footage, and archival footage “brought to life” with digital techniques to take back the story of women in film, transforming it from an outworn narrative of “victims of a patriarchal system” to a dynamic tale of “renegade fighters who won’t quit until they have an equal place at the table.” This film series addresses the very real obstacles women directors face when taking a leadership role; shines a light on the innovation, dedication, talent, and persistence of these women; draws parallels between the thought processes and experiences of successful female storytellers of the past and present; and encourage connection and transfer practical information.

San Francisco, CA – First Female President

2017-03-19T00:00:00Z

What if Trump wasn't the President, and I was instead? This is the question posed by the First Female President project, an ongoing, real-time alternate reality in which I (Margaret McCarthy) am the President. The First Female President project is an in-person and online collaborative act in community imagination and alternate reality. Hewing as closely as possible to real-time events, the project offers a progressive alternative to events unfolding under the Trump administration. During my first few weeks, I've issued Executive Orders permanently halting the construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, as well as Executive Orders expanding immigration and embracing refugees. I announced I was open-sourcing the government, and have been accepting self-nominated applicants for cabinet positions since Jan. 20. A team of 20 is currently working on building out the President's platform on everything from transportation to education. Participation continues to be open on an ongoing basis. Additionally, I've issued an open invitation to invite me to speak at schools, participate in ribbon-cuttings at local businesses, etc. I aim to be the people's President. Links: https://www.firstfemalepotus.us https://medium.com/@1stfemalepotus https://www.facebook.com/1stfemalepotus https://www.instagram.com/1stfemalepotus https://twitter.com/1stfemalePOTUS Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6pQ-NmyVNk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUmNfcGqNiU Press: http://www.sfweekly.com/culture/the-new-mccarthy-era-meet-the-first-female-u-s-president/

San Francisco, CA – Nomadic Keyboard Trike

2017-03-19T00:00:00Z

I like to ride my Trike. It has an electric piano and some awesome secrets. I like to tickle the ivories while I pedal through the city. I get applause. I get glares. I get hordes of people asking questions and snapping my picture. Trike is at an early stage but I have big dreams. In a time when sameness is invading our strange city, I want to show in a fun, creative way that SF hasn’t lost its soul or the random weirdness that makes it special. Trike upends the growing division between haves and have-nots by bringing live music to one and all. In the past, I have been shut down by fog, my reach limited by hills and distances. With this grant, I will be able to escape the fog district and ride all over the city with my machine, to markets, Sunday Streets, parklets, cafés and riots. I have lots of ideas for Trike. I’d love to set up at playgrounds in the Tenderloin, bringing music to children living in gritty surroundings. Maybe I’ll learn songs in different languages, using music to bridge cultural divides and reach out to people who are increasingly vilified by society at large. I fantasize about building a dedicated following for Trike and one day, creating a regular income from the project so I can to quit my jobs and play music full-time.

Chicago, IL – YogaCare: Training Yoga Teachers on the South Side

2017-03-16T00:00:00Z

Our project supports two amazing rockstar women of Englewood in becoming yoga teachers and developing their own classes! YogaCare's Scholarship Fund helps train teachers in underserved neighborhoods where we offer free or donation-based yoga programs to make yoga accessible for all. Each year, two students are awarded scholarships to further their yoga education by participating in a teacher training course of their choice. The two current Scholars (Class of 2017), Darlene Blackburn and Yahdina U-Deen, have been strongly active with YogaCare since its inception as a non-profit organization in 2014, and both play key roles within their own communities in Chicago. As someone who has transitioned through stressful times and physical aches and pains, Darlene has grown to understand herself on a deeper level through yoga. she wants to help others transcend their own self-imposed limitations and experience yoga’s physical, mental, and spiritual benefits. She is an internationally-known African and Caribbean dance instructor, choreographer, and founder of her own dance company! In addition, as a (now-retired) physical education teacher for the Chicago Public Schools for 26 years, Darlene believes in giving back to communities through teaching. Yahdina U-Deen is a mother, grandmother, and a professional singer and actor. She is a senior member of the Black Ensemble Theater Company and has performed around the United States and abroad. Love and thankfulness pour throughout her veins for the many opportunities her Creator has allowed. “Learn, grow, teach, and repeat!” is Yahdina’s motto in life, which fits perfectly into her yoga journey. She was referred to yoga as a means of stress management. And with a new-found awareness of self, yoga has taught her the importance of living from the inside out. Both women have the intrinsic desire to teach, and we are thrilled to co-create this opportunity to cultivate yoga knowledge and share it with their future students!

Yerevan – Բացօթյա պարահրապարակ Նոր Բրաջուրի երեխաների համար

2017-03-16T00:00:00Z

Նոր Բրաջուրը Արցախի Հանրապետության ամենաակտիվ համայնքներից մեկն է՝ չնայած այն հանգամանքին, որ կարծես աշխարհից կտրված վայրում լինի: Այստեղի դպրոցահասակ երեխաների ուղիղ կեսը (20-ը) սիրում են պարել հայ ազգային պարեր, սակայն դրա համար նախատեսված համապատասխան վայր չունեն: Նրանք ստիպված են պարապել փոքրիկ դպրոցի առավել փոքրիկ սենյակներից մեկում, որտեղ միաժամանակ դպրոցի գրադարանն է: Մոտակա համայնքների (Նոր Գետաշեն, Նոր Վերինշեն) երեխաները նույնպես ցանկանում են պարել սովորել, սակայն տեղի բացակայության պատճառով նրանք զուրկ են մնում այդ հաճույքից: Գյուղում կա պարուսույց, ով անվճար հիմունքներով երեխաներին է փոխանցում դարերի, հազարամյակների խորքից մեզ ավանդված պարերը։ Անցած տարի Սուրբ Զատիկի տոնին մեծ թվով մարդիկ Դադիվանքի հոգևորական համալիրում վայելեցին Բրաջուրի երեխաների անզուգական ելույթները, սակայն ոչ ոք անգամ պատկերացում չուներ, թե ինչպիսի պայմաններում են նրանք պարել սովորում: Իմ արշավներից մեկի ժամանակ նրանք ինձ հյուրնկալեցին իրենց գյուղում, և ես իմ աչքերով այդ ամենը տեսա: Այս տարի երեխաները որոշել են մայիսյան եռատոնին նվիրված մեծ միջոցառում կազմակերպել, այդ կապակցությամբ ես ու Բրաջուրի համայնքապետը ցանկանում ենք անակնկալ մատուցել երեխաներին և նրանց համար համայնքում 5x7մ չափերով բացօթյա պարահրապարակ կառուցել Տրտու գետի ափին: Այդտեղի եղանակային պայմանները թույլ են տալիս, որ գարնան հենց սկզբից մինչև խոր աշուն բացօթյա դասեր անցկացվեն։ Հայաստանում նման պարահրապարակների դեռ չեմ հանդիպել, սակայն վստահ եմ, որ շատ հետաքրքիր նորություն կլինի: Բնակիչները երեկոյան ժամերին կհավաքվեն և կպարեն ուժերի սպառման աստիճան: Համայնքի բնակիչները պատրաստ են ինքնուրույն կատարել ամբողջ շինարարական աշխատանքները: Նշեմ նաև, որ Նոր Բրաջուրով է անցնում Քարվաճառյան հայտնի «Ջերմաջուր» տանող ճանապարհը, իսկ այնտեղ գնալիս, եթե կայանեք այս համայնքում, երեխաները իրենց ազգային պարերով հաճելի անակնկալ կմատուցեն ձեզ:

Boston, MA (Ոչ ակտիվ) – The Davis Square Symphony

2017-03-16T00:00:00Z

As the son of a research scientist, (my Dad researched fished that lived in isolated springs in the desert comparing them to their fossil ancestors), I spent every summer in the western U.S. deserts on his scientific expeditions until I was 18. This experience had a strong effect on my outlook as a musician and composer where the themes of nature, extremes, self-reliance, and a deep sense of time recur in my work. For one of my latest projects, I conceived the DAVIS SQUARE SYMPHONY as a populist work for orchestra with a film component, based on traffic patterns in Davis Square. I wanted to see how the daily life of Davis Square could become a symphony. I filmed Davis Square from five different locations in the four different seasons. This footage was edited down to 18 minutes and forms the structure for the composition. Each season has a different harmony with spring the most consonant; winter the most dissonant. The score was created by applying grids with the appropriate seasonal harmony to the footage. Vehicles are strings, pedestrians are woodwinds and brass, bicycles are snare drums, etc. Once various decisions were made concerning harmony, instrumentation and dynamics, the piece played itself based on what shows up on-screen. People will see their every-day lives transformed into music. The DAVIS SQUARE SYMPHONY was initially conceived of as a performance for a full live orchestra with film. A high quality MIDI orchestral score will also be created for the film. In this manner it can be shown as a film or an installation at an art museum. After hearing the DAVIS SQUARE SYMPHONY, I hope people will view their daily environment with new eyes and ears. Exposure to this piece will give individuals a different sense of meaning to their routine actions. In a society where everyone is pressed for time, helping people consider how their movements can be musical will be a successful outcome of this composition. It is an active way of looking at the world.

Yerevan – Put the pedal to the metal!

2017-03-16T00:00:00Z

Vedi (Ararat Province), being a rural small town, remains far from the main civil, political and innovative activities occurring in Armenia. Socio-economic grave situation and, as a result, high level of unemployment cause people and youth to lead a sedentary and non-healthy lifestyle (lack of exercise, smoking, depression, etc.). With an aim to break this negative cycle and in order to promote certain positive and healthy habits among citizens of Vedi, our team aims to install an electricity generating exercise bicycles in a public park in the very center of Vedi Town. The energy, which will be generated through pedaling, will feed a battery, which consequently will serve as an energy source for new LED lighting in Vedi Park. Through this innovative approach we wish to tackle several problems: • Promote healthy lifestyle. The more people will use the exercise bicycle, the more electric power will be generated. In that way, locals will have a strong motivation to exercise more and even compete against each other in order to perform better athletic results. • Promote the use of LED lamps. Not every resident of Vedi is aware of energy saving features of LED technology. We get a chance to provide those people with a true illustration of cost-effective energy consumption. • Improve park appearance. Our project will give a new look to Vedi Park and will make it more modern and attractive for residents. • Promote science and education among young people. In other words, we will demonstrate them that knowledge has a great potential to benefit all of us. • (last but not the least) Promote bicycle culture! We will support the use of bicycles, and promote the idea that cycling is cool and healthy. We clearly recognize that our project might be too ambitious, challenging and peculiar for a rural town like Vedi. But, on the other hand, we also believe that big things have small beginnings.

Los Angeles, CA – P-22 Coloring and Activity Book

2017-03-15T00:00:00Z

Who could be more awesome than the most famous resident of Griffith Park? When life feels hard, we think about P-22, the lone mountain lion living in one of North America’s largest urban parks. Originally from the Santa Monica Mountains, this nimble young puma has faced much adversity to travel to and survive in our beloved 4,300-plus-acre Griffith Park: He’s crossed two freeways, been poisoned by rodenticides, and trapped in the crawl space under a hillside home (his fate captured by news helicopters). Oh, yes, and there was that koala incident. Without a mate, he lives fragmented from the rest of the puma community, an apex predator alone in a small habitat. This beautiful, big cat beat the odds and his continued survival makes him an apt mascot for our city. P-22’s story is about being scrappy and making do; it’s also about the importance of preserving native wildlife, parks, and a recognition of the interdependence of our species. No other major city in America has the volume of wildlife that L.A. does. Our park is P-22’s home. We want to pay tribute to P-22 in a medium that kids can interact with and help them learn about their incredible neighbor and the importance of protecting his habitat. The goal is to teach the next generation to respect urban wildlife. Kiddos love to color and we want them to have an awesome, educational book featuring line art by local artists who share an appreciation for this amazing character living in our midst. Part of the proceeds from the coloring book will go directly to the nonprofit organization Friends of Griffith Park, which works to protect P-22’s habitat. That’s the main reason why we are doing this: We want to do something to help P-22 and to educate the public about how amazing—and how endangered—his life is.

Cass Clay – Addie's Pretty Princess Lemonade Stand/bake sale

2017-03-15T00:00:00Z

Four years ago I found out I was being granted a dream come true from Sunshine Foundation. It was so exciting and brought me so much happiness that I told my mom "I want ALL the dreams to come true!" My mom helped me set up a little lemonade stand and bake sale on my street corner. Each year my lemonade stands/bake sales have become bigger and more visible. Because my dream was to meet the Disney Princesses (and because princesses are AWESOME!) I started having princesses visit the stand to help with lemonade, cupcakes and to visit with the kids. My last lemonade stand made nearly $4000 and so far I have raised about $13,000 to help Sunshine Foundation make dreams come true!! I have been a part of helping grant the dreams of 4 other kids from Minnesota! This year I am going to work really hard on getting a celebrity Prince Charming to visit the stand (I have a little something up my sleeve). If this works out it might be the biggest Princess cupcake/lemonade stand ever!!

Stockholm (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Co-Grow: Let's GROW together

2017-03-14T00:00:00Z

Ever longed for a garden? Or ever had a garden but then no time to take care of it? The winner of our February grant found a missed opportunity somewhere inbetween those two questions and so co-grown was born. Simply awesome. This is how the winners themselves describe their idea: Co-Grow is a match-making service connecting people who want to grow food with people who has land of any kind. By connecting resources – gardens with growers – Co-Grow is offering a smart solution within the realm of the sharing economy and an answer to one of the most pressing issues of our time: how to feed a growing population without further pushing the planetary boundaries. Garden-sharing is not only a smart solution for making use of unused land in urban areas, it is also a way of creating new opportunities for people and neighbours to meet.

Rotterdam – SPAAK

2017-03-14T00:00:00Z

SPAAK is a rental company for personally designed bike tours on a special SPAAK bike, in which two participants collect parts of a meal throughout the city and cook/eat their meal at the end of the tour. The tours take the participants past entrepreneurs, places and people that contribute to a better city or surrounding. You can call them idealistic or ambitious, but they take the Rotterdam saying ‘Niet lullen maar poetsen’ really serious. SPAAK has two goals: -Bring two people closer together and let them experience real life adventures - Show people where food comes from and show them that urban farming really exist. Research told us that experiences make people happier than products. This includes us and is an interesting fact to be aware of! That is why we want to bring people together with an adventure. Besides, in this way we support projects and entrepreneurs in Rotterdam who contribute to local food production. Not many people in Rotterdam (and tourists) are familiar with the possibilities of local food production, green spots in the city and the effect ' sustainable grocery shopping' can have on the environment. Still, there are many entrepreneurs, farmers and local initiatives that stimulate this thought in Rotterdam. SPAAK stimulates all this, with bike tours. To show two participants an awesome side of food, Rotterdam and each other.

Ottawa – Apidictor Symphony

2017-03-13T00:00:00Z

March’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Deborah Margo and Annette Hegel to support an outdoor art installation examining the flight paths and sound-making of bumble bees. The project, which they are calling “Apidictor Symphony,” will be shown as part of Fieldwork’s 10th anniversary exhibition, in rural eastern Ontario, from May to November. “Fieldwork’s meadow,” Deborah explains, “will contain a mowed series of wide, crossing paths reproducing the complex pattern and scale of the bumble bee’s actual flight path. Visitors will be able to walk the pathways, listening to her pollinator conversations and songs. These soundscapes will relate to each other like movements of a symphony.” “As part of the installation,” Deborah continues, “we are creating a series of giant nectar pods made of honey-coloured fiberglass, housing solar-powered amplifiers and speakers. The sounds will be collected and transmitted from apidictors, measuring and recording devices filtering bumble bee ‘music’ to make certain frequencies easier to hear. They will be placed in nectar-rich areas of the terrain, with their contents subsequently transmitted to the pods’ amplifiers in the meadow.” “Apidictor Symphony is a celebration and warning about environmental well-being,” Deborah explains. “If we want bumble bees to continue their work, we need to learn to listen a lot closer.” You can follow their project and have a listen at https://apidictorsymphony.wordpress.com. Deborah and Annette are Ottawa-based visual artists interested in the confluence of art, nature, and science. They are also avid growers of plants and self-described fierce guardians of pollinators.

Awesome Without Borders (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Building Community through Storytelling

2017-03-13T00:00:00Z

We want to create a storytelling event in the evening monthly for the local Wabanaki community (and others who wish to attend). We will plan a story cycle over the course of one year that will cover the local stories of Native American Maine, from creation through refinement of creation through the creation of the medicine through management of contemporary relationships. The Wabanaki Confederacy comprises the 5 tribes of Maine: the Penobscot, the Upper and Lower Passamaqoudy, the Micmac, and the Maliseet. The language is shared with minor variations among these Nations. Tremendous problems of alienation and disenfranchisement exist within the indigenous nations of Maine. Cultural alienation is prominent. Many members of Maine's aboriginal nations do not know any of their traditional cultural stories. Opportunities for connecting with others around culture are lacking. Small cultural enclaves exist, but they are often exclusive and not open to all members of these indigenous nations. Listening to stories is an amazing way to create community. in this project, we will begin with storytelling of a story relevant to the time of year in which we find ourselves. After the storytelling, we will have a talking circle in which people talk about how the story affected them and anything else they are moved to say. The talking circle is a unique Native American format for communication, often attributed to the Lakota. In the talking circle, a topic is introduced for the group to consider, followed by a song and a prayer. Then, a decoated stick is passed around the circle and whoever holds the stick may speak for as long as he or she wishes without interruption. The stick goes around the circle until everyone is silent or the premises must be vacated. We have published research on the use of talking circles in primary care clinics, finding that they are more effective in reducing subjective distress than actually seeing the doctor.

Philadelphia, PA – Not in Philly

2017-03-10T00:00:00Z

Philly has a litter problem. It is an issue that effects not only our environment and waterways, but instills hopelessness in its people. As our city is slow to help, it is up to us. In return for a 6-month commitment to going out once a week to pick up litter in your neighborhood, Not in Philly provides tools needed to quickly clean a block as well as small incentives. The resources are bags and grabbers and the incentives are through members taking a picture of their cleaned block, then #notinphilly on Instagram. We then raffle off gift cards from an area business, HubBub coffee being the first, from those who post. Right now, all organizations that combat litter in our city do so as large, one day, community-based activities. These are important, but they do little to hold back the tide of litter as it accumulates between mass cleanings. Not in Philly will provide opportunities for citizens to clean their blocks between these organized cleanups， empowering a network of neighbors across Philadelphia. NotinPhilly.org, is what we believe to be the first map enabled adopt-a-block site in the country. No other site or city has their blocks segmented and selectable. We are hoping to prove the concept so that other cities can copy what we have done. Next City, which shares best practices between cities, covered us last month at: https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/philadelphia-clean-up-litter-website

Philadelphia, PA – Muslim Girls Culture Club

2017-03-10T00:00:00Z

Northeast High School (NEHS) is the largest public school in Philadelphia, is one of the most diverse high schools in the nation, serving over 3,000 students, with 56 languages spoken and 750 ESOL students. Due to limited school resources, these cultural divisions are largely left unaddressed and dedicated faculty and staff struggle to meet the needs of their growing ESOL population. This project began last year in response to Muslim female students expressing feelings of isolation from their peers and even teachers as a result of the political climate. The Muslim Girls Culture Club is open to students in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program and girls who identify as Muslim or are interested in Muslim culture from a female perspective. This project creates a safe space for Muslim girls to openly talk about issues/concerns, connect with and mutually support their peers, and develop skills/tools the arts as a means for self-awareness, expression, community building, and collective empowerment. We will build off the work from last year by continuing to meet them twice a month to enhance their research, writing, creativity, critical thinking, and public speaking skills with program content focused on future goals and career path development, which we have started to do by exploring their own interests, passions, and hobbies and bringing in local Muslim female mentors for college applications. The girls will research successful women from their home countries, the US, other countries, and/or of Muslim affiliation to understand their challenges and accomplishments. We plan to invite local female artists and other professionals to lead arts workshops, motivational talks, and networking opportunities. Merging their interests, research, and arts skills, the girls will have opportunities to produce artwork that is reflective of themselves and the women they identify with. Their artwork will be shared publicly in various forums in and out of the school.

Birmingham, AL (Ոչ ակտիվ) – The 1st One-Job Readiness Program for Teens

2017-03-10T00:00:00Z

The 1st One: Workforce Development and Job Readiness Program for teens 15-19 years of age. Purpose: Workforce Preparedness for first time jobbers. This program will help teens learn the skills and etiquette of obtaining and keeping their first job. Target Goal: Enroll 10 teens in the program that are committed to 12-week program. The program will consist of 6 weeks of training, 1 week-financial literacy, 1-week refresher, and 4 work weeks. Parents and teens must complete application, sign consent forms, have own transportation, and commit to completing the entire program for 12 weeks. Anticipated Outcomes: The outcomes of working with teens through this capacity are to gain focus on career goals, training, and development, life development, develop relationships, strengthen communication, problem-solving, critical-thinking, and teen building skill. The anticipated outcomes will help teens transition productively into society and become responsible adults. This program is set to produce hands-on experience and training for teens in 2017. Our goal is to reduce the teen drop-out rate by implementing a job readiness program that will help teens focus on career goals early. As they develop career goals they will be more focused on completing the action steps to get them into a sustainable career. As they obtain knowledge-based training they will use this as the building blocks to obtain hands on training in Phase 2 of the program.

Piqua, OH (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Teacher Appreciation 5K

2017-03-10T00:00:00Z

To honor our wonderful teachers and to promote health & wellness, Piqua City School district is conducting its first ever 5K. Our plan is to have the 5K be the grand finale to teacher appreciation week. Where students across the district run in recognition of their favorite teacher. We have an assortment of ideas to make the event exciting and enjoyable for all that attend. One of those ideas is to perform a Color Toss, also known as a Color Rush. A Color Toss is a colorful way to bring joy and excitement to everyone. Our goal of the Color Toss is to make our 5K unforgettable! The color powder used for the Color Toss is completely safe and environmentally friendly, with all materials being U.S. FDA approved. However, in order for this colorful celebration to occur we will need the help of Awesome Piqua!

Detroit, MI (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Seraphine Collective's Beat Match Brunch

2017-03-07T00:00:00Z

DJ Culture, in Detroit and elsewhere, is male-dominated: VICE Magazine reports that women make up under 10% of all DJs at music festivals. There is also a high barrier to entry — the cost of equipment can be prohibitive, and as beginners, women are less likely to have access to technical mentorship, practice space and booking opportunities. In April 2016, we rose to this challenge by launching our first workshop series: Beat Match Brunch, a month-long introduction to the fundamentals of the art form for aspiring female-identified DJs. The first workshop, facilitated by Detroit DJ Mother Cyborg, had to turn away about half of the applicants, which highlights the series’ potential to breathe fresh air into the city’s electronic music scene. In April, we invited eight women with diverse musical tastes and cultural backgrounds to learn how to use turntables, handle, select and “read” vinyl records, isolate sounds, and use BPMs to beat-match, all in a supportive and collaborative environment. Following the end of the workshop, several of the DJs have continued to independently borrow equipment, organize practice sessions, and perform at dozens of events around town. Seraphine Collective hopes that the Beat Match Brunch program will become self-sustaining, with graduates teaching later generations and performing at fundraising events. In short, it’s been awesome, and we are so excited to lay the groundwork for this workshop to become a permanent part of Seraphine Collective’s programming, and a fixture in the Detroit music scene.

Detroit, MI (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Asset Based Resource Center

2017-03-07T00:00:00Z

Detroit Phoenix Center is a community based, nonprofit organization that exists to improve the outcomes for youth who are experiencing homelessness. Our services empower young people, ages (14-24) to improve their health, wellness and self-sufficiency. Homeless youth, also called unaccompanied youth, are defined as“individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.”(NAEHCY, 2016). It is estimated that 1.6 to 1.7 million youth experience homelessness each year (NAEHCY, 2016). Homeless youth are at a higher risk for substance abuse, mental health issues, and sexual exploitation. In addition, many lack proper health care, job readiness skills and are predisposed to educational barriers. In, Detroit MI, it is estimated that ten to thousands of youth are homeless. These youth aren’t receiving the services they need because they are invisible. The Asset Based Resource Center will be a safe haven for homeless youth ages 14-24. Services at ABRC include will include basic necessities such as food, clothing, personal care items, a place to rest, lockers, access to phone, computers and email. Showers and washer and dryer facilities will also available free of charge. Supportive services will also be provided at the ABRC. These services address a variety of needs including help getting ID’s and birth certificates, housing referrals, mental health services, job readiness training, education support, counseling, education, parenting and independent living skills workshops and computer training. The ABRC will serve as a one-stop shop where homeless youth will have immediate access to a combination of services, rather than having to go to various locations for different services.

Detroit, MI (Ոչ ակտիվ) – Berm Wave Field Meadow

2017-03-07T00:00:00Z

I recently purchased a vacant side lot at 1991 Seward in the LaSalle Gardens neighborhood of Detroit adjacent to a rental property I own and have been rehabbing. I am planning to put a wildflower meadow on half of the lot, and a vegetable garden on the other side. I will maintain it and will seek assistance from residents and property owners in the neighborhood. For the wildflower meadow portion, I would love to put in a berm wave field, similar to that on the University of Michigan's North Campus (https://campusinfo.umich.edu/article/wave-field-north), but with wildflowers instead of grass. I would plant water-loving wildflowers in the valleys and flowers more tolerant of drier soil on the peaks.

Liverpool – "...Shouldn't throw stones"

2017-03-06T00:00:00Z

I have begun to photograph and film the inner workings, remains and archives of the old Pilkingtons Glass HQ (currently Alexandra Business Park) in St Helens. The site is a vast complex filled with historical rooms, objects and varied artefacts of by gone eras. The site is also a working office space (in parts) for NHS, Game Designers, local businesses and charities who reside in the ‘Shell’ of the listed/dated brutalist architecture and 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s to present day décor. It is my intention to create an installation for exhibition that relates to the historical/current impact and legacy of the Pilkington ‘Empire’. I also will investigate what contributed to its fall from grace, discover what remains there are and how the site will fare in the future. I would like to photograph and interview any ex members of staff/workers and record their stories and hopefully create a form of digital archive of people’s history with the site. It is also my intention to collaborate with other creatives, musicians, writers and artists to create a body of work which contributes to the exhibition. This would be a rare chance to open the site to the public (Exhibition would be held on site). It is also a chance for a variety of creatives from Merseyside to collaborate in creating an art installation around a subject matter that holds a great deal of historical and cultural significance to Merseyside.

Liverpool – Microbes to Mosquitoes: Workshops for Young People

2017-03-06T00:00:00Z

“Microbes to mosquitoes” aims to deliver high quality informal education to disadvantaged children and young people who as a result of their circumstances may find it difficult to engage with STEM subjects. Using interactive and artistic workshops I hope to get “scientists” out of their comfort zones in explaining their research to young people. The youth club at Centre 63 is Knowsley’s oldest surviving youth club which works with 8-18 year olds who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and have a wide spectrum of needs which makes it difficult for them to access positive leisure opportunities and make friends. Within Kirkby 20% of young people are classified as NEET (not in education, training or employment). Knowsley is the worst performing local authority at GCSE level in England and funding cuts within the borough have seen the end of A-Level provision. Consequently, this project will foster an enthusiasm for further education and training with the hope that it will encourage young people, who may feel abandoned by academia, to engage with research and develop themselves academically and creatively in order to achieve their goals and raise their ambitions. The project will involve the delivery of monthly sessions on a range of topics related to global health in collaboration with students and researchers from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and University of Liverpool. Each session will consist of interactive and informative workshops focused on a particular subject (e.g. venomous snakes, disease causing insects). While each month the workshops content will educate users about a specific topic, overall the project aims to encourage open discussion of scientific ideas, empower young people to ask questions and engage with research, and encourage a positive collaboration between scientists and the public.

Liverpool – Fomo Cam

2017-03-06T00:00:00Z

Fomo cam is an IoT camera designed to overcome the common feeling at public events that something even more incredible is happening somewhere else. Loosely based on Tween bots we want to build cameras that are given to attendees at public events to record their impression, and then passed on. It's experimental, we don't know how people will respond or where the cameras will be taken. But throughout the event we'll have a live stream of perspectives, we can post online. Fomo cam will be a large decorated enclosure containing a camera taking photographs at regular intervals. Also in the enclosure will be, mobile data conectivity, auxiliary power and a micro controller to provide visual feedback showing when a photograph is due to be taken. Images will be posted to a monitored social media stream, or bespoke site. It was conceived with Light Night in mind and we have submitted a provisional application to be part of this years programme. We would also be interested in recording activity at Liverpool Make Fest. The project will be documented on the DoES github account and available for other groups to recreate,

Asheville, NC (Ոչ ակտիվ) – The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival

2017-03-06T00:00:00Z

The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival, which I founded in 2011, is an annual video contest in which kid filmmakers create weird short movies that tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books in about 90 seconds. On April 22, 2017 we plan to bring the festival to the Pack Memorial Library in Asheville! Ever since 1922, the Newbery Medal has been recognized as the most prestigious award in children’s literature. But any classic book, no matter how worthy and somber, turns into something fresh and bonkers when compressed into 90 seconds. Here are 25 standouts from the 100s of kid-made videos we've received over the years: http://bit.ly/2cbDC1r The best of each year's movies are shown at FREE yearly screenings across the country, in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Portland, Minneapolis, and starting in 2017, ASHEVILLE -- co-hosted by me and other children's authors. These free shows combine screenings of the kids' movies with comedy cabaret bits, and have been "sold out" from the start, with crowds of hundreds, including the young filmmakers themselves. Our mission: 1) Entice students into reading and discussing classic Newbery-winning books. 2) Encourage the close reading necessary to write a script that wittily sums up a book in 90 seconds. 3) Give opportunity for students to use new technologies, such as video equipment and editing software, in a constructive way that promotes literacy. 4) Throw awesome screening parties to celebrate the kids' great movies! I'm looking forward to bringing the 90-Second Newbery to Asheville! We already have a team of enthusiastic supporters. The organizer in Asheville is local Elliot Weiner. The Pack Memorial Library has offered use of their auditorium for the 4/22 screening. North Carolina author Alan Gratz will co-host with me. Carolina Day School has contributed many great movies to the festival over the years. With these allies plus more, we plan to put on an unforgettable show at the library.