Awesome Foundation - Projecten

New Orleans, LA (Inactief) – Inquiry to Action for Education Justice

2014-11-05T00:00:00Z

This fall, we will be offering Inquiry to Action Groups (ITAGs) in addition to our regular programming. An ITAG is a study group focused on education and social justice. Participants engage in collective study and group reflection about a topic relevant to them and develop an action project together at the end. Our goals with ITAGs are to: 1) Provide public school educators (particularly New Orleans transplants) with small group spaces to deepen their analyses of how systemic oppression impacts student experiences by learning with and from community members who are most affected by education injustice. 2) For transplant teachers and community members to develop action projects together that respond to needs in the community. “Action” simply means doing something public with the knowledge gained, like raising awareness around a particular issue or engaging in advocacy. In New York, ITAGs have produced resource guides for parents and teachers on supporting English Language Learners and led to the creation of an annual conference on supporting LGBTQ students. Our first 2 ITAGs will be on the School-to-Prison Pipeline in New Orleans and Cross-Cultural Communication. Anyone who is impacted by education injustice in New Orleans is invited to participate. We will be offering transportation, childcare, and food so that meetings are accessible to everyone who wants to be there. Our aim is to have 10 to 15 participants in each ITAG to start. ITAGs will be co-facilitated by a member of the NTRT member collective and another person with knowledge and experience in the area of study. In general, these people will be parents, students, organizers and activists in the struggle for a just education system in New Orleans. The non-member co-facilitator will receive a stipend for their work. ITAGs will meet weekly over a 6-week period beginning late October. At the end of the series, participants will showcase their action projects at a public event.

Nuremberg (Inactief) – Wir kaufen die Quelle!

2014-11-05T00:00:00Z

Wir arbeiten an einem Projekt der Superlative. Wir - sind Mieter im ehemaligen Quellegebäude. Gewerbetreibende, Freiberufler, Künstler und Kreative unterschiedlicher Disziplinen haben sich zum Quellkollektiv e.V. zusammengeschlossen, um den Mietern, aber auch der am Gebäude interessierten Öffentlichkeit, den Bürgern, eine Stimme zu geben. Aus einer Arbeitsgruppe dieser Formation ensteht aktuell der Verein Wir kaufen die Quelle e.V. Unsere Initiative vernetzt sich aktiv mit unterschiedlichen Protagonisten der Stadt, der Region, aber auch deutschlandweit und international. Nachdem sich die Komplexität einer wirtschaftlichen Umnutzung des Industriedenkmals Quelle für herkömmliche Investoren im Rahmen von best-practise Verfahren kontinuierlich als Hemmnis erweist, fordern wir dazu auf, gemeinsam Stadtplanung zu erproben. Wir schaffen hierfür eine Plattform im Internet, laden zu praktischen und theoretischen Workshops ein, stellen Räume dazu zur Verfügung, sind Schnittstelle zur Öffentlichkeit. Unser Anspruch ist es im Sinne des Begriffs STATE OF THE ART ein international wegweisendes Modellvorhaben zur Ausführung zu bringen. Dazu erarbeiten wir einen Stufenplan, Analysen und Strategiepapiere. Unser Vorhaben muss gleichzeitig in einer gewissen Detailschärfe kommunizierbar gemacht werden, jedoch auch intensiv als Großes Ganzes, als Strukturmodell, betrachtet werden. Fachleute werden genauso herangezogen wie interessierte Laien. Aufgabe ersten Ranges ist es jetzt, die junge Initiative zu professionalisieren und einen organisatorischen Flow zu konstituieren, der ein seriöses Bild für die Öffentlichkeit generiert. Es müssen Kapazitäten geschaffen werden um kompetent in die jeweils notwendige Richtung zu kommunizieren. Sowohl das Quellkollektiv, als auch "Wir kaufen die Quelle", arbeiten derzeit auf Basis ehrenamtlichen Engagements. Nächster Schritt ist es, die Unternehmung mit ersten Geldmitteln zu versorgen. Die AWESOME FOUNDATION wäre unser erster BOOST !

Plano, TX (Inactief) – Makerspace - Sigler Elementary

2014-11-04T00:00:00Z

Maker education is beginning to pop up in public libraries across the nation and we believe it is time for Maker Education to be introduced to the students and families at Sigler Elementary. Could you imagine a school library where students come to build, create, design tinker and make? Could you imagine a school library where the librarian encourages conversation, collaboration and is on the cutting edge of 21st century learning? With your support, Sigler Elementary will be on the front lines of transitioning our library from what it is currently to a 21st century learning commons where students come to build, create, design, tinker and make. To be successful in the 21st century students need to work in collaborative groups, focus on project based learning and do it on their terms. Designing a space in an elementary school, specifically, in our library will show parents, teachers and students just how committed we are to ensuring they are ready for life, ready for a post secondary education and ready to have fun while integrating their ideas in a hands on, technology driven work space where they do the work!

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactief) – בית ספר חופשי מצפה רמון- קהילה משתפת ידע

2014-11-04T00:00:00Z

תמונת מצב: מצפה רמון הינה העיירה המבודדת ביותר בארץ. המבנה הקהילתי בה מורכב ממספר מגזרים שונים מפורזים, שכמעט לא באים במגע זה עם זה. ותיקים, חדשים (10 שנים ופחות), דתיים, חילונים, קהילת העבריים, העלייה הרוסית, אנשי הקבע והבדווים. מטרת המיזם היא לחבר בין הקהילות השונות במצפה רמון, ליצור שיתופי פעולה חברתיים ועסקיים חדשים, לחשוף את הקהילה המקומית לתרבות ולידע ולהעצים את קהילת הקהילות של מצפה רמון. באמצעות המיזם מגוון רחב של תושבים, מכל הקהילות, יקבלו במה וחשיפה. התודעה הקולקטיבית במצפה רמון היא של הישרדות. מטרת המיזם היא לשנות את התודעה של התושבים לתודעה של שפע, ע"י חשיפה ולקיחת חלק בעושר האנושי הקיים פה. הפורמט אותו אימצנו הוא פורמט עולמי הנקרא פריסקול. זהו פורמט שנוצר באירופה במסגרתו אנשים מהקהילה מעבירים בהתנדבות ידע לאנשי הקהילה. במקומות מסוימים מדובר בשבוע/ סופ"ש בשנה. במקומות אחרים מדובר במבנה קבוע בו מתקיים המיזם כל השנה. שני עקרונות נוספים: 1. המיזם שייך לקהילה ולא לאף גוף פרטי או עסקי. 2. כסף לא מעורב בפרויקט (מבחינת הקהילה). במקומות רבים בעולם האירועים מתרחשים בשיטת "הכובע"- כל אחד משלם כמה שנראה לו. כאן הכוונה היא לקיים אירועים בהם אין תחלופת כספים כלל. הכל בחינם ובהתנדבות. במצפה רמון קיימנו בחודש מאי האחרון אירוע ראשון בשם "בית ספר חופשי מצפה רמון- קהילה משתפת ידע". במסגרת האירוע התקיימו הרצאות ופעילויות שונות לאורך 3 ימים במתחמים שונים ביישוב. התחומים היו מגוונים – אמנות, מוזיקה, גופנפש, פסיכולוגיה, אסטרונומיה, תזונה ובריאות, דת, אקולוגיה וקיימות ועוד.. . המנחים נבחרו מכל קשת הקהילות של מצפה רמון- חדשים, ותיקים, קהילת העבריים, דתיים, ובדווים. הפעילויות כוונו להתאים למגוון רחב של אנשים. נלקחו בחשבון צרכי כל הקהילות, לדוגמא- היו פעילויות פיזיות (יוגה וכד') לנשים וגברים בנפרד. המועצה המקומית תמכה באירוע ומימנה את הדפסת והפצת חוברת האירוע. כל השאר נעשה בהתנדבות- חודשיים של הפקה, עיצוב החוברות, פרסום בלתי פוסק באינטרנט ובשיחות אישיות ועוד. בעלי עסקים מקומיים תרמו את המתחמים שלהם לאירוע. האירוע היה הצלחה אדירה. היו 750 כניסות לאירוע. לכל המנחים נוצרה עבודה בעקבות האירוע, נוצרו קשרים חברתיים חדשים והיתה תחושת עוצמה חדשה. מאז כולם דורשים עוד אירוע.

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactief) – כדורגל לחסרי בית

2014-11-04T00:00:00Z

"כדורגל לחסרי בית" היא עמותה שהוקמה על ידי אורי שוהם ועמרי אברמוביץ' כדי ליצור פרויקט, בו חסרי בית יוכלו לשחק כדורגל. בתחילת ספטמבר הרעיון הוצג לאגף חברה ומניעת פשיעה, מצילה של המשרד לביטחון פנים ולעיריית ת"א, שהחליטו ביחד לממן את הפרויקט, לתקופה של שנה ולהיות שותפים בהקמתו. המימון של הפרויקט מגיע לעמותת "מפעלות חינוך" שמפעילים את הפרויקט, כלומר: הם מביאים את המאמן והציוד הדרוש (ביגוד, כדורים וקונוסים) כאשר הפעילות נערכת פעם בשבוע במרכז קהילתי צ'רנר ביפו. במהלך השנה וחצי האחרונות נוצר "גרעין קשה" של 8 משתתפים שמגיעים לכל אימון, כשאליהם מצטרפים כאלו שאינם מגיעים באופן סדיר. עבור אותם משתתפים המסגרת מעניקה עוגן בחיים, כפי שהם תיארו זאת. חלקם דיברו על כך שלראשונה זה שנים יש להם תחביב ודבר שהם מצפים לו כל שבוע, כך שמעבר לפעילות הגופנית שתורמת להם מאוד ואף מחזיקה אחדים מהם מחוץ למעגל ההתמכרות הרי, שהמסגרת והחברה תורמים להם מאוד. בנוסף, אחד מהמשתתפים, בעזרתם הנדיבה של אנשי "מפעלות חינוך", החל קורס מאמנים, כשגם אם הוא לא יסיים אותו, הפרויקט היווה פלטפורמה לקדם אותו בחייו. בשנה וחצי האחרונות עברנו הרבה קשיים: רבים מהמשתתפים יוצאים וחוזרים מגמילות, חלקם פתאום נתקו את הקשא וןאז חזרו לפתע אחרי כמה חודשים . אנחנו תמיד נמצאים במגרש, כל יום רביעי ב18 ביפו כשבשנה וחצי האחרונות רק 3 אימונים התבטלו. הכוח של הפרויקט שלנו הוא הגיבוש שנוצר בקבוצה ובין חברי הקבוצה לצוות העזרה שלכם תהיה מאוד חשובה לפרויקט ולאנשים המדהימים שבתוכו. אתם מוזמנים להגיע לאימון...

Lusaka (Inactief) – Replacing Firewood and Charcoal with Waste Biomass

2014-11-04T00:00:00Z

San Francisco, CA – Jam Buckets. Hosted by Mission Science Workshop.

2014-11-04T00:00:00Z

The project is called a Jam Bucket! Helping kids to explore and realize their imagination, curiosity, achievement, a basic understanding of circuits, electromagnetism, industrial design and a way to see their own creations come to life – it all comes in the Bucket. The Jam Bucket is housed in a square plastic kitty litter style box (very durable and easy to find), can be mounted on a bike rack, has two 120 watt water resistant, marine speakers, an impressively long-lasting lithium-ion battery and a 20 watt amplifier. It requires a little bit of elbow grease, an afternoon worth of time and an interest in learning about basic electronics and hand tools. I've had mine for two years, have taken it to the beach (a lot!), got caught in the rain, brought it on countless bike rides, and generally used it as much as possible. It has never needed repair and puts out enough bass that it once shook my mobile phone off the table and cracked the screen. The idea was born when a friend came up with the original Jam Bucket design, mounted it to his bike and brought it on a bike ride about two years ago. So many people were interested in it, he helped 18 people make their own. Since then, I've been informally teaching students and friends how to make them using my personal Jam Bucket as a prototype. Now, the MSW has agreed to donate space and tools to let me host an official build day the first weekend in December. At this point, there is quite a backlog of interest! I have a list of about 20 workshop volunteers, parents, teachers, and approximately 25 students who would like to make one for themselves. My goal is to empower 10 adults and 10 kids to make their own sound systems, regardless of experience or expertise. For every Jam Bucket that an adult makes, I'd like to have a kid Bucket subsidized - aiming for 1:1 ratio. At $120 each for material costs, a Jam Bucket is out of reach for many of our students, most of whom are characterized as living below the poverty line. I'd like to open the build day to any interested student, and don't want a lack of funds to be a barrier. I will use the grant to subsidize $100 in material costs for each of the 10 student Jam Buckets being built on that day, only asking for $20 from each student to help build their very own Jam Bucket. I've been working on ways to cut the cost or redesign the Jam Bucket, but honestly, it's a steal at this cost. And the return on investment is immeasurable. I've helped students that wouldn't pick up tools on their own before building one; now, they love explaining circuits, exploring how sound works and showing others how to solder. Every single person I know who has a Jam Bucket loves showing it off, talking about how easy it was to make, how much it’s inspired them to design and make new things and to explore and push their creative boundaries. Myself included. Making and having the ability to fix something you use and enjoy is nourishing. Being to use it as a tool to inspire and teach others is truly awesome.

Orlando, FL – Getaboard Skateboarding Outreach Program

2014-11-04T00:00:00Z

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – MusicWorks

2014-11-03T00:00:00Z

MusicWorks is a dynamic non-profit organisation that uses music to unlock potential in the lives of children in marginalised communities in Cape Town, South Africa. It’s not about teaching kids to play musical instruments (although that is the happy outcome in some instances); it’s about creating safe spaces for children where we use music as a means for healing and transformation. We believe music can bring about social change. Our programmes are based on the discipline of Music Therapy – a recognised and regulated profession in South Africa (the same as psychology or occupational therapy), and actually recognised by medical aids. It is our mission to make music therapy sessions available to vulnerable youngsters who do not have access to adequate psychosocial support (and medical aid). And there are many of them in Cape Town. We’ve had 11 incredible years running various programmes in many under-privileged areas and townships in Cape Town . The children we work with come from impoverished communities and have been exposed to trauma including domestic violence, gang violence, sexual abuse, illness (such HIV&AIDS and TB), substance abuse and neglect. The sessions are facilitated by registered music therapists and give children an opportunity to process the trauma they have experienced. We also work in hospital settings, where music therapy sessions offer children battling illnesses a chance to express that which is healthy and hopeful within them. We also have Music for Life after-school music programmes where community musicians run marimba bands, choirs, drumming circles, and gumboot dancing. All these programmes provide a safe space where children can come to and experience a sense of belonging and a sense of self-worth. We have connected with around 2 750 children since our establishment in 2002.

Los Angeles, CA – Helping children reach their potential!

2014-11-03T00:00:00Z

GOoaL is growing much faster than expected because the need is so great. In fact, GOoaL has been recognized on the national Amputee Coalition webpage as the only group in LA that helps anyone with limb loss. Because of this recognition, we have been flooded with calls not only for children, but also from adult amputees and families. Everyone wants to join our events and be connected to a support network. GOoaL educates, supports, and empower children with prosthetics to develop a positive GO attitude while living a healthy, active, happy, independent lifestyle and to never give up!

Liverpool (Inactief) – Awesome Fivers

2014-11-03T00:00:00Z

My Awesome Project aims to increase the public awareness of the Awesome Foundation Liverpool (and the Awesome Foundation as a whole) by distributing 90 £5 notes in an envelope with a flyer telling people about Awesome Liverpool and the cool work that we do. We would partner with the local press/media to announce the free £5 giveaway and hide the envelopes (pink envelopes, of course) around the city. We would put a hashtag on the envelope to encourage social sharing when people find the £5 note and ask them to share the awesome story with 10 people they know. In addition to sharing the message of what we do, a free fiver would bring joy to someones day. It'd absolutely bring joy to my day. Can I lend a fiver?

Atlanta, GA (Inactief) – Fun Weird Science: S.T.E.M skills for at-risk kids

2014-11-03T00:00:00Z

Fun Weird Science is a K-12 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) enrichment movement under the Georgia Science & Robotics Academy, Inc (501c3 pending). We seek to inspire underrepresented students to pursue careers in STEM through high energy, engaging learning experiences. We will use the funds to acquire tablets for the purpose of engaging students in computer science learning experiences with an emphasis on creating apps.

Whangarei (Inactief) – Before I die wall

2014-10-31T00:00:00Z

The project involves creating a large chalkboard for people to share what they want to achieve before they die. The Before I Die wall is now a global phenomenum. It would good to put Northland on the map – and in time report back as to what difference it has made to our community. Full details can be seen on the website. The project fits with my purpose in life. I believe it would be an invaluable resource to the area – inspiring our youth to value their lives and achieve their dreams. We have an unprecedented level of suicide in the area. I believe the wall would go a long way to help our youth to value their lives; providing a simple thought provoking outlet for them to express themselves. It would be the talking point of the town. I think the Town Basin would be a great site as youth involved with the Council have said they’d like the area developed. I think it would be innovative to create a portable ‘wavy’ shaped wall that could be transported to different places around Whangarei, so every community within the district gets a chance to share their hearts desire.

Ann Arbor, MI – FEMMES: Females Excelling More in (STEM)

2014-10-31T00:00:00Z

The FEMMES program aims to address education resource inequality and the lack of diversity within CS/STEM (computer science, science, technology, engineering and math) fields. To achieve this goal, FEMMES uses a unique combination of approaches: our emphasis on hands-on, active learning; our ability to reach under-served populations; and our mentorship network for women at all academic levels. FEMMES at the University of Michigan serves students from the greater Southeast Michigan with a particular focus on reaching students of color and other underrepresented populations. Throughout the school year FEMMES hosts a series of CS/STEM educational programs both at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus and at community sites including elementary schools and public libraries. Why is FEMMES Awesome? 1) FEMMES uses powerful female role models to demonstrate how women can, and do, excel in these fields! 2) FEMMES increases elementary student self–confidence and interest in CS/STEM fields- during this critical developmental stage! 3) FEMMES empowers women scientists of all ages by forming a network of University- and community-based women in many CS/STEM fields. 4) FEMMES enacts a belief that communities should be active participants in the education and development of the next generation. 5) “Everything!” ~ FEMMES Spring 2014 Participants Help us achieve our goal of promoting involvement in STEM by building curiosity and increasing confidence in girls so they may pursue their dreams without hesitation!

Paris (Inactief) – HelloCitizen

2014-10-31T00:00:00Z

" Trouvez l'association qui vous correspond !" : HelloCitizen est une plateforme gratuite de matching entre bénévoles et associations. L'objectif est de faciliter la rencontre entre ces publics. Les bénévoles complètent leur profil. Si une mission correspond, le profil est envoyé à l'association qui prend contact avec le bénévole en question, et la mission prend vie ! HelloCitizen est en phase de lancement et sera ouvert dans un premier temps à Paris. "Find the non-profit that's made for you !": HelloCitizen is a free matching platform between volunteers and non-profits. The goal is to make it easier for them to meet. The volunteers complete their profile. When a profile matches a mission, the non-profit contacts the volunteer and the mission starts ! HelloCitizen is in it's launching phase and will first start in Paris.

Melbourne (Inactief) – The Melbourne Hidden Gift

2014-10-30T00:00:00Z

Each week, I and my team of elves hide a $20 gift card somewhere in Melbourne, then we tweet the location in a series of (hopefully) frustratingly cryptic clues until someone finds it. We alternate between the CBD and outside, and in doing so we try and provide a little bit of joy with no strings attached. We're not affiliated with anyone, so the cost of the cards and the Public Transport and petrol has all been covered by us. We choose locations that are accessible 24/7, with no trespassing, no digging, and no climbing. Oh - and never in a tree. That rule came about after we put the gift in a tree then the tree got cut down and chipped. Sometimes we still laugh about it, and sometimes we just grumble. Until last week, only three people knew about this - my mentor teacher, the real Dot (from whom I got the name for the chief elf) and a friend in the US that I write to, I finally confessed to my husband what I'd been doing one evening each week (hiding the gift). And why did we start? Because in May, we were getting depressed about the state of the nation (and in particular the treatment of vulnerable people by the current government). In particular, I was getting frustrated at not having enough energy to volunteer at the Refugee Centre in Fitzroy, and not enough money to donate and help them. I heard about the Hidden Cash people in San Francisco, then checked to see who was going in Australia. At the time, there were a couple of cash-droppers here in Melbourne, but I started up anyway. 17 weeks later, we're the only ones still going in Melbourne. The guys in Brisbane were a huge help, but they've had to stop for a while. We like to think it's our dedication that keeps us going, but it could just be sheer stubbornness.

South Shore – Kids Play Space

2014-10-29T00:00:00Z

Lauren pitched an awesome idea and got $1000 to create a Kids Play Space at the Lunenburg Farmers Market!

London, ON (Inactief) – Comic Book Club

2014-10-29T00:00:00Z

Many of the kids who access services at the Neighbourhood Resource Association of Westminster Park (NRAWP) come from low income families, with literacy skills below their grade level. In order to help the youth achieve greater literacy skills, we would like to start a comic book club – an idea originating from the youth. This club will include not only reading comics, but learning about their history: including their origins, as well as their evolution over the years. The youth could learn from local comic book authors, and exercise their own creativity in creating a comic of their own. Because costumes are such an integral part of the comic book experience, we would also like to help the youth develop costumes based on their comic creations. To increase inspiration and give them an opportunity to purchase a comic book, we would like to go on a field trip to a local comic book store downtown. On the final day of the club we will host a mini comic con, where the kids get to show off their comics and costumes. We believe that this club will teach the youth valuable intangible skills in creativity and engagement, as well as the practical skills involved in creating the comics and costumes.

Halifax, NS (Inactief) – veterans R awesome

2014-10-28T00:00:00Z

Like all Halloweens celebrations that merit the adjective ‘awesome’, there was laughing, there was crying, and there was a giant wad of cash. It was awesome. Although this year’s festivities ended in tears, these were not the tears of manic children crashing on the other side of a candy-induced sugar high; these were tears of Awesome. As pirates, ballerinas, and gorillas roamed free in the mall food court this October 31rst, the Awesome Foundation embraced the trick or treat spirit to bring this month’s submission winner a treat of $1000 cash in a sneaky way. It was a sunny afternoon in downtown Halifax, and the Awesome team hatched a plan around a café table in Scotia Square to present Danny Brophy with his prize money. Subtly approaching Danny and his unsuspecting entourage, the crew began to loudly discuss the subject of veterans, photography, and of course, awesome, until they were noticed and removed their overcoats to reveal AF shirts, exposing their true identities as emissaries of Awesome! Why veterans and photography? Danny Brophy is the son of a Korean war veteran, and he had a dream. A dream that after much deliberation AFH unanimously selected out of the finalists submissions to make a reality. Ever since Danny took a portrait of his father not long before he died, and saw for the first time, “a map of his life on his face”, he had a dream to take portraits of the veterans in Halifax Veterans hospital for them and their families. He said that the cost to his time and talent is “a small price compared to the freedom they have given us”, but he needed Awesome’s support to pay for printing and frames. When Danny’s submission surfaced, the timing turned out to be perfect for Danny to engage supply businesses who wanted to help with his idea. And as further serendipitous circumstances would have it, the hospital contacted Danny asking him to come in on this very Remembrance Day to take his portraits! Danny had had his doubts about meeting the mysterious and unidentifiable Awesome strangers in the food court, but when he met the smiling team who told him and his friends that it was the picture of his father that had caused them to choose his idea, he was overjoyed and moved to tears (a contagious swell of emotion that left 66% of people present in tears as well). It was of course, nothing short of awesome. The Awesome Trustee’s continue to make it rain one grand every month, creating thousandollianaires out of deserving citizens to make Halifax more happy and the average more awesome. This month was no different. Neither is next month. Submit your awesome ideas to the website, or you can sit in the food court to see if someone approaches you with a thousand dollars. It could happen.

Nairobi (Inactief) – Functional Education to Learning Disabled Children

2014-10-28T00:00:00Z

When a child in school is constantly pulling the tail in their class, we all too easily resign to the fact that they are probably “not clever” at best or at worst, that they are lazy and refuse to work. After all those with handicaps are easily identifiable and there are numerous programs and schools to manage those with special needs. But learning disability (LD) is a very real challenge that affects thousands of children who are forgotten because of labels that we attach to them such as those mentioned above. Irene Kigathi seeks to change that. As a mother with a child with LD, she understands that these are kids who have different skills and may never learn how to read and write using conventional styles, but with different teaching and methods of grading in class, this child will be able to acquire a skill to use later on in life. Because these children learn differently, then they must be taught differently. With a little extra support they can catch up with other kids their age and gain the most out of their schooling. The grant from the Awesome Foundation will help in completing a model centre for children with LD and hopefully have such centres mainstreamed into the regular education pedagogy.

Stockholm (Inactief) – Geek Girl Mini - Kvarnbychix

2014-10-28T00:00:00Z

We are proud to announce that the very first Awesome Foundation Stockholm grant goes to Geek Girl Mini – Kvarnbychix! Geek Girl Mini is all about introducing young girls to alternative future careers and increasing their understanding of the digital world. This project focuses on helping girls that might not have as much access to technology at home as other children in Sweden. Therefore is the first project being introduced in the Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby. The grant from Awesome Foundation Stockholm will support this awesome idea to fund purchases of toolkits such as makey makey and arduinos. It will also make it possible for the girls to get their own Geek Girl Mini – Kvarnbychix t-shirts as they wanted. Congratulations to Karin Nygard who runs Geek Girl Mini and thank you for bringing a brilliant idea to life and showing young girls the possibilities of the digital world!

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – Mobile Cinema

2014-10-27T00:00:00Z

Mobile Cinema is created to drive social change in communities affected by war. DTJ’s localized films and facilitated workshops create a space that encourages encounters between people with opposing views, and generates the possibility for new connections, perspectives and discoveries. DTJ Mobile Cinema programs have tackled issues like reintegrating formerly abducted children into their communities, relieving psychological distress, and reconciling victims and perpetrators. Film builds on the strong narrative storytelling culture in the places we work where people learn from each other through shared lessons that are passed down. Since stories are a universal language, they transcend other teaching tools and are exceptionally powerful instruments for reversing harmful ideologies and engendering cohesion, solidarity and hope.

Moscow (Inactief) – Благотворительный магазин Charity Shop

2014-10-26T00:00:00Z

Charity Shop – место, где покупка брендовой одежды может не только доставлять удовольствие, но и приносить пользу! Это благотворительный магазин, вещи в который может принести любой человек, а прибыль с их продажи будет направлена на помощь нуждающимся. В магазине продается одежда и обувь топовых брендов, книги на английском языке, редкий винтаж и огромное количество бижутерии. На прибыль от продажи одежды магазином было оплачено 100 учебных занятий для подготовки выпускников детских домов к поступлению в колледжи и ВУЗы. А также за время работы были отправлены больше 80 посылок с помощью нуждающимся семьям в 17 регионах.

Miami, FL – Child of this Culture Workshops

2014-10-23T00:00:00Z

Our mission is to foster a positive image of Hip Hop culture (cultural movement developed by Black/Latino youth in the 1970s) by providing free/low cost access to our programs. Armed with the belief that Hip Hop culture offers more enrichment to the youth than the mainstream, we use it to educate, empower and nurture the nation’s youngest citizens. We provide 7 programs for youth in the community that cover a variety of topics & skills related to the Hip Hop culture. These topics include literacy, dance, art, music, nutrition/culture related subjects. Locally, we served over 300+ youth ages 2-18 years old. Our project will provide monthly workshops to Miami community at Wynwood. Our project will consist of 1 hour class session featuring our literacy program combined with an art, music, or dance program. National Geographic recognizes Hip Hop as "the favorite youth culture" in which "justabout every country on the planet seems to have developed its own local rap scene.""CNN.com Jan. 15, 2001". By teaching the elements of Hip Hop culture to youth we can provide them with an authentic alternative to expression, art & wellness. A structured youth (under 12 years old) urban arts program is relatively new to art communities & there is no such program offered in Miami-Dade County, that we are aware of. Some issues we address are child obesity, self esteem, coping during stress and depression i.e. military families w/the stresses of deployments & transition. Local need to increase dance in the community by providing performing opportunities, training, mentoring/hiring of local dance artists. We have been fortunate to partner with several local community organizations. Thus far, we partnered with History Miami Museum, Miami Light Project, Overtown Arts & Music Festival, the International ProAM Games & PATH Summer Academy. Our local sponsors are Adidas Miami, Scratch Academy, Los Tonitos Restuarant, Shots Miami & Raw Miami Entertainment.

Miami, FL – Snack Smart

2014-10-23T00:00:00Z

Snack Smart is an after-school program that teaches kids how to make healthy snacks with what’s available in their neighborhood. In this multicultural city, unfortunately we don’t have a health food store right around the corner from every school or home - but we do have some great ingredients! We understand that sometimes out of convenience mom and dad buy that big box of variety chips at Costco, and that makes an easy snack a day... Snack Smart’s goal is to have kids learn through experience so that they can take this practice back home where will be teaching THEIR parents to eat outside the box! With a variety of ingredients that we purchase from the school’s surroundings, Snack Smart will have kids thinking outside the box to create snacks like apple sandwiches, banana sushi and energy bites! We won't be telling them to NOT eat certain foods, we will simply be shining light on CHOICES! Through 'Kids teaching Kids’, our online recipe and experience channel, students from all districts will be sharing their recipes and the cool ingredients available in their neighborhoods!

Jerusalem - רוח חדשה (Inactief) – טיפוח ושימור אוכלוסיות של דו-חיים שבסכנת הכחדה

2014-10-23T00:00:00Z

בשתי בריכות מים היסטוריות בגינה הקהילתית במוזיאון הטבע בירושלים נתגלו לאחרונה בעלי חיים שנמצאים בסכנת הכחדה בירושלים ובערים רבות אחרות ברחבי הארץ. מדובר בדו-חיים, בעיקר קרפדות ואילניות. פעילי הגינה, שעובדים כולם בהתנדבות, לקחו על עצמם לשקם את שתי הבריכות ולהקים בריכה נוספת, עמוקה יותר, כדי לאפשר לבעלי החיים האלה להתפתח ולחיות במקום בכול עונות השנה. המטרה היא לאפשר לתושבים רבים בירושלים להיחשף לאורחות החיים של בעלי חיים נדירים אלה, בתנאים דומים לאלה ששוררים בטבע. יש לזה חשיבות חינוכית גדולה עבור כול הגילים, כיוון שכך אפשר לא רק לראות את בעלי החיים הנדירים בהתפתחותם, אלא גם להתרשם איך אפשר ליצור גם בסביבה עירונית תנאים מתאימים לדו-קיום בין בני האדם לבין בעלי החיים בטבע. הפרויקט חשוב כמעט לכול אחד - לחובבי בעלי חיים, לחובבי טבע בכלל, למי שמיחזור וקיימות קרובים לליבם, וכן לכול מבוגר וילד שיש להם סקרנות לגלות תופעות ותהליכים חדשים ונדירים בלב העיר הסואנת, ממש קרוב לבית.ת.

Portland, OR – Futel

2014-10-22T00:00:00Z

Futel is a free telephone company. We offer domestic calls, messaging, human interaction, connections to services, and interactive challenges. All services are free of charge and accessible from any Futel telephone. Futel is a cross between a public service, a city-wide art installation, and a confusing artifact. We are inspired by public kiosks, shared experiences, the re-use of discarded technology, and unconventional interactions hidden behind ordinary exteriors. While Futel will always provide a straightforward and easy to use service, we also appreciate how art is formed by constraints, by roundabout paths or unexpected juxtapositions. Towards both goals - usefulness and inspiration - we are installing publicly accessible free payphones. Access to services from the wider telephone network is in development, because we think it will be useful to some of our less privileged users, but the start of any Futel interaction will always be the Futel phone. We currently have one permanent public phone and several temporary phones, we're breaking ground for a second permanent phone this fall, and we've submitted proposals for several other permanent locations. Our phones are armored, weatherproof, and maintenance free - they just need internet access and a solid place to attach them.

Ottawa – Ottawa City Woodshop

2014-10-22T00:00:00Z

October’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Michael Grigoriev to support the Ottawa City Woodshop, a community woodshop being established in downtown Ottawa. “This city was built by the lumber trade,” explains Michael, “but as we grew we lost touch with that past. You’d be hard pressed to find any evidence of the role that wood played in putting Ottawa on the map. There are some exciting maker spaces opening in the city, but woodworking deserves its own unique focus. It’s a craft that I want to help Ottawa discover by providing access to the necessary tools, education, and space.” “A membership-based woodshop will be a very exciting addition to the city’s growing creative community and provide a chance to build a real woodworking culture and identity in Ottawa,” Michael says. “The goal is to lower the costs and level of intimidation while increasing the accessibility to woodworking — making it possible for people who live in the city, don’t own the tools, and don’t have the space to come out and actually build something.” For updates from Michael as he launches the woodshop, you can sign up at http://signup.ottawacitywoodshop.com. Michael is a local designer and a graduate of Carleton's School of Industrial Design, where he was a teaching assistant in the woodshop. He is also a co-organizer of Creative Mornings Ottawa.

Gloucester, MA – Bridge from School to Workplace

2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

As one response to the IDEA (federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), GHS runs a School-to-Work program. It is part of my job to develop jobs for students. Gloucester employers, e.g., Audrey’s Flower Shop, the Building Center, Cruiseport, and the supermarkets have been generous in providing employment opportunities. Others, e.g., the Open Door, Second Glance, Rose Baker Senior Center, and the YMCA, have hosted students in unpaid internships. As you might expect, not all students who are eager to work have the self-discipline and/or experience to qualify as fully-paid employees. The pilot Bridge from School to Workplace will make Gloucester even more awesome. Small business owners, who have not been able to take on a high school student, will benefit from a set of helping hands. Students who are looking for work will have a first work experience paid for by Awesome Gloucester. Some employers may find that the student’s contribution is valuable enough to offer to pay for a few hours/week out of their own operating budgets. This would be an ideal outcome! I can work it into my schedule to continue to develop the new job sites and to supervise the students we can place there. We are looking to Awesome Gloucester for direct support to the students so they get the satisfaction of earning a wage in exchange for their work. We will evaluate the pilot by interviewing both employers and students, and if deemed successful, we will use this experience as a basis for applying to the Gloucester Education Foundation for a continuation grant.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – Every Child Deserves A Chance At Life

2014-10-20T00:00:00Z

MADIFF has been in partnership with a local orphanage called Le Cris des Enfants (“the Cry of the Children”) in the democratic Republic of Congo. The orphanage has a total of 30 orphans from 3 to 18 years. The orphanage receives help from individuals that supports the orphanage from time to time. Therefore, the orphanage is going through hardship because of the lack of a continuous support from individuals or other entities. However, during an interview with Mr Flamme, the president of the orphanage, he stated that he would rather have the children suffering with him under the same roof than leaving them on the streets. One of the main problems the orphanage is going through is the lack of mattresses. The orphanage has only 3 beds for 30 children. Therefore, some are forced to sleep on the floor. During the cold season, many children complain about the cold. On the other side, those who sleep on the bed also complain because the mattresses are too thin. They often feels pain because of the bed foundations. The project is to buy mattresses for each orphan. Even though we will not be able to buy beds for them, a thick mattress and bed sheets for each will be a great relieve for the staff and the orphans. We care for orphan because they are the future and most of importantly because they are children.

Pittsburgh, PA – Pittsburgh's Smallest Jazz Club

2014-10-20T00:00:00Z

MCG Jazz and I plan to create “Pittsburgh’s Smallest Jazz Club” in an active bus shelter in a Pittsburgh neighborhood. A pedestrian or bus passenger waiting for their bus could enter the shelter, push a button on the wall and embedded speakers and an Ipod would begin playing jazz music from one of MCG Jazz’ Grammy Award winning record label. On the interior walls of the bus shelter’ we would feature awesome images of Pittsburgh’s jazz legends, and a blank “your face here!” space to take a picture of yourself at “Pittsburgh’s Smallest Jazz Club.” Picture this: people are waiting for a bus when one of them pushes the music button. A great swing band tune begins to play. People are tapping their feet. Hips start to sway. Bus patrons are smiling. Selfies are being snapped. It’s unlike any bus shelter experience ever. The intent is to promote jazz music as Pittsburgh’s greatest arts export, and to remind people that jazz music (and art) is fun, familiar and everywhere. How exciting to be able to promote America’s oldest art form in such a new and creative way. To promote the idea, Pittsburgh’s Smallest Jazz Club would have its own Facebook page, Instagram account and Yelp location. A press release would be sent to MCG Jazz’ national jazz media list, as well as to the local music and new media. A media event would be planned with assistance from Lamar Outdoor, owner of the bus shelters in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Approval and budget has been received from Lamar for playing music in a shelter.

Boulder, CO (Inactief) – Painting Boulder with Masking Tape

2014-10-20T00:00:00Z

Painting Boulder with masking tape on public buildings, sidewalks, windows and fences. This will be going up almost overnight in a concentrated area. The art that can be created with something so simple as masking tape begs the questions ‘what is art?’ and ‘what really is needed to create art?’ Is it just the ‘idea?’ the ‘execution?’ or the ‘community’ and how they respond to this art action? http://www.pinterest.com/annettelcoleman/masking-tape-art/

Jerusalem - רוח חדשה (Inactief) – עלילות נחלאות

2014-10-19T00:00:00Z

בירושלים כובד ההיסטוריה מסתיר את היומיום. אנו שואפים לחשוף את הנסתר שסביבנו. סיפורים עכשוויים ורלוונטיים של תושבים החיים בנחלאות. את הסיפורים נעבד לסדרה של קומיקסים שיחולקו ברחבי השכונה העיר והארץ. נחלאות נמצאת במרכז ירושלים, אך עברה שינויים מרחיקי לכת בעשרים השנים האחרונות. מפריפריה של עוני ופשע עברה התחדשות והפכה לאחת מהשכונות האופנתיות בעיר. מאות סיורים מגיעים לשכונה כל ימי השנה, ומספרים על משפחת בנאי, על הבוסתן הספרדי, ועל התנור המרכזי שבו כל השכנות בישלו בשבת את סירי הצ'ולנט והחמין. אך נחלאות של היום עודנה נסתרת מהעין, האם נצטרך לחכות חמישים שנה עד שיספרו על מה שקורה היום? הקרבה לשוק, האדריכלות המיוחדת, מפגש האוכלוסיות, השכנים, הצלילים והטעמים יוצרים מרקם חד פעמי, אוירה יחודית שתופסת את המהות של משהו ישראלי כל כך שאולי פעם עוד תהיה אליו נוסטלגיה. כיוון שאנו רוצים לספר את הסיפור העכשווי של השכונה הירושלמית נחלאות, אנו נזקקים לכלי נרטיבי חי ובועט –הקומיקס. החוברות מיועדות בראש וראשונה לקריאה של תושבי השכונה והעיר. אנחנו רוצים ליצור בפורמט נגיש ומזמין, שמדבר גם לנוער וגם למבוגרים, ומתקשר עם תרבות הרחוב. כיוון שרוב הקוראים יכירו את הדמויות והמקומות חשוב לנו שהפרוש הויזואלי של המקומות והאנשים יהיה מוכר, אך מאידך יחדש ויתן פרשנות רעננה של הידוע. הפצת הקומיקסים תהיה בסגנון "נער עיתונים". בנקודות מפתח בשכונות ובירושלים יוצב נער/ת עיתונים ויחלק לעוברים ושבים את ה"סיפור החודשי" בחינם, וכן במרכזים קהילתיים ואירועים פתוחים, ברחוב ובשוק, ויעברו בין חברים ומכרים. לאחר שתושלם הסדרה נדפיס, לסיכום הפרויקט, אוסף של כל הקומיקסים יחדיו בפורמט של ספר בכריכה קשה, אותו נמכור בירושלים, בחנויות קומיקס ברחבי הארץ, וכן באתר האינטרנט שנקים לפרויקט. במסגרת הפרויקט אנו משתפים פעולה עם מנהל קהילתי לב העיר, ומארגנים מעגל סיפורים חודשי בבית הקפה של המנהל. אנו מחפשים מימון ממקורות כגון מפעל הפיס, הקרן לירושלים, רוח חדשה ועוד. כמו כן, זהו פרויקט המשך לסדרה קטנה יותר שהתקיימה בשכונת קרית יובל בתמיכת רוח חדשה. ניתן לראות שניים מתוך רבעיית קומיקסים בקישורים - http://issuu.com/colorful-courier/docs/story_monster_1/8 http://issuu.com/colorful-courier/docs/story_monster__2/8

Seattle, WA – Back-To-Work Kit!

2014-10-19T00:00:00Z

We believe that work promotes independence, provides self-confidence, and removes people from isolation, thus leading to a happier and more joyful life. Although we are a small organization, we make a significant impact in the local community. We attribute our success to our unique approach that combines a warm, homelike environment with a caring, dedicated staff. While we provide quality services that produce remarkable outcomes, there are unmet needs that individuals searching for jobs in the community have. Our services, compassion, and knowledge seem limited when our job seekers in the community struggle with not being able to meet basic needs. Many of the youth and adults with whom we work, have learned basic computer skills, and job seeking skills through our services. However they have no means to buy deodorant, or a pair of dress socks for their job interview. Our participants in the Social Skills Group learned with much patience socially acceptable ways to interact with people, and received training in the community during work try-outs with various employers; however, they do not have basic hygiene items such as shaving lotion or razors, shampoo, or soap, that would help them get a clean look for the right interview. Job seekers often miss out on the opportunity to show employers that they have the necessary skills for the job, because of a bad first impression. Therefore, we thought of a Back-To-Work Supply List that encompasses basic items that a job seeker would need during the job search process; an idea that we hope to turn into a real project with the help of the Awesome Foundation, a project that can inspire and bring communities together in spreading hope and encouragement. A Back-to-Work Kit can make a difference by helping individuals make a good first impression on a job interview! Because a fresh shave, a tie, or the right socks, can get you hired! These details can turn an opportunity into a new beginning and a chance to a better life!

San Antonio, TX – Guerilla Haiku with GirlZone

2014-10-17T00:00:00Z

I have been traveling to San Antonio the last two years partnering with Artpace for their Chalk It Up San Antonio event. (Which is also AWESOME ;-) My goal when I am in residency in a new city is to find communities and neighborhoods that don't often get seen or heard from and to give them an opportunity to share their stories. This leads me to group homes, homeless shelters, after-school programs, and elder care facilities. Once I am in these spaces, I facilitate opportunities for the participants to share their story in seventeen syllables and get other people in their community to write WITH them. The result of every event is an experience of connection within a community, stranger to stranger, and a set of photos of people's poetry IN the places and WITH the people that inspired those poems.

Kingston – Happy Soul Project

2014-10-16T00:00:00Z

We do a wide variety of project's at Happy Soul Project but our focus is these 3 Initiatives: - Painting Outside the Lines- helps fund our artist with special needs who make all our signs in our store.. http://www.shophappysoulproject.com/pages/paint-outside-the-lines - Awesome Eh? Acts - helps show others there is hope & happiness out there with random acts of kindness that ideally leave people with nothing left to say but Awesome Eh... http://www.happysoulproject.com/p/awesome-eh.html#.Uwz49_ldV8E And our Kick-Cancer's-Arse Capes - helps give a little extra strength to kids fighting cancer with a personalized cape and care package. We have sent over 300 capes worldwide and have a growing waiting list of kids in need... http://www.happysoulproject.com/2014/04/kick-cancers-arse-capes.html

New York City, NY – The Dreary Coast

2014-10-14T00:00:00Z

The Dreary Coast is an original, site-specific immersive work that takes place on the Gowanus Canal from October 14th - November 1st. Imagine the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at night in the middle of a crumbling industrial neighborhood. Our story centers on the character Charon, the boatman on the River Styx. It's got elements from Greek and Roman myths, pieces of Dante's Inferno, and blasts of black metal. It's a tragedy. And it's very funny. Two small audiences will see our show every night, encountering actors and performers at bridges, docks, and buildings along the canal and throughout the neighborhood. Our crew will blur the edge between landmarks in the neighborhood and the mythic locations of our story. Audiences will complete that transformation themselves. There are still wild places in New York, and we think artists should be out there imagining them. Tickets are available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/883620

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – Spawn of The Gerrymander

2014-10-13T00:00:00Z

We all learned about “gerrymandering” back in middle school, thanks in part to that famous 19th century illustration that depicted politically manipulated voting-district boundaries into a contorted monster. This project draws inspiration from that classic illustration — one of the most effective infographics of all time. The goal: Draw fresh attention to the contemporary manipulation of congressional-district boundaries for political reasons. The problem is more acute than ever, with contorted districts drawn to assure incumbent parties stay in power, exacerbating ideological polarization and legislative gridlock. The strategy: Five illustrators devise relatable visualizations of the unnatural shapes of five blatantly “gerrymandered” Congressional districts in 2014. These “Spawn of the Gerrymander” will arrive in the fall, when the mid-term elections are in the news. They’ll take the form of animated GIFs that could spread through social media and reach a wider audience than wonkier treatments of the issue. The need: Most visualizations of gerrymandered districts these days are crude and unmemorable. (For more on that and why it matters, please see my Design Observer essay, “Seeing The Problem”: http://observatory.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=381.) In short: Think of this project as creating a five-headed sequel to a landmark illustration. Who knows what creatures today’s grotesquely drawn districts will inspire?? I have a great platform: DesignObserver.com, is on board, and has a wide online and social-media audience. I also have relationships with a slew of highly talented and well-known illustrators conversant in the animated-GIF format. The status: I have been in conversation with The Sunlight Foundation and other non-partisan groups to identify the most-gerrymandered districts. This reporting/research component of the project is nearing completion. With Design Observer on board, it’s almost time to start approaching contributing artists.

Yerevan – Օդապարուկների օր /День воздушных змеев/ Kite day

2014-10-12T00:00:00Z

Հոկտեմբեր ամսվա երկրորդ կիրակին համարվում է օդապարուկների միջազգային օր (Всемирный день воздушных змеев (World Kite Day): Այդ օրը օդապարուկների սիրահարները դեպի երկինք են ուղարկում իրենց թռչող "բարեկամներին": Ես կարծում եմ, որ կարելի է շատ արդյունավետ օգտագործել մեր երկրի բնակլիմայական պայմանները` մասնավորապես քամիները: Եթե այլ վայրերում սպասում են թե երբ քամի կլինի, ապա Գեղարքունիքի մարզի Արտանիշ գյուղի մոտ քամու անջատիչը փչացած է և լավ քամի կա միշտ: Կարծես բնությունն ինքն է թելադրում կազմակերպել գեղեցիկ օդապարուկների փառատոն: Իմ առաջարկն է Արտանիշ գյուղի մոտակայքում գտնվող լայնատարած դաշտում անցակացնել օդապարուկների փառատոն, որին կմասնակցեն տարբեր տարիքի տասնյակ ու հարյուրավոր մարդիկ: Գույնզգույն օդային կերպարները կզարդարեն երկինքը: Մեր կողմից կպատրաստվեն տասնյակ օդապարիկներ և կտրամադրվեն մասնակից երեխաներին: Մարդիկ կմասնակցեն նաև իրենց օդապարուկներով: Կամավորները երեխաներին կսովորեցնեն ինչպես օդապարուկներին պարեցնել երկնքում: Մրցանակներ կխաղարկվեն մի քանի անվանակարգերում` ամենաերիտասարդ մասնակցին, ամենամեծ օդապարուկն ունեցողին և այլ… Սա կնպաստի ժամանցային նոր կուլտուրայի ձևավորմանը մեր հասարակության մեջ: Նմանօրինակ միջոցառումը կարող է դառնալ լավ ավանդույթ Արտանիշ գյուղի համար` որպեսզի այն էլ ունենա իր ամենամյա գեղեցիկ և ինքնատիպ փառատոնը:

Orlando, FL – Artists of Orlando

2014-10-10T00:00:00Z

This project photographically documents artists of Orlando, FL, from filmmakers, to painters, to photographers, to writers, who have committed themselves to their work full-time, for better or worse, with no other source of income. Each photo presents an artist posing in their studio / work space with something specific to their work, such as a paint brush, or a camera, or a pencil. This project will be presented to the public in a gallery space in the Orlando area.

Austin, TX – Bilingual books for kids, by kids

2014-10-10T00:00:00Z

With the help of the Awesome Foundation, Jennifer Siviter and her eighth-grade students at Harmony Science Academy North Austin are embarking on a dual-language project with a dual mission. Over the course of the year, her students will collaborate to write, illustrate, translate, and publish books in a variety of genres. These books will then be distributed to children in local immigrant holding centers who crossed the border seeking refuge in the United States. “Many of these children have nothing, and I would like for my students to create books that will act as companions for them in their difficult times,” Siviter says. “Not only will this be a beautiful thing to do for others, but it will empower my English-language learners. They will be actively involved in translating and maintaining the bilingual story-making process.”

Lusaka (Inactief) – The “Growing With A Tree” Campaign

2014-10-09T00:00:00Z

The idea is to imprint (without indoctrinating) ideals of environmental stewardship, on to the impressionable minds of little children by giving them an active hand in environment restoring practices; in this particular instance tree planting. The campaign seeks to cultivate a sense of care and encourage children to grow and nurture what we choose to call a 'green conscience' by participating in the "Growing With A Tree" campaign. The campaign which targets children from the ages of four (4) to nine (9) will see us going from school to school, engaging pre-schoolers and children from grades one (1) to six (6) to plant a tree and look after it or rather 'GROW WITH IT' over the period of their scholastic stay. This gives the children the chance to not only imitate good green practices but will provide them with a sense of ownership and will encourage them to adopt an attitude of care for the environment. Trees (seedlings) planted will be of various genome; they will include fruit trees, medicinal trees like Moringa and indigenous or exotic species such as Eucalyptus and Pinus. The seedling will be planted within or alternatively around the perimeter of the school. The "Grow With A Tree" campaign aims to involve as many individuals in their formative years as possible, we seek to engage children in as many schools as will allow and our target will be to plant at least 500 trees at the little hands of our future generation by the end of the year.

LA South Bay, CA (Inactief) – Garden Therapy Recovering Homeless Veterans

2014-10-09T00:00:00Z

/This project is specifically to benefit our garden therapy program for the homeless veterans at the US VETS Initiative Veterans Villages Recovery Center at Century Villages at Cabrillo Shelter community in Long Beach, Ca. Our garden was started by one homeless veteran in 2012 who was growing watermelons in a field of trash between abandoned military barracks set for demolition. The shelter is set in industrial west Long Beach between two oil refineries. OUr garden now employs three veterans and provides food and holiday celebrations for the veterans and children and other homeless shelters on site. http://occupational-therapy-advanceweb.com/Multimedia/Occupation-in-Action-Photo-Gallery/Veterans-Gardening-Project.aspx

Miami, FL – Emojig

2014-10-08T00:00:00Z

Emojig.com is a caregiving marketplace for finding senior care. Caregivers right now are underpaid and underutilized. Traditional Home Care Agencies charge families $20-25 and pay caregivers $8-10 dollars. Most caregivers live on the poverty line; our website helps solve this issue. Caregivers can charge their own fees in a marketplace setting selling their services to families who need them. The aging population is one that is constantly growing and by 2030, 20% of the American Population will be 65+. For most families getting in-home care is affordable alternative to other forms of care. The big problem is that it’s difficult for families and seniors to find caregivers. Families want to find trusted sources for getting caregivers we provide this by creating a bridge for vetted caregivers and families to connect. Our website acts as a connective tool for families and caregivers to find one another. Emojig is a resource that can bind the in-home care industry assisting every family looking for care by making senior care services more accessible. My college roommate and I have dedicated this summer to working on this project. I personally come from a family filled with caregivers and my roommate shares a story of having a hard time finding senior care for his grandmother. We’ve taken our stories and created a solution for families and caregivers to find one another.

Miami, FL – LEARNerds

2014-10-08T00:00:00Z

We started LEARNerds as a blog to help sharpen our minds while brushing up on fundamental STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) knowledge. Presented in an engaging bite-sized daily question format with thorough explanations, the blog soon found a growing audience - other STEM professionals who also felt rusty. Many voiced a desire to continue learning and exercising their analytical & problem-solving abilities. Talking with our audience, we discovered some had tried other ways to challenge themselves (Khan Academy, Udacity, Coursera). But the time commitment those courses required were often too overwhelming. These professionals found it hard to study for hours after finishing a hectic full day of work. Eventually, they would burn out, and never complete the learning goals they had set out for themselves. We then realized - the learning material wasn’t what hindered our users, it was how they approached learning & making progress. Our audience has repeatedly told us that they enjoy our bite-sized dosage of learning & problem-solving. Many have made it a morning routine - a way to jumpstart their brain before beginning the day’s work. Others enjoy taking their “doses” in between meetings, chores, commutes or even as a short break. We see LEARNerds as a place where STEM professionals can regularly come to exercise, learn and hone their problem-solving skills in manageable chunks. The STEM fields are all about solving problems. If we can further empower this group of problem-solvers to better do what they love, then the potential impact can be huge. If selected for this grant, this opportunity will enable us to put funds towards developing the website into its next iteration. We’re aiming to create a website with high-quality content geared towards working professionals, utilizing gamification techniques and adaptive learning. In the coming month, we will also be applying to join start-up accelerators.

Rio de Janeiro (Inactief) – Urbanidades - Percepções afetivas na cidade

2014-10-07T00:00:00Z

Um projeto para abraçar a alma das ruas e criar percepções afetivas acerca das cidades, estimulando a co-criação de soluções mais humanas para os espaços urbanos. Através de um laboratório multidisciplinar que junta antropologia reversa, urban watching, design thinking e curiosity couture, o objetivo é estimular um olhar afetivo sobre a cidade, que se desdobre em práticas urbanas sustentáveis, replicáveis e agregadoras. Os workshops de antropologia livre do Say It Loud chegam ao Rio de Janeiro com a temática urbana, depois de 5 rodadas em São Paulo, onde mais de 50 pessoas vivenciaram a prática da antropologia aplicada ao cotidiano e levaram para casa o toolkit de introdução ao pensamento antropológico. This is a project to embrace the soul of the streets and create affective perceptions of cities, stimulating co-creation of human centered solutions for urban spaces. Through a multidisciplinary lab that combines reverse anthropology, urban watching, design thinking and curiosity couture, the goal is to stimulate an emotional view through the city, which unfolds in sustainable, replicable and collective urban practices. The anthropological’s Say It Loud workshops come to Rio de Janeiro with the urban focus, after five rounds in Sao Paulo, where more than 50 people experienced the practice of anthropology applied to everyday life and took home the toolkit introduction to the anthropological thought.

Liverpool (Inactief) – Disco-Scouse

2014-10-07T00:00:00Z

Disco-Scouse will be a joyful, communal food event that brings awareness to food waste and poverty. The simple ethos is to create a big, free meal out of donated food, whilst having a cool disco-boogie! Disco-Scouse will bring people together in a creative, meaningful, focussed and fun activity, with a great process and brilliant outcome for all involved. Volunteers and members of the public will come together in Toxteth to wash, peel, chop, cook fresh but unwanted vegetables, donated by local farms, allotments and food producers, to make delicious scouse for all who come along! The meal will be prepared to music provided by funky food DJs, encouraging a dance celebration whilst making a taste sensation! Disco-Scouse is based on Disco-Soup - the international grassroots movement that catalyses action on food waste and works to “fill bellies, not bins”, with a Liverpool twist. We tried out a Disco-Soupe pilot in March, which worked amazingly well. Together, we made loads of soup and salad and fed approx 200 people. We think it would be great to do Disco-Scouse during Food for Real festival (November 20th-23rd) as it will be part of a wider food-focussed series of events, with greater opportunity to publicise it to as wide an audience as possible. We'd also like to make a short film about the event to share even wider. We think it would be awesome to make a Disco-Scouse for up to 500 people!

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – Creating Butterflies

2014-10-06T00:00:00Z

Our awesome project is called Creating Butterflies. You know the saying- Just when the caterpillar thought her world was over…she became a butterfly. We help women who are breastless become butterflies with breast reconstructlon. We transform lives and wish we could do more and do them faster to eliminate our growing wait list for survivors, This testimonial from a client we helped tells it all: Brenda Wiley(IN) I feel as though I won the reconstruction lottery! What an amazing journey this has been so far. I feel so blessed to have been donated my surgery with the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery in New Orleans and with Dr. Scott Sullivan. Without My Hope Chest, I would not have ever been able to have this done…..and I feel better than ever. It is such a great thing to have somewhere to turn for help when there seems to be no options at all.

New Orleans, LA (Inactief) – The New Orleans Youth Open Mic

2014-10-06T00:00:00Z

A local collective of poets who wanted to use their art to connect with and create literary and performance opportunities for local youth started the New Orleans Youth Open Mic (NOYOM) in the spring of 2014 . Despite having a vibrant pre-Katrina youth spoken word scene (including NOLA’s own Brave New Voices slam team, a youth poetry team made up of youth who compete nationally with other youth slam teams), youth poetry has yet to return to the city in the same capacity after the storm. NOYOM is our attempt at bringing it back. Open to 7th-12th grade students in any New Orleans school, NOYOM provides a stage and space for young people to explore themselves as writers, to share their writing and experiences with peers, and to support one another in their artistic endeavors. NOYOM currently takes place on the 3rd Wednesday of every month in the Lavin Bernick Student Center of Tulane University. We currently have partnerships with the Tulane Black Student Union who provide us with free space to host our monthly shows and the New Orleans Public Library who set up tables with free books and reading materials for all students in attendance at the open mics. This year, NOYOM would like to expand our programming and create additional partnerships in order to provide more opportunities for local youth including, but not limited to: -Writing and Performance workshops for youth taught by local teaching artists -The establishment of Spoken Word Clubs in local high schools who currently do not have them -The re-creation of a Brave New Voices youth slam team to represent New Orleans on the national youth spoken word scene NOYOM has the capacity to impact youth in New Orleans in multiple ways by providing them a space outside of an academic context to explore writing and themselves as young persons. The workshops and additional programming that this grant would make possible would go a long way in assuring that NOYOM develops from being just an open mic.

Philadelphia, PA – Uber Street Organic Co-Op

2014-10-03T00:00:00Z

Our project is a hydroponic irrigation system that can increase the Uber Street Organic Garden's crop yield. Hydroponics is the process of growing plants in a nutrient/water solution as opposed to the standard 'plant in the ground' method. The nutrients involved are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Because the plants are being fed nutrients directly, they don't have to expend energy on making their own food and can spend more effort growing, resulting in the crops growing faster and healthier. In order to procure water in a completely green system, we are attaching a stormwater collection tank that will catch all rainwater and allow a pump to circulate the water along with the nutrients through our PVC constructed system. In addition, the pump will be solar powered, making our hydroponic system 100% self-sustaining and environmentally friendly. We also hope to build a shed that will house tools and the stormwater collection tank and have a rain gutter that will catch most rainwater in its vicinity and direct it into the tank. The shed will also have the solar panel fixed on top of the roof and pitched at an angle that will gain the maximum amount of sunlight every day. According to our calculations, our entire system can go eight consecutive cloudy days on its own.

Philadelphia, PA – Unmanned aerial systems for precision agriculture

2014-10-03T00:00:00Z

When I was growing up, there was never much food in the house. I grew up in a relatively rural area that lacks in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics opportunity, and was diagnosed with a chronic connective tissue disorder at birth; when my father left my family, my mother was crippled with medical bills and other living expenses. I know what it's like to struggle, and I knew when I took an interest in robotics in eighth grade that I had to help others overcome hunger. By the year 2050, we're projected to need an 80% or higher increase in crop yield to sustain the global population--and even now, there's a hunger crisis going largely unaddressed, especially in developing countries. Though we may be running out of space for more farmland due to our rapidly growing population, we can massively increase the efficiency of existing farms through precision agriculture. One of the most effective methods of precision agriculture can be achieved by utilizing robotics--both on the ground and on land. Blending my experience contracting and subcontracting for NASA and the United States Navy, I've been developing an unmanned aerial system for applications in precision agriculture for over a year now. My system has been shown to increase crop yield up to six times, proving to be business-viable for both small business to enterprise farmers. I know what it's like to go hungry. I'm working to end the very demon I was burdened with throughout childhood; no one should have to go to bed hungry.

Sarnia (Inactief) – Global Citizenship Summit

2014-10-03T00:00:00Z

Our AWESOME project is set up to foster relationships between all students at Lambton College and the community by encouraging all in attendance to step outside their own culture and customs in order to identify themselves as being part of a global identity. This is a multicultural event that promotes a world community where one's actions are interdependent and whole-here and around the world! GOALS: Bring world views locally. Explore cultural foods Understand different perspectives Enhance cultural competence Bring respect for cultural diversity Promote social justice Invite the community to participate in a culturally diverse event