Awesome Foundation - Projects

Plano, TX (Inativo) – Chess for Humanity

2015-10-24T00:00:00Z

Elementary school children are at a critical age for the formation of essential skills and behaviors. According to numerous studies, activities of high stimulation promote not only the activity and development of the frontal lobe, the region responsible for higher-level thinking, through the rapid increase in the amount of neural connections, but also allow for their emotional and psychological maturation. The complex game of chess is known to foment the growth and development of indispensable abilities, including patience, diligence, critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making in young minds. Moreover, these benefits are regarded as a gateway to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Chess for Humanity runs the Rook ‘n’ Roll Chess Program in various schools in the DFW area in collaboration with volunteers from St. Mark’s School of Texas and other Dallas institutions. We work with young minds in a safe, happy, and comfortable social environment to accelerate the progression of their psychological, emotional, and mental capabilities, improving their abilities to concentrate, follow directions, plan ahead, and succeed in school and in life. A typical chess club program meets once a week after school for about an hour, devoting half the time to instruction, including lectures and practice positions, and the other half to friendly play against other club members. We always work to include life skills development segments into our programs. In the coming school year, we are expanding our initiative to many more institutions and require funds to purchase chess sets and other necessary equipment to serve the students and the community. Since Rook 'n' Roll is Chess for Humanity's biggest program, it has the most volunteers and requires the most benefactors to run successfully. We hope to be able to serve the DFW children as well as possible, and we would really appreciate contributions toward this effort.

Santa Fe, NM (Inativo) – Santa Fe Prom Closet

2015-10-23T00:00:00Z

We believe that one more way of encouraging students to remain in school is to help them attend their prom by reducing their costs of getting prom clothes. We get donations of used clothes, as well as raise money to purchase clothes to give to seniors, and rent to underclassmen for a cleaning fee of $25. We have just finished our sixth year helping students primarily from Santa Fe schools, but also students from other schools in northern New Mexico. We are completely dependent upon donations up to and including the use of a space to locate our six-week long "boutique" for students to come and get clothes. Because of the generosity of La Unica cleaners, who have cleaned prom dresses for us the last six years, we have been able to offer a wide range of dresses and sizes for the girls. This year was our third year offering suits and tuxes for boys. Because of our shoe-string existence, we spend any monies raised on clothes and or shoes for our clients. We have served over 400 students in the past six years, most from Santa Fe. Our only requirement is that they are currently a high school student. We need to purchase 25-50 tuxedo jackets and slacks in the smaller size ranges as we don't have enough to meet the demand in Santa Fe, and had to turn away about 20 boys this year when our supply was exhausted. Besides the boys, we have had at least 5 girls get tuxes over the last 3 years as well, and they generally need a smaller size. Your grant will allow us to double our stock of tuxedos!

Miami, FL – C.R.E.A.M. - Art Basel Ice Cream Social

2015-10-23T00:00:00Z

Hi! Thank you for considering this project for next month's grant. C.R.E.A.M. (Creativity Rules Everything Around Miami) is an ice cream social that will take place during Art Basel. The event was originally planned for the summer, however, there is a major lack of family-friendly events during Basel and we plan to fulfill this need. Also, the youth are full of creative energy, yet there seem to be hardly an events during Basel that feature young artists. // This year, we plan to change that and spark a trend that will carry on for years to come and inspire generations. C.R.E.A.M. is a unique event that combines something that mostly everyone can enjoy (ice cream -- and yes there will be vegan & lactose-free options!) with an inspirational message to teens to explore their dreams and discover & express their highest creative potential. // The event will take place on Saturday, December 5th from 12pm - 7pm. It is presented by WAKEUPSTAR*, a Wynwood-based media collective; T.E.E.S. (Teens Exercising Extraordinary success); XLACED, a creative collective run by recent HS grads; and Mikey Likes It ice cream. // Each group comes together for the sole purpose of providing platforms and channels that foster creative, spiritual and economic growth within young, urban communities. // The event will be planned & produced with direct involvement from people under the age of 25/ There will be art installations by youth aged 13-19, and live performances from musicians aged 15-25. The artists & musicians will also speak on a panel during the event, sharing their experiences living out their dreams & pursuing their passion in arts & entertainment. // In addition to live music, interactive art and youth panels, we will also have games, giveaways, sketch artists and vendor/info booths.. // The event is curated to honor youth & diversity in Miami's creative scene, and will take place in historic Overtown. We've already received over 70 submissions & have a venue.

Detroit, MI – Young Detroit Thinkers - Detroit City Chess

2015-10-23T00:00:00Z

We are highly accomplished, nationally and internationally awarded, metro Detroit chess team that prides itself on not only teaching young minds the game of chess, but instilling key life skills and high ethic character and values. The Detroit City Chess Club has been active for more than a decade with an increasing number of members. Coach Kevin Fite started the program at Duffield Middle School and has now expanded and taught at over ten schools. This very active program travels to at least eight cities nationally to compete in chess tournaments. The value of giving young minds the opportunity to travel outside of the city, compete with players from all over the world, is incredible....and costly. Over the years our highly decorated team has won 1st place national titles in various levels within the United States Chess Federation (USCF) elementary, Jr. High and high school tournaments as a group and individual players. Most recently, this past weekend two of our players won first place titles, in the two top divisions, in a Canadian tournament with very stiff competition. It was great to hear a young Detroiter say, " Beating the Canadians made me feel like Bobby Fisher must have felt beating the Russians against Spasky in the 1970s." Comments like these represent the goal of our program. Although chess is a one on one game, they play as a team, think critically and represent a greater good. Awesome! Our program, gratuitously has been hosted at the DIA for more than 10 years. While the numbers of players and the travel for tournaments have grown, unfortunately the sponsorship, has not. This year, we are proud to be hosting Michigan's very first International Chess tournament, sponsored by the USCF. Our goal is to host tournaments in the metro Detroit area (instead of always travelling to other cities.) This is a big win for Detroit, Michigan, US, and especially the area's young minds. This grant would help us with the cost of the venue.

Detroit, MI – The Birwood Wall Project

2015-10-23T00:00:00Z

The Birwood Wall Project Is an upcoming mini-documentary that tells the story about the legacy of the 6 foot wall that was built by the federal government in 1941 to separate homes planned for middle-class whites from blacks that had already built small homes,

Newmarket – Birthday Angels Non Profit Organization

2015-10-22T00:00:00Z

Birthday Angels is a non-profit organization founded in Toronto in 2014. The organization expanded into York Region later that same year. Our mission is to provide the joy of birthday celebrations to children living in homeless shelters. We throw 1 birthday party each month at each of our partner shelters, inviting all shelter residents. We provide themed birthday party supplies: decorations, crafts & activities, cupcakes, snacks, party favours and a birthday cake. A special birthday gift is given to each child celebrating a birthday that month and loot bags are given to all of the other children currently at the shelter. In York Region, we are currently partnered with Blue Door Shelters. Our goal is to bring the simple childhood joy of birthday celebrations to families in need, by providing a birthday party each month at Leeder Place Family Shelter, part of the Blue Door group of shelters, inviting all shelter residents each month. Families who live at the shelter come from all areas of the York Region community and stay only a few short weeks before they must move on to allow space for other families in need. It is our wish to expand our program in the future, to reach as many shelters as funding will allow.

Minas Gerais (Inativo) – Radio Sandri

2015-10-21T00:00:00Z

O projeto Radio Sandri surgiu da necessidade de os artistas mineiros terem um espaço para divulgarem seus trabalhos para além das grandes mídias. A Radio Sandri tem o objetivo de possibilitar cada vez mais espaço para os artistas se apresentarem virtualmente. Seja através de programas, de playlists, dicas de programação musical, dicas de agenda cultural. dentre outros. Inicialmente, a Radio Sandri foi criada no facebook. Diariamente, Sandra Leão posta músicas e dicas de eventos para o pessoal. O site costuma ter em média 3.000 visualizações semanais, sendo que cada postagem costuma variar entre 150 e 500 visualizações. A ideia é desenvolver a Radio Sandri para que um dia ela consiga sair da esfera da internet e vá para as ondas FM. O projeto ainda não conta com nenhum patrocinador, portanto é totalmente independente. Com patrocínio, a idealizadora, Sandra Leão, pretende desenvolver programas como programas de culinária harmonizado com músicas, rádio novela, jornalismo local, programas sobre esportes para além do futebol e programas diversos sobre músicas.

Bend, OR (Inativo) – Little Free Libraries

2015-10-21T00:00:00Z

Little Free Library is an organization that strives to promote literacy throughout different communities around the world. To achieve this, mini libraries are posted in different neighborhoods and works as a book exchange. Completely cost-free, people are welcome to come to these libraries and either take or put a book inside. Little Free Library builds a sense of community, as skills, creativity, and wisdom are shared across generations. This organization brings curbside literacy to the community, making books accessible to all those who want to indulge into good literature. This is something that would make Bend even more awesome than it already is.

Beaverton & Beyond, OR (Inativo) – SMART (Science Mentoring And Research Tutoring)

2015-10-20T00:00:00Z

I propose that a science mentoring program be started at Meadow Park Middle School. The program will provide active guidance from an experienced mentors (unpaid volunteers) at all stages of the science research - Help with selecting challenging research topics other than standard science fair fodder - Teaching students how to do academic research - Experimental design - Creating boards - Presentation skills Additionally, the program will provide support in terms of materials and services needed to conduct science research and participate in science fairs. I expect around 25 students to participate in the first year of a total target population of 500 students in Meadow Park Middle School. Doing science projects is a fantastic way for middle-school children to develop a strong interest in science. What makes a science fair project such a great learning experience is that it involves so much more than science. For middle school students, the research report will most likely be the longest paper the student has ever written. Writing these reports is a great way to improve computer research skills. Most projects also involve a good deal of math, and all students get an opportunity to enhance their presentation skills when they prepare their display boards and discuss their projects with the judges. A science fair project has a longer duration than most other assignments. In contrast to the typical school homework due the next day or perhaps a week hence, a science fair project requires a student to learn to plan over two or three months, a skill of immense importance. Most students do their projects for a school science fair, but in many cases, students can enter that same project in fairs at the city or county level. Besides, in the long-term, it will encourage students to pursue science and engineering based careers, a much needed skill in the country. The money will be used to provide the Meadow Park students with: Science research materials and equipment, Materials for creating presentation (Boards, poster paper, glue etc.), Professional services like printing of presentation boards, Usage fees for labs and specialized equipment through liaison work with local educational, professional and research institutions, Prizes and awards to encourage participation. The program will be run by UNPAID volunteers. I am a senior in Catlin Gabel School. I go to Catlin Gabel on a full ride merit-based scholarship. I am an alumnus of Meadow Park Middle School, having graduated from there in 2012. I am passionate about applied science, and have been actively engaged in science research since Middle School. I was one of the 30 national Broadcom Masters science fair finalists in both 2011 and 2012, I also represented the US in Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition at Stockholm in 2013. My project partner is Ms. Kynah Atwood, Science teacher at Meadow Park Middle School. My project will start in the Fall for 2015-16 science year and culminate in June 2016. The first year is a foundation year. I am hoping that this will plant the seeds for science research in Meadow Park Middle School and the project will be self-sustaining through funding from Beaverton School District. Any leftover funds will be used in the following school year. I will evaluate the success of my project based on measurable outcomes: Short-Term - Percentage increase in number of Meadow Park students participating in science fairs. Number of science projects selected to advance to state science fair (Intel Northwest Science Expo) Long-Term - Number of students continuing to do science research more than one year. Number of students pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) based career options. Improvement in academic performance compared to control group of students not participating in science research Want to help? The SMART program is looking for community members who will encourage and mentor students in science research. (once a week for 1.5 hours) Perhaps you have scientific equipment the students can use or borrow. Lab contacts also appreciated. Contact: jaina(at)catlin(dot)edu and Kynah_Atwood(at)beaverton(dot)k12(dot)or(dot)us Phone: (503)531-3326

Raleigh, NC (Inativo) – City Fruit

2015-10-20T00:00:00Z

In collaboration with Grow Raleigh, Community Food Lab is initiating an edible tree planting project in downtown Raleigh. The pilot phase began July 11 when volunteers handed out small yard signs that indicated the future location of a fruit tree, nut tree, or berry bush. The pilot area spans two neighborhoods of Southeast Raleigh (Prince Hall and South Park) that are classified as food deserts by the USDA, where poverty is high and access to healthy food is difficult. The response that City Fruit takes to this situation is to encourage the development of in-neighborhood fresh food grown on trees and bushes in the neighborhood. It won't solve food deserts but it will bring a low-cost long-term food source directly where it's needed. A team of volunteers will return to the sites where the signs were placed(all private property) to plant the trees/bushes. Follow-up from our team will include some training materials and guidance for residents on what to expect. Each tree or bush will be planted within sight of the street, so that they contribute to a visual presence of food in these neighborhoods and offer an opportunity for conversation and awareness about healthy food access.

Boulder, CO (Inativo) – GOODNIGHT, COURTNEY LOVE - A site-specific dance

2015-10-20T00:00:00Z

On October 8-10th, 2015, in partnership with the North Boulder Recreation Center, dance artists Joanna Rotkin and Laura Ann Samuelson will perform GOODNIGHT, COURTNEY LOVE, a site-specific dance project created in and for the NBRC's leisure pool. On October 8th, the performance will be dedicated to serving specific audiences associated with NBRC, including but not exclusive to: The Youth Services Initiative for low-income youth and the EXPAND program for people with disabilities. On October 9th and 10th, the performances will be open to the general public. All performances of GOODNIGHT, COURTNEY LOVE are free. GOODNIGHT, COURTNEY LOVE pushes the boundaries of dance in new directions, bringing innovative investigations to the local community. Samuelson and Rotkin work in non-traditional spaces as a means to imagine new ways of interacting with the world. This work is a movement towards deeper connection, involvement, and transparency within the process of art making. Because all of the project's activities take place during NBRC's hours of operation, patrons witness the artists' process as it unfolds, giving the public and performers alike an opportunity to explore how the creation of art interacts with everyday life. GOODNIGHT, COURTNEY LOVE offers audiences an inclusive and thoughtful way to experience live performance in a non-traditional setting. Because of Rotkin’s highly successful and well attended performance, dirtland, that took place in the Racquet Ball Court at NBRC last September, Samuelson and Rotkin are stepping into a well established relationship with the NBRC community. Patrons and staff recognize these artists and directly engage them through spontaneous conversations during every rehearsal. These unplanned and delightful interactions are building relationships between performers and patrons, allowing for heartfelt and intriguing connections to occur, before any formal public event has taken place.

Gloucester, MA – Cape Ann WWII Veterans Portrait Project

2015-10-20T00:00:00Z

This a photographic project designed to honor residents of Cape Ann (Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester and Essex) who served our country during World War II. Members of the "Greatest Generation" - Gloucester alone sent more than 5600 young men and women to serve during the war. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of one this great conflict. These veterans are, at the youngest, in their late 80s and some are in their late 90s. Before too long, they, like the war will have passed into memory. This is my effort to recognize and honor them now.

Pittsburgh, PA – SisterFriend

2015-10-19T00:00:00Z

SisterFriend is an organization by women for women dedicated to sustaining feminine health by providing homeless and underprivileged women and girls with feminine care products. Women living in poverty typically know where to find a safe place to sleep or a hot meal to eat. But when it comes to taking care of their feminine hygiene needs, they often have nowhere to turn. Tampons and sanitary pads usually top the list of needs at shelters, since they’re pricey and supporters don’t often donate them. That is where SisterFriend comes in. We provide our shelter and after-school program partners with the feminine care products they desperately need. Every woman deserves personal dignity regardless of their social economic status. What if not having sanitary supplies meant DAYS without school, DAYS without income, DAYS without leaving the house, DAYS without being clean and risking infection? Women and girls use toilet paper, washcloths, and clothing, anything they can find. It’s a desperate situation that many women living in poverty feel resigned to accept. SisterFriend aims to provide access to quality feminine hygiene products to women who are living in poverty. We administer our program by; • direct distribution of feminine hygiene kits • partnering with nonprofits, groups and organizations • raising awareness • and providing volunteer opportunities to young women in our community

Kingston – Helping our vets: Yoga for trauma

2015-10-15T00:00:00Z

This project is about saving lives and helping our local vets who suffer from PTSD. We will take a group of 7-10 vets and their spouses to a yoga informed retreat that will help them to breathe more freely, cope with anxiety and chronic pain. It will be an opportunity to reach out to our vets.

Austin, TX – Adventure Therapy for Homeless Families

2015-10-14T00:00:00Z

Annette Pelletier, a social worker at the Austin Shelter for Women and Children, applied for an Austin Awesome Foundation grant to kick-start a new adventure therapy program for shelter residents. Adventure therapy uses activities such as hiking, geocaching, and rock-climbing to work towards positive change. Research shows this type of therapy can help participants develop trusting relationship with others in addition to boosting self-confidence, conflict-resolution, and problem-solving skills. Says Annette: “The use of adventure therapy could be the key to helping women and children experiencing homelessness develop new skills that will help them achieve healing and self-sustainability.”

New York City, NY – Mobile Print Power + Combat Paper

2015-10-14T00:00:00Z

Art builds community. At Interference Archive, we are bringing together two mobile community-based art initiatives for a day of creation, collaboration, and learning. Mobile Print Power is a multigenerational collective that takes their mobile screen printing cart into the community, collecting words and ideas by asking questions of passersby, and turning these into collaboratively generated designs. They print these on their mobile cart and display them in the same public spaces where their conversations started. Combat Paper brings army veterans together around a mobile paper making cart, where veterans are invited to pulp their uniforms, make these into paper, and then use this paper as a medium for expressing their experiences. At Interference Archive, a space which focuses on past and present production of social movement culture, we are organizing a day long event with these two groups. We’ll focus on how art-making empowers individuals and community, and we’ll invite the public to join us in learning new skills and new mediums of expression. Why We Think This is Awesome We love that this project is a collaboration between three community-minded organizations and forms a super-project that any one of the groups would not be able to accomplish on its own. This project really made us think very deeply about about uniforms, about rituals, and about community interactions with members of the military. We're very excited to be able to support such great organizations and such a unique event in our city.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Nemo's Garden

2015-10-13T00:00:00Z

Our company is researching and developing a new form of agricolture. This new form takes place underwater, where we can utilize the natural properties of the oceans : stability of the temperature, isolation from harsh elements and parasites, increased pressure for accelerated growth and natural filter from UV rays. Also, we create fresh water through natural evaporation, meaning that we don't consume any kind of energy to desalinize water for crop use (and maybe also for other uses). We have created underwater habitats, domes, we call biospheres. inside these biospheres we have air - inside this aerial form environment we plant our seeds whom then are nurtured by the warmth of the surrounding water, watered thanks to natural evaporation and, possibly grown faster thanks to the pressure . What sounds complex, is very easy to understand through our videos on the website. Our aim is to continue develop these ideas and technology to bring this system to every place where it is needed. Logic tells us that keeping in mind the human migrations mostly towards the equator regions; the amount of water on earth compared to land; the excessive pollution of land and over cultivating; lack of resources and increase of population; lack of (especially in the equatorial regions) soil, stable comfortable temperature for cultivating, water etc - Nemo's Garden could be a perfect fit, especially for developing countries and any region where traditional agricolture encounters difficulties or is not possible.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Lava Mae

2015-10-13T00:00:00Z

Lava Mae converts retired transportation buses into showers and toilets on wheels for those experiencing homelessness. We deliver dignity - one mobile shower (and toilet) at a time. We created Lava Mae to address the massive shortage of showers and toilets available to homeless individuals living in communities across this country. In San Francisco, for example, there were 16 shower stalls for the 3,500+ unsheltered men, women and children in this city. Lava Mae is driven by three beliefs: 1) Everyone has the right to be clean. 2) Access to water and sanitation is a basic human right. 3) With hygiene comes dignity and with dignity, opportunity. What we do is often called human services but we call it radical hospitality. We call those we serve our guests. We know their names, learn their stories and work hard to ensure that they leave feeling better than when they came to us. Since our launch in June of 2014, we have touched the lives of 1,500 homeless San Franciscans. By the end of this year, we will scale from 1 bus, which at full capacity can offer 12,500 showers/year, to 4 buses, which ramps that total up to 50,000 showers/year. In 2016, we will launch Lava Mae Global to respond to the 100s of requests from help from communities across the globe seeking to replicate our service.

Ottawa – Cellfie

2015-10-13T00:00:00Z

Together with Artengine, Awesome Ottawa is giving two special $1000 Awesome Maker awards to support exhibitors at next month’s Maker Faire at Landsdowne Park. The second of the two is to Tina Haase and Dan Modulevsky, for the production of “cellfies” of attendees. “Images posted in Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook all provide a sense of one’s self to the world,” says Tina. “But what do we truly know about ourselves? What if we were to take a look from a new perspective? Observing ourselves in the micro-world provides us with an in-depth look at what we are truly made of.” Tina and Dan will show off high-resolution images of our true “cell-ves,” as well as encourage and assist attendees to produce “cellfies” using their own cheek cells. Tina is a post-doctoral fellow and Dan is a PhD student, both at the University of Ottawa.

Ottawa – The Art of Guilloché and Enamel

2015-10-13T00:00:00Z

Together with Artengine, Awesome Ottawa is giving two special $1000 Awesome Maker awards to support exhibitors at next month’s Maker Faire at Landsdowne Park. The first of the two is to Chris Manning, for demonstration of the dying jewellery making arts of guilloché and enamel. “For the past 15 years,” says Chris, “I have been experimenting with various methods of jewellery making. Sadly, in our rush to find the latest and greatest techniques, many old skills are dying. One hundred years ago there were tens of thousands of guillocheures in North America, but now there are fewer than a dozen of us, and even fewer enamellists who can work at a high level. The last generation of craftsmen to work with the masters are now dying off, with few people to take up their art.” Chris will perform live demonstrations and introduce attendees to these techniques. Chris is an Ottawa-based jeweller and pen maker.

San Francisco, CA – San Francisco Moby-Dick Marathon

2015-10-09T00:00:00Z

It may seem excessively optimistic (or, far worse, naïve) to expect a busy 21st-century San Franciscan to have any time for a 600-page, 160-year-old book about a whale. It may seem downright foolhardy to invite a few hundred people down to Fort Mason to read this crazy book aloud. But that's exactly what we're doing. San Francisco will soon welcome Herman Melville back to the Barbary Coast with a marathon reading of Moby-Dick at the Firehouse at Fort Mason on October 24 and 25. We're going to begin at 12 noon, and read the whole thing aloud—all 600 pages, 135 chapters. Some people will bring visuals. Some will read in other languages. A few chapters will be performed as a play. When he was writing the book, Herman Melville knew he was creating something unlike anything anyone had ever written before. One of his main projects in the book is to show us that, just as every sailor in the book has his own unique notion regarding Moby Dick the whale, every reader has his or her own unique understanding of Moby-Dick the book. As Ishmael says, it “begins to assume different aspects, according to your point of view.” This is what makes this event so unique and wonderful—with so many different people coming together to read (aloud! with voices!), those myriad interpretations come alive in the most literal sense: the familiar appears to us in a new way; the unfamiliar becomes available for the first time. We need to cover overhead costs: venue rental, PA rental, etc. We have no paid staff. We imagine a festival atmosphere, inviting food trucks during the evening, art installations, performances from local theatre troupes, and much more. It's going to be, in a word...awesome. “Our first port is San Francisco…and thence, I hardly know where.” — Herman Melville, 28 May 1860

San Francisco, CA – Project I AM

2015-10-09T00:00:00Z

Often, I AM is used to identify our feelings, our professions, our choices. But who I AM can be so much more. To utter the words I AM identifies our essence. Essence is something beautiful, something that cannot be taken away. An I AM statement does not, however, need to be limited to essence. You can write about your future hopes and dreams, as well. Project I AM was seen in a dream. Photographers Salgu Wissmath and Meghan Peter are following this dream into a reality. They are setting out to photograph women who are the heroes in their families and communities but are often quiet about their heroism. The vision of Project I AM is to celebrate women—their essence and beauty, in addition to their heroism. We have photographed portraits of women who have overcome the huge challenge of homelessness and who have recently graduated from a rigorous job training program to make a better life for themselves and their children. With this grant we will professionally print and frame the photographs and then hang them in homeless shelters where the women graduated. We hope these images will inspire those currently living in the shelters and offer words of encouragement and possibility.

Lusaka (Inativo) – Community Studio @ Livingstone Art Gallery

2015-10-07T00:00:00Z

The Livingstone Art Gallery would like to build an outdoor community studio space for artists. Having proper space to work is a major challenge for many artists, especially enough space to allow artists to work on a large scale, make a mess and have their creativity run wild. A studio would allow artists to come and work in nature and take advantage of the natural light and peaceful quiet of the surrounding bush. A studio space would allow artists to interact with other artists, which is useful when seeking advice and solving visual problems, but more importantly, builds a strong community. Additionally, visitors to the gallery will have the chance to meet artists and observe how they create. Such interactions foster an understanding and appreciation for the arts and may also increase the potential for the artist to make sales and generate income for their work. A community studio space would also double as an outdoor classroom. Currently there is a lack of arts education programs in Livingstone. With studio space to work from, the gallery would be able to develop an art students league, offering classes for both adults and children of all skill levels. Professional artists will be given the opportunity to develop a curriculum for a class or workshop and offer it at the gallery studio, providing the artist an additional source of income. The gallery itself would like to host an ongoing course to help young or new artists build their portfolio to apply for schools, scholarships, competitions, residencies, and workshops. The gallery would also like to host regular critiques, allowing artists to gain new ideas and perspectives on their work while also elevating quality standards. A simple structure would allow the gallery to offer a wide array of programming to benefit artists. We believe that a community full of strong artists boosts the creative sector and positively contributes to development and to the economy of Zambia.

Berlin (Inativo) – Tabula rasa – the great beyond

2015-10-07T00:00:00Z

It is time to introduce Berlin with the finish-off scene! “Tabula rasa – the great beyond” is a market of abandoned cultural productions, accompanied by a program of performances and installations. A diffusion of excess concepts, remaining stock and latent projects. A moment to let go, and a last opportunity to pick up the drifting creations of others. You can acquire media, art, design and concepts for a small contribution. Projects which find no new host, will rest in peace through a communal burial ceremony and enter the public domain in afterlife. The idea came to mind after we realized that more than one basement in Berlin is filled with creations which are either incomplete, to dear to throw away, to expensive to sell, to unique to have a price or simply to many to distribute. The plan is to realize a market like event, starting out by building a network of creators, where items and concepts can be submitted online via a standard form, on their way to the great beyond. After the event, creations will rest in peace in a virtual memorial. We expect the following type of items to be submitted: Media: Videos, Records, Magazines, Books, Posters, Stickers Art: Installations, Prints, Instruments, Artworks Design: Furniture, Clothes, Items, Jewelery Concepts; Projects, Master thesis, Business ideas Let us burn the past together and may elevator pitches make great funeral speeches.

Lusaka (Inativo) – Biomoto

2015-10-07T00:00:00Z

The growing population and lack of affordable housing in cities and towns like Lusaka is forcing many people in to unplanned settlements, without sustainable access to basic sanitation. While ‘killer’ water-borne diseases like cholera, typhoid and dysentery are widespread in these communities, we believe this is mainly due to poor human waste disposal. Research shows 40% of the world’s population lack access to a toilet. This social enterprise will explore growth opportunities in the bio digester toilet business. • What is the problem? Provide a clean toilet that safely disposes off pee and poo right where it is produced. • What is the solution? Environmentally responsible low cost portable self-flashing biomass digester. • How does it work? The user inserts their sh*t in the pit. The pit instantly flushes the sh*t using gravity and, enables an anaerobic process that converts the sh*t in to biogas (a renewable non-smelling natural gas) that is stored and used for cooking, heating and lighting on-the-go. The toilet also produces non-toxic bio fertilizer that is sold and used for farming. • How is it unique or different? -Increase the convenience of using the toilet -Minimize the likelihood of contaminating the surrounding air, water and land. -Minimize the likelihood of disease outbreaks like cholera, typhoid and dysentery. -Minimize the cost of flashing the toilet using water. -Minimize the cost of using electricity, LPG and charcoal for cooking and heating. -Increase the possibility of having uninterrupted power at home. -Minimize the inconvenience of power-cuts and load shading. • What’s the vision for the future? Cleaner, greener cities.

Lusaka (Inativo) – APTERS

2015-10-07T00:00:00Z

Appropriate Paper Technology (APTERS), is an organization based in Lusaka, Zambia. It was set up in 1990 to produce mobility aids with recycled paper and cardboard to assist physically challenged children while empowering physically challenged adults. The objectives of the organization are : 1) To produce mobility aids using paper technology for physically challenged children (e.g those with cerebral palsy or birth injuries). The mobility aids include: standing frames, chairs, wedges and walkers 2) To offer economic and personal empowerment to the members of the team, who are physically challenged, through regular paid employment. On average, APTERS produces over 380 mobility aids a year, using APT techniques, for children with polio and/or any other form of physical challenge. The equipment made by APTERS provides children who are physically challenged with low-cost intervention tools that are instrumental in their treatment and rehabilitation. The workshop also makes various papier mâché products such as dustbins, file boxes, toys and trays which are available for sale to the public as a means to raise extra funds for the organisation. APTERS has also recently started to produce home and school furniture in recycled cardboard, such as kids tables and chairs, coffee tables, living-room sets.

LA South Bay, CA (Inativo) – S.A.W. Project (Supplying Alternative Water)

2015-10-05T00:00:00Z

Our project is collaborating with Long Beach Organic, a nonprofit organization that revitalizes vacant urban lots into organic community gardens, to help them save water and cut down on costs. With the ongoing severe California drought, Long Beach Organic (LBO) is struggling to cover their water costs. LBO rents out plots to gardeners to grow their own food. If they cannot find a way to mitigate their rising water costs, LBO will be have to raise annual fees and impose harsher water fines. Our solution is to design, build, and implement a rainwater catchment system that would capture rainwater during the rainy winter and spring seasons. The captured rainwater would be filtered with a biosand filter to make non-potable water and stored in rain barrels for the dry summer season. Gardeners can use the captured rainwater to water their gardens and rinse their fruits and vegetables instead of paying per gallon at the tap. Although the captured rainwater is not enough to replace tap water currently used, the alternative water supply is enough to significantly reduce the community garden's water usage. In addition, we are developing a workshop series to educate gardeners and community members on how to use and maintain the rainwater catchment system, as well as on sustainable watering practices. We hope to increase sustainability of the gardens and educate the local community on sustainable practices through collective action. Through the help of volunteers from Long Beach Organic as well as students from our chapter, we hope to bring measurable long-term change for hundreds of community members all around Long Beach and the surrounding areas.

Orlando, FL – St.art Something

2015-10-05T00:00:00Z

Orange County Board of County Commissioners’ (BCC) approved Neighborhood Preservation & Revitalization Division (NPRD) staff to initiate the St.art Something Traffic Signal Cabinet Art Program on September 9, 2014. St.art Something provides an opportunity for both organizations and artists to create a sense of place and strengthen community identity by placing art on Orange County maintained traffic signal cabinets. Since the program was first established, the BCC received requests from citizens interested in expanding the program. Due to the high interest in the program it will now be a County wide program. With the assistance of Public Works, NPRD has recognized over 600 cabinets in 33 community areas. NPRD and Arts and Cultural Affairs Division will work with citizens in each area to come up with a design committee for their community area. The design committee will consist of 3 to 5 citizens from neighborhood and civic organizations, nonprofits, and businesses. I, as the local artist, would be assigned a box(es) to paint or wrap in order to reflect the community accordingly and assist in the program itself.

Sarnia (Inativo) – Dan Does It For Sarnia

2015-10-02T00:00:00Z

In 2011 Sarnia's youth went through multiple suicides. Students suffering from depression were calling it quits due to a struggle with mental health. The night I fell my family and friends sent out a call for help and that call was answered by the community of Sarnia. The city fundraised $150,000 to help with medical supplies, home renovations, and things to improve the quality of my life after the accident. Now there's another call going out and I intend on answering this call but I'm going to need your help to do so. Today is my 9th anniversary and ever since my first year I've always reflected on & celebrated this day for what it truly is, A BLESSING. For my 10th year anniversary I will be putting on an event at the Imperial Theatre to commemorate the "Do It For Dan" campaign. The proceeds for this event will be going to towards Mental Health initiatives through The Bluewater Health Hospital here in Sarnia. Here's where I NEED your help!! I'm putting together a short film of several interviews of people that shared or shares a part of my story. I'll have a set of questions ready and the interviewees will sit and tell their side of my story. I believe that this could impact the lives of everyone who sees it in a positive way! Many people don't know this but by definition, what happened here in Sarnia 9 years ago was a miracle. I want to share that miracle with as many people as possible. 9 years ago my dream was to be a professional football player and that was taken away from me. Today my dream is to change and inspire my city the same way it changed and inspired me. And I'll die before that dream is taken away from me.

Atlanta, GA (Inativo) – Boy Scout Troop 100: aspiring to be the largest

2015-10-01T00:00:00Z

Troop 100 gives its scouts the opportunity to see and experience a world full of adventure and possibility, while exposing these young men to some of the best possible role models and mentors. Soon to be heralded as the largest Boy Scout Troop in the WORLD, we will not only make history, we will make a difference in the lives of our boys, and serve as a beacon for young men everywhere. Leadership, character, citizenship, discipline, dignity and high adventure, we have produced valedictorians, salutatorians, class presidents, honor students, club leaders, sports captains, eagle scouts and, most importantly, over 85% of our young men graduate from high school on time.

Sydney – YAMMP - Young Aborigianl Mothers Mural Project

2015-10-01T00:00:00Z

Our awesome project is to have murals designed and painted at the Gunawirra house by our Young Aboriginal Mothers Program (YAMP) groups. The Young Aboriginal Mothers Program is an early intervention service for Aboriginal women from pregnancy through to their child starting school. It was formed in response to the need for mothers and their babies to be supported in building stronger, safer and healthier relationships. We have three Mothers Groups that each meet weekly. Many Aboriginal women come from families that have struggled with generations of poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, domestic violence and family dislocation. They have few resources to call on in helping them with the challenging and difficult work of raising children. YAMP engages with, supports and holds the mothers through the first five years of their child’s life. We provide a therapeutic space where Aboriginal women and teenagers have the opportunity to talk about and understand what has happened in their lives, to be understood and to begin to develop pride and confidence in themselves as women and as mothers. By focusing on and actively supporting the vital healthy links between mother and child, we aim to reduce the impact of intergenerational trauma in Aboriginal families. The main purpose for the painted murals is for these Aboriginal women and their children to bond together to create an artwork that symbolises there love and connection to each other. The murals would also symbolise their identity as Aboriginal women and helps connect their children to their culture. Connecting to culture is so important and for the children to be creating and learning who they are is also very important in understanding their Aboriginality. Gunawirra’s Aboriginal artist, Graham Toomey has been teaching the mothers and their children about Aboriginal symbols and art . This allows them to tell their own stories and discover more about their own culture and creates bonds with mother and child.

Melbourne (Inativo) – The Tasmanian Tree Project

2015-09-30T00:00:00Z

Tasmania is home to the largest flowering tree in the world, the Swamp Gum, yet few people are aware that these giants exist in our own backyard. These trees regularly grow up to 85 metres in height, with the tallest living individual at 99.6 m high. When these giants are viewed from the ground, the majority of the tree is obscured from view and it is often impossible to get a sense of the full size of these trees. Imagine if we had a photographic image of a swamp gum taken from a level viewpoint, with climbers in the tree for a scale reference, so people could, for the first time, truly appreciate how massive these trees are? Inspired by the National Geographic Redwood Portraits, the centrepiece of the Tasmanian Tree Project will be a high-resolution photographic portrait of a majestic Swamp Gum. We will capture an image of the tree from a level viewpoint to create a unique image without visual distortion. This will be achieved by installing a custom-built rigging system that runs the entire vertical length of the tree. Photos will be taken every metre along the vertical length and the final image will be created by digitally stitching together hundreds of photos. The end result will be an extraordinarily high quality, high resolution image with climbers in the tree to highlight how truly enormous these trees are. The image will be showcased in an exhibition in Hobart and Melbourne, be featured in a leading Australian magazine and will be displayed in public places such as museums and schools. We feel that powerful images are the key to creating change. We want this image to do for the Swamp Gums what the National Geographic portrait has done for the redwoods: be a single striking image that conveys to the world how grand and beautiful these trees are. We feel that the Swamp Gum portrait will help promote the conservation of these forests, and help foster an appreciation and understanding for forests around the globe.

Detroit, MI – De-tread LLC

2015-09-30T00:00:00Z

The story of De-tread began about 6.5 years ago, when its founder Audra D Carson was deeply impacted by the trend of illegally dumped tires in the neighborhood that she grew up in. Her parents still lived there and were thriving yet something ugly was happening in their proverbial backyard. Although the vision for a tire processing facility has not come to fruition, in the interim a model for community empowerment and collaboration has emerged. The Osborn Neighborhood Alliance, Repair the World, The Skillman Foundation, SDEV and the Brightmoor Woodworkers are just some of the organizations that De-tread has partnered with to remove illegally dumped tires from neighborhoods. Dumped tires toxic composition makes them highly flammable they also house mosquitoes and rodents which carry the West Nile Virus. This poses an enormous threat to the health and safety of neighborhoods. De-tread is the project manager that coordinates approval from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, mapping & estimation of the number of tires, volunteer training and transportation for the collected tires through the proper waste stream. To date De-tread is responsible for removing just under 9,000 tires from the streets of Detroit. For reference, 9,000 tires stacked would be 7,500 feet high, or 13 Penobscot buildings stacked on top of each other. The tower of tires could be seen from Lansing.

Paris (Inativo) – "Sport pour Toit" / Association Viacti

2015-09-30T00:00:00Z

Bien au-delà d’un rêve personnel, mon projet répond à un vrai besoin. Le nombre de personnes SDF a augmenté de plus de 50 % en 10 ans en France. Lors de mon Service Civique, en février 2014, j’ai créé Sport pour Toit, une solution en 3 actes qui: 1- donne aux SDF le goût au sport par des projections de matchs, des événements sportifs, des petits déjeuners sportifs. 2- leur permet de pratiquer l’activité physique adaptée et santé : gymnastique douce, natation, marche, tennis de table,… 3- les accompagne dans une réinsertion sportive avec une réorientation vers des lieux de pratique du droit commun, formations, bénévolat, emploi. Pendant mon service civique de 6 mois, j’ai aidé 350 personnes SDF à se socialiser avec 300 personnes avec domicile fixe et ce, à travers 25 actions sportives de mixité en Ile-de-France. Afin de pérenniser mon action, j’ai, depuis, rattaché mon projet à l’association Viacti qui au-delà, des personnes de la rue, aide des personnes en situation de handicap, qu’il soit physique, mental ou social. My project is not only a personnal dream, it is also the answer to a real need. The number of homeless people has doubled in France in the passed 10 years. During my Civil Service, in February 2014, I created Sport pour Toit, a solution in 3 parts to : 1- Give homeless people a taste for sport by organizing screenings of games, sports events, and sports breakfasts. 2- Allow them to get involved in sports : soft gymnastics, swimming, walking, table tennis… 3- Accompany them in socializing through sports, and help them to find a training, volunteership, job… During my Civil Service I helped 350 homeless people to socialize with 300 people, through 25 sports events in the Paris area. To make my action more durable I have since attached my project to Viacti, an association that helps homeless people, and people with physical or mental disabilities.

Miami, FL – IlluminArts: Songs of the City, Songs in the Dark

2015-09-29T00:00:00Z

IlluminArts is Miami's Art Song and Vocal Chamber Music series, collaborating with Museums and Galleries around the city to present curated programs of music based on the Visual Art in the space. In September and October of 2015, EXILE Books will present LISTEN TO THIS BUILDING, a collaborative project between MCAD and EXILE Books, a Miami-based, pop-up artist’s bookstore. LISTEN TO THIS BUILDING is a groundbreaking program that seeks to bridge the understanding between downtown Miami architecture, independent publishing, and accessibility, specifically addressing visual impairments. Opening September 3, 2015, the exhibition coincides with the 25th anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act. The exhibition is believed to be the first architectural exhibit designed to address accessibility for persons with visual impairments. On October 1st, IlluminArts will collaborate with Exile Books, the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and the Miami Center for Architecture and Design on a performance to highlight the "LISTEN TO THIS BUILDING" exhibit at MCAD. The performance will be titled "Songs of the City, Songs in the Dark," The performance will be an evening of art song and poetry exploring life in the city, how places define us, and the characters who bring the buildings and the city to life. The program will conclude with a sightless performance of art songs by famous composers who created masterworks despite their visual and hearing impairments, allowing the audience to experience music with senses other than sight. IlluminArts will involve American Sign Language Interpreters for the first half of the performance, and also provide blindfolds for the audience in the second half of the performance to simulate a sightless experience. We are thrilled to be able to be involved in this important project, and to spread awareness about accessibility through music.

Miami, FL – Milk + Bookies

2015-09-29T00:00:00Z

Milk + Bookies is a non-profit organization that exposes young children to how great it feels to give back while celebrating the love of a good book. The mission of Milk + Bookies is to spread the love of reading to those who can not afford books of their own. Milk + Bookies teaches teaches children the importance of giving, and instills in them self-confidence, pride and a sense of goodwill-all wonderful byproducts of the Milk + Bookies brand of philanthropy. As hosts we have planned a book-raiser at a local bookstore. At this event the children are invited to choose, inscribe and donate books to their local peers in need and want of appropriate reading materials. After the donation portion, attendees will join us for story time with an accompanying activity and of course, Milk and Cookies! All donations will be presented to the children of Lotus House.

London, ON (Inativo) – Street Soccer London (SSL)

2015-09-29T00:00:00Z

Street Soccer Canada began as an initiative by housing advocate Paul Gregory to put together one team for the Homeless World Cup in 2004. It’s now a thriving network of over 20 soccer programs in a dozen cities across the country. London would like to add its' name to the city roster! Over those last 10 years, hundreds of marginalized individuals living in shelters or on the street have been given a chance to be part of a team. Sometimes, all it takes is one small step to get the ball rolling—through the positive inﬂuences of physical exercise and new friendships, Street Soccer Canada is helping people move past life’s more dire circumstances and make a play for their goals. A few months back we decided to see if we could run this program in London - we received permission from the BMO Centre in London to use their field as a trial basis to see if we could garner some attention. We contacted folks at the Salvation Army Centre of Hope and they were in total support, agreeing to assist with transport etc. We had some flyers made up and posted them in some local shelters and left some with different community orgs. At our very first session on Monday, June 1st - we saw one person come out - then the following week two came - at the end of July we were seeing more then 20 individuals every week and the number is growing! We have received some very generous equipment donations and additional gear (cleats etc for the players). Mid July we took a dozen players to the Street Soccer Canada tournament hosted by the City of Hamilton. The players participating, most in their first ever organized sports event. While there the players were housed, fed and provided a ticket to a Pan Am soccer game. For our folks this was an absolutely incredible experience, one most noted they would never forget. We KNOW this program will continue to be successful we just need a bit of a helping hand at the moment.

Alaska (Inativo) – more color for kids

2015-09-29T00:00:00Z

For the last eight years I've been traveling the state through the Artists in the Schools program, making mosaic murals with students of all ages. Our work is based directly on their drawings, and one of the challenges I face is that I never know exactly what the students will draw - or exactly what we'll need to make their designs come to life. Placing my supply order is a guessing game, and I often find myself having to adjust their work in order to fit what I have on hand. Also, as artists on the review panel will know, certain colors are far more expensive than others. Even though I have a generous discount with a wholesale account through a tile company, I often find myself having to ration some of the pricey colors. Red, yellow, and orange tiles are three to four times as expensive as other colors, but who wants to turn that glorious orange duck drawn by a kindergartner into a less glorious blue duck? The schools I work with spend a lot of money (often raised by the PTA organizations) to bring me in, and I have to be very careful with our supply budgets. On occasion I've ended up spending my own money to make things happen, something I really am not in a good position to do. I would use the grant to place a large order of some of these more expensive colors as well as some others we often run out of. This would result in a tile library that I could draw from when we need just a little more or something to finish a project - which could then be replaced on my next order. Having some stock on hand would also put the project within reach of less well funded communities. Over time this supply would be depleted, but I am certain it would have an impact for several years. I've talked to other organizations in the past about funding this idea but have met with little success - though they agree it would be "awesome," it does not seem to fit into their strict funding box.

London, ON (Inativo) – 48 Hour Film Frenzy

2015-09-29T00:00:00Z

Have you ever wanted to create a movie? What if you took a weekend and dedicated it to becoming the next Spielberg? The 48 Hour Film Frenzy is a weekend where local filmmakers are challenged with creating a film in 48 grueling hours. Each filmmaker is presented with a required set of criteria that must be included in their film; such as a required line of dialogue, location in town, prop, etc. London has not has a film showcase in over two years. We have an abundance of local talent that are capable of creating some incredible short films over the span of a weekend. The submitted films will be viewed by a panel of judges who will declare the winner of the competition. The plan is to have a screening event the following weekend at the Hyland theatre where every film is screened and the winner is presented an award. To encourage filmmakers to bring their friends, an audience’s choice award will also be presented. My hope with this $1000 is to start this as a yearly event in London.

Stockholm (Inativo) – Make Musik Sthlm

2015-09-29T00:00:00Z

Music is a language that we all understand. The energy during Make Musik Sthlm is amazing and can bring people together and give a sense of belonging. With 200 concerts performed by 1170 musicians and 12 000 in the audience Make Musik Sthlm take music and volunteering to new awesome levels. Celebrating music and all those how loves music, Make Musik Sthlm is a non profit festival and free to the public. Open for everyone and all ages, it’s a great chance for musicians to reach out to as many as possible and an amazing opportunity for visitors to discover new music styles. The grant from Awesome Foundation will go to public transport tickets to bring as many kids in to the city from the suburb. Make Musik Sthlm takes place every year on the 6th of June in SoFo (the south side of Stockholm).

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Making Mayhem!

2015-09-28T00:00:00Z

My students are 7th and 8th graders who have Intellectual Disabilities and/or Autism. They are fabulous kids! We work on academics, but just as important for my kids is learning communication and social skills. It is really important for my kids to gain experience in navigating a variety of social situations and learn to advocate for themselves. This project addresses my students' academic, social, and communication needs. The King Center is our local theatre. In November they have a group coming, the Mayhem Poets. This traveling troupe performs spoken word, improv, stand up comedy, and dramatic readings for schools around the country. We have an opportunity for our students to work with the Mayhem Poets after the show in an exclusive Master Class! This would be fabulous for my students! They will learn how to perform onstage, enhance their creative and critical thinking skills with improv activities, and how to turn their poetry into a spoken word performance. They will gain the confidence to make their wants, needs, and feelings known, and they will learn social skills such as timing, expression, and fluency. Prior to the performance we will read poetry, learn about poets, and write our own original poems. Students will learn about figurative language, analyzing poems, and how to read poems. My students like to perform, but they don't always know how to. Last year they were in the school play, performed in the Very Special Arts Showcase, and were contestants in the school talent show. They have expressed the desire to tell jokes, but they don't really know how to. This Master Class will give students the skills to be able not only to perform, but also to be able to fit in better with their peers and be able to blend in more. After the class we will expand on what students have learned by performing for seniors in assisted living and in the school talent show. I try to get my kids into the community as much as possible!

Ann Arbor, MI – The Oasis Aquaponic Food Production System

2015-09-28T00:00:00Z

Food insecurity, the lack of access to sufficient nutritious food, is the constant companion of the poor. In some cases, food simply is not present; in others, food is available but not affordable. Since the majority of the world’s poorest citizens are subsistence farmers, food insecurity can be addressed at the source by improving agricultural productivity. However, due to increasing land and water shortages, as well as increasing costs and dangers of agrochemicals, traditional methods are out of reach for the majority. Aquaponics, an alternative production method, represents a promising solution. Aquaponics is the co-culture of fish and vegetables in a re-circulating biofilter-based system. The bacteria present in the biofilter transform the fish waste into a form of nitrogen suitable for plant uptake. Thus the fish feed the plants and the plants clean the water for the fish. This symbiotic relationship allows more food to be grown in a smaller area and with less water than traditional aquaculture or horticulture can support. Our team has spent the last two years refining the design of a small aquaponics system. We have prototyped and tested two design iterations to date in rural El Salvador. Using what we learned from these trials, we have redesigned the system with the goal of increasing production capability while simultaneously drastically reducing manufacturing cost. Our solution is a solar-powered aquaponics system capable of producing at minimum 200 pounds of Tilapia and 200 pounds of tomatoes or other vegetables annually. With a projected retail price of $100, and a business model that provides low-interest purchasing credit, our system is radically affordable and accessible.

Washington, DC – COMEDY HACK DAY DC

2015-09-28T00:00:00Z

Comedy Hack Day DC (CHD DC) is a comedy hackathon on Friday, October 23rd and Saturday October 24th. This is the first DC version of Comedy Hack Day, a national event launched by Cultivated Wit, a company started by former employees of The Onion. The group has already done nine successful events in LA, San Francisco, New York and at MIT over the last three years. This past spring, they launched a program for individuals to run their own local CHD and CHD DC is the second locally-run event in the country. Our event begins on Friday night at Canvas Co/Work in Dupont Circle with software developers, designers and comedians gathering to pitch funny new apps and tech ideas. They then form teams and "hack" all night and all day Saturday, creating functioning products and presentations to showcase them. The teams then present their ideas to a live audience on Saturday night at iStrategy Labs in Shaw in a comedy show format. The evening is complete with hosts, guest judges from the tech and comedy communities, food, drinks, music and prizes. In total, there will be approximately (10) 4-person teams of "hackers" and 100 attendees for the live event. It’s a unique and hilarious way to showcase bright and funny DC talent while also bringing together two of the city’s most active communities that don’t often overlap: tech and comedy. Cultivated Wit has laid the foundation for a creative and uproariously entertaining event. And though there may be plans for future funding, the group does not currently provide financial backing for these local events. But fortunately DC has the opportunity to inject its own homegrown humor, ingenuity and interminability into an affair that is proven to be fun and exciting. While giving area residents something new and different, CHD DC also aims to further the continued rise of both the tech and comedy scenes, lending to the effort of making DC less of a career stopover town and more of a destination city.

Liverpool (Inativo) – Ninety Squared Autumn events program

2015-09-27T00:00:00Z

We have created an awesome event programme for autumn 2015. We are offering a series of workshops and exhibitions across the autumn months to anyone in Liverpool who takes interest in what we are offering. Introductory sessions on things such as; animation, calligraphy, bookbinding. The exhibition element are a continuation of the work we’ve been doing with our “knack exhibition” giving opportunities to artists to showcase work and provide selling opportunities in a non-traditional art settings that has a higher likelihood of views, and thus sales. The aim of the series is to reach people from outside our immediate community. It’s our aspiration to advertise the programme is traditional and creative ways, to extend that reach. We want to use avenues like print media, local news and magazines as well as the social and online routes already in use. We have brought together some very talented workshop facilitators. We spent a period of time collating all the application and meeting with the best ones we thought would fit with our aspiration and aims. We’ve worked in partnership with these people to develop a programme that will appeal and excite a broad range of people. Our exhibitions, which will run alongside the workshops, will showcase work from talented creatives looking to shows a wide range of people their work. Photo credit: Tracey Nichols

Amsterdam (Inativo) – Gold Rush in Amsterdam

2015-09-27T00:00:00Z

Imagine 779.808 people in Amsterdam looking for one shiny nugget of gold, worth 1000,- euro. Gold fever hits the streets, everybody wants that piece of bling. Wanting is the easy part, the hard part is finding this gem! The nugget will be hidden somewhere in Amsterdam, deep underground... Off course Amsterdam is to big and pretty to fill it with holes, made by gold crazed diggers. That's why Gold Rush Amsterdam will give away clues on the -yet to be made- Facebook page. Sounds easy? There's a catch... All the the clues will lead to historic monuments and streets that are linked to the colonial times of Amsterdam, informing the participants of the dark pages of our Golden Age history. The lucky finder of the golden nugget is asked by note, if he wants to donate the nugget to the Keti-Koti festival (National commemoration and celebration abolition slavery) Therefor we want to enlighten the dark pages of Amsterdam by a gold crazed rush, and test the character of charity of the lucky finder.

Liverpool (Inativo) – A Small View

2015-09-27T00:00:00Z

A Small View is a non for profit exhibition space situated in the heart of Liverpool. Its based in a shop unit in Gostins arcade, hanover street. This is filled with all kinds of creatives but as of yet know one has made use of the cheap rent in order to set up a gallery. Its run by two MA students studying fine art. The project came from a despair at the lack of available and viable art opportunities. We give artists a space to experiment with different ways of curating and also a place to network and display work. We primarily display emerging or aspiring artists work. The two of us running this this project space know the difficulties in finding viable exhibition opportunities in big cities like Liverpool. A Small View offers the kind of artistic freedom that larger institutions don't allow. Under the cost of the rent we are allowed use of seminar rooms and on wednesday the workshop room. We hope to make use of these facilities in the future, hopefully further involving the public. We have collaborated with many people while doing this project, including graphic designers, writers and artists. As many of these are students or new graduates, this project is a great way of gaining experience in the real world and away from the safety of university.

Edmonton, AB (Inativo) – Nature is Awesome

2015-09-26T00:00:00Z

Everything is awesome! Well, Lego certainly is, and so is nature. This project combines the awesomeness of Lego with a beautiful natural place on the outskirts of Edmonton, by building a Lego model version of the Edmonton and Area Land Trust’s newest conservation site. A volunteer Lego Master Builder (an architect by trade), and his team will meticulously build a large replica version of the lands. We are a small organization, so have lots of volunteers helping us with our work. Because hey – everything is cool when you’re part of a team! The 80 acre natural area is home to animals such as deer, moose, frogs, squirrels and many types of birds from chickadees to hawks. The beautiful aspen poplar forest, with patches of coniferous spruce forest throughout, is split by the picturesque Willow creek that runs through it, on its way to the North Saskatchewan River just a couple of kilometres downstream. There have even been some dinosaur remains found in the creek bed – amazing footprints of a hadrosaurus, plus the skin impression of an Albertosaurus – which is only the 3rd (and best) example of this in the world! We plan to have the completed Lego model on display at a public venue in Edmonton or the surrounding region, such as in Leduc, since the property is in Leduc County. And if you think this Lego version is awesome, just wait until you see the real thing! This Lego version of the lands will encourage people to visit and enjoy the real conservation site in person (because you can’t exactly hop into a Lego version of it), and inspire them to help us conserve this special place, and the others that we protect and steward. We will also make an Art Gallery of the process of creating the Lego model of this property. We’ll add this to our current Culture-Conservation-Connection Galleries (http://www.ealt.ca/culture-connection/). This will add a really fun dimension to our already awesome website.

Portland, OR – Teaching playwriting in MacLaren Correctional

2015-09-25T00:00:00Z

I've been teaching playwriting to the men at MacLaren Correctional for three years now. At the end of each term (which is 8 weeks long) I bring in actors from Portland to read their work for them. Since I'm not paid anything, the actors participate as volunteers. I'd love to be able to compensate them for their driving and performing. I'd even love to reimburse myself for the gas every week and the money I spend for the party at the end of each term (but the actors come first.) Feel free to reference the article The Oregonian wrote about this program and my beloved students. It ran in the Sunday Arts section in May, 2014. You may also contact Kathleen Fullerton at MacLaren. I invite you to observe any Wednesday night (new term starts August 12th) from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Come meet the students that inspire me and you'll be inspired too! Recently one of my students grew me a tangerine tree. They rarely get fresh fruit but a volunteer had brought in tangerines so he dried it and grew it until it was about an inch in height. Then he gave it to one of my former students who lives in Portland but he lost my phone number. So he took care of it for a month while living in a halfway house in a room that only got sunshine for 45 minutes a day. Then he brought it to the group home and tended it with care. I finally found out about the tree and was able to meet up with him and pick up my tree. You can go out and buy a seed. It wouldn't take five minutes out of your day. But this tree (which is now in my backyard) was born from the most fragile of environments. It could have been knocked over or taken away. The roommate at the halfway house could have dumped it in anger. It might not have survived the move across town. These two men are who most people in society are afraid of. Yet the men I teach did all that for another. That's who they are at their core. And that's why I continue to go back and teach them.

Newcastle – Driving with Jack and Scott

2015-09-24T00:00:00Z

My mate Scotty and I host a Podcast called "Driving with Jack and Scott" with the basic idea that we drive around in one of our cars and talk about the things that have been on our minds with an emphasis on asking 'why?' to what we accept as the social norm and to make the world a better place one small concept, idea, challenge, goal at a time. We are all about having a go, enjoying the journey and keeping the vibes on a high! Being locals Newcastle is our home turf and nearly every podcast has been recorded in our local streets and suburbs and we always say the streets are just as an important part of the Podcast as us. We are just 2 months into our venture, in our first month we got just over 1000 downloads over 9 episodes and we just just completed our second month and got just over 900 downloads over the next 9 episodes which is a huge milestone for us, we are stoked with how its going but we would love to see those numbers going up. We release 2 episodes a week Monday and Wednesday

Oklahoma City, OK (Inativo) – How I See OKC Homeless Photography Exhibit

2015-09-23T00:00:00Z

The Curbside Chronicle is a program of the Homeless Alliance in OKC. The Curbside Chronicle magazine employs homeless and formerly homeless individuals through the sale of its publication. Our goal is to employ and empower the homeless and help them transition into housing and further employment opportunities. The Curbside Chronicle also includes articles written by the homeless, about homelessness, and about other social issues in our publication. We hope to educate the community about local social issues with our content. We also host community awareness events that seek to bridge the gap between those experiencing homelessness and mainstream society. How I See OKC is a photography exhibit showcasing what homelessness looks like through the eyes of individuals in Oklahoma City. Homeless and formerly homeless vendors for The Curbside Chronicle were partnered with local professional photographers and asked to share parts of their stories via photography. Together, they went around OKC capturing photos that represent what individuals experiencing homelessness see on a daily basis in our city. They saw it as a way to raise awareness for homelessness in OKC and put a face and story to the issue. Each homeless participant titled and captioned each photo with what they want their viewers to take away from the image, giving them an avenue to share their experiences with the public. A.K.A. Gallery in the Paseo District in Oklahoma City heard about the photography project and asked The Curbside Chronicle to be their featured exhibit during the Paseo Arts Festival this month. There will be a launch for the exhibit on Thursday, May 21st and it will run through the Festival until the 1st of June. The homeless participants will be present at the exhibit to provide insight into their photographs. We see this as a great way to raise awareness about homelessness in our community. Tens of thousands of people attend the Paseo Festival.We would love OKC Awesome to be our sponsor!

Oklahoma City, OK (Inativo) – Rocktown Youth Mentoring

2015-09-23T00:00:00Z

Rocktown Youth Mentoring has been in the OKC community well over a decade serving youth by cultivating character through mentoring and adventure. Over the years we've honed our skills at Rocktown Climbing Gym, where mentors and youth meet weekly to build a rich relationship that provides them an important soundboard, contact, and caring adult to lean on and learn from. We've had a great experience using rock climbing, and this past Spring, made our first foray into cycling as a tool to educate, empower, enrich, and equip the youths we serve in our city. We are partnered with Oklahoma City Public Schools and are providing a character education class that students get class credit for, that is being taught using a bicycle at Emerson Alternative School. As the students repair and build bikes, we are very intentional to dovetail life lessons and values into the class. Additionally, we want them to become competent and active cyclists, thus improving their fitness, and expanding their world. We want to continue building this new cycling program, building character, skills, and providing an atmosphere where youth have healthy relationships they can lean on as they grow. To that end, we are strategically building relationships with the schools that are in the greatest need in our community. This awesome project genuinely is fulfilling our mission of serving youth by building character through mentoring and adventure.

Tallahassee, FL (Inativo) – Hang Tough Foundation

2015-09-23T00:00:00Z

Our foundation was established by Michelle Hart and Janelle Irwin. These two women were connected by one common bond, children with cancer. We have an incredible vision for Tallahassee to provide a comprehensive approach to taking care of the entire family that has a child affected by a chronic or life altering illness in the Big Bend area. We are striving to be a physical, mental, and financial reprieve designed to provide resources, support, hope, and encouragement to our clients. We were established in February of 2015 and recently received our 501(c)3 status. We have a board of seven members and 16 on our committee of advisers. It is a great group of people striving to provide more for the kids of Tallahassee. Although we do not have a location yet, we are already visiting Tallahassee children upon diagnosis at Shands Children's Hospital and delivering care packages and resource packets to the families. We are making ourselves available for any questions and support. UF Health Shands social workers have agreed to formally refer any Tallahassee clientele to us. Each week, we highlight a Hang Tough Hero, a child fighting illness, on our facebook page! Please visit our website for more details and how we were founded! It's a pretty incredible story! We are ready to impact our community and provide a refuge for families facing childhood illnesses and empowering them to "Hang Tough!"