Awesome Foundation - Projecten

Philadelphia, PA – My graduation project!! (An Awesome Dinosaur)

2015-01-15T00:00:00Z

I'm graduating this year and i love my school, so i was thinking to myself how can i leave my mark on my school? Why not a giant T-Rex right in the middle of the lobby?? So i went to my engineering teachers to see what he thought and he told me its a great idea but ill never get it approved by the principle. The following week i set up an appointment with my principle and got it approved!! I got the spot in the lobby picked out, and all the files ready to go! And the more i think about this dinosaur the more i want to finish it, then my principle came up with the idea to put the class of 2015 names on it and I'm extremely excited to get my awesome project on the road!

Philadelphia, PA – Philly #popscope: Public Astronomy Education

2015-01-15T00:00:00Z

Philly #popscope is the newest incarnation of #popscope, a public astronomy movement launched in Canada’s national capital, Ottawa, last year with support from the Awesome Ottawa Foundation. #Popscope aims to bring astronomy to urban residents and bring communities together by hosting free, “pop-up” astronomy sessions. Having achieved success in Ottawa last year by hosting dozen events that engaged diverse populations across the city, we hope to expand this movement to Philadelphia. Philadelphia #popscope would build on the Ottawa model, but with a stronger emphasis on science education for Philadelphia public high school students. Severe funding cuts have hurt enrichment and extra-curricular programs at Philadelphia public schools. Low-income students in the United States also receive limited science education compared to their more affluent peers. Four monthly #popscope events are planned for 2015, beginning beginning in March. Through Twitter and Facebook, we will announce the location and date of each public #popscope session. The majority of pop-up astronomy events will be held during the night; however, to permit families and children to participate, we will also host day-time events using a solar filter. Our monthly #popscope events be held in a variety of locations across the city so that that all Philadelphians are given an opportunity to come together and learn about astronomy. The second, complementary part of Philly #popscope is an astronomy education partnership between faculty and students of Penn Astronomy department and Sayre High School in West Philadelphia. We will organize visits from astronomy faculty and students to meet with teachers and their students. The visits may inspire students to engage in amateur astronomy and consider academic and career options in STEM fields. Around these visits, #popscope will donate astronomy education materials, and, as weather permits, will organize an after school day-time solar observation session.

San Antonio, TX – AME Collaborative Pop Up Art Space

2015-01-15T00:00:00Z

The AME Collaborative was established by Michele Jacob, who worked with the OPEN initiative to activate downtown and raise awareness of the vacant properties available during the month of December. Alongside 8 other artists, we were able to attract downtown residents, visitors to San Antonio and those that work downtown will have an exciting opportunity to support local artists and help authenticate downtown as a vibrant urban space for art in public spaces while eliminating the emptiness of these vacant buildings. AME Collaborative wishes to establish themselves at 115. E. Travis in the Milam Buildings until the space is rented out. The pop-up space will be open at set hours and offer receptions and programming throughout the duration of the exhibitions, offering amenities and experiences in spaces which would otherwise be left vacant during this time. AME will act as a working collaborative studio and art space featuring local artists with art to sell as well. A time-lapse of the work produced in the space will be on view at the storefront window for bystanders to view, engaging them at all times. This space will be activated with free programming, public events: artists talks, zine parties, music, and more. The partnership is between the landlords, the participants and exhibiting artists. There will be media coverage and we would love to share the Awesome SA message and support through all of our outlets and in our space as this initiative is truly awesome for activating downtown and addressing the issues of Vacancy in our most significant parts of our downtown core. Travis Park will be steps away, as well as the river walk. With this grant we will be able to activate vacant downtown storefronts and underutilized spaces by introducing visually dynamic art installations and happenings to attract the public downtown to experience art. We would love to be a stop for Contemporary Art month happening in March 2015 offering programming the entire month!!

Boulder, CO (Inactief) – The Untitled Book

2015-01-13T00:00:00Z

Wonderbound is delighted to be engaging in a new partnership with the Highland City Club to offer Boulder residents a new artistic experience. Wonderbound and the Highland City Club will present an innovative, audience-participatory work titled "The Untitled Book" in the Highland City Club’s foyer. Inspired by the art of Edward Gorey, the work is choreographed by Wonderbound Artistic Director Garrett Ammon and features music by The Tiger Lilies and Kronos Quartet.

Boulder, CO (Inactief) – Queen Christina of Sweden Concert

2015-01-13T00:00:00Z

Seicento presents the story of Queen Christina of Sweden through narration and music. Declared a boy at birth, relabeled as a girl the following day, then raised to be “king” of Sweden during the mid-1600s, flamboyant Christina left a trail of ambiguous controversy that persisted throughout her life: dressing, talking and comporting herself as a man; spawning rampant rumors of trysts with both female subjects and robed clergymen; appropriating her nation’s riches for her own use; and betraying the religion for which her father and countless countrymen died. But the music, art and scholarship Christina inspired and commissioned remains a pure testament to her multi-faceted life and journey from austere, frigid Lutheran Sweden to lush, warm Catholic Rome. In this project, we weave contemporary conjecture with historical fact in an original script by Boulder’s Becca Tice. The story will be accompanied by gorgeous musical works by composers Christina knew and loved: Scarlatti, Corelli, Gesualdo, Albrici. This fascinating queen ended the 30 Years War, but was called the "naughty daughter" and remembered for controversies-- her abdication, sexual preferences, attempts to become queen of Naples and Poland, and her sexual identity (her body was exhumed in 1965 and tested for signs of intersexuality with inconclusive results). The story is narrated by Jean Hodges, retired drama teacher for Boulder H.S. and the National President of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians & Gays). Alto Marjorie Bunday will be the voice of Christina; Soprano Abbi Chapman is "Belle" Sparre, Christina’s lady-in-waiting and lover; and internationally known tenor, Steven Soph, a Boulder resident, plays Christina’s confidant, advisor and male lover, Cardinal Azozlino. A pre-concert talk will consider the implications of a LGBTQ life in the 1600s, contrasted with the experience today. We will also offer academic insights o the music of the period and Christina's place in history.

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactief) – מרכז צעירים רחובות (שם זמני)

2015-01-12T00:00:00Z

הדבר הראשון והמרכזי ביותר כדי להגביר את האחריות של האנשים על סביבתם היא חיזוק תחושת השייכות. הקמת מעגלי שייכות מתרחבים שבסופם יחברו את בן האדם לקהילה הגדולה. אם בעבר הקשר בין היחיד למשפחה ובין המשפחה לקהילה היה מאוד ברור, כיום ברור לנו שהקשר הזה נחלש עד נעלם. כראיה לכך, איש או אישה צעירים (25-35) ברחובות, יכולים להעביר שבועות שלמים בין הלימודים לעבודה לבית לבית הקפה\פאב. יוצא מכך, ששום דבר לא מאמת אותם או מפגיש אותם עם מעגל שייכות אמיתי (שהוא יותר רחב מהבית שלהם). השאלה שעולה היא מהו התוכן של אותו מעגל שייכות. אנחנו מאמינים שבן אדם צריך להיפגש עם אנשים מהקהילה שלו סביב האחריות המשותפת על הקהילה, סביב תוכן הומני, סביבתי, חברתי. להתמודד עם שאלות של אי צדק. החלטנו להקים מרכז צעירים במרכזה של רחובות. שכרנו חנות במדרחוב קטן אך מאוד מאוד מרכזי ובימים הקרובים נתחיל לשפץ אותה. מטרת המרכז היא להוות לצעירים מקום מפגש וחיזוק השייכות והאחריות שלהם על הקהילה. הדרך לעשות זאת היא מתן מענה לצורך הבסיסי להיפגש, לצאת מהבית, לשמוע מוזיקה או הופעה אקוטסית טובה, לשתות קפה, להחליף רעיונות, להחליף ספרים, לחפש קצת שקט, לקנות בגדים יד שניה פעם בכמה זמן וכו'. אנחנו ניתן את המקום, את התנאים, את הליווי האנושי ולא נחפש רווח. אנחנו מניחים שהיתרון של לא לחפש רווח, יאפשר לנו לתת מענה אמיתי לצורכי הקהילה. מרכז הצעירים יהיה פתוח רוב השבוע (עוד לא ברור כמה ימים) יהיו בו תנאים לעבודה וללימודים. במקום יתקיימו מפגשים מסודרים של קבוצות לפי נושאים. תתקיימנה הרצאות, הופעות קטנות ומפגשים גדולים בימי שישי בצהריים.

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactief) – Gan Levinsky & Escuelita Girls Group

2015-01-12T00:00:00Z

ספרייתגןלוינסקיוהאסקוליטה הם שני ארגונים אשר הפכו עם השנים למרכזים חברתיים משמעותיים לשתי קבוצות של נערות אשר חיות בדרום בת"א. לספרייה מגיעות נערות פליטות ומהגרות ממדיניות אפריקה, ולאסקוליטה נערות להורים מהגרים מאמריקה הלטינית. הנערות פוקדות את כל אחד מהארגונים בקביעות, מספר פעמיים בשבוע וניתן לומר שהוא משמש להם כמסגרת בטוחה, מכילה ומקבלת לאחר שעות הלימודים. ביולי 2013 פנתה אלינו האמנית לוסיאנה קפלון והציעה לעשות פרויקט משותף לשני הארגונים עם הנערות שמגיעות לכל ארגון. הגשנו יחד איתה בקשה למלגת "אמן בהקהילה" ולשמחתנו הבקשה התקבלה. מנובמבר החלה לוסיאנה לעבוד עם הנערות. מטרתו של הפרויקט היא לתת מקום לכל אחת מהנערות לבוא לידי ביטוי עצמי דרך כלים אמנותיים, תוך כדי גיבושן של הבנות סביב מטרה קבוצתית משותפת. הקבוצה מעניקה למשתתפות חוויה תומכת ומחזקת, ובמהלך המפגשים מתאפשר לנערות לבחון נושאים ומושגים שונים כמו פרטיות, מגדר, פמיניזם, קהילה, זהות (זהות היברידית אפריקאית/לטינית-ישראלית), המרחב הסובב אותי, הגוף והריקוד כביטוי תרבותי-פוליטי ועוד. דרך הכלים האמנותיים מצליחה לוסיאנה ליצור קבוצה שפועל יחד כ"צוות הפקה", כשהמטרה הסופית שלהן היא לצלם ולהפיק ווידיאו קליפ אשר משקף את תחומי העניין של הבנות. עבודת הווידיאו שלהן תוצג בתערוכה במרכז לאמנות עכשווית בת"א בחודשי הקיץ. במהלך הפרויקט כל משתתפת בקבוצה מתמקדת בתחום אחר בהפקה: צילום, תאורה, תפאורה, סטיילינג, ריקוד, ארט וכו', זאת על מנת לעודד את הביטוי העצמי של כל אחת מן הנערות בקבוצה ומתן מענה לתחומים שמעניינים ומסקרנים אותה. בחודשים הראשונים של הפעילות התמקדה הקבוצה ביצירת אמון וסולידריות קבוצתית בין הבנות. בנוסף, נערכו מספר מפגשים וסדנאות עם אמנים מתחומים שונים: גלעד רטמן (סדנת תאורה), יוחאי מטוס (סדנת אמנות רחוב וגרפיטי), הגר אופיר (סדנת סטייליניג ועיצוב תלבושות) ועלמה יצחקי (ציירת, סדנת רישום). בנוסף, ביקרו הבנות במרכז לאמנות עכשווית וצפו ב"דקה דאנס" של להקת המחול בת שבע. המפגשים מתקיימים פעמיים בשבוע ובמהלכן הבנות לומדות ומתרגלות טכניקות בצילום ווידאו/סטילס, ריקוד, כריאוגרפיה, עיצוב תלבושות, רישום ועוד. במהלך המפגשים נחשפות הבנות למגוון רחב של פרקטיקות, במטרה להרחיב ולחשוף אותם לאפשרויות חדשות ודרכים נוספות להבעה עצמית.

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactief) – 'כנפיים של קרמבו' – טיול סניף אופקים

2015-01-12T00:00:00Z

עפ"י הדירוג החברתי-כלכלי של הלמ"ס שפורסם בשנת 2013, משתייכת אופקים לאשכול השלישי (מתוך עשרה). העיר סובלת מתת שירותים חברתיים וחינוכיים, במיוחד כאלו שמותאמים לילדים עם צרכים מיוחדים. המצוקות הכלכליות והחברתיות שקיימות ממילא בקרב האוכלוסייה באזור, מועצמות בגין צרכיו של הילד המיוחד והיעדר השירותים עבורו. המשפחות והילדים משוועים למסגרת חברתית כלשהי, בה יוכלו לחוות זמן של כיף וליהנות מחברת בני גילם, עם ובלי צרכים מיוחדים. זהו צורך הכרחי למען התפתחותם הרגשית התקינה של הילדים ולמען ההורים והמשפחות שכורעים תחת הנטל הכלכלי, הפיזי והרגשי. סניף 'כנפיים של קרמבו' באופקים פועל כבר שלוש שנים. פועלים בו 22 חניכים עם מגוון נכויות (CP, אוטיזם, פיגור ותסמונות שונות), ו-55 בני נוער וצעירים מהעיר ומסביבותיה שממלאים תפקידי חונכים וצוות מוביל. חברי הסניף מתכנסים לפעילות מדי יום שני אחה"צ במתנ"ס רבין שבעיר (תרומה של הרשות המקומית) ומקיימים בה פעילות במודל קבוצתי משולב בחונכות אישית. רכזי ההדרכה מתכננים ומעבירים את הפעילות לקבוצה כולה, והחונכים מתווכים את הפעילות לחניכים (לכל חניך שני חונכים קבועים). הפעילויות הן בעלות אופי חברתי, חווייתי וחינוכי, כבכל תנועות הנוער. החניכים מגיעים לפעילות ומוחזרים ממנה באמצעות מערכת היסעים מותאמת ומונגשת במימון התנועה. כל הפעילים, חונכים וחניכים, נדרשים לדמי השתתפות שנתיים סמליים של 200 ₪. התנועה מסבסדת את הפעילים שאין ביכולתם לשלם. בני הנוער אשר פועלים בסניף כחונכים וכחברי צוות מוביל, בחלקם הינם צעירים אשר נשרו ממערכת החינוך ועובדים במהלך שעות הבוקר, אחרים מוגדרים ע"י הרשויות כ"נוער בסיכון". דרך החיבור שלהם לתנועה, הפעילות בסניף, הקשר עם החניכים ובינם לבין עצמם, מתחברים הצעירים הללו חזרה לקהילה בתוכה הם חיים, חווים נתינה מעצמם והעצמה אישית, לומדים מנהיגות ועשייה חברתית וסופגים ערכים של סובלנות, מעורבות קהילתית ושיוויון. הפעילות שלהם כחונכים, משנה את חייהם ומעשירה אותם במידה שאינה פחותה מזו בה היא משפיעה ותורמת לילדים עם הצרכים המיוחדים. תקציב הפעילות השנתי של הסניף הוא 172,811 ₪. הוא נשען בעיקר על תרומות ממקורות שונים (גופים עסקיים, תורמים פרטיים וקרנות) הסניף פועל ללא גוף שתומך בו באופן רציף.

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactief) – הקניון החברתי הראשון

2015-01-12T00:00:00Z

הקניון החברתי הראשון הוא פלטפורמה שמסייעת לעסקים חברתיים ועמותות שיש להם מוצרים ושירותיים סופר איכותיים, להיחשף ו"לקבל הזדמנות" בחברות עסקיות גדולות. החברות הללו מחפשות את האפשרות לרכוש מתנות וציוד מארגונים שיש להם ערך מוסף - אבל שני הצדדים מדברים בשפה שונה, נמצאים בפורומים שונים ומתקשים לתקשר. הקניון החברתי הראשון מציע לעסקים חברתיים ועמותות חשיפה, שיווק וכל המעטפת שנדרשת כך שכל מה שהם צריכים לעשות זה לספק את הסחורה לאחר סגירת העסקה. הדבר חוסך מהם עלויות משמעותיות ומגדיל מאוד את פוטנציאל ההכנסות שלהם. עבור הארגונים העסקיים הקניון מהווה one stop shop למגוון עצום של מוצרים ושירותים, והכל תוך ניהול הקשר עם אדם אחד בלבד ולא עם ארגונים רבים ושונים. הקניון החברתי הראשון מאפשר גם לאנשים פרטיים לבצע קניה חברתית ולרכוש מוצרים איכותיים שיש להם ערך מוסף. בעיננו - הקניון הוא פלטפורמה לשינוי תודעתי רחב ועמוק בחברה הישראלית ולשינוי כלכלי משמעותי בעולם החברתי - עולם המתנות ותווי השי שרוכשים ארגונים עסקיים עבור עובדיהם מגלגל 2.2 מיליארד ש"ח בשנה. אם נצליח להסיט אפילו חלק קטן מכך לעולם החברתי - האימפקט לכך יהיה עצום - ויאפשר לארגונים שמספקים תעסוקה לאוכלוסיות מודרות, לארגונים המקדמים מטרות של סחר הוגן, העצמת נשים, סיוע לבני נוער בסיכון, קידום נושאים סביבתיים ועוד, לממש בצורה טובה הרבה יותר את מטרותיהם. הקניון החברתי הראשון הוקם על ידי, בשיתוף עם מינגה - הזירה לעסקים חברתיים, והושק בספטמבר האחרון. למרות שזהו מיזם בתחילת דרכו ורבות מההנחות שלנו התבררו כלא מדויקות, הצלחנו לייצר עשייה משמעותית בטווח של 10 חודשים. במקביל אנו פועלים במרץ להבין טוב יותר את רצונות השוק, ואנו מרגישים כי כעת אנחנו מוכנים לקפיצת מדרגה - לאחר שהבנו טוב יותר מה מתאים ונדרש - בפרט בפניה לארגונים העסקיים, שרוצים לקבל מענה תפור אישית ומקסימום איכות במינימום מחיר. הדבר דורש מאיתנו הרבה התאמות - ובשל כך אנו פונים אליכם :)

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactief) – חינוך עם חיוך

2015-01-12T00:00:00Z

"חוק חינוך חובה" מקנה זכות לחינוך לכל ילדי ישראל, אך הקריטריונים שנקבעו לחינוך חינם – אינם תואמים לצרכי הילדים. ילדים הסובלים מד"מ מפסידים ימי לימודים רבים ושוהים לא מעט ב"אישפוז ביתי " כפוי ,רוב ימי ההחלמה התקף דיסאוטונומי וההתאששות ממנו יכולים להגיע לשישים יום רצוף . הבידוד מהב"ס , מהחברים , מהסביבה הלימודית המוכרת יוצר פערים גדולים בין התלמיד החולה לשאר הכתה . לבידוד זה השפעה רבה הן מבחינה לימודית והן מבחינה פסיכולוגית חברתית (פגיעה בביטחון העצמי, במודעות העצמית , בהתמודדות הפרט מול החברה ) . פרויקט "חינוך עם חיוך" נותן מענה לימודי, חינוכי וחברתי המתאים לצרכי הילדים בהתחשב בפיזור הארצי ובמצבם הרפואי המשתנה מיום ליום.פרויקט זה כולל מימון תגבור השיעורים הפרטים ( מעבר למה שמסבסדת המדינה), הצמדת מורה פרטי במגוון נושאים לימודיים – ולא במקצוע בודד, מימון שרות פסיכולוגי או טיפולם פרה רפואיים בהתאם להתקדמות וצרכי הילד ועוד מטרות מרכזיות: 1. הקניית ידע וכלים בתחום לימודי לצמצום פערים הנוצרים במסגרת לימודית. 2. חיזוק וטיפוח דימוי עצמי, בטחון אישי והעצמה אישית. 3. הקניית כלים להתמודדות במצבי לחץ ומשבר. 4. פיתוח כישורי חיים ומיומנויות חברתיו

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactief) – Tsevet Lohamim

2015-01-12T00:00:00Z

Tsevet Lohamim is an organization designed to prepare immigrants & potential lone soldiers physically and mentally to join combat units in the IDF. We provide several things: hardcore combat fitness training and a supporting network and community of former lone soldiers and current ones to help new immigrants and provide guidance and personal example to become the best soldiers they can be in the IDF. Today Tsevet Lohamim is an official non for profit organization runned by 13 volunteers who are all former lone soldiers, dedicating their free time every week to provide professional training and a supporting community for drafting lone soldiers in Israel. We train between 40 -60 lone soldiers every year. Our activities take place mostly in Tel Aviv, (ramat aviv beach area). Our members have a very high rate of joining Israels most elite combat units, and they also enjoy being part of a community of friends that stays with them through their service and beyond!

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – Art Barter Mexico

2015-01-12T00:00:00Z

Art Barter is based in London but along the years we have created projects and exhibitions in various locations such as NY, Berlin, London, Istanbul and Madrid. We now would like to take our concept to Mexico to discover its vibrant art scene and talents. The Art Barter project evolves around the concept of bartering for art. The artists, ranging from emerging to established, are all presented as equals with one piece of art each exhibited anonymously.The public are then invited to offer anything for the artworks except for money. In London in 2009, Tracey Emin exchanged 30 hours of French lessons for her monoprint and other creative, romantic or practical exchanges have taken place, from a week-long retreat in South of France; a hand made remote control toy made by a 5 year old; and an undeveloped roll of film. Please do check our website to see all the barters and exchanges made in previous shows. www.artbarter.co.uk. At the end of the exhibition you can find out whose artwork belongs to which artist and all participating artists become part of our worldwide network permanently. The project's aim is to promote younger artists, giving them the opportunity to exhibit their work alongside established names of the contemporary art scene as well as giving the viewers the chance to think about what they have that is unique to offer. Each city that we have taken our concept to has reacted in different ways to the challenge. We have been invited by local artists Laureana Toledo to organise an Art Barter show in Mexico City in February to coincide with the art fair there and we are looking for funding to make this happen. It is important to us to carry on with the Art Barter project and to take it to new destination as it allows us to discover the local art scene, young and established and to widen the community of artists related to the project.

Orlando, FL – Artists for Autism Mural project

2015-01-09T00:00:00Z

Why is creating or connecting art and autism so important? The children have a difficult time expressing what's happening inside of them as a result causes them to become frustrated, throwing their hands, screaming, or hitting. At times, the response from others is confusion and misunderstanding, as to why the child is behaving this way, often causing others to feel as if the child is misbehaving. But through art, the children have an opportunity, a chance to use art as an outlet for proper expression of their feelings. 1. Its a form of therapy, it can provide healing. Art can also play a huge role in the development of language, expression, confidence, motor planning, and fine motor skills. 2.Expression of imagination. For children who have difficulty learning, art can open up a new way to access the curriculum. The creative process can trigger a sense of achievement and an increase in self-esteem. For children with autism or other learning disabilities, art can provide a nonverbal outlet for feelings and emotions. The idea is hand painted murals. They are safer and could last more than pictures. The images and colors can be selected together with the children, designing the mural with their favorite theme. Allow hands-on interaction with the staff and children to take part in the process of each mural. Allow us to make something special for these children to enjoy every day they go to school. These children come from low income living situations and their families can't always afford education luxuries, such as private schools, expensive learning tools, and tutors, each of these elements help them gain Independence and growth. Something simple as a mural will increase the visual sensory and allow them to feel at home and instead of an institute, let us relieve some of the tensions theses children are dealing with inside. "Lets make the outside beautiful and comfortable, so they can work on the inside" - Ashlie Lawson

San Francisco, CA – Oakland students make the future!

2015-01-08T00:00:00Z

Oakland middle school students build wild projects to develop skills, discover their own potential, and explore the possibilities of the wider world. It's hard for many people to imagine how limiting the life of a low-income Oakland kid can be. While teenagers everywhere complain about not having control over their lives, many students at our school experience an entirely different kind of confinement. They have been born into a system that leaves them without safe places to play, without chances to learn what matters to them, without access to clean air and nature, and without even basic nutrition. This sucks. But here's what sucks even more- sooner or later, many of these kids start thinking that there is nothing they can do to change their circumstances and the world they live in. We are teachers at Bret Harte Middle school in Oakland. After school, we volunteer to run a new club we call the Radical Constructivists. The idea is simple: kids build things that matter to them. They work in small or large groups, on teeny or long-term projects, but they all work, and they all use their hands as much as they use their brains. Every student's first challenge is to build a rocket that can fly higher than our school building. Their next project is largely up to them. Our job is to point them toward the right tools and get out of their way. We believe strongly that by making things - by turning ideas and dreams into real, concrete objects - our students are changing the way they see the world and their role in it. Slated projects include compost tumblers, catapults, solar powered water purifiers, land sailors (wind powered buggies), a skin-on-frame canoe, and just maybe an aquaponic herb garden. In so far as possible, we build everything out of scrap, discards, and salvaged material. Turning “trash” into beautiful creations is as powerful an experience as anything we can offer our kids. However, sometimes our student’s dreams exceed the materials we can find in a dumpster. Before receiving this grant, we had no funding for any extra expenses. Here's how we will use the money: First: we want to respond to wildly creative student ideas with “yes”, even when a proposed project requires purchases. We will reserve $600 of the award as a fund for materials. This money should fund 6-12 good sized projects, each involving 3-5 students. Then: we need to acquire more comfortable safety equipment. All we’ve got are horrible 70’s era lab goggles. We will buy 100 comfortable safety glasses at $2.20 each. Finally: we will spend $180 on a locking tool chest to protect donated tools. James Kealey teaches science to 152 seventh graders. He is passionate about designing great curriculum and getting kids as many hands-on experiences as possible. Before teaching, he worked as a carpenter, scientific SCUBA diver, and researcher. Nicholas Gilpinwright teaches special education classes in math and science. He teaches his students by appealing to every sense and learning style. Nick is a maker superstar. If it exists, he can fix it. If it doesn’t exist, he can build it.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – Street Symphony

2015-01-05T00:00:00Z

Street Symphony is a collective of musical humanitarians, dedicated to bringing the healing presence of great music to people living in extreme poverty and disenfranchisement. Since 2011, Street Symphony has performed 160 free, on-site events at homeless shelters, VA's, and County Jails in Los Angeles. Our musicians are some of the best in Los Angeles - members of the LA Phil, singers from the LA Master Chorale, and jazz musicians like Putter Smith (who used to play for Thelonius Monk and Duke Ellington). WIth the great music comes a deeply genuine, profound human connection with people who have been criminalized, ostracized and largely forgotten by our world. At the core, Street Symphony is an act of human service. Street Symphony is more than powerful, beautiful music – it’s an invitation for human connection for those who live on the fringes of our society. Music reminds us all that we still have the capacity to experience something beautiful, and for those who live in the most dehumanized conditions, this can be the beginning of hope. Each Street Symphony event is a dialogue with audience members in the context of a safe, vulnerable space created through music. Street Symphony is a call to action, a call to awareness. We want it to become a vehicle for activism and change - to give voice to marginalized, estranged people who are a very real part of our world. We want Street Symphony to become a bridge to connect deeply caring musicians to the source of their gift - the power to communicate a message of real healing in a world filled with pain. We find that we need this message as much as any of our audiences, that society itself needs this message. In that way, we find ourselves healed by the work of Street Symphony. We want to heal the world. We made the front page of the LA Times California Section in this article by Steve Lopez last month: http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1123-lopez-gupta-20141123-column.html

Atlanta, GA (Inactief) – BioLogue STEM Adventures

2015-01-02T00:00:00Z

The mission of the BioLogue STEM Adventures is to provide girls with the opportunity to engage in free hands-on Science Technology Engineering and Math activities that will spark their interests in the world around them. Youth will have opportunity to explore forensic science, physics, microbiology, chemistry, earth science, microscopy and breast cancer awareness for adults.

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactief) – Equality is the Goal

2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

Equality is the Goal is a boys group focusing on utilizing soccer as a mean for advancing values of an equal and shared society while also promoting education among a group of boys who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. This new group, comprised of 16 boys between the ages 10-12, the boys that will participate in the group are characterized as children at risk; they spend many hours unattended at the Levinski Park exposed to different criminal activity as well as to direct violence, which they are a target of. As a result, it has been extremely difficult for the Garden Library’s volunteers to create meaningful relationships with them, as for the most part these children communicate using violence. Having worked with them during the past few years it became evident that one of the means to establish healthy relationships with these boys is through soccer. Hence the Garden Library teamed up with 'The Equalizer' Israel Sport and Education Initiative, which has been working in numerous marginalized communities across the country, with the goal of utilizing soccer as a mean for advancing values of an equal and shared society. The program consists of soccer practice twice a week with a trained coach, participation in an after school study-center once a week and in a social-political workshop once a week with a trained facilitator, which will focus on issues of their identities, personal stories, rights, etc. In order for the children to participate in the soccer practice and in the monthly national tournaments it is mandatory for them to attend the study-center and the social-political group. Essentially 'The Equalizer' brings into this cooperation all aspects that have to do with soccer while the Garden Library puts forth the facilities and framework for both the study-center and the social-political group. In effect this program will offer these boys a full week of activities, thereby steering them away from spending their time on the streets.

Austin, TX – The Gay Wax Museum

2014-12-31T00:00:00Z

The Gay Wax Museum is a group art show of life-size diorama-style installations depicting moments in queer history — the marvels, despairs, ecstasies, triumphs, bloopers, experiments, possibilities, and cummings-together. The show invites artists from Austin and around the country to explore our stories of past, present, future, real and imagined. The Gay Wax Museum grows from a desire to celebrate the many profound and often ephemeral moments of this lineage and, especially, to honor the stories that often escape representation in mainstream narratives of queer life. Artists are asked to create work that portrays the moments in time that shape and define something of our queer selves. The Gay Wax Museum will happen as part of OUTsider Film & Arts Fest at Salvage Vanguard Theater, February 18-22, 2015. The imagery will be subjective, actual, anecdotal, mythical, iconic, tender, obscene, absurd, ugly, fantastical, and more and more! Artists were chosen because they create work that inhabits this magical continuum and will contribute authentic beauty and radical vision to the project.

Rio de Janeiro (Inactief) – Tão Complexo - Jogo de tabuleiro sobre a Favela

2014-12-31T00:00:00Z

Tão Complexo é um jogo de tabuleiro estratégico e interativo que projeta uma favela típica do Rio de Janeiro, admirada pela sua cultura rica e temida pela violência do que a comunidade sofre. O jogo convida jogadores à conhecer as estruturas locais, aprender delas e pensar em soluções para os problemas do território. 3-6 Jogadores competirão de forma lúdica em 'construir' a favela com melhor qualidade de vida. Uma corrida pelo recém-construído e controverso teleférico na comunidade gera diferentes tipos de situações típicas com quais os jogadores precisam lidar. É óbvio que ao decorrer do jogo diferentes desafios e problemas típicos da Favela ocorrem, dificultando o desenvolvimento da favela. O objetivo do jogo é, de forma lúdica, envolver estudantes de colégio e de universidade, tanto da favela quanto de bairros de classe média e rica, e discutir as potencialidades, os problemas e as soluções destes territórios. ---------- "So Complex" is an interactive and strategic board game about a typical Rio de Janeiro favela, admired for its rich culture and feared because of the violence that assails the community. The game invites players to learn about local structures and think about possible solutions for local problems. Three to six players playfully compete to 'build' the favela, trying to improve its quality of life. A ride on the newly-built and controversial cable car in the community generates different types of typical situations for players to deal with. During the game, different challenges and problems occur in the favela, posing obstacles to its development. The game's objective is to involve high school and university students from the favela and from middle- and upper-class neighborhoods, and get them to discuss the potential, problems and solutions applicable to informal settlements.

Paris (Inactief) – Résidence Artistes au College Balzac

2014-12-31T00:00:00Z

Les artistes de la compagnie de theatre "La fabrique des petits hasards" s’installeront durant 2 semaines dans les murs du collège Balzac, situé en Zone Urbaine Sensible, pour une résidence de création ouverte à tous les élèves de 4 ème. Cet échange artistique, permettra d’intégrer les jeunes dans un véritable processus de création. Ils auront l’opportunité d'échanger avec des artistes professionnels, et l’occasion d’assister à des formes artistiques nouvelles grâce à un atelier du spectateur. A l’issu de cette résidence, nous prolongerons le travail durant l’année avec une classe de 4ème, qui aura l’opportunité de présenter son travail en collaboration avec les artistes de la compagnie dans le cadre du Forum des dynamiques culturelles du territoire au Cent Quatre. The actors of the theatre company "La fabrique des petits hasards" will spend two weeks working with the 8th grade students of the College Balzac, located in an "Sensitive Urban Area". This artistic exchange will allow the students to be part of a real creative process. They will have the opportunity to exchange with professionnal artists, and will witness new art forms through a dedicated workshop. After this residency, we will extend the work with one of the classes during the whole year. The students will present its work in collaboration with the artists of the company at the Cent-Quatre, during the Forum des Dynamiques Culturelles des Territoires.

Boston, MA – Holographic praxinoscope

2014-12-29T00:00:00Z

We want to explore holographic moving images using pre-cinema animation techniques developed in the ninetieth century. By combining seemingly archaic animation techniques with the futuristic illusions of holography we can create a whole new art form and bring to the world something brand new: holographic animated films, or “holopraxiscopes” (working title). We’d like to develop the idea of holographic moving images by creating a praxinoscope using holographic images instead of photographs or drawings. This will give the amazing illusion of a moving 3D image! These pre-cinema machines used to capture the imagination of viewers a the turn of the century who would flock to see images move before their eyes. Spectacle and display are still things that fascinate us today and inspire us to still attend a circus. The holopraxinoscope has the same old world charm but with a modern twist. In the images attached, we've depicted a holographic image of a butterfly and an image of a 2-D praxinoscope. Neither of these are our own work but we have presented these images as representative of our intent. We hope to build a praxinoscope with 3-D holograms in place of the conventional 2-D image; the imagery presented would present the illusion of a train moving from far in the background into the foreground in depth. This would be reflective of the first 2-D film ever portrayed to an audience.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – Bibliobandido Starter Kit

2014-12-29T00:00:00Z

El Bibliobandido is a living legend and literacy initiative I created in collaboration with the community of El Pital, a village in Northern Honduras where illiteracy rates average 80%. In 2008, I taught a successful book making and creative writing workshop to several hundred kids. I left with the question of how to make this workshop ‘sticky” so that kids would continue teaching each other. Two years later, I returned to collaborate with a group of preteens (the town’s “library committee”) to invent “El Biblibandido.” As the legend goes, El Bibliobandido (or 'story thief') is a masked bandit who, ravenous for stories, terrorizes little kids until they offer him stories they've written — a prompt that invariably sends kids into a bookmaking frenzy. This literacy initiative has become the most successful program in the region. On the third week of every month is Bibliobandido Week, the library committee collaborates with one of 19 neighboring villages to enact and rehearse a new Bibliobanddio 'episode,' reinventing and transmitting the tale as they go. Today, many of the 500 kids living in the region grow up 'believing in' El Bibliobandido, a character whose fame rivals Santa Claus. A video I produced about the project has been shown at libraries, museums, schools, and film festivals abroad, casting a wide net of believers, storytellers, and fellow book-fiends eagerly anticipating more. I now seek your support which will allow me the time to create a Bibliobandido Starter Kit that includes step-by-step instructions for making books out of everyday materials, 20 creative storytelling exercises, and suggestions for educators + parents. In Miami, I produced a first, simple version of this illustrated curriculum which was used to teach 600 kids to create delectable stories to lure (or appease) BB. I now seek to create a full-fledged Starter Kit in English/Spanish that will allow anyone to instigate and unleash the legend of El Bibliobandido.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – Empowering Epilepsy

2014-12-25T00:00:00Z

I have created a non profit 501c3 called Empowering Epilepsy to allow people with epilepsy to take charge of their lives. We currently hold support groups for people with epilepsy, parents of children with epilepsy and coming soon - spouses and children of people with epilepsy. The goal is to let people with epilepsy and their loved ones meet each other and erase the stigma affiliated with seizures. Anyone with epilepsy is a regular, ordinary person. I came up with the idea because I wanted to help people like me. While I have been seizure free for over 20 years thanks to brain surgery, I remember the struggles, limitations, and learned helplessness that I had experienced growing up with epilepsy. Not being able to drive, losing friends and boyfriends, limiting where I could work and what I could do affected the roads I took in my life for a long time. I always wondered what it would have been like if someone I had known had experienced seizures. Then I realized they did and I just didn't know about it. One day last summer, I posted a message on Facebook asking - "If you or someone you know has been affected by epilepsy, can you message me? I have a new project idea and would love to talk with them." 39 friends came forward telling me their stories or stories of people they knew. I sent them questionnaires to complete or pass on to the people they knew blindly and ask them to complete them. 26 people completed them and they all said the same things I was thinking - stigmas and limitations with epilepsy affected their entire life. They had the support of their doctors, but outside, they felt alone. My support groups will provide the realization that they are not alone. They will help answer questions that they have about medications and their side effects, exercise and it's benefits, depression and epilepsy (50% of people w/epilepsy experience it.) and more. My goal is to address any barriers that get in their way of living a normal, successful life.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – Middle East Film Initiative

2014-12-25T00:00:00Z

In 2013, I launched the Middle East Film Initiative (MEFI). The MEFI provides interdisciplinary training, as well as an ongoing forum to connect the mainstream with the independent film market, with the purpose of building audiences and creating opportunities for a highly skilled group of local entertainment and media professionals, who have largely been off the radar of the mainstream US film market. Participants actively immerse themselves in a film's or screenplay's language, music, imagery and acting technique, and discover how styles and experiences are interconnected. The communities’ presence and insights are at the heart of the program. No ongoing forum for film professionals and audiences interested in the filmic language of the Middle East existed in NYC prior to the MEFI. The uniquely cooperative, interactive, and non-hierarchical approach of the MEFI challenges mainstream film-related organizations. By taking the purposely low-tech sessions to the communities around town, I reach them where they are, far from high-cost, seasonal, and often mission-based events presented by established organizations. As participants follow the project and meet more participants with similar needs from other backgrounds, momentum grows. Through capacity building among audiences and media professionals, the MEFI generates a network able to sustain long-term civic and artistic engagement. It is not a place for political or religious activism. The fact that it exists is a statement in itself. The group is particularly attentive to the role women play both behind and in front of the camera and aims to diversify the representation of women in film, TV and new media. Fiscal Sponsor: NYWIFT. Partners include: NYU Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, Writers Guild of America East (WGAE).

Baltimore, MD – Operator Baltimore

2014-12-23T00:00:00Z

I would like to attempt a game of Telephone that stretches across the entire city of Baltimore. I believe it will be possible to link neighborhoods across the inner harbor and beat the previous world record of 1330 people in 2008. A game of telephone would not hold up traffic - participants could simply cross the road at appropriate moments, and volunteer block patrols would make sure that, and roads like Pratt Street, Charles Street or North Ave have extensive continuous sidewalks that travel through numerous diverse neighborhoods. There's no other particular reason to do this other than the fact that it would be fun and Baltimore could hold a record that reflected positively on the entire city in a unifying way.

Gloucester, MA – Gloucester History Sharing Project

2014-12-23T00:00:00Z

The Gloucester History Sharing Program (which ran from 2010-2013) was a free monthly presentation of old images of Gloucester with historical background at the Rose Baker Senior Center. During the program, the audience was encouraged to share their own knowledge and memories of the topic. Our seniors have a wealth of information about Gloucester’s history, and showing these old images sparked all kinds of stories and memories that they enjoyed sharing. As a result, this program was not only a researched presentation but also an oral history project. During its last year, Cape Ann TV heard about this program and started filming it to show on the local cable station. Some of these broadcasts are still being shown and can also be seen on their website. In addition, during its last year, the program was also brought to Seacoast Nursing Home, and I was looking into expanding to the other nursing homes as well. However, this all abruptly stopped in Oct 2013. This program was part of Schooner Adventure’s outreach programming, but the funding was pulled a year ago so the program had to stop. When I applied to the Awesome Gloucester last year, I thought I had lined up the needed sponsors and funding to restart then, but it unfortunately didn't all fall into place. Now a year later, the Phyllis A. Marine Association has stepped up to sponsor this program so now I am starting the fund raising process again.

Newmarket – Newmarket Outdoor Hockey rink

2014-12-23T00:00:00Z

Hello Awesome Foundation Team, Growing up in Newmarket we had several outdoor rinks available for learning to skate and to learn how to play hockey. As you may know the only outdoor rink in Newmarket at Riverwalk Commons does not permit Hockey due to liability and the rink not being designed for hockey. It is unfortunate that Youths are coming to Riverwalk to play hockey after school or in the evenings and they are being told that they cannot play or being told to leave the premises. There have been arguments between Youth and Families...not an ideal situation for a rink that is supposed to bring the Community together. I have approached the Town to allow a Community Group of Volunteers to operate an outdoor hockey rink on the tennis courts at Lions Park where there was a hockey rink until it was closed due to repairs being needed (and with the budget being moved to Riverwalk). The plan is to offer Youth access to play and learn hockey at prime times: afterschool until the early evening for girls hockey and boys hockey then the late evening can be mens hockey with family hockey and possibly Youth figure skating on weekends. Thank you for your consideration of this project and it would be great to have your support!

Detroit, MI – A Conversation With Our Sons

2014-12-23T00:00:00Z

As a result of the unrest in Ferguson, New York and around the country, our foundation has decided to offer a program in 2015 that addresses how to teach young Black men to behave around law enforcement to avoid escalating an encounter and being harmed as a result. We want to film these sessions in which we expect there to be some very passionate exchanges between law enforcement and citizens and create a documentary film that can be used as a training tool for law enforcement and citizens around the country.

Miami, FL – Childrens' Books incorporating 3D scans and prints

2014-12-21T00:00:00Z

Sunny The (3D) Bear is a new children's book series authored by local 9th grade student, Daniel Freedline. The books are designed to be quick, bedtime stories read by parents to their children, ages 3-7. The books can be downloaded via the website. The website also has a large and growing gallery of 3D scans (characters and scenery from each book), allowing kids to play with these objects on their computer or tablet. The 3D files are downloadable and can be printed, allowing kids to create their own toys.

Ottawa – Awesome Tenners

2014-12-19T00:00:00Z

December’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Ashley Cabecinha, who plans to give the $1000 away to 100 lucky strangers, encouraging each to do something awesome with the money. Ashley plans to hand out bright pink envelopes around the city the weekend before Christmas, each containing a fresh ten dollar bill and a short letter encouraging the recipient to “make this awesome tenner count.” The letters will offer up some ideas, including:

Hide it in your favourite book at the library
Buy a bag of dog biscuits and go make some new friends at the dog park
Give it to someone you see doing a good deed
Add some items to a suspended coffee program
Buy a bouquet of flowers and randomly give them away
Do whatever you think would be awesome

The letter will also encourage recipients to tweet about their experience of spreading awesome using the hashtag #AwesomeTenners. “I saw the Liverpool chapter's #AwesomeFivers campaign,” explains Ashley, “and thought it was brilliant! Why not do the same thing here, to help spread our awesome award even further? I hope this will inspire many people beyond the lucky 100 to perform their own random act of kindness, and up Ottawa's level of awesome to new heights.” Ashley is a scientist with the federal government, a co-founder of The Meeples Republic, and an Awesome Ottawa trustee.

LA South Bay, CA (Inactief) – Garden Project

2014-12-18T00:00:00Z

My project is to re-habilitate the garden area at our school. I got the idea as I was coming to work everyday. I work in a bungalow near the garden area. I was tired of seeing it look so down trodden and unused. I felt like it was our responsibility to take care of and nurture the garden area as a community. I found out that the area needed a lot of work. I have been recruiting students, parents and other teachers to help form a sustainable community. But we need funding to transform this area. Originally I was using m y own money. This is a daunting task and work/change comes slow if at all. We received four plots, 48 bags of fresh soil, plants and some gardening tools from the Department of Public Works. But this is not enough. I would speculate that their support has given us five percent (5%) of what is needed to make our garden an sustainable area for our school, students and community. Recently, I have been chosen by our principal to be the Sustainability Coordinator with the task of making the school garden more sustainable and creating a program fro sustainability where students can participate and create gardening project and commune with nature while learning math, science and health. This money will go a long way in helping us with renovating the landscape of the area, placing more plots and soil for more student and classroom participation. Currently we have 2000 square feet of gardening area.

London (Inactief) – Rootless Garden

2014-12-17T00:00:00Z

My awesome project is Rootless Garden, a social enterprise that provides engaging activities and social opportunities for older people in London. We create projects inspired by nature that tackle loneliness and increase wellbeing. Our projects provide opportunities for the elderly to learn, create, explore and transform using the power of nature. We are unique because we engage older people in the creation of our bespoke projects. This is empowering for our beneficiaries, who often acknowledge a lack of purpose as decisions are more regularly made for and not by them. In this essence we are very progressive, we fight loneliness and improve wellbeing not just through the service we deliver, but in the way we encourage our beneficiaries to participate. We love volunteers! We strive to encourage a deeper understanding of ageing and the lives of older people in society. We do this is by encouraging intergenerational communication through volunteering. This is a great way of mixing up our projects and giving the opportunity for older and younger people to connect over a fun project, which all start with a herbal tea blending class! Having a range of community lead projects is our ultimate goal. We want to expand our impact by harnessing the great energy in London and use it to fulfil our dream; having volunteer led chapters of Rootless Garden. There is a whole host of evidence that highlights the importance of nature in our lives; it has social and therapeutic effects. A relationship with nature can improve cognition, create sensory experiences, and can have restorative effects. Additionally, socialising improves happiness and creates a sense of belonging. This is proven to positively impact mental and physical health. We believe that our work is very radical; fitting with a wider social shift towards holistic lifestyles and complementary therapy in elderly and wider health care.

Tampa Bay, FL (Inactief) – STREAM at Turner Bartels K-8 School

2014-12-16T00:00:00Z

Our middle school and the elementary school next door are becoming a STEM themed K-8 program. We are weaving STEM concepts into our entire curriculum. This is the first of its kind in our district. To incorporate reading and the arts into our STEM curriculum we are building a STREAM community (STEM + Reading and Arts). This project will unify our teachers, parents, community, and students as we participate in creating and using this stream and come together a team. We are building a solar powered waterfall/pond/stream in the courtyard of our campus. This stream will be a beautiful outdoor classroom that can be used for every subject area and will provide a water source for the birds we are encouraging to nest on our campus. The acronym STREAM represents science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The STREAM will unite us and be used to show the connections between the disciplines and grade levels. The goal of the stream is to integrate STEM activities into every classroom and to unite our campuses and teachers in collaborative planning of activities. Teachers in all subject areas will meet monthly to plan STREAM lessons. Our teachers have already began planning to use the stream in art to draw, paint, and photograph, in language arts as the subject of descriptive writing and poetry, in social studies to study the effects of technology of water wheels and irrigation, in math using data collected to create graphs, scatter plots, and linear equations including the voltage, amperage etc. of the solar panel output In science the stream will be used for data collection of water chemistry and temperature, effects of runoff, collecting data/sampling of birds and other wildlife that visits or moves in, studying solar power, building water wheels, and more. In Engineering students will explain how solar power works and create strategies for improving the function of the stream. Students will design and build water wheels.

Tampa Bay, FL (Inactief) – Florida Bookstore Day

2014-12-16T00:00:00Z

The first-ever Florida Bookstore Day takes place Saturday, Nov. 15. The day-long event celebrates independent and used bookstores in the Sunshine State, in addition to local authors and small presses. And it all starts here in Tampa Bay. We’re organizing events to take place Nov. 15 at independently-owned bookstores throughout the state. In Tampa Bay, we’ve already talked to Wilson’s Book World, Inkwood Books, Back in the Day Books and others. Bookstore Day events will vary: readings by local authors, local authors’ fairs, book signings, book releases, panels, open mics, workshops . I’ve also reached out to local media sponsors (Creative Loafing, Tampa Bay Newspapers, LifeImprovementRadio.com.) We’re also planning a fantastic after-party, venue to be determined. But in our area it most likely will take place in downtown St. Pete and will include an authors’ fair. We also will reach out to bookstores, literary organizations and media sponsors in other cities as needed to make this happen. Follow facebook.com/FloridaBookstoreDay for our updates. We’re excited about all of the possibilities of Florida Bookstore Day and we think it’s fitting that it starts right here in Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay, FL (Inactief) – Awesome Walls

2014-12-16T00:00:00Z

Little by little I will bring commissioned FINE ART graffiti to tampa. With your help we can make Tampa more Awesome by adding color/inspiration/and culture to all the boring plan walls. Heavily inspired by artists such as Shepard Fairey (google him)I will create a beautiful mural using recycled paper and wheat paste. This is a new form of graffiitti that does no harm to the buildings because you can essentially peel it off. I think graffiti is a major attraction and a way to bring more eyes to the up and coming city, especially with social media. I attached a example below of a small and fast inspirational piece i did on a abandoned side of a building and a bunch of people stop, take, pictures, and post it on instagram.

Tampa Bay, FL (Inactief) – Tampa Bay Design Week 2014

2014-12-16T00:00:00Z

Tampa Design Week strives to brings design experts, city leaders, and citizens together to celebrate and explore how design improves the quality of our lives and our community, through a series of events: FREE film screenings, an urban bike tour, Carousel (artist presentations), and Design Franklin Street: a Pop-Up Block Party. Specifically, our Design Double Feature includes free screenings of the films: "Design is One" and "Urbanized" and includes 3 food trucks at Massey Park. The Urban bike tour will highlight recently opened hotels and restaurants, with each stop featuring a brief discussion with a designer responsible for the final project. Carousel is a Todd Bate's program showcasing local creatives in a discourse about their work. And finally, for Design Franklin Street, all motivated designers are asked to design and work in collaborative cross-disciplinary teams to design and construct installations around the theme "the Power of Design", transforming an underutilized block of Franklin Street into a showcase for the day. our theme is the ‘Power of Design.’ Great design has the potential to greatly improve the quality of life in our local community. Tampa Bay Design Week's goal is to inspire the public to recognize good design and participate in the making of their environment. We will connect the public with design professionals from different disciplines to exchange ideas on design practices and innovations, all while highlighting an underutilized area on Franklin Street and promoting economic development. OUR GOAL: Great design has the potential to greatly improve the quality of life in our local community. Tampa Bay Design Week's goal is to inspire the public to recognize good design participate in the making of their environment. We will connect the public with design professionals from different disciplines to exchange ideas on design practices and innovations, all while highlighting an underutilized area on Franklin Street.

Seattle, WA – Bikerhero: Riding to the Rescue

2014-12-15T00:00:00Z

I'd like to outfit a bicycle and trailer with everything necessary to clean up debris blocking bike lanes, fix flats, and generally come to the rescue! I will put out a call for submissions of dangers to be confronted, deeds to be done, wrongs to be righted. Evils shall be vanquished, and well documented for posterity & to inspire others to good. I'll ride everywhere with a basic kit (and a cape!) for a month, publicizing my efforts and making it easy to call for help. We'll post daily about our exploits. Rescuing a stuck car would be fantastic! (I once rode my bike to help change a car’s flat tire). The ultimate goal is to foster a sense of camaraderie, in which strangers will help out in the same situation. To this end, we'll document our adventures, as the plan is to inspire more people than we can actually help on any given day. I will focus on areas of particular interest to bikers: the Burke-Gilman trail, Green Lake, Bicycle Sundays (bike/ped only days on Lake Washington Blvd). Specific events will be planned, such as offering help with tuneups or Superhero tandem rides, while other appearances will be left open to unforeseen circumstances. Did I mention that dressing up in a cape and helmet would be a great part of this? I very much enjoy storytelling and spectacle, and don’t mind doing whatever's necessary to get the job done.

Boulder, CO (Inactief) – Sharing petals of poetry

2014-12-15T00:00:00Z

Poetry to me is the sharing of creativity. It is a way to be expressive and elegant with words and ideas. Each word is like a petal that softly floats from the mind. I want to shane poetry with the people of Boulder all age ranges. Together boupder community can create a bouquet of flowers.

Moscow (Inactief) – фильм "Спасибо тебе"

2014-12-14T00:00:00Z

мы молодая независимая киностудия "Наследники", официально оформились в июне 2014 года. С августа 2014 и по нынешний день занимаемся съемками своего первого полнометражного фильма "Спасибо тебе". Это уникальный проект для нас и нашего родного города Иванова. Эта картина объединила вокруг себя более 20 человек фанатов кино. Для каждого из нас в первую очередь важна творческая самореализация, поэтому несмотря ни на что и вопреки всему мы добиваемся нужного результата: если нужно переснять сцену или даже 5 сцен, мы это сделаем. Наша картина о 5 разных судьбах, объединенных темой благодарности. Их жизни переворачиваются с ног на голову , заставляют задуматься и спросить себя: а может пора что-то изменить? Главная декорация фильма - стена "Спасибо". Она стихийно появилась в городе. Впоследствии, обычная, серая , превратилась в место добра, благодарности и любви - жители писали на ней свои "спасибо". Так происходит по сценарию и в реальной жизни ( в Ярославле) Главная интрига - кто ее создатель? В нашем фильме снимаются профессиональные актеры театра и кино, а также студенты театральных вузов. Для кого-то из них это первые роли. Важнее всего для нас снять стильное, качественное произведение, способное тронуть зрителя. Тем более нас поддерживают, верят и ждут жители нашего города Иванова и города основных съемок Ярославля

Halifax, NS (Inactief) – Floorwars - Submitted by Marcus Wells

2014-12-12T00:00:00Z

Fresh Moves You know you've done something right when the Co-dean of the Awesome Foundation is doing the worm across a stage to the uproarious delight of a bunch of high school students. That was how the grant presentation went down as the young breakdancers of Dartmouth High got down to celebrate Marcus Wells’ cash prize from Awesome Halifax this month! Marcus has been a local HRM breaker with a passion for active involvement in the community for 5 years, and you could tell by his enthusiasm that inspiring youth to be involved is something to dance about. AFH thought so too when after some discussion at the Awesome Foundation’s November deliberation, the board of trustees decided to award the $1000 grant to Marcus to support the annual breakdance competition Floorwars. Since 2001 Halifax’s Floorwars sets the stage for dance crews to do battle in Atlantic Canada, bringing national hip hop and local artists together. Marcus knows personally the joy of dance and wants “future youth to feel that too.” Marcus’ dedication to his breaking community led him to apply to the Awesome Foundation for the funding to take the event to the next level and use the money to fly in judges for the competition and host workshops. Watching Marcus showcase his talent and knowledge of breakdancing at the presentation was awesome, and he even showed Shannon Matheson and Rachel Sovka from the Awesome Foundation a few fresh moves to try out at the next deliberation. This year the event format includes pairing teachers and their students together in 2 on 2 battles. Competitors are traveling to the east coast from as far away as the Yukon and several hundred people are expected to be in attendance. It had the potential to be a great event, but now it will be an awesome event! Floorwars will take place on May 29th, 2015 at Dartmouth High School. Until then, keep your eyes open around town for our giant Awesome cheque making people dance across the HRM!

Yerevan – Lanterns light up Yeghegnadzor

2014-12-12T00:00:00Z

After studying abroad as I returned to my hometown Yeghegnadzor, I felt that something was missing in the lives of people. The town was covered in a grey silhouette. Neighbors, friends, and even young people looked unenthusiastic and their overall outlook on life was negative. It seemed that people had stopped believing in their wishes. I was thinking of ways to awaken the dreams of people. So, I thought of the most inspiring and fulfilling moment I have had, and remembered last New Year’s Eve at this small town in Mexico. At midnight everyone in the town gathered at the center and released a sky lantern. It was marvelous when the sky lit up with hundreds of lanterns at the distance. As my boyfriend and I released our lantern, we both wished we would spend the next New Year together, as we live in different countries. Now I want to share this awesome feeling with everyone in my hometown. The project I propose consists of three steps: making sky lanterns, releasing them and following up with people’s wishes. For making the lanterns, I propose to organize a workshop at the local high school where our team will teach high school students and anyone else interested to make their sky lantern with a personal wish on each of them. We are aiming for 100 participants and we will have 10 volunteers to teach 10 students each. On New Year’s Eve, everyone will gather at the town center and release the lanterns into the air. It is an invaluable moment to see your lantern with your wish reach for the sky. We will also provide Christmas music and small presents for kids. Lastly, we will follow up with people on their progress in accomplishing their dream and we will publish inspiring stories of people having their dreams come true and share experiences in the blog we have set up. Through this project, I hope that the people of my hometown believe in their dreams again and accomplish them, just how I accomplished mine with my boyfriend spending this New Year together in Armenia.

Antigonish, NS (Inactief) – Frig Off Get Fit Web series

2014-12-12T00:00:00Z

Frig Off Get Fit is a web series that launched November 30, 2014 by Rosemary Curry and Corinne Dunphy. The team uses a blog as its platform and is committed to delivering one episode each month. The idea behind FOGF is about engaging in a healthy lifestyle, exploring what makes our home unique, and having fun in the process. This project was conceived with community in mind. Rosemary, while frigging off in her natural habitat, came to the realization that she is surrounded by the most beautiful area and the most lovely down to earth people. She wanted to show everyone what makes her home so special. FOGF is primarily meant to target east coasters who are keen about sustaining a healthy lifestyle and an interest in their community. Here you have two women, proud to be born and raised in small town Antigonish. We are enthusiastic and fully committed to the idea of showcasing the rich landscapes, people and talent that constructs the fabric of town. Fan loyalty is important to us. While we are in the initial stages of this “movement”, we want to make sure we do not lose our viewer’s attention. We believe professional content is at the forefront of returning guests. In addition, we will provide weekly blog posts consisting of anecdotes, fun facts from the activities, behind the scenes photos, etc. It is equally important that we make the blog participatory. As we grow, we will have social media draws for FOGF merch for those who “like”, “share”, and provide us feedback. Using the hashtag #FOGF, we will request that our fans post their own photos. From wearing our merch, to swimming in the sea, to having a chat with one of our guest stars- anything goes! This online presence will shine light on our community of Antigonish. To gain traction, we will post four episodes in the month of December, followed by one a month in the new year. Working together with local businesses and community initiatives we strive to be promoted through positive feedback and reviews.

New York City, NY – Showered With Hope Inc.

2014-12-11T00:00:00Z

Showered with Hope is a New York City-based non-profit whose founders aim to empower individuals experiencing homelessness in New York City to achieve self-sufficiency. Founded by NYU students moved to take action to impact NYC's homeless and augment city services, Showered with Hope will create programs that deliver meaningful interventions for the homeless community, starting with mobile hygiene centers focused on those experiencing homelessness who are currently underserved by the city's existing infrastructure. Their ambition? SWH will retrofit compressed natural gas transit buses into mobile "hygiene units," each consisting of a shower, toilet and private changing area, bringing to life their mission to use hygiene to help restore the dignity of individuals experiencing homelessness. Taking cues from, and working closely with, the mobile program run by San Francisco's Lava Mae, Showered with Hope's roving hygiene center will park near partner and development services, coupling their mobile program with interventions to help improve the lives of New York's homeless, including counseling and resume building. We're happy that our December grant will go towards the development of its proof-of-concept SWH Mini - a model for smaller, independent shower units that can be transported via trailers or trucks. The grant funding will also be used to support the group's awareness campaign, Unsheltered New York (UNY), a Humans of New York-like take on the struggles of New York City's homeless. Follow them and contribute to their efforts at http://showeredwithhope.org/ and @swh_ny.

Chicago, IL – The Kung-Fu Cage

2014-12-10T00:00:00Z

The KUNG-FU CAGE is a simulator built to feel like being in a fight scene from a kung-fu action movie, one of those big amazing fights which have nothing to do with real martial arts but are all about acrobatics and doing cool strong moves and kicks and punches. WHAT IT IS IS: A 10' tall and 15' wide cylinder made of lightweight plastic, open on the sides and top, with hoops around the top and bottom borders. In the basic game, attackers outside the cage toss projectiles (dodgeballs at first) into the top of the cylinder. The player inside needs to 1) defend herself by not letting anything touch the ground inside the cage and 2) punch and kick these projectiles at targets outside the cage to defeat her attackers. The Kung-Fu Cage will be a portable performance game, able to be played by all ages, with very flexible levels of audience participation. It works on its own as a standalone game, but will also be used during performances of Kung-Fu Saga (working title), a storytelling system designed to create action/comedy stories with a small cast of actors and players chosen from the audience. I plan to take the Cage to greenspaces and festivals in the city, for people to play with and compete with others, and later run Kung-Fu Saga at a theater in Chicago as an all-ages comedy show. HERE'S OTHER COOL THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH THE CAGE: 1) Set up two-player duels in side-by-side cages, where players block their opponents and launch special attacks by hitting targets and making baskets with awesome moves 2) Adjust the difficulty with the color-coded target zones built into the cage's floor, "flame jet" environmental hazards built into the edges, bumpers and obstacles strapped onto the cage itself, and deadly "laser beams" criss-crossing the playing field 3) Just in general have a great time

San Antonio, TX – Kids Building Bikes for Kids

2014-12-10T00:00:00Z

This year we were blessed to have two amazing kids from the Cassiano Courts go through the Earn-A-Bike program at the Earn-A-Bike Co-op. These two kids wanted a bike. They wanted a bike to go to school, visit their friends, go to the store, and ride to the Co-op. They knew their parents could not afford one and the only way to get a bike was to steal it or come to the co-op and work for it. Luckily they chose to come to the Co-op. Even so there are many other kids at Cassiano Courts that don’t have the resources to visit the co-op and go through the program, and therefore the reason for this grant application. Our awesome project consists of bringing the Earn-A-Bike program to Cassiano Courts the two weekends before Christmas. The project consists of getting new bikes in boxes that require assembly and have the kids earn a bike by attending two 4 hour Saturdays where they will work on their bikes and take the necessary training for safe riding. They will earn their bike in 8 hours vs. the 15 hours we require at the Co-op. To earn their bike the participants will have to build their bike, take a safe cycling course and complete the bicycle civics lesson that deals with honesty, respect, safety and the value of work. This project will require the San Antonio community to get involved, as we will need volunteers to work with the participants and help them through the process. At the end of the program and during the six months after, the Earn-A-Bike co-op will follow up with the participants and evaluate key indicators, like school attendance, level of physical activity, workability of the bike and other indicators.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – Women's Health -- HPV and Pap Screening

2014-12-08T00:00:00Z

Women's health is a major challenge for the clinic. We are adding about 40 new patients each month and two-thirds are women, many of whom have not received any health care for years. The clinic added a gynecological program in 2013 and it continues to expand. In mid-2014 the clinic added HPV testing to its range of women's services which includes screening mammograms and Pap testing. The clinic is fortunate to receive reduced rates for these tests due to its non-profit status and the work of its volunteers. HPV infection is a precursor to several types of cancer, so it is important to test for it. The test costs the clinic $45, so the charges add up quickly. However, the benefit of the test cannot be understated, especially for patients who have gone for years without any Pap or HPV screening. The goal of this program is to provide HPV and Pap testing to as many of our patients as possible.

Santa Fe, NM (Inactief) – STORYBOOK PRODUCTIONS

2014-12-07T00:00:00Z

StoryBook Productions’ mission is to empower children with ‘royal’ traits; showing through storybook characters that royalty isn’t just about fine clothes, fancy cars or nice things, but opening their hearts to others, & sharing kindness to those that need it most. It is all about learning essential life skills & connecting to their own power, focusing on friendship, dignity, respect, self-esteem, & purpose. While dressed as storybook characters the children will recognize, StoryBook Productions will focus on the strong traits of each fantasy character. As an example, Cinderella, while being beautiful & wishing for her prince to come & rescue her, went after her dream & never gave up; Snow White, a princess chased by her evil stepmother, is kind, optimistic, & a happy person who sees the good in everyone; & Belle longs for adventures & has traits of bravery, independence, & intelligence. From this world of make believe, children are free to explore different roles; it is practice for divergent thinking & problem solving. But on the lighter side, StoryBook Productions will create the magical place where anything is possible; where kids can be kids, & know that they are valued. It is our belief that if children are empowered they will develop sound character & be better enabled to navigate a world dominated with impersonal technology. StoryBook characters will be available for parties, hospital visits, & special events. While not a non-profit organization, StoryBook Productions will be heavily involved in charity work. Current plans include: (1) monthly drawing to award an "Evening of Royalty" to a needy, low-income child, (2) summer Princess Giving Retreats, (3) annual Charity Masquerade Ball. StoryBook characters will be played by the founders of StoryBook Productions, but also by high school students. These individuals will be chosen for their character as they will be role models; a win-win situation as all StoryBook Productions employees will benefit from their interaction with the children!

Ann Arbor, MI – Camp Take Notice - Tiny Home

2014-12-07T00:00:00Z

I am currently in a class called Experimental Architecture in the U of M Art and Design school. We were assigned to create a tiny home for Camp Take Notice, a developing homeless camp near Stone School Rd.. I was excited, a real client. Half way through the semester, one design was going to be chosen. However, I continued with one goal: Help Camp Take Notice in some way. I knew from the very beginning that the reality of getting a tiny home design, built and implemented throughout the camp wasn't feasible within the semester, but it was to show a concept. We presented our projects to the class and two leaders of Camp Take Notice to receive feedback. The next class, two designs were brought up to the front, my design and another. It was brought to a vote for which one to build. My design was outvoted 12-4. I wasn't disappointed, it was what the class wanted to pursue. However, a week later, our professors tell us that Eli’s design (Chosen design) is too complicated to build, which it wasn't, resulting in a complete new design created essentially by our professors. Then I was disappointed. I began to think about my design and think about whether or not I was okay with being done with it. I wasn't. I went back to Camp Take Notice asking them if it was possible to build my structure on the camp. I got approval. However, Tate and I both agreed it was going to be a long process and not something I can just start building. I understood it required more refinement. After, I started to ask him about the class. I was surprised. I had the impression that my professors worked a lot with Camp Take Notice with what they wanted when choosing the design, and I was told they didn't, which saddened me. When I met with my professor I asked “I thought Tate said there wasn't going to be a sink?”, my professor responds, “Were taking the design in a different direction”. I lost my mind. My classmate said it best, “They want something to show at the exhibit”.

Sarnia (Inactief) – AC/LC Winter Round Dance

2014-12-04T00:00:00Z

The Aboriginal Students' Council at Lambton College is very excited to bring to the college for the first time ever in the college's history, a cultural gathering and celebration called a "Round Dance." It is a social event based around traditional hand drum singing and dancing. This even is quite different from a Pow Wow. Traditionally, Round Dances were held in honour of loved ones who have passed on. Today they are still held as memorial gatherings but also for weddings, graduations, birthdays, anniversaries and anything worth a big celebration. We would like to celebrate the diversity of Lambton College by inviting all students from all cultures to come and celebrate together. The Round Dance ceremony comes from our Cree relatives of the western plains. The recent popularity of this type of gathering has caught on here in the Great Lakes area. More communities are hosting their own Round Dances. The event consists of an emcee and a stickman who keeps the event in motion and acknowledges the lead singers and any other singers who arrive. He also is in charge of choosing the next lead singer to sing 4 songs with the help of any other singers. Spectators can choose to take part in the dance called "the side step". This dance is slow and to the beat of the hand drums. The dancers dance in a circle around the table of singers; hence the event's name, "Round Dance". The night is a great opportunity to socialize with friends and family but to also meet new people. In addition, the evening will include a silent auction and a traditional food booth to raise money and awareness for the Annual Pow Wow being held at the college on April 2, 2015. We would like to bring this very special event from the First Nation culture to the students, staff and faculty of Lambton College. We always look to educate the Lambton College and local community on the culture and traditions of the First Nations people in the interests of understanding, diversity and friendship.

South Shore – Local Food Fair For Kids!

2014-12-03T00:00:00Z

These fine folks got $1000 to put towards a local food fair for kids. Congrats!

Washington, DC – Lincoln Road Looks

2014-12-03T00:00:00Z

Just like my neighborhood, this project is awesome! Lincoln Road Looks is a neighborhood photo project documenting the lives of the community that lives on Lincoln Road. My aim has been telling our stories of interconnectedness and community through photography. This photography project has been a collaborative effort since it started a year ago. My neighbors know me as the 'camera girl'. I was immediately at ease when I moved to the area. In a bustling city, Lincoln Road feels familiar and friendly. Everyone smiles and greets each other. When there are barbecues everyone is invited to partake and have a good time. I learned that there were generations of families living in our neighborhood. A couple of my neighbors even grew up in the same apartment where I now reside and showed me old pictures of them as children playing checkers on the same stoop. Often I would take walks with my camera and chat with neighbors outside. Soon, they began asking me to take their pictures and even offered to pay for prints. I declined payment, but promised each person that i would print the pictures. After a couple of months, the idea came to have a community art show featuring all of my neighbors. They have been encouraging me to continue documenting their lives in a place that is slowly changing. For me, the most important part of the project is to provide everyone a print of the portraits taken. For this project, as a photographer, it's important to make this a mutually collaborative project. One way of doing that is providing them with the prints. The community is small, but unfortunately we don't have the money to finance the prints. I will use my apartment for the art show, but the prints will cost money.

Lusaka (Inactief) – GIRLS UNITE- GU

2014-12-03T00:00:00Z

*WHO WE ARE* Girls Unite (GU) is a national organization that empowers girls and helps tackle issues that they face in their day to day lives by providing motivational talks and one on one interaction. *OUR GOALS* GU empowers girls for personal and social transformation. Our mission is to help young teenage girls build self-esteem, develop leadership skills and recognize their full potential. The talks inspires girls to have the voice, ability and problem solving capacity to speak up, be decision makers and create visionary change. *OUR VISION* GU helps in increasing the confidence in the voice of the girls, developing life-skills, and improving the ability to identify paths that can contribute to positive change and break cycles for a lifetime. We envision a world where girls with strong voices become active leaders and passionately engaged citizens, impacting not only their own neighborhoods but also their nations as girls become informed and participating citizens in their civic, political and cultural communities. *TARGET* Girls in the age group of 13-21 *METHODOLOGY* · Radio talks · Television · Social networks · School talks · Colleges and university talks · One on one sessions *TALK TOPICS* - Communication (True.Helpful.Important.Necessary.Kind) - Leadership (8 to be great) - Critical thinking - Aspirations - Anti-bullying - Healthy decision making - Smart media usage - Peer pressure - Early pregnancies - Early marriages - Alcohol abuse - Independent life - Equality - Sex *GIRLS CAN'T WHAT????* We will then hold a work shop that will be themes "Girls cant what??" An inspirational talk on advising the young girls that they should strive for what they want and they shouldn't feel like just because they are girls they cannot achieve it. Girls can do anything…you can do anything..