Awesome Foundation - Projecten

Rio de Janeiro (Inactief) – Favela.cc

2013-04-04T00:00:00Z

O Favela.cc (Favela Cultural Catalog) é um projeto independente que visa reduzir as barreiras de integração social conectando a população do asfalto e da favela através da cultura. O projeto é inspirado em sites como o b-coolt.com e lecool.com, e funcionará como um catálogo de projetos culturais tais como museus, salas de cinema, teatros, galerias de arte etc. localizados em comunidades pacificadas do Rio de Janeiro. Para serem incorporados ao site, os projetos não necessitarão ter cunho social, bastando apenas serem voltados à cultura, entretenimento e lazer. A reflexão social ficará por conta da experiência de cada um. A proposta do Favela.cc é simplesmente estimular para que muitos dêem o primeiro passo rumo a quebra das barreiras de integração, levando a população do asfalto a conhecer a cultura vista de cima. O prêmio será utilizado para cobrir parte dos custos de lançamento do site, custos estes referentes ao desenvolvimento (programação) e infraestrutura (hosting). Uma vez que trata-se de um projeto independente, todos os outros recursos para a viabilização do mesmo serão provenientes de doações, parcerias e investimento do próprio idealizador do projeto como pessoa física.

New Orleans, LA (Inactief) – Creative Futures;Giving Voice to New Orleans Youth

2013-04-04T00:00:00Z

Creative Futures, a program of CANO, trains high school students to plan, produce, interview and speak on "Crosstown Conversations," a show on local radio station, WBOK. Recently, the Oprah Winfrey Network produced a documentary labeling John McDonogh High School “The most violent high school in America.” We believe that the students have a right to respond to this characterization of their school and have a more complex dialogue with the city about their educational future. Students are assigned rotating tasks each show so that they can gain new skills. These shows happen once every month. Approximately 25 students work on each show. CANO feels that it is important to give these students a public and equal voice to debate this future. Further, by having a public discussion, we feel that students will be empowered to create their own change and inspired to seek further training and education for their own success.

San Francisco, CA – Your Store

2013-04-04T00:00:00Z

Kenworth and Klein will collaborate on a project titled Your Store. Your Store seeks to move beyond retail peddling to stock the empty storefront window of Artist Television Access at 992 Valencia Street with objects and hand-made animations that tell stories of people of the Valencia corridor. We have chosen to work in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods the Mission District. The neighborhood has gone through considerable change and today, boasts some of the city’s top restaurants, shops and cultural institutions. The gentrification from crime-ridden streets to a “must see” destination reflects a unique cultural genesis that we feel deserves some personalization and context. For this project we will be working with local merchants, neighborhood groups and individuals to collect their stories, memories, thoughts and reflections about the area. As holders of these impressions, we will document each individual expression of the neighborhood by either creating a sculptural representation of the memory/story or by transforming the actual audio recollections into hand-drawn stop-motion animations. We will also teach art and animation workshops, in the community at the public library so that people can make their own objects. In October, we will arrange theses objects and animations in a retail style display. Shelves will be constructed in the window to show each object with care and a video screen with sound piped onto the street will play the animated stories of the people in the neighborhood. The window, open 24-hours a day, will be accessible to any passer-by as a home-style advertisement of the neighborhood. Your Store will be a unique and personal reflection of the people who make up the area and a community building experiment disguised as a retail storefront. With this project we hope to give the Valencia Street corridor a physical voice that illuminates important historical events, cultural identifications and personal reflections of the people and places

Baltimore, MD – Rooms Fall Apart: A Serious Play

2013-04-02T00:00:00Z

Rooms Play is an immersive performance experience. Crafted in 2010 and 2011 by over 60 collaborating artists based in Baltimore, MD, Rooms Play 2013 is in the works under a new organizing collective: Pilar Diaz, Person Ablach, Sophia Mak, Ada Pinkston, Victor FdeM Torres and Evan Moritz. In 2010, the first year of Rooms Play, The Copycat Theatre wrote a script based on a combination of Joseph Campbell's Monomyth (The Hero's Journey), Alice in Wonderland and the Digestive System. The audience was given the role of the "hero," and asked to complete numerous challenges and tests, which occured throughout 20 rooms created under the direction of different creative directors. Our interest was in creating an experience which was highly collaborative, immersive and empowering. In 2011, Rooms Play occured during the 8th Annual Transmodern Festival. The script furthered an engagement with the Hero's Journey, this time exploring illegal Immigration as the underlying theme. In 22 rooms across two spaces: The Whole Gallery and Current Space, groups of 3-4 participants were guided through alienating and highly charged environments. Rooms Play is in the works for the third time, in a radically changed form, utilizing a transformation of space and a set/cohesive series of events to take the audience on an emotional roller coaster. This year we have written a script that aims to confront and engage fear, xenophobia and different emotional states. The installation and performance will be a highly crafted sensory experience, taking place during the 10th annual Transmodern Festival in May 2013. Taking place across 10-15 "Rooms," the audience will be impacted by the scale, content and overall experience of this immersive performance. Video of Rooms Play 2010 by Guy Werner: http://vimeo.com/10601038 Video of Rooms Play 2011 by Guy Werner: http://vimeo.com/25475791

Washington, DC – The DC Neighborhood Portal

2013-04-02T00:00:00Z

A wall-sized video screen, installed in a vacant Dupont Circle storefront, shows a live video of an identical setup in a Georgetown storefront. Here's what happens: you'll walk by, notice the life-size people on the screen, and stop when you realize that the people on the other side can see you too. There's no sound. You can tell it's someplace nearby, but it will take a while to figure out where the other camera is. You and the people on the other side will look at each other and share a "What is this thing? Can they really see me?" moment. You might smile, laugh, and pantomime to each other. The feed is automatic, and is on every night from dusk until midnight for a month. This is the first stage of this project, which is really a testing stage. The next stages, instead of connecting Dupont and Georgetown, will connect Dupont and Brooklyn; or Dupont and Topeka, Kansas; or Dupont and Berlin; or Dupont and a refugee camp in Africa. The video feed is really just a glorified Skype connection between two laptops, using cheap video projectors to enlarge the image. This stage is also a test of how passersby react. Colleagues and I will be watching in real life and online, taking regular screenshots (to be curated into a tumblr) and experimenting with the setup during the run. Are people nice or mean when they can anonymously interact with someone across town? Does the exhibit need any written explanation at all? (My guess is no.) Does it seem scary and governmental, or friendly and fun? What if the two parties could communicate via text message or chat feed? We'll let DCist and other local media know about it and the story behind it, including your support and involvement, but otherwise the signage and branding is very low-key. TL; DR: A wall-sized outdoor live Skype feed between Dupont and Georgetown. Strangers look at each other and interact. No audio. Someday, the setup will connect two places across the world rather than across town.

Montreal, QC (Inactief) – Familles en nature: 4 saisons de plaisir

2013-04-01T00:00:00Z

Some exciting things have been happening this past year. Through contacts made during an outdoor naturalist course this spring, I have met 11 other individuals who desire to offer nature activities to families who do not otherwise have access. We meet each month. Some are involved because they work with immigrant families and want to offer programs bridging them to the outdoors in Montreal. Others prioritize environmental conservation and sustainability efforts in Montreal; they believe that kids and families need to develop a relationship with nature in order to valorize her. Still others are motivated by their care for families in general and believe that nature activities are good for healthy child development and the building of family ties. At this point, a few organizations have signed on and been willing to contribute time and resources to this project, absorbing most of their costs. This is what we have planned: 20-25 low-revenue families (approx. 60 people) will participate in the following 4 seasonal nature activities: 1) Fall, Oct. 2012, Parc du Mont Royal: Les Amis la Montagne A hike inviting families to experience a nature oasis in the heart of the city by walking the trails of Mt Royal and discovering her plants, wildlife, geology and secrets. 2) Winter, Feb. 2013, Redpath Museum Museum activity concerning Quebec’s biodiversity: a workshop on how animals and plants survive Montreal’s winters, a museum tour, and snowshoeing. 3) Spring, May 2013, Camp Kanawana (YMCA) Nature immersion activity: A forest hike exploring spring flora and fauna, followed by canoeing and dinner prepared over a campfire. 4) Summer, June 2013, Crapaud (UQAM) An urban plant, bee and bird discovery activity followed by a conservation workshop in which families create small “green spaces” or bird feeders for their balconies or yard. The attached pictures come from a 2012 AQPERE conference presentation based on our October event.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – INTERRUPT Magazine

2013-04-01T00:00:00Z

Open Web (Inactief) – You Are Here ATL

2013-04-01T00:00:00Z

I was born and raised in the middle of the city of Atlanta, GA - I have so many memories tied to every nook and cranny of the city that it's impossible to go anywhere without remembering something from my past, it feels like a tapestry of my own life whenever I drive around. I feel like most people are the same way; this city really resonates with the people who live in and visit it, and I'm passionately curious to see what their different experiences are. I'm in love with the idea that different things happen in the same space at different points in time; I might have had a nice lunch with my family in a place that someone was dumped only a year before, or the day before. Every spot in the city has a certain kind of history. My project is to chronicle and compile these memories and map them all out in the same plane. I want to experience the city through others' memories, and give people the chance to do the same. I'm using this grant to build a physical map of the city that I can place in a gallery and let people interact with, hands-on. They can pin their own memories to the space and go through and see memories that have already been added. The project is largely based on collaboration - over time, the content of the map will grow, and people will be able to revisit it. There will be a web component that runs alongside the physical map, compiling everything into Google maps and twitter to be searchable and easily accessed.

Austin, TX – Have A Ball

2013-03-31T00:00:00Z

The Austin chapter of the Awesome Foundation is pleased to award our March $1000 cash grant to Jackie Garrett and her project, Have a Ball. Garrett is a lead crisis counselor with the Austin Police Department's Victim Services Division, where she has worked for 14 years. The inspiration behind her Have a Ball project came from her work, where she, like many first responders, comes in regular contact with traumatized children who have either been victims of or witnesses to violent crimes such as domestic violence, sexual assault, suicide, and homicide. When called to a crime scene, Victim Services counselors often hand out teddy bears to these children, but, Garrett, a former soccer goalie at Baylor University, had a slightly different idea. She wanted to give kids soccer balls. Not only does a shiny new soccer ball bring a smile to a child's face, Garrett says, it also serves a therapeutic purpose. “Giving children a reason to run and play is a wonderful coping mechanism that we try to teach everyone to do after a disaster,” says Garrett. “Studies have shown that kids that have a physical outlet for their emotions tend to cope better and recover faster.” Garrett says a simple soccer ball can provide other other benefits, too. In a multi-ethnic community such as Austin, the global language of soccer can help a child make friends in a new neighborhood. “Often times kids who are victims of crime have a hard time trusting others,” Garrett says. “Joining a soccer team might allow them to see that trusting a teammate can be a very rewarding experience.” Garrett says she will use the entire $1000 grant to purchase soccer balls for first-responders to distribute to child crime victims in Austin. “I want to give away these soccer balls in hopes that they change the lives of all who receive them.” Garrett says. The motto for her Have a Ball project? “Changing kids' lives, one soccer ball at a time.” In the future, Garrett says she would love to take Have a Ball nationwide, distributing soccer balls to disaster-stricken communities across the country. Already, Garrett has worked with various partners to provide soccer balls to children at Red Cross Shelters in Joplin, Missouri, after the tornado there, and in Bastrop, Texas, after the area's devastating wildfires. Says Garrett: “I want to spread the joy of soccer to those that are hurting.” For now, however, Garrett's focus continues to be providing soccer balls to kids in Austin that have been victims or witnesses to violent crimes.

Pittsburgh, PA – Share Closet

2013-03-31T00:00:00Z

Share Closet™ is a social media platform that facilitates the process of sharing clothing, shoes, and accessories among friends. Users upload photos of items they are willing to share into a virtual closet. Friends are able to browse the closet to choose items they would like to borrow. Share Closet™ keeps track of who has borrowed what, and sends reminders to friends on the users’ behalf. Users set their own lending terms (ie: whether clothes may be taken on vacation, whether clothes should be dry cleaned prior to return), to which friends must agree prior to borrowing. Sharing is facilitated between friends only, however users may sell items they are ready to part with permanently to anyone in the wider Share Closet™ user-base. We believe that sharing makes the world a better place by inviting EVERYONE to a more open and sustainable lifestyle without asking for a complete overhaul of self! We believe that Share Closet™ is the perfect invitation! Sharing isn't only for sisters, hippies, or those on a limited budget- it’s for everyone. By removing the barriers to sharing, we are inviting everyone to build a culture of sharing within their circle of friends. We are inviting everyone explore a piece of the story of Pitseng from the safety of their best friends’ closets. Sharing fosters openness. Opening our closets is a way of opening our lives to the people we care about. Share Closet™ creates a safe environment for this shift by allowing you to set your own terms, and regulate who sees what in your closet (through a system of circles similar to Google+). Sharing is a more sustainable way to enjoy fashion. Share Closet™ will not bring consumerism to a halt, but does address event-driven purchasing. By unburdening us of the need to buy something new for each job interview, wedding, first date, etc., we are enabled to make better, higher-quality choices when we do make a purchase.

Boston, MA – Dungeons & Discourse

2013-03-31T00:00:00Z

Inspired by a webcomic, take an ordinary Intro to Philosophy curriculum and rebuild it as a semester-long ARG: that's the origin story of Dungeons & Discourse. I've taught it twice so far within my college's learning management system. But an LMS isn't designed to be a game environment: I want to develop a companion standalone video game version, using an open-source 8bit game engine (OHRRPGCE).

Pittsburgh, PA – The Creped Crusade

2013-03-31T00:00:00Z

What's changed in a year? Since we last spoke I've bided my time, folding thin pancakes in the shadows, and but like the fillings of a savory cheddar cheddar cheese, egg and ham crepe (or sweet "Parisian"crepe bursting with peanut butter and nutella), I'm pouring out at the seams, ready to begin this Creped Crusade. If there ever was, there is no longer any shred of doubt - whether you crepe at noon, or crepe at night, any crepe is indeed a great crepe when you crepe with Mike. I've formed a partnership with Espresso a Mano's Matt Gebis - the owner of a local coffee shop on Butler Street. Matt has agreed to pilot the project. This will enable the crepe stand to meet Health Department legal requirements as The Creped Crusade will functionally operate on Espresso a Mano's permit, laying foundation for reproduceable growth as the Crusade expands to other businesses and neighborhoods. In addition to standard crepes, I've also come to appreciate a more meatless style of living in my personal life and have incorporated a vegan crepe shell into the repetoire of crepe, also knowing that few neighborhoods have affordable options for a healthy vegan friendly lunch. What's the same? There is still a void of crepes in the Golden Triangle. Not in Lawrenceville, not in Downtown nor in Uptown, not in the Strip District, not in Shadyside, and not in Homewood. Though Pittsburgh's street food culture remains undeveloped, momentum has grown. That's where we capitalize. I believe a live-able city is a crepe-able city and these crepe-less streetscapes are unsustainable. We ostensibly live in a world of crepe desert when we deserve to live in a world of crepe dessert. The simple and affordable menu will feature a $3 shell and charge per added filling. All aspects of "to-go" materials will be compostable, unbleached, and/or recyclable. Won't you me join this Creped Crusade?- food in Pittsburgh that would make a Parisian jealous.

Boston, MA – RuPaul Cross Stitch Animation Workshop

2013-03-31T00:00:00Z

The RuPaul Cross Stitch Animation Workshop is an community based embroidery and animation project. The 35 participants were taught to cross stitch, and they are currently working together to create an embroidered looping animation of RuPaul based on footage from the “Supermodel” music video. Each of the participants were assigned an individualized template based on the footage. They are each responsible for the creation of one of the cross stitch frames. Each frame is 12800 stitches. Since the original footage is B&W, each stitcher's color scheme is unique to their frame. They each picked their colors and matched their choices tonally to the original footage for registration purposes. The embroideries will animate in a rainbow of colors when composited together. There will be two animations created from the project. One will document the front view of the frames and one the back. The frames and animations will be displayed as part of Serving Face, to open at Barbara Archer Gallery on September 27, 2013. The embroideries will be framed for the show and the participating artists will be credited for their involvement. The embroideries will be returned to the participants after the show. The animations will also be displayed downtown in Atlanta for the month of September as part of The Window Project at GSU's DAEL Lab.

Denver, CO (Inactief) – Children's Therapy Garden

2013-03-31T00:00:00Z

Out Therapy Garden gives children an opportunity to understand the importance of diet in their overall wellness. The therapy garden is blessed to have a dedicated master gardener that teaches weekly classes to our program participants, We feel that health begins with your level of respect for yourself and that begins with eating food that nourishes the body and mind. We hope that our garden is not only therapeutic in the actual act of working with the dirt, but that the gardening leaves lasting lesson about how food can harm or heal you.

Toronto – F-You: The Forgiveness Project

2013-03-29T00:00:00Z

Who are we? We are young people who want to see a change. Toronto, Canada. Our team believes that our peer group (18-35 year olds) are constantly surrounded by images and ideas of conflict. Because conflict comes in so many forms – from gang violence to bullying – we created a project that inspires dialogue about what forgiveness means and looks like. We are heartbroken by growing violence rates in the GTA, as many of our team members have lost friends and family to gun violence. As a way of healing, we started a small discussion group about turning trauma into a positive project. The small discussion group grew from a few believers into a consistent event averaging 80 attendees. We are a group of young people who see the concept of forgiveness as a tangible and attainable way of seeing results, with the ultimate goal of seeing violence rates lowered. To date, we have held 19 events attracting more than 2,200 attendees, the majority of whom have been youth. Based on data we collect at every event, we have a return rate of 82%. Most recently, we created a discussion and dialogue on the word “retaliation”, as well as alternatives to the theory of “eye for an eye”. We had three ex-gang members speak about why they participated in gun violence, what the lure of a gang was and ultimately what rock bottom looked like. They spoke about how forgiveness was the deciding factor between fighting back upon conflict or walking away – all three said the decision to forgive has kept them alive.

Detroit, MI – Grandmont Rosedale: Love Where You Live project

2013-03-29T00:00:00Z

The Grandmont Rosedale community faces challenges associated with litter on a daily basis. Many of the community’s vacant lots and public spaces (i.e. parks, farmers’ market, commercial corridors, etc.) have been overrun by litter and illegal dumping of hazardous materials (i.e. tires or furniture). To address these concerns, we are launching an anti-litter campaign called “Love Where You Live” (LWYL). LWYL will engage all members of the community (youth/adult residents, business owners, clergy, etc.) to remove and prevent litter and illegal dumping. We will achieve these goals by organizing routine clean-ups and by raising awareness about the importance of maintaining clean neighborhoods. In the first year of the campaign we aim to collect a minimum of 1,000 “pledge cards” (promises from community members to be litter-free) and to conduct at least 24 clean-ups. Pledge cards will be displayed on our social media accounts to increase awareness of the anti-litter campaign and to inspire additional community members to join in. Those who take the pledge will also receive a LWYL window decal or yard sign to increase campaign presence in the community and to continuously remind them of their commitment to be litter-free.

San Antonio, TX – Thrift Off S.A.

2013-03-29T00:00:00Z

We are so passionate about what fashion designers do for people. Fashion designers give people the ability to express outwardly the person they are in the inside. It is about more than clothes, it is about giving someone the ability to express their individuality and who they want to be. Thrift Off San Antonio is an annual event, which will spotlight the talented fashion design community of our city. Our mission is to encourage those interested in pursuing careers in fashion by giving them the opportunity to participate in a well-publicized competition meant to highlight the genius of San Antonio's creative community. How it works, in round 1 our designers had a max budget of $50 to spend at Goodwill for materials for two outfits. "Before" pictures were taken and after 2 weeks "after" pics must be submitted. All pics will be posted at the same time on our facebook page and the public will vote. Top 5 will be determined by number of likes after 1 week of voting. The top 5 will return to goodwill with a $75 budget for three additional outfits for the fashion show which will be held 3 weeks after they shop. We have 3 judges that will be determining our winner but a good time will be had by all! The three outfits that the top 5 constructed for the show will be auctioned off and proceeds will go to the creation of the aforementioned non-profit SAve the Arts.

Portland, OR – The Gift that keeps on Giving (2.0)

2013-03-28T00:00:00Z

The central idea of the project is still the same. I'm fascinated by the unbelievable power of a gift given out of joy. At the last Awesome Grant party, when I had people fill out cards with offers of gifts that would give them joy to give, the results were amazing! People offered things like chocolate cheesecake, sailing lessons, professional massage, and I ended up with an offer for 2 free concert tickets! What I've found is that subtle changes to an environment can make drastic differences in how humans interact with each other, kind of like moving a stone at the top of a creek can change how the water flows over it and change the course of the whole river. So I still want to build gift vending machines, that allow people to anonymously exchange gifts given out of joy, and I want to make the plans open-source, and I want to distribute the machines to community spaces, non-profits, schools, and community boards, to allow strangers who occupy the same spaces to meet each other through gifts. I've modified the design to be simpler to produce, and with less specialized tools. Now it requires only a router, a drill press, and a 2.75" drill bit. This will make the project easier to reproduce if someone chooses to replicate the open-source designs. It also means more cuts are made by drilling 2.75" holes, which means each machine produces 6 cut-out wooden circles, or "Tokens". The users write their offers on these wooden "tokens" instead of paper. The machines can still use paper if blank tokens aren't available, but I found that paper easily gets lost or torn in your pocket. By letting people write their offers on wooden tokens (which are actually a waste product of production of the machines) you give them something real and tangible they can hold onto. By using the "token" format to convey a gift, the project subverts dominant assumptions about money and value.

Portland, OR – Super Hero Awakening Campaign

2013-03-28T00:00:00Z

This courage-building will train 10 adult Courage Crusaders to lead Super Hero Awakening Ceremonies in libraries, schools, community centers and private homes. This project has potential to reach 150-200 children over several weeks, and Crusaders will train others to do the same, so this movement has sustainability. Each Crusader will be given materials and curriculum that offers empowering messages, easy-to-remember songs, creative activities and self-reflective writing activities that teach children of all ages, races and backgrounds that they currently have "super" powers they use in everyday life. For example, cleaning up after yourself shows the "super" power of responsibility; and when you sit at lunch with the shy kid with no friends, you exhibit the "super" power of compassion. This strength-based process is different from other anti-bullying programs because it offers a consciousness shift. It taps into each child’s capacity to believe in their own worthiness, to find their voice even though they might be shy, and to internalize and demonstrate their understanding that courage is a choice and that they already have what it takes to be brave in the face of fear. And, when a child feels more confident, they are less likely to be an easy target of bullying and are more likely to view themselves not as victims, but empowered Super Heroes who are capable of stopping bullying behavior in their schools and communities. Studies have documented that 75 percent of school shootings are attributed to bullying and harassment. The Super Hero Awakening Project presents a fresh and creative approach to the age-old problem of bullying, plus added value of building courage, a life skill all children need, anyway. And, even when fear takes over, as it sometimes does, this project will provide each participant with a Courage Stone they can carry in their pocket or backpack to remind themselves that they can always access their courage whenever they desire.

Calgary, AB (Inactief) – Bare Bottoms Diaper Drive

2013-03-28T00:00:00Z

1 in 5 Canadian Moms struggle to provide clean diapers for their children. This often results in emotional, physical, financial and relationship challenges for both Mom and baby. In 2012, the Calgary Food Bank provided 15,000 hampers (which included diapers) to families in need. The food bank relies solely on diaper donations, and was only able to provide 7 diapers per hamper (less than 1 days worth). I am organizing a diaper drive on the Mother's Day weekend (May 11&12) at the Zoo to collect diapers and cash donations for the Food Bank. I will also be utilizing traditional and social media to encourage Calgarians to start their own diaper collections as part of the Bare Bottoms Diaper Drive initiative to support the Food Bank. I do not have any funding or support for this project, so I am hoping to secure money to pay for printing costs for this event. I will need to print promotional posters, large format posters for the Zoo event, and drop box posters for the individual collections. Any money left over will be used to purchase diapers for the Food Bank.

Airdrie, AB (Inactief) – Airdrie Original One Act Play Festival

2013-03-27T00:00:00Z

Nose Creek Players is a community theatre group operating out of Airdrie, Alberta. We encourage the innovation of the arts to further grow the surrounding community. The Airdrie Original One Act Play Festival is a community theatre festival for playwrights and actors where people can participate in workshops creating short, one-act plays and then perform them in front of audiences during the festival. The $1,000 will be used to pay for facility rentals for our second annual festival in January 2014, freeing up other money to do other things in order to help grow the festival. Photo Credit: K. Wudrich

Miami, FL – Framing It Up!

2013-03-26T00:00:00Z

A lot of people only accept art when it has a picture frame around it. I want to take various size and style picture frames, paint them up and attach them to stands and place them around Miami Beach. For instance as you walk out to the beach from the dunes, you'd see a large, painted picture frame, mounted to a support structure parallel to the ocean. I think this would not only remind people of the beauty around them can be art, but to consider what they are looking at. Consider the ocean, the fish, the boats in the distance and the commerce that goes along with it. Consider the grains of sand and the time it took for them to be created. Or maybe if anything, it'll just create an awesome photo opportunity for people.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – FashionTech workshop

2013-03-26T00:00:00Z

Together with the Makerspace LA (//contact person Tara) I would like to create a 3 day workshop in where a new design is build and mediated, involving microcontrollers, and effect based systems around the body. I would use the RENESAS GR SAKURA board to teach the participants and lead them into the wonderful world that fashion & technology combined has to offer.

London, ON (Inactief) – Block Party in a Box

2013-03-26T00:00:00Z

We all reside on some type of street and whether we live in an apartment, a detached house or in a town home we all have amazing people we call our neighbours, but when was the last time we got together with them simply to party? While we may exchange daily pleasantries with our neighbours and occasionally get together for an evening dinner with one another, or a play date for our children, we don’t often get together as an entire street, neighbourhood or community simply to socialize and celebrate. The process of trying to organize a block party can be an onerous one. Designing posters, completing checklists, organizing potlucks and planning games, events & entertainment all take time. These duties and responsibilities are in addition to the process of applying for city permits and making sure that a block party is safe. All in all there are lots of things to take care of and when time & energy aren’t in abundance there often isn’t an opportunity to plan a party when one might be needed most. What ‘Block Party in a Box’ aims to do is create a collection of ambiguous resources that can be used by anyone wanting to plan a block party for their street, community or neighbourhood of any size. With pre-made posters, checklists, games and other resources, all provided in a build-it-yourself box, ‘Block Party in a Box’ will allow anyone to start planning and execute a successful block party without breaking a sweat. While some cities may have car-free/open streets day and some established & organized neighbourhoods might have a yearly gathering, not every city, community or neighbourhood may have the experience and knowledge of planning such an event. ‘Block Party in a Box’ would provide a resource (both digital & physical) that would allow anyone, with any level of planning/organizing experience, to plan a successful block party from start to finish.

Newmarket – Eco Art Series

2013-03-25T00:00:00Z

My project is an Eco art series of creative projects to be hosted at Newmarket fairy lake. 1 art project per month for approx 10-15 kids per event plus their attending parent(s) and siblings in arms Each art activity will be primary using recycled and / or organic /natural earth materials. The goal is to broaden the children's imagination and creativity whilst teaching them how these recycled materials are secret treasures. Some example projects are: - milk carton bird feeders - bottle cap lockets (mothers day gifts) - toilet paper roll puppets - bean mosaics ...and many others!!

Maldon (Inactief) – Sticky - a short animated documentary

2013-03-23T00:00:00Z

It’s easy to become overwhelmed when faced with the depleted state of our world. Our project tells a wonderfully positive Australian (and Victorian) conservation success story, which we believe will inspire and energise viewers as well as create an icon of hope. “Sticky” is a 10 minute animated documentary focussing on the astonishing of the Lord Howe Island stick insect, or phasmid. These insects evolved on Lord Howe Island and exist nowhere else. They are shiny, black, flightless and huge - islanders used to call them tree lobsters. In 1918 a supply ship ran aground off the island, and rats came ashore. They quickly munched their way through the entire stick insect population and within a few years the insects were thought to be extinct. Then in the 60s a group of climbers found an exoskeleton (shedding) from one of the insects in the most remote, inhospitable place you can imagine. . . Ball’s Pyramid is the tallest sea stack in the world, as high as a skyscraper, as thin as a blade, rising almost vertically from the sea 25km off Lord Howe Island. It looks exactly like a super-villain’s secret island. Seepage from rainwater supports just one patch of melaleuca on Ball’s Pyramid, and under this one bush in 2001 a team of scientists found a population of LHI phasmids, just 24 individuals. Nobody knows how they got there. But that’s just the start of the story. In 2003, 4 individuals were removed from the pyramid for captive breeding at Melbourne Zoo, where a dedicated team brought them back from the very brink of extinction despite nothing at all being known about the insect’s life and habits. We are in contact with the key people in the story, and are working closely with them to craft a film which will broadcast, as far and as loud as we can, a message of hope. We think this film is the very definition of awesome. We want to get it to as wide an audience as we can. We would love it if you would support us.

Maldon (Inactief) – Young West Project

2013-03-23T00:00:00Z

The Young West Project is being facilitated by experienced community development professional and Walmer resident, Deanna Neville. It involves getting young people in the western area of Mount Alexander Shire (e.g. Maldon, Baringhup, Newstead, Walmer) to identify and photograph other inspiring young people. This first stage will culminate in an awesome, all-hours, all-weather exhibition of the photographs being displayed during the period of the Castlemaine State Festival. The exhibition will be mounted in the front garden of the Maldon Neighbourhood Centre, with the images being suspended from the boughs of our magnificent oak tree. This is just the beginning of the project. The images used in the exhibition will be featured on an awesome new Facebook page, encouraging other young people in our region to join the project and upload their own photos. We will also hold further workshops and classes in creating videos to upload that will attach a narrative to the photographs that are being taken.

Seattle, WA – Gender Odyssey Youth Video Project

2013-03-22T00:00:00Z

We'd love to make a short film highlighting all the youth programming events, workshops, and activities that we can post on our website, Facebook, and YouTube pages. We have an experienced filmmaker that would donate her time and skills to this project. While our conference is over ten years old, the rapidly growing teen program is only five years old. We've ramped up our social media presence but this short film would be incredibly helpful in reaching more and more transgender teens across the country. These youth are often very isolated in their schools and communities. They are often at risk for teasing and bullying because of their gender differences. There are very few accessible resources for them or their families anywhere in the country. Families often go to great lengths to get their kids to our conference because the power that comes with seeing others like yourself is immeasurable for these teens. They leave with their heads high and new friends for life. The impact of a short film where youth could see kids like them and also very different from them would serve to 1) simply reflect their existence in our society and 2) give them a window into what they might expect at the conference ultimately relieving any initial anxiety they might have about attending. Our conference is funded by the people who attend. Some families can afford to pay while others need full scholarships. We have a very lean budget and only one paid year round staff member. Our conference has no frills but simply serves to bring families, kids, and resources together in one place for the weekend. This film would make a definite, powerful impact on our local Seattle Gender Odyssey Teen Group as we would empower them to frame and articulate the script for the film. Additionally, it would help more Seattle area transgender teens become aware of our youth programs.

Oahu, HI – Wahiawa Savvy Seniors

2013-03-22T00:00:00Z

I am humbly asking the Awesome Foundation to help fund my project “Wahiawa Savvy Seniors” by bringing iPad therapy to the patients at the Wahiawa General Hospital Senior Behavioral Health unit. These seniors have severe behavioral, emotional or mental conditions such as dementia, depression, and various personality disorders. Since it is a psychiatric ward, it can be a very dreary place. Only their loved ones are permitted to visit the facility, and unlike senior centers or long term care facilities, our patients do not get to go outside, watch T.V. in their rooms, or enjoy outside visitors such as singing groups, church groups, or animals. Since I have worked there, it has been my goal to get to know each delightful patient and figure out which things bring them a bit of happiness. To do this, I often use my iPad, and it has become indispensable to me in connecting with the patients on a personal level and showing them that they are valuable. What I love about iPad “therapy” is its spontaneity. There are so many different types of Apps, I can find something to please everyone. For example, one day I heard a patient singing “Let me call you sweetheart.” In seconds, I had the lyrics and music on my iPad, and we did a little sing-a-long. For patients on isolation, I have used my iPad to watch old sitcoms with them, play games and listen to their favorite music. For a dementia patient who routinely stands up and serenades us with the Chinese national anthem (complete with hand gestures), I streamed Chinese songs through my music App. When one patient shared that her son was a pastor of a local church, I quickly found the church’s website and showed her pictures of her son and his family. She even had the option to stream and listen to the sermons. I have also used my iPad for cognitive therapy by using Apps which prompt the patients to think by recognizing various objects and categories. I am also using my iPad to try different interventions with dementia patients to see if they actually can learn new information with repetition combined with images. More cognizant patients can connect with the outside world by reading the newspaper and magazines. One patient loved to read the obituaries, but her poor eyesight made this an exhausting task so I found the Honolulu obituaries on my iPad in extra large font. For entertainment, the options are endless. Apps exist for painting, coloring, virtual cooking baking, games, and so on. One patient was virtually unresponsive, lost in her world of advanced dementia, and I managed to get her eyes to focus on my iPad with a slideshow of kittens. For one brief second, she became lucid. Her eyes lit up, she smiled, and said, “Oh..look at them. They are so cute!” Moments like this are priceless, and for this reason I would love to be able to make iPads available for our unit. Thank you so much for your consideration.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – Luminescence: A moment of attraction

2013-03-21T00:00:00Z

Luminescence: A moment of attraction is a 750 foot long public art installation created to float in the Arizona Canal in Scottsdale, Arizona. The artwork will open to the public at the Canal Convergence Spring Equinox event in March and will be free and accessible until late May 2013. Rising from the canal floor, hundreds of phosphorescent bubbles float along the sides of the canal, mimicking seaweed. In daylight, the transparent, reflective bubbles create an illusion on the surface of the canal while they absorb the energy of the Arizona sun. As the sun sets, the bubbles take on a surprising new life as they begin to glow subtly, evoking a sense of whimsy and magic. This curious phosphorescence draws visitors to the sides of the canal while simultaneously enticing the canal residence, the fish, to gather in a fusion of attraction.

Kingston – Toys for Kids

2013-03-21T00:00:00Z

I want to bring these awesome teethers and toys to local community groups so that they can reach as many children as possible. I started making toys as I was searching for safe, non toxic teething toys for my own children. So many children are surrounded with plastic toys, electronics and battery operated toys in their everyday lives. These offer little to growing minds. We want to introduce natural, long lasting toys to chilren's play. The benefits of playing with natural toys are unlimited - creativity, imagination, appreciation for nature, lack of toxins, an appreciation for crafting. We want to see babies and children all over Kingston using and enjoying our toys. As such our plan is to donate our toys to businesses and services that would benefit from a few new toys! The local Waldorf and Montessori schools, the Boys & Girls Club, Community Programs and Groups, the Public Library, Daycares and Shelters. We want to set them up with some good quality, safe and imaginative play toys that can be loved and used for a long time! Because much of our wood comes from scraps, end pieces, extras or short boards, we will be able to make a large amount of toys for little cost. As an example, one board foot of “imperfect” wood costs approximately $2-$3 and can produce a minimum of 3 teethers, or 10 teething necklaces. Just think of the teethers we can make with $1000? Have you done the math yet? Thats more than 1000 teethers! The possibilities are endless. All for babies and children to play with! How awesome is that? Come on, you can't argue with it! Oh and just in case you are wondering what a teether is, we have attached an image of our guitar teether. A teething toy perfect for babies to chew on, teeth on and munch away at.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – MESH

2013-03-21T00:00:00Z

Mesh is a documentary about community-owned Internet & the future of networks. Currently in production, Mesh centers around a group of people creating independently-run community wireless networks through mesh Wi-Fi, a bandwidth-sharing technology emblematic of the desire to create spontaneous, living alternatives to decaying infrastructure and centralized systems of control.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – Awesome Sandy Rebuild

2013-03-21T00:00:00Z

The Goals: Impact: support as many people as possible, as soon as possible Agility: get funds to people who have been waiting Adaptability: build a new model for the awesome community Interested in contributing to the rebuild? Email carina.molnar@gmail.com Impacted by the Hurricane and in need of a grant? Apply here You can also join the Awesome Sandy Rebuild community on Facebook and on Twitter!

Kitchener-Waterloo – The Fresh Food Program

2013-03-20T00:00:00Z

The Fresh Food Program supplies fresh fruits & veggies to ppl who can't afford any- for many of the ppl who use our pgm this is their ONLY source of fresh food. On Saturdays we supply families, 'satellite food pgms', and most of the volunteers. On Sunday we supply single ppl in need of food. The FFP is awesome because: 1) We do a lot with very little. By buying food in bulk & thru the volunteer power of ppl helping ppl, we have invested in the health & wellbeing of a great many ppl. 2) This is a unique pgm in that it is the ONLY pgm of its kind in K-W run by low income ppl themselves. Over 10 yrs (that's 520 wks!) we have managed to keep the pgm running via the dedicated, creative, & innovative efforts of ppl who are keen on helping others, while benefiting from the pgm themselves. 3) This is the ONLY fd pgm in K-W which provides healthy fresh food rather than canned & processed "non-perishable", high calorie, non-nutritional, food bank food to low income ppl. 4) We have helped an unbelievable number of ppl over the yrs. We have even supplied local shelters & meal pgms with fresh food when enough is available. We like to see this pgm as an inspiration to others. The FFP has spawned many neighborhood food pgms (which rely on us for food), and has even inspired a similar pgm in London Ont. Surprisingly the powers that be seem to have no interest in funding grass roots pgms of this kind. Even so, social services regularly sends ppl to us for food! This is because they know that ppl living on social assistance, after paying rent & utilities, have no budget left for food & other necessities. We encourage users of the pgm to make a small donation towards food purchases but few can. On the other hand, we have a wide network of volunteers in place which can handle getting any amount of food out to those who need it. More than anything, this is a question of funding. Everything else is in place to get the food out0.!

Boulder, CO (Inactief) – Adaptive yoga in Boulder

2013-03-19T00:00:00Z

I am in need of funds to purchase mats, bolsters, straps and blocks to run an adaptive yoga class for people in wheelchairs at Imagine! Boulder. We want to start the class ASAP, I have an instructor, assistants and a population to teach all ready to go- all we need is funds for the props that this type of class requires.

Ottawa – Musical Underground Ottawa

2013-03-18T00:00:00Z

March's Awesome Ottawa award goes to Kent Aitken to support Musical Underground Ottawa, an experiment in "reverse busking" to be held early this summer. "The plan," explains Kent, "is to set up in public spaces and along commuting routes, and encourage passers by to play a song -- a cover or original -- in order to be entered into a raffle for a really, really nice guitar, and everything needed to take care of it." Kent will record the results, and post the highlights online. "I honestly don't know why I love this idea so much," says Kent. "It just feels great." He's hoping for small audiences of musicians to develop and meet each other, for some really unlikely folks to haul songs out of their back pockets, for some hidden gems of songs to be captured for later viewing, for at least a few people leaving with a renewed passion for playing songs, and to have a blast playing in a park with his friends while waiting for performers. Kent is a native of Prince Edward Island who moved to Ottawa, as he puts it, "to be part of our democracy." By day he is a bureaucrat and economist, and by night he is a student and hobbyist musician. To learn more, and to find out when and where you can perform your own song for a chance at the guitar, visit http://musicalunderground.wordpress.com, or follow @MUOttawa on Twitter.

Windsor, ON (Inactief) – Krazy Krutches for Kids

2013-03-14T00:00:00Z

I would like to use your grant to go to both Hotel Dieu Hospital and Windsor Regional Hospital to visit kids who are in the hospital and have to start using crutches. Learning to walk with crutches is much harder than most people realize so having something to look forward to makes a world of difference. I would like to see children (with the hospital`s permission) who need crutches or have just received their crutches...and ask them, what they`d like their new crutches to look like. I would spent the grant money on the art supplies: spray paint, jewels, stickers, hockey tape (which is used on the portion of the crutch that goes under your arms (arm supports) to give them extra padding; glitter (really makes the crutches sparkle, brushes, and any other supplies I would need to make this child's dream crutches come true! The pictures don't quite do the crutches justice - mine were brilliant fuscia (good for finding me in the dark at fireworks too) and were covered in glitter; with two types of hockey tape (penguins - my favorite) and a stripped pattern of pink, green and orange for the arm pads!

LA South Bay, CA (Inactief) – Children's Portraits for Struggling Moms

2013-03-14T00:00:00Z

The governance and program structure of my foundation requires that each of the four directors take turns designing and leading projects that impact a problem we see in our community. I am the lead on this project. The Bella Foundations other directors are Annaliese Snowhook, Alicia Schomer, and Rebecca Schomer, Another portion of our by-laws stipulates that we have chocolate at every board meeting. I will create high quality children's portraits for struggling mothers at the Richstone Family Center's family open house event on Saturday, January 26. Please note, the grant funds will be used after the event for photo printing. I will be using skills I have acquired from photography classes and school yearbook experience. The Richstone Center works with struggling families to end the cycle of child abuse they have experienced. Inspiration/ Motivation: I believe that having beautiful pictures of loved ones can strengthen bonds. I was inspired to reach out to the Richstone Family Center in particular because I imagined that mothers leaving an abusive relationship are often forced to leave behind their belongings. And, some of the center's clients have not been able to afford school pictures of their children Additional Benefits to Project Partner: We have coordinated this project with the Richstone Family Center's program director Allison Tanaka. She says that providing the photos after the event for pickup at the center attracts the parents back to the center with this additional incentive to keep their child's therapy appointments. Also. the photos will be provided to the center for use in their marketing and fundraising materials. Plan of Action 1) Set up a "photo studio" station at the Richstone Family Center's family weekend event on January 26, 2013. Please note, the grant funds will be used after the event for photo printing. 2) Provide framed prints. 3) Deliver framed prints to the Richstone Family Center in February.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactief) – Blogologues

2013-03-12T00:00:00Z

“Blogologues is like Forbidden Broadway for the Internet, like memes come to life, like... pure awesome.” -- Flavorpill Did you see that, Awesome Foundation? We’re awesome, and other people think so, too. Our company, Lively Productions, is a nonprofit theater company in NYC that explores how new media influences traditional storytelling. In our current project, Blogologues, we take Facebook posts, tweets, Craigslist ads, blog posts, open forums and more and an ensemble of five performs them word-for-word live onstage. That’s right: we bring the internet to life. What?! Yes. We take the real words of actual internet bloggers or post...ers, and create out-of-the-box characters and scenarios for this sketch-comedy-type show. At its core, theater is designed to mirror society. Today, however, an overwhelming portion of daily life takes place online: According to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 85% of adults are now connected to the internet, and that percentage is rapidly growing. What then? How can we keep theater alive and well? How can we get the kids offline, and encourage them to engage in real time? At the same time, we’re fascinated by how new media has enabled everyone to have a voice. One day, all of these musings coalesced to create Blogologues. We’re proud to say that much of our audience confides in us post-show that they don’t regularly attend theater, but they love Blogologues. We’ve had audience members come up to us after performances and tell us that watching Blogologues is like “looking at a mirror.” The Huffington Post wrote that “Blogologues proves that the internet and live theater can live in harmony.” We hope that we’re paving the way for a new kind of relatable, live performance that keeps pace with the ways communication is quickly changing... but we need to reach more people, which brings us to your last question.

Sydney – The Backyard Bus

2013-03-12T00:00:00Z

A unique artist in residence program set in a restored vintage bus in a backyard in inner city Newcastle. Artists of any discipline with a passion for creating work with a strong social, health or community focus (often referred to as arts health field) will be offered a 3 week residency in The Backyard Bus. The residency includes free accommodation in a semi-self contained restored vintage bus (almost complete!), access to the main house for kitchen and bathroom facilities, free wifi, 24 hour access to a studio space 1.2 km away (in Peppertown Cafe Artist Studios in Mayfield) and use of a lovely bike to access the studio and the cultural and industrial inspirational delights of inner-city Newcastle. Artists will be required to contribute something 'back' to the community during the residency such as a workshop, lecture etc.(partnerships are currently being established with key stakeholders in the area (uni, galleries etc) to facilitate this). 3 residencies will be offered in 2013. The selection panel for applicants includes: Myself (details above), Dr Nasir Warfa (mental health professor at London Uni - in process of setting up world's first Masters program in Mental Health and Creative Arts), Ms Justine Potter (arts administrator with 20+ years of experience and local guru) and Ms Amy Vee (award winning folk artist who is an advocate for the role music and creativity plays in mental health and wellbeing). The nexus between creativity and social and emotional wellbeing at the individual and collective level is my greatest passion - I am self funding this initiative because I have been blessed with a unique space and want to see it used to further work in this arena. The link between the artists and the community is a vital component of the residency and will ensure many more benefit from an investment by Awesome. No other residency in Australia focuses on the arts health field and many residencies have a fee attached for artists. This will be free of charge.

New York City, NY – Brooklyn Brainery Backyard

2013-03-12T00:00:00Z

The Brooklyn Brainery was founded three years ago by Soma and Jen, two Brooklynites who wanted to keep learning new things without breaking the bank. The Brainery is a community classroom for New York City offering classes on all kinds of subjects, from knitting to physics. Today, we’re excited to announce that the NYC Awesome Foundation is providing our March $1000 microgrant to help the Brainery develop their new backyard into an awesome outdoor community space! The Brooklyn Brainery’s approach to educating New York is innovative and fun. Classes run for up to three weeks and are quite inexpensive; anyone can pitch a class they want to teach, and the Brainery handles the logistics. Teachers are passionate amateurs, PhDs, professionals – anyone with a willingness to share what they love with others. Their rule of thumb for classes is “the quirkier the better.” Past classes include electronics, Bengali cuisine, zombie makeup, and lucid dreaming; upcoming ones include proofreading, chess, presentation skills, and the history of the Gowanus Canal. As the Brainery enters a new phase of growth, our grant will help them build their backyard into a great space to host more free events, and will keep costs down by acting as an extra classroom in the warmer months. We can’t wait to see the new Brainery backyard for ourselves!

San Francisco, CA – Youth Community Center and Garden

2013-03-11T00:00:00Z

Growing up in East Oakland, there is very little offered to us youth, so we decided to create a space for teens to make our own decisions about what we want for our community. We wish to transform a donated space into a multi purpose community center and a garden for holding community events. It is important to create simple ways to come together, to learn about each other, to grow our relationships by bonding with each other, and to celebrate the diversity that surrounds our beloved city, Oakland than peace is achievable. . As an LGBTQ-welcoming environment, we will create a culture at our community center where everyone can be and express themselves, while having their ideas and different viewpoints shared. Jay and Narina are poets and writers, and have been holding spaces for middle schoolers to have a Gay-Straight Alliance. Katebah is a passionate writer, organizer and peace builder, and teaches skateboarding with Katherine. Katherine and Vanessa and Marwat are artists with a vision more grand than would fit on a canvass. Rocio and Vei are passionate debaters and writers. We want to foster creativity, belonging, and new friendships in our neighborhood by offering music, writing, art, dance, and skateboarding classes. Our schools do not offer these opportunities, and while Esme is an activist for better schools and teachers, we took it upon ourselves to put our ideas into action. Making music or any form of creative expression is what we turn to to keep us going. Some of our close friends have dropped out due to the lack of support and inspiration in school. Sharing our different ideas, supporting each other, and expressing ourselves helps us overcome our struggles. We want to garden to promote healthy eating habits and educate everyone about the different types of vegetables and fruits that we can grow. Sally is a peer health educator, and Khawlah and Rattana are avid gardeners. So as you can see we are dedicated to building up our community.

Chicago, IL – Dunes Learning Center Food Waste Education

2013-03-04T00:00:00Z

I am starting a composting program at the Dunes Learning Center that will be used in conjunction with our current food waste program. We collect food waste at the end of each meal and educate the students about the importance of not producing food waste we also collect organic wastes to compost, but our current compost system is very problematic as we are located within the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and wildlife is in great abundance. I along with some of my co-workers are looking to improve the quality of our current food waste program and add in some extra educational experiences for students. We are working to show students the importance of goal setting in life while also teaching them ways to create a more sustainable environment, which we all want right! This project would allow for at least 5,000 students to be exposed to the practice of composting and other food related sustainability practices. In addition to the compost project we will be starting an herb garden, to be used in the Dunes Learning Center kitchen, when the compost project is off the ground and we are actually producing good amounts of compost. The compost will be added to the herb garden. This would be a very student friendly project because manual labor is needed to turn the organic waste of around 70 individuals into actual compostable material, any large pieces need to be cut into smaller chunks that microbes can more easily breakdown through the composting process.

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactief) – Healthy Food Program Outdoor Kitchen

2013-03-03T00:00:00Z

Ann Arbor, MI – ExtinBreachR

2013-03-03T00:00:00Z

This year in our DTEP magnet, our class was given the task to complete a capstone project that would not only test our building process, but more specifically researching, patenting, prototyping/fabricating, testing, and networking. My partner and I have chosen to take on a project that would be simple to prototype, fun to build, and most of all have a huge impact on the community. We wanted to do something that would not only be cool, but useful. Our project is a firefighting tool that would enable firefighters to put out a fire in a burning building without entering the building. Making firefighting a much safer and faster profession as firefighters are not exposed to the heat and smoke from the flames. Based on three main ideas: saving money, time, and lives. We have learned that simplicity is priority #1. (Please see the attachments) Ever since day 1, we have learned so much about not only the firefighting community but also finding materials inexpensively, expanding our fabrication techniques, and networking with fire fighters, senior engineers, college students, metal shops from all over Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor has always been amazing place to live in and to grow up. W have been gifted with an amazing school with amazing resources and amazing teachers. We have been gifted with many more resources way beyond what we could ask for. For example, Alro Metals on S. Industrial has donated aluminum for our project, our neighbors at Scio Township fire department have helped us greatly with our project as well as Ann Arbor's Fire Station 1. The recycle center on the south state as well. Most of all, Skyline and Maker Works ( a public based fabrication/prototyping shop) have teamed up and has provided my classmates and us with access to Maker Works to take on our capstone project. Maker Works has basically been a second home and have the most amazing employees and people that we have ever met. It has truly accelerated our education beyond our dreams.

Miami, FL – Little Haiti Community Garden: Lot to Landmark

2013-02-28T00:00:00Z

We will work hard to enhance the Little Haiti Community Garden and create a sustainable plan for the community it serves. We will also hold educational classes so children can learn about science, nutrition and the environment. Incorporating dominos tables and local Haitian art will reflect the culture of its residents. By turning this "Lot Into a Landmark" it will be a true reflection of its vibrant community. The final product will be revealed in a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Detroit, MI – SHOOT FILM,NOT PEOPLE

2013-02-28T00:00:00Z

Video Production Positive News Program involves youth from a specific area in Metropolitan Detroit urban community known as the Osborn Community. These youth, who ages will range from 8-18yrs, will participate in a 40 hour video production/editing training course that will include taped and live footage of positive news happening in their schools and community. The program runs year round starting January 2013 and classes will meet for 4 hours per week. We have already got started..For the purpose of providing lots of one–on-one training each class will consist of no more than ten (10) students per class, giving opportunity to as many youth as resources will allow. Using hands on teaching philosophy the youth will learn the basics of working in a green-screen room, shooting, producing, and editing commercials, film & documentaries.

Austin, TX – Environmental Remediation Thru Hydrilla Harvesting

2013-02-28T00:00:00Z

Mike Jochum attended an Austin Awesome Foundation Office Hours event because he knew one of our past winners and he had an idea he thinks may have a big impact. As a scientist, kayaker and self-described “eco-centric Austinite," Michael is worried about the growth of hydrilla in our waterways. He also has an idea that might sustainably address this problem. Lake Austin has been inundated with a non-native invasive plant called Hydrilla verticillata since 1999. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife September 2012 report, this invasive has infected to over 550 acres in Lake Austin. These aquatic plants are choking out the native life, entangling boat propellers, and creating a drowning hazard to swimmers. To combat this problem, The City of Austin, LCRA, and Friends of Lake Austin have inoculated Lake Austin with over 47,700 sterile Asian grass carp as a means of biological control of the infestation since 2003. They have also incorporated winter drawdowns, or lowering the water level of the lake in an attempt to prevent the plant from being able to grow. Unfortunately, these agencies have not been able to conduct drawdowns in recent times due to the drought. Hydrilla has continued to plague the waterways of Austin, and has become a point of political tension between the boaters, anglers, and swimmers in Austin and the regulatory agencies. Through his research, he discovered that these plants could be composted and turned into a good quality biofertilizer. He has also researched a method to manually harvest the plants. Now he is ready to pilot his idea and he came to the Awesome Foundation for support. ERTH (Environmental Remediation Through Hydrilla Harvesting) Austin is an Austin-based startup designed to mechanically harvest and remove non-native aquatic invasives from the waterways and turn them into sustainable sources of biofertilizer and bioplastic. Preliminary samples conducted by ERTH through the Texas A&M Soil and Crop laboratory shows that Hydrilla in Lake Austin is an excellent potential source of nutrients that can be composted and used as a source of biofertilizer. We love the idea and decided in February to give him a $1000 to put his idea into action.

Pittsburgh, PA – Knit the Bridge

2013-02-28T00:00:00Z

Imagine one of Pittsburgh’s Three Sisters Bridges bedecked in colorful panels, knitted by hundreds of area residents. This one-of-a-kind bridge installation, called yarn bombing, will showcase the creative energy of the Pittsburgh region, celebrate its cultural diversity, and highlight our thriving contemporary arts scene. Knit the Bridge (KtB) uses the accessible and widespread craft traditions of knit and crochet as a catalyst to create strong and resourceful community networks that will last beyond the project itself. Our project presents a unique opportunity literally and figuratively to weave the region together. Committed to creating opportunities for all, KtB has set proportional participation goals based on ethnicity, age, geographic area, ability, gender identity and sexual orientation so that the final visual impact accurately reflects Pittsburgh’s communities. Project planning began in spring 2012, with ongoing community events from summer 2012 until the project is finished. The bridge installation will be unveiled summer/fall of 2013, and remain on display for four weeks. (We are in the final stages of negotiating the exact dates of installation and removal with Allegheny County). Once the installation is removed, the knit and crochet panels will be laundered and distributed to shelters and other community living facilities to be reused as blankets and wall hangings. Lead artist Amanda Gross is a teaching artist and Masters Candidate in Conflict Transformation with a focus on the intersection of peace building and the arts. Under her direction, KtB is a joint undertaking of the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh (FGP) and Fiberart International 2013 in administrative partnership with Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. FGP is an all-volunteer group, responsible for 100% of the $112,000 budget for Knit the Bridge. Through Amanda’s vision, we hope to create a spectacular work of public art with a lasting impact and make Pittsburgh #1 in yarn bombing!

Calgary, AB (Inactief) – WRECK CITY: An Epilogue for 809

2013-02-28T00:00:00Z

In May 2013, eleven houses will be demolished on 5th avenue NW in Sunnyside. Small and weathered, the entire strip of homes will be re-developed into one dense apartment block, taking shape over the next few years. Done in the name of progress, efficiency, and value per square foot, this is a familiar Calgary tale – wrecking balls followed by a flurry of worker bees, and a new beige structure emerges from the rubble of outdated-bordering-on-antique architecture. For better or for worse, this is just how Calgary works. Despite the nostalgia of working in a neighbourhood soon to be destroyed and redeveloped, WRECK CITY is an optimistic experiment, creating wildly exciting potentials for the participants. Artists will be free to radically alter the architecture of entire houses, re-shaping and using materials from the homes themselves, without the need for repair at the end of the project. The project will pay tribute to the history of the spaces, serving as a swan song for the lives lived within these homes, and a celebration of the mysteries held within their walls. With the blessing of the Housing Developers, the ensemble of Curators will select 30+ Artists to participate in the transformation, producing a neighbourhood of magical and critically-engaging spaces. The artists will work for one-month inside the houses, and then open up WRECK CITY to the broader community, inviting Calgarians to view and interact with the transformed houses for nine days between April 19th and 27th. Viewership from all-ages (especially kids!) and all types of people will be encouraged. Instigated as an epilogue for 809 Gallery, (an influential garage-based gallery scheduled for demolition along with the other homes on 5th Avenue), the Curators organizing WRECK CITY are some of Calgary’s best and brightest rising stars. Together they have founded galleries, instigated long-term collectives, run festivals, toured art around the world, and measurably influenced the structure of independent art in Calgary. The ensemble has adequate technical and administrative experience to successfully complete a project of this scope, including involvement with similar pre-demolition projects in Toronto (www.leonadrive.ca) and Calgary (www.housedemolitionproject.wordpress.com). An active reflection on Calgary’s demolition addiction, and playful comment on the potential of re-using domestic spaces prior to redevelopment, WRECK CITY is an opportunity to create an interactive portrait of an entire neighbourhood, as painted by a subculture of artists. While we are encouraging the artists to use recycled and re-appropriated materials wherever possible, there will be some necessary expenses to make this project a reality. The biggest expense (and the most necessary) is insurance. In order to allow the public access to the neighbourhood, we need to spend $700 on insurance (as quoted by an Insurance Broker). This will leave us $300 for hardware and promotional materials. We've applied for other funding to help cover Artist Fees, but $1000 from The Awesome Foundation would be an amazing contribution, and ensure that WRECK CITY can come to fruition.

Boston, MA – Good Bank

2013-02-27T00:00:00Z

The Good Bank is a micro-loan project I will launch in Spring 2013. With $250 of my own money, I will make tiny loans ($5 each) to homeless individuals. The loans will be zero interest, short term loans. My theory is that most of the loans will be repaid. Then, I can lend the money to someone else, effectively multiplying the value of the money over and over again. Once I can demonstrate my proof of concept - that most of the money will be repaid, and that this is a useful service for homeless people, I will seek donations from others. My target donors would be anyone who would normally give a dollar or two to a homeless person on the street. Giving me their dollar instead would mean they multiply their donation to serve multiple people. While it’s hard for those of us with resources to understand how $5 can be useful, I’ve done market research and found it would be useful. I've learned that homeless people think it's a good idea, they want the loan for about a week, and they would use the money for food, for the T, or for other short term needs. One woman needed $3 for her medication co-pay. She wished she could get a $3 loan because while she would get her disability check in a week, her medicine “ran out today.” I have sought advice from the experts - homeless individuals, and I will continue to consult with them and heed their advice on program implementation so I can figure out how to best realize this project.

San Antonio, TX – Community Chalkboards

2013-02-27T00:00:00Z

The Community Chalkboard Project is based off of artist, Candy Chang's, "Before I die..." project in New Orleans, LA. Chang's chalkboard was placed on an abandoned house in her community and community members were given the opportunity to answer the question "Before I die I want to..." with the provided chalk. Publicbeat would like to recreate this project, but with a San Antonio twist. Instead of asking the question "Before I die I want to..." we would like to ask questions that promote San Antonio pride such as; "My favorite place in San Antonio..." and "What I love about San Antonio...". We plan on placing the boards in lower income areas of San Antonio that are in need of some extra love. Art Pace, Blue Star and The Pearl Brewery have also expressed interest in displaying the community chalkboards at their locations. Because the boards will be portable and easy to both construct and tear down we will be able to highlight many areas of San Antonio.