Awesome Foundation - Projects

Louisville, KY (Inativo) – Surgery on Sunday Louisville Inc.

2015-09-21T00:00:00Z

Surgery on Sunday provides in-kind outpatient surgical and endoscopic care to income-eligible members of the Louisville community who are uninsured or underinsured. Surgery on Sunday Louisville was formed in 2013 by a group of passionate medical professionals and members of the Louisville community. We are modeled after Surgery on Sunday Lexington, which has been serving Kentucky residents since 2008. Surgery on Sunday Louisville is an organization led completely by volunteers, fueled by our desire to deliver outstanding surgical and endoscopic care to income-eligible members of our community. Currently Surgery on Sunday Louisville is on track to host six surgery days, called events, in 2015. Our goal over the next year is to expand our reach to ten events in 2016 in partnership with the local medical community.

Pittsburgh, PA – H3O/OO3

2015-09-21T00:00:00Z

The Drift has been developing an event series in Pittsburgh called H3O. In this series, we present a single evening performance along the Allegheny River that includes architectural scale video projections, live music, and interactive art that is free and open to the public. For our last event we selected and commissioned video animations from 13 artists from Pittsburgh and around the world to project onto the facade of the Veteran's Bridge along the North Shore Allegheny Trail. For this free event we had over 200 people in attendance. For our upcoming H3O/OO3 event, we are partnering with Venture Outdoors to provide a custom guided night paddle for kayakers to explore our event on the water in addition to the audience that will congregate on shore. We are also partnering with the Center for Urban Intervention Research, who will be providing all technical equipment for the event. We have contacted and confirmed with 10 visual artists that will be providing animations and interactive video, as well as musicians Elysia Crampton (Sacramento) and Jono Mi Lo (Pittsburgh) that will be providing a live score for the visual content. We hope to inspire our community by presenting the most compelling and innovative artwork of our time in this incredibly unique context on the river. Over half of our participating artists and musicians are female identified and/or people of color. Visual and musical content will be designed for an all ages audience, exploring the fluidity of identity in the digital age and how we relate to water in the era of climate-change.

Boulder, CO (Inativo) – The Still Not Asking For It Project

2015-09-21T00:00:00Z

The Still Not Asking For It Project is a rape culture awareness project created as a direct response to one horrific statistic: one in five women in the United States has been raped, and nearly half have experienced other forms of sexual violence in their lifetime. The Still Not Asking For It Project works to empower people at the individual level to start the conversation on sexual violence and to change the status quo of how the bullied, the bully and the bystander view and respond to harassment. This is done through t-shirts featuring a graphic of breasts with the words “Still Not Asking For It” printed beneath, with 25% of proceeds going towards nonprofits based in Colorado (and eventually nationally and internationally) that work to end sexual violence. Part two of The Still Not Asking For It Project is a public-participation photography project. I worked with photographer Sarah Fosco to create a photo portfolio featuring me wearing the shirt while in various acts of “asking for it” to directly question at what points we interpret rape culture as acceptable. These acts include being passed out with a bottle of vodka, texting in a skirt with legs apart, lifting a shirt for Mardi Gras beads, and eating a banana like a penis. You can view the images here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6ooq5ckj48xxzdq/AAAf4J4C1dZIzl3SKLCqaFTAa?dl=0. For every shirt sold, I ask the recipients to take a photograph wearing the shirt demonstrating what rape culture looks like to them and will compile all the photographs to create a public rape culture awareness art project.

Antigonish, NS (Inativo) – Keppoch Fall Colours Community Fun Day

2015-09-20T00:00:00Z

Awesome Keppoch Fall Colours Fun Day Planned for October 2015( date to be confirmed on September 9th), the Keppoch will be hosting a community fun day. We have had these sorts of events in the winter - they attract hundreds of people - but have never had one in the fall season before. We would want hikers, cyclists, runners, kids, parents, men, women, teenagers - everyone to come out and enjoy outdoor activity, nature, music, food, drink, community and to learn about our plans for so much more in the future. We also plan to launch our community fundraising campaign at this event. We will be acknowledging our early supporters and letting people know about our goal. We were thinking it could also be fun to stage an activity during the event where the Awesome Foundation could solicit awesome ideas for the Keppoch on the spot. Our overall goal will be to have more people join our effort to make the Keppoch the most awesome 4 season outdoor recreation facility in Atlantic Canada or beyond.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Her Story

2015-09-20T00:00:00Z

"Her Story" is a new media series that looks inside the dating lives of trans & queer women as they navigate the intersections of desire & identity. The plot centers around two trans women in Los Angeles who have given up on love, when suddenly chance encounters give them hope. Violet is drawn to Allie, a reporter who approaches her for an interview, while career-driven Paige meets James, the first man she’s considered opening up to in years. "Her Story" stars transgender writer and actor Jen Richards, accomplished trans entrepreneur and actor Angelica Ross, and writer/actor Laura Zak, star of the hit web series #Hashtag. Jen Richards and Laura Zak are co-writers on the series, with award-winning filmmaker Sydney Freeland (Drunktown’s Finest) directing. It's Executive Produced by playwright and activist Eve Ensler and Katherine Fisher of Speed of Joy Productions. This is a new media series created BY trans and queer women FOR trans and queer women, but at its heart is a universal love story that will appeal to everyone.

Seattle, WA – King West Office Moms

2015-09-18T00:00:00Z

Children who have recently been removed from their homes due to unsafe living conditions or trauma often wait in a DSHS office for up to 8 hours while a suitable placement is found. This can be a time of high anxiety and uncertainty, but these kids don't have to go through it alone! Office Moms (and Dads!) are a team of on-call volunteers who's sole purpose is to sit with and entertain kids awaiting placement in a DSHS office. We hope to make the transition into foster care just a little bit easier on kids, and support our overloaded social workers by helping with the child-care aspect of their job. A group of amazing volunteers is being assembled right now in Seattle, but we need funding to get the program off the ground. Office Moms to the rescue!

Minas Gerais (Inativo) – Centro Zanmi

2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

Com uma experiência de mais de dois anos, estamos certos de que o acompanhamento em diversas áreas faz mudanças permanentemente na vida das pessoas que imigraram do Haiti e fará na daquelas que ainda estão por vir. Esta relação de intimidade que se criou com o tempo de ante um grande número de haitianos e haitianas que moram na região metropolitana de Belo Horizonte mostrou para nós vários casos de pessoas contagiadas com o vírus HIV. Isso pede de nós novas estratégias de prevenção como estimular para que a prática de sexo se dê de modo seguro nesta população que, pelas dificuldades de aprendizagem da língua portuguesa, se encontra desligada das campanhas de prevenção de DST, e HIV/ AIDS. Para tal, procuramos facilitar o aceso à informação em crioulo haitiano, utilizar a linguagem e ferramentas específicas para a cultura da população haitiana e promover comportamentos adequados, evitando a prática de relações sexuais de risco. A ideia é realizar 2 palestras com tradutor, na região metropolitana e distribuir material para fortalecimento de gênero e educação em saúde preventiva. O objetivo é o envolvimento não só dos alunos das aulas de português que o Centro Zanmi oferece, mas também que outros moradores da região metropolitana participem . Será fabricado e distribuído o material informativo e auxiliaremos na distribuição de preservativos.

Kingston – Flags of Remembrance - Kingston

2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

Flags of Remembrance will be a powerful, visual statement to honour our Canadian military men and women. One-hundred and twenty-eight Canadian flags – one veteran- hero representing each flag – flying along the fence line of Bayridge Drive at Front Road, Kingston. Together with our community partners we will raise and fly 128 Canadian flags, each representing 1000 Canadian soldiers fallen and missing in action from the Boer War to current service, along with our Ontario flag. Our aim is to invite everyone to drive by, reflect, and think about our military heroes – past, present and future. We must never forget. We can’t think of a better Ontario city to lead the way than Kingston - Where History and Innovation Thrive, Canada’s First Capital, home to CFB Kingston and Royal Military College. It’s the perfect city to honour Canada’s military men and women. Installation of the Flags of Remembrance Tribute will occur on October 17 and the tribute will remain in place until November 12, 2015. The timing will coincide with Flags of Remembrance Tributes in four other locations: the original location of Slyvan Lake, Alta.; Kelowna, B.C.; Ponoka, Alta.; Amherst, N.S.; and Charlottetown, P.E.I. Veterans Voices of Canada/Flags of Remembrance is also a fundraising initiative. Flags of Remembrance-Kingston has selected Dominium Assistance Dogs to be the local benefactor. Dominium Assistance Dogs provides psychiatric and mobility service dogs in Southeastern Ontario. Members of the greater Kingston area will be able to honour their military hero(s) by sponsoring an honor plaque for a minimum donation of $200. Funds raised with be shared evenly between Veterans Voices of Canada and Dominium Assistance Dogs. At a special closing ceremony the donor will receive the honour plaque and flag as a keepsake. Tribute flags and honour plaques may be purchased to honour anyone’s service. The veteran-hero need not to have died in combat.

Austin, TX – CLAWstin: Austin Collective of Lady Arm Wrestlers

2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

CLAWstin — the Austin league of the national Collective of Lady Arm Wrestlers — is an association of tough (and smart) Austin ladies dedicated to showcasing women’s strengths and bringing in the Benjamins for local nonprofits. A CLAWstin match is part athletic event, part circus, and just about the wildest show in town. A grant from the Austin Awesome Foundation will fund a new arm-wrestling table and other expenses to make the next CLAWstin match the biggest and baddest one yet!

Ottawa – Feel the Food: It's Your Fridge Too

2015-09-14T00:00:00Z

September’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Karen Secord to support a community fridge on a street corner. “I run a food bank in an area of Ottawa that is fast becoming gentrified,” explains Karen. “But the 14 rooming houses, transition house, mental health housing, family shelter, and Ottawa Community Housing buildings tell a different story.” “I want to put a community fridge on a street corner in Hintonburg. It will be in a small plastic shed so that it can be locked overnight. The fridge will be in a place where shopkeepers and restaurants can distribute leftover or sealed near-the-best-before-date food. The food would be identified and dated if produced in a commercial kitchen, and gardeners would be encouraged to leave veggies. Businesses are excited for this to happen,” says Karen, “and volunteers are ready to monitor the fridge several times a day.” During the winter, the shed will be used to house the Parkdale Food Centre’s gardening supplies. “All food banks should have gardens,” Karen adds. “That's where real food comes from, ya know!” Karen is the manager of the Parkdale Food Centre.

Rio de Janeiro (Inativo) – Bibliocicleta

2015-09-14T00:00:00Z

O projeto da Arte Andarilha visa comprar uma bicicleta cargueira velha e, após uma reforma, transformá-la em uma Bibliocicleta: uma biblioteca itinerante para circular pelo Complexo de Manguinhos, Zona Norte do Rio de Janeiro. O processo de montagem, decoração e adaptação da Bibliocicleta será realizado conjuntamente com crianças e adolescentes da comunidade. O principal objetivo é aproximar os moradores do universo das histórias e dos livros. Para isso serão realizadas apresentações artísticas de contação de histórias com livros de pano, bonecos, música e circo, além de oficinas que dialogam com as histórias. Como a finalidade é estimular o gosto pela leitura, a Biblioteca Parque de Manguinhos será parceira do projeto. E como forma de incentivar as iniciativas culturais da região, nos dias de evento de contação de histórias, os artistas locais, assim como os participantes das oficinas, serão convidados a apresentar sua arte. Contar histórias sempre foi a arte de contá-las de novo, pois caso as histórias não sejam mais contadas vão se perdendo. É nesse sentido que a Trupe Arte Andarilha traça seu rumo e faz sua caminhada. ____ The Arte Andarilha (Wandering Art) project will use a refurbished delivery bicycle and turn it into a "Bibliocicleta" -- a mobile library that will circulate in Rio de Janeiro's North Zone Complexo de Manguinhos, a series of favelas or informal settlements. Community children and teens will help with putting together, decorating and adapting the Bibliocicleta. The main goal is to bring residents closer to the world of books and stories. We will tell stories with cloth books, puppets, music and circus art, and hold workshops centered on these stories. The Manguinhos Park Library will partner with us, as part of their program to encourage reading. Workshop participants and local artists will be invited to showcase their art in storytelling events, as part of our effort to encourage local cultural initiatives. Telling stories has always been the art of telling them over and over again; stories that don't get told end up getting lost. This is what gives the Arte Andarilha Troupe its life and breath.

Sydney – On The Floor

2015-09-14T00:00:00Z

House of Riot is an extended art project fuelled by political frustration. It began at Australian Fashion Week 2014 when founder Ollie Henderson hand painted 100 t-shirts with positive messages, and has grown from a creative project to a not-for-profit social enterprise. It’s our mission to bring about social change through creative expression and to encourage young people to take action on the issues that they care about. On The Floor is our inaugural event series launching in October. Running bimonthly in the lead up to the federal election, each OTF event will bring together 5 panelists to debate an issue young Australians care about. OTF will run in the same format as ABC’s Q&A, with a focus on engaging youth audiences across the political spectrum. We want to provide a much-needed platform to engage youth audiences by creating a physical + digital space where young people can get informed, voice their opinions - and be heard. Questions will be collected from the audience and curated by the team to be discussed by the panel. By encouraging youth to actively participate in our program, we hope to foster an environment in which youth opinions are not only valued but seen as an integral part of the solution. The pilot event “The Future of Sydney’s Nightlife” will be held on the 22nd of September. This event will explore what the newly imposed lock-out laws, smoking and live music restrictions mean for Sydney’s cultural landscape. The mediator for our first event is Tom Tilley (triple J Hack) and confirmed panellists Jess Scully (Barangaroo Cultural Development Board), Tyson Koh (Keep Sydney Open), Jenny Leong (Newtown Greens MP), Scott Weber (Last Drinks) and Troy Grant (Minister for Justice and Police). In the pursuit of making change not noise, at the end of the event we will be creating a submission from the panellists and audience comments to be published online and shared with relevant ministers and organisations.

Chicago, IL – Drums for the Deaf

2015-09-11T00:00:00Z

On October 3 and 4, my taiko group is hosting our first mainstage concert - 90 minutes of music to do with what we like. One huge thing we'd like to do is invite a group of high school students from the Illinois School for the Deaf to see us perform. We met these students in February 2015 at a gig for Illinois College. A member of the college music department hatched a plan to invite an ISD class to our concert. They sat in the front row and we all had the most amazing time. Taiko is visceral. Our drums are the size of wine barrels. They’re faced with cowhide and played with drumsticks the size of tree branches. At a taiko show, you can feel the music coming up through the floor. It hums in your chest like a heartbeat. When we hit our first notes that night, the kids in the front rows jumped. Some pressed their hands to their chests. Others looked excitedly at each other. By being music they could feel, it was music they could hear. After our song ended, they erupted in cheers. We came down to talk when the show was through, typing messages on our phones and handing them back and forth to each other. It was a performance none of us will forget. Now we’re mounting a concert in Chicago and we’d like to invite them back. It’s a way for us to support the arts for students who can appreciate them from a completely different perspective. And since we’re composing all-new pieces, it will be an even more awesome experience for them, both visually and rhythmically. But ISD is in Jacksonville, IL–almost 5 hours away–and the fiscal challenges of bringing this many students would be hard for either the school or our group to surmount alone. We propose to charter 2 vans on the day of our concert to drive 15 students and 4 chaperones from Jacksonville to Chicago to hear our music again. We’ve reached out through our contacts at IC and have started talking through the details to make sure everyone is on board. All we need now is the money to do it.

San Jose, CA – Flowers for the people

2015-09-08T00:00:00Z

Someone send me flowers unexpectedly and it made my day. It was a happy surprise, and who doesn't love flowers? Imagine if you are walking downtown, or waiting for the light rail or bus and someone walks up and gives you a flower. Yes, it's random. yes, it's a surprise, and yes, it makes you happy.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Tennessee Woman Suffrage Monument, Inc.

2015-09-08T00:00:00Z

On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment which granted women the right to vote in America. The history of how Tennessee became the deciding vote will be retold through art and exemplified for future generations. Tennessee Woman Suffrage Monument, Inc. (TWSM), is a statewide grassroots organization that seeks to memorialize the work done by Tennessee suffragists to secure ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by erecting a woman suffrage monument in the Tennessee capital city of Nashville. In the U.S., there are approximately 5,193 statues of individuals. Of those, 394 are of women and of those, only 5 are of black women. We will feature 7 women, including 2 important black women. This monument will be for the ages so this story will be known by future generations. It was the greatest nonviolent revolution in our country's history. More than 27 million American women were enfranchised with TN's vote. There is nothing outside the State Capitol Bldg. in Nashville that tells this story. Alan LeQuire created the bas relief plaque that hangs inside the capitol as well as a large suffrage monument in downtown Knoxville. He is creating the Nashville monument which received unanimous approval from the TN Capitol Commission and Building Commission.

Philadelphia, PA – Bartram Wellness Warriors

2015-09-08T00:00:00Z

At Bartram High School, in Southwest Philadelphia, there are few resources to nurture healthy minds and bodies. Teachers put forth their best effort to reach the young people in our community. There are many success stories to celebrate and honor, but there are also stories about the many unmet needs of pur young people. Last year, a determined group of students refused to accept the status quo at Bartram. Though few in number, they named themselves the Bartram Wellness Warriors. They decided to wage a war against apathy, poor eating choices, lack of physical activity, difficulties with mental health issues and the unknown potential to grow their own food in local gardens. The first step was to rejuvenate the harden beds around the school. Despite a few setbacks, students, with help from Bartram Garden staff, grew lettuce, broccoli, kale,tomatoes and cucumbers. More produce will be grown as new beds are established around the school. Next, we received a grant called "Typical or Troubled Teens" from the American Psychiatric Association to provide support in groups after school. These discussions helped students who had experienced bullying and peer pressure. Additional grants received recently will promote healthy eating habits through completing taste samplings from dairy, protein, grains and produce choices. The Bartram Wellness Warriors will continue to flourish this upcoming year with support from staff, community members and others invested in the Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood surrounding Bartram High School.

Sarnia (Inativo) – Mindful Music

2015-09-06T00:00:00Z

The Mindful Music program is aimed at providing personalized music to persons with dementia. Research has shown that even when someone is no longer able to communicate verbally, he or she will still respond to their favourite music. Music, it seems, is a unique conduit for emotional memory. The playlists are designed based on the client's past and current musical interests. Using digital music technology we can provide an immediate improvement in quality of life for people living with dementia. This project was just a vision of the Alzheimer Society and something that they wanted to bring to the community. It wasn't until I started my placement there, that I was able to get the program started. I partnered with Vision nursing Home to pilot the project there with a few of their residents. The change in behaviours and moods of the residents has been wonderful. I would like to bring this program into the community, but funding is needed in order to purchase the equipment to do so. The benefits of listening to music is so wonderful. Aggression lessens, depression and anxiety decrease, memories are brought back from earlier times, people start to sing along to songs that they have forgotten about. The smiles on people's faces just tells you how beneficial it is for them to listen to the music. Each playlist is created per person with the input of family and staff who know them well. Sometimes the people receiving the program are able to tell me what they like to listen to. Documentation occurs so that I am able to see how and if the program is benefiting them, what changes need to be made to playlists, and what reactions are occurring with the person. I volunteered my time over the summer in order to make this program happen, and I will continue to do my second year placement with the Alzheimer Society in order for this program to be brought into the community so that people with dementia can receive the benefits of personalized music.

San Francisco, CA – Re:Sound

2015-09-03T00:00:00Z

Re:Sound is an experimental audio/visual series started in 2015 which explores the relationship between forgotten spaces, sound abstraction and the natural environment. The series takes place on the Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve, a 215-acre park that formerly served as one of the first Naval Ammunition Depots. Our event is held in a concrete munitions storage magazine. The architecture of the space traps sounds resulting in a beautiful and prolonged reverberation. There is no electricity, so everything is powered by solar or by generators. The money will go toward operating costs and making an all access ramp for the building.

New York City, NY – THE FREE PORTRAIT PROJECT: CROWN HEIGHTS

2015-09-03T00:00:00Z

The Free Portrait Project paints a portrait of a place through it’s people by giving oil-painted portraits to residents of Crown Heights for an entire year, creating a physical record of who we are now amid shifting demographics, documents our community, and quietly breaks the tradition of portraiture reserved only for a wealthy few by giving these paintings to people from all walks of life. Starting in June 2015, over 200 residents of Crown Heights, Brooklyn will come to the studio of Rusty Zimmerman (portrait artist to Governor Andrew Cuomo) to sit for a portrait from life. Partnering with StoryCorps, conversations will be recorded that explore each individual’s relationship to the neighborhood, revealing a multi-faceted living history at a pivotal moment in time. Each oil-painted portrait will measure 18” x 24” and will represent all subjects on equal stature — state senators next to shelter residents, local merchants next to museum custodians. The project thus showcases commonality and fosters engagement to integrate the disparate cultural communities within Crown Heights. Furthermore, the project will benefit neighbors who may not otherwise have access to portraiture by granting them this painting at no cost, formerly a fancy thing for fancy people. Exhibitions run through the year in over 10 venues and culminate in 200 portraits at the Brooklyn Museum in July, 2016, where the whole community will gather to celebrate each other and a newfound commonality. Why We Think This is Awesome Our city is constantly changing and we appreciate that this project acknowledges this and celebrates it in a unique way. We especially love the multi-stage approach to the distribution of these portraits - a public exhibition to share the stories of the portrait subjects, followed by the gifting of these portraits to the subjects themselves to allow them to bring the work back into their own homes and their own lives.

Madison, WI (Inativo) – The "Invisibles"

2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

The "Invisibles" Project stemmed from the fact that there are many folks here in Madison,Wisconsin who are, for whatever reason, Homeless. As a local Playwright, I found it very disturbing to see passerbys who refused to look at,acknowledge or extend a greeting to those who were merely existing on the strees of our "Liberal" city. It began asking questions of School officials about their views of the situations, Homeless Shelter Coordinators regarding their thoughts on why do we have so many homeless people here. I have even queried social-psychologists as to their take on why people are wary of acknowledging the "Street People." I now sit and converse with "street folks" who would share their stories with me, as to the how's and why's of their personal situations. My ultimate goal is to bring an awareness to the majority as to how it feels to be "invisible." It is NOT my goal to make the majority feel guilty,personally responsible or ashamed. It is only to allow people to hear how those who have lost their homes to various situations feel on a daily basis. None of us are exempt from finding ourselves in the same or similar social or economic misfortunate situation.

Raleigh, NC (Inativo) – Tactile Workshop : Transformable Pavilion

2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

Our City: Raleigh is a two-day celebration of new public design projects produced in conjunction with the Hopscotch Design Festival. Over the course of the event, thousands of Raleighites, visitors, and civic innovators will experience and respond to the installations - with the goal of inspiring more permanent work that reimagines the future of the city's downtown. Our City staff have supported three teams of local artists and designers in creating new public design projects that respond to local needs. One of those teams, Tactile Workshop, built the Transformable Pavilion (a transformable pavilion structure that is modular and flexible) with the grant from Awesome Raleigh. Its potential is to show individuals how our built environment can be more dynamic, and how they themselves have the capacity to choose the possibilities. It will be on public display outside CAM Raleigh for the duration of both Hopscotch Festivals. The installation will engage residents in the idea of directly shaping the future of their city.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – KidPack

2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

The St. James Town Youth Council is hoping to bring back KIDPACKS to aid the youth in need in St. James Town.The youth in St. James Town have lived through many challenges and hardships. Currently, this is one of the world’s most highly educated, yet low-income communities. There is so much potential within these young people and we believe something as simple as not having basic supplies for school shouldn't prevent them from reaching their full potential in their education. KidPacks are backpacks filled with basic school supplies such as paper, pencils, erasers etc. We are hoping to secure approximately 100-150 backpacks ready to be distributed by September 2015. With your help we know that it can be brought forward.Thank you in advance for your kind support!

Atlanta, GA (Inativo) – Supporting Adult Literacy

2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

As DREAMLEIGH LLC, my project is a curriculum unit aligned with General Education Diploma (GED™) Exam, College and Career Readiness, and Common Core standards and designed for adults with low literacy. The curriculum unit will engage adults with a focus on social justice issues and values to support adults as everyday citizens while also improving their literacy skills. There are at 800,000 adults in Atlanta who are "functionally illiterate." There are a number of organizations working to address illiteracy in Atlanta, and DREAMLEIGH LLC's project is designed to lend a hand to the same movement to close the literacy gap in Atlanta --- and make Atlanta more Awesome!

San Francisco, CA – Oakland FIGMENT

2015-09-01T00:00:00Z

Oakland FIGMENT is a free, family-friendly, interactive arts festival that will take place in Mosswood Park on October 24th, 2015. In partnership with Oakland Parks and Recreation we will bring over 100 art projects, performances, installations and interactions to the neighborhood. Our organization's principles calls for no commerce or corporate sponsorship so we rely on funding from the community and foundation support. While we do understand commerce is necessary for any artist or performer, we strive to bring an experiential art experience to our community without the expectation of a transaction. Also by our own rules, we do not curate or dictate what is art, allowing anyone to participate without our approval as long as their project poses no danger. With a grant from the Awesome Foundation we will be able to provide micro-grants to our participating artists during this season’s festival and to support their supply costs.

Paris (Inativo) – Demain j’lui dis

2015-08-31T00:00:00Z

Le Collectif Tribudom utilise le cinéma comme un outil social, pour provoquer des rencontres, changer les regards et les a priori, entre des personnes d’origine ou de milieu social différents. « Demain j’lui dis… » est une web série participative réalisée avec les habitants des quartiers de Curial-Cambrai-Alphonse Karr, Flandre (Paris 19e), et Quatre-Chemins (Pantin). Après deux saisons, de nouveaux épisodes vont être réalisés en 2015-2016, avec de nouveaux publics et de nouveaux partenaires. Le but est de créer du lien social entre des habitants des quartiers populaires qui vivent au même endroit mais ne partagent pas les mêmes préoccupations, la même culture, les mêmes difficultés. The Collectif Tribudom uses the cinema as a social tool, to encourage meetings between people from different social or cultural backgrounds and change the way they think of each other. « Demain j’lui dis… » (I’ll tell him tomorrow…) is a community web-series created with the inhabitants of the 19eme arrondissement of Paris. Two seasons have already been made, and new episodes will be created in 2015-2016, with new participants and new partners. The goal is to foster the links between the inhabitants of popular areas, who live in the same place but don’t share the same problems, culture or difficulties.

Washington, DC – The DC Wheels -Summer Santa-

2015-08-31T00:00:00Z

The DC Wheels skateboard charity organization will be doing one of their many charities on September 17th for the Homeless. They already distributed money clothes and food to the Homeless on Christmas Eve all throughout the city but feel it is time to go back for the end of the summer to help them again. Here's a link to their film of a similar event they did in the winter. https://vimeo.com/115403866

Stockholm (Inativo) – Beacon

2015-08-29T00:00:00Z

Light sabres, lasers and art all sounds awesome doesn't it? This month's winner has a flavour of all those things, but instead of us trying to explain it we'll simply let the winner Jonas describe it. One thing is for sure though, we can't wait to see it happen! ---------------------------------------- For a year or two I have been interested in creating installations using sensorial data such as wind, touch, heat, proximity etc. A step further is now making these installations self-sustainable so not only are they intelligent, but they do not rely on a power-grid provided by man, and further more, than can aid others and give something back on their own command. Beacon MK1 was the first iteration of this as it is a lighting sculpture that takes energy from the sun during the day, in order to illuminate during the night. Each light could be turned of/on as each light was connected to a sensor, so there was a reactionary element where the lighting could be animated by visitors. For MK2 I want to explore the concept further and provide by-passers with a power-source for them to charge their 5v-gadgets (such as common smartphones), and as well extend the sensorial variables making the sculpture take on more of an identity.

Oahu, HI – Ilio Hale (Dog House) Program Support

2015-08-28T00:00:00Z

Founded on Oahu in 2003, K9 Kokua, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, is the sole organization in Hawaii whose primary focus is providing care and emergency services to the most vulnerable animal population in the state- those owned by the homeless, financially destitute, & victims of domestic violence (DV). K9 Kokua educates and assists dogs and owners at beaches and houseless communities on Oahu to stop the cycle of pet overpopulation, abuse, & neglect. Outreach consists of pet owner education on licensing, wellness examinations for dogs, making & transporting dogs to medical appointments, & providing for the dog’s basic everyday needs. Over the past decade, K9 Kokua observed a critical unmet need in our community. With the exception of service & certified therapy dogs, there are no shelters or transitional housing options on Oahu for homeless & DV victims that allow companion animals. This places DV victims in an incredibly difficult situation. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, up to 40% of DV victims are unable to escape their abusers because they are concerned about the welfare of their pets when they leave. The 2007 Report to the 24th Legislature, State of Hawaii, by the Department of Health, reports that at a minimum, 2.4%, or 22,000 Hawaii adults experiences DV from an intimate partner each year. The American Humane Association reports 71% of pet-owning women entering women’s shelters reported that their batterer had injured, maimed, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control victims. K9 Kokua is seeking support to assist its new ‘Ilio Hale (Dog House) program. When fully implemented, this program will be the 1st of its kind in Hawaii. When DV victims leave their abusive situations, K9 Kokua provides resources with boarding/foster care in a secure home or boarding facility, & will provide medical treatment & behavioral rehabilitation for dogs that have suffered abuse and trauma.

Oahu, HI – MO’ILI’ILI JAPANESE CEMETERY GATEWAY ENHANCEMENT

2015-08-28T00:00:00Z

Mo’ili’ili Japanese Cemetery is a very active cemetery in the University Avenue-King Street-Kapiolani Blvd. triangular area, situated just outside the makai driveway entrance of Kuhio Elementary School. Even after more than 100 hundred years, its presence is felt by all in the area. Many local residents have memorials of their family members which they visit frequently, especially on Memorial Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Obon. However, this historical cemetery is bounded on the mauka side by a shabby chain-link fence connected to two crooked lava-rock pillars on each side of the driveway. The gateway is a sorry sight and is in great need of improvement. We propose a new gateway entrance. We will brace the existing lava-rock pillars. On each side we will build a low lava-rock and concrete wall to replace the chain-link fence. No City and County building permit will be necessary. We will have permission from Cliff Hosoi, president of Hosoi Mortuary, the overseer of the Japanese Cemetery Association/Moiliili Japanese Cemetery. Laura Ruby was commissioned by the Hawai’i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the City and County of Honolulu to create large site-specific public sculptures (of which concrete featured prominently). Please see www.hawaii.edu/lruby and www.laurarubyart.com.

Oahu, HI – Fine Arts Bonanza

2015-08-28T00:00:00Z

We have both been deeply affected by music in our lives so we decided to focus on music for our Gold Award. A Gold Award project must address an actual need and not just a want in the community and it must be sustainable. So we researched the effect of music on things like school performance, relationships with others and college success. We found out that playing a musical instrument or participating in other fine arts activities do things like increase SAT scores, promote multicultural awareness, increase cooperativeness with teachers, etc. We also found that despite the benefits of the fine arts that public schools and other organizations dedicated to the fine arts are being forced to slash fine arts budgets as more focus is being placed on standardized testing and cutting government spending. Musical instruments are very expensive and it is very unlikely that kids will spontaneously decide on their own that they want to be musicians. So, there had to be some way to introduce them to music. At our first Fine Arts Bonanza, kids grade 4th-7th got to hear, touch and play the drums, trumpet, tuba, saxaphone, clarinet, flute and trombone and learn vocal skills all in one place in one afternoon. According to people in the fine arts community, our workshop was very unique and worthwhile. Even schools with band programs do not allow students to try out so many different instruments. Because it was one of a kind, we also had adults asking us if they could attend to see and learn how such a workshop would work. We had over 20 volunteers sign up to help so we know enthusiasm from music clinicians is there. We also received great feedback from participants and we are being encouraged by many people to host additional workshops. Also, we will be making teaching packets with things like video snippets from the workshop, research findings, and other teaching tools to send to schools and youth organizations so they can have step by step instructions.

Detroit, MI – Detroit: Door of Opportunity

2015-08-27T00:00:00Z

Detroit has always been a place of new beginnings, innovation and trailblazing. It is a city open to new things while treasuring its history. Symbols of beginnings, transitions, endings and entrances into new worlds and places, doors are the perfect medium to tell the Detroit story; its past, its present and it future. Door of Opportunity is a traveling exhibition of visual art, film and online performances displaying the creativity and opportunities in Detroit for artists. What makes this exhibit unique is the visual art in this exhibition is actual doors transformed into art. Participants range from students to seniors, emerging artists, and seasoned artists - all Metro Detroit residents. This is not a competition or juried show. It is open to all Metro-Detroiters who want to create. We are in our first year but the vision is clear; to grow Door of Opportunity into a project that continually tours around the city bringing more art to communities. We also will work diligently to permanently install doors in Metro-Detroit neighborhoods and communities. These doors will be visual symbols of the opportunity that exist in Detroit for all Detroit residents. All doors and the stories of the artists who create them will be available online increasing awareness of the talent in Detroit beyond Detroit's borders.

Orlando, FL – Art in Odd Places: TONE/ORLANDO

2015-08-27T00:00:00Z

A crack in the sidewalk sparkles and won't ever be the same. A curb becomes part of an imaginary room in a dance piece. Drain pipes never looked so beautiful. A median in the road becomes a magical stream. A piece of trash becomes art. Art in Odd Places: 2015/TONE Orlando will bring new attention to the mundane and invite visitors to “see” Orlando differently. Art in Odd Places (AiOP) presents visual and performance art in unexpected public spaces. Art in Odd Places 2015/TONE Orlando presents its inaugural public visual and performance art festival, taking place from September 17-20, 2015, along Magnolia Avenue, from Anderson Street to the Washington Street. Fifty artists were selected from around the world to participate in this festival and twenty-four of them are local artists. AiOP aims to stretch the boundaries of communication in the public realm by presenting artworks in all disciplines outside the confines of traditional public space regulations and reminds us that public spaces function as the epicenter for diverse social interactions and the unfettered exchange of ideas. AiOP began as an action by a group of artists led by Ed Woodham to encourage local participation in the Cultural Olympiad of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. In 2005, after moving back to New York City, he re imagined it as a response to the dwindling of public space and personal civil liberties – first in the Lower East Side and East Village, and since 2008, on 14th Street in Manhattan. AiOP has always been a grassroots project fueled by the goodwill and inventiveness of its participants. Local arts advocate Pat Greene's vision helped bring the project to Orlando.

Melbourne (Inativo) – Happy Hubbub

2015-08-26T00:00:00Z

We are building a coworking community for parents in Melbourne's north: a shared office space, or work hub, with high-speed internet and printing/scanning facilities, bookable meeting rooms and offices, networking opportunities and – crucially – a childcare facility, allowing parents of preschoolers to work or study with their children on-site but not under their feet, being looked after by qualified childcare professionals. With women starting businesses more than ever before – often whilst juggling child-rearing – a Happy Hubbub membership will help relieve the pressures of fluctuating business demands, especially as many long daycare providers are unable to provide additional care on an ad-hoc basis or at short notice. Having the childcare on-site also enables parents to stay in close proximity to their child, and helps to facilitate continued breastfeeding. Happy Hubbub will also run events with on-site babysitting available, for members and non-members alike. Such events – book clubs, networking events, business workshops, and arts and crafts classes – will enable parents, and especially single parents, to connect with the wider community, and enjoy some 'me time' without having to go to the gym. Happy Hubbub is committed to championing women at work... We will work with companies to help develop flexible pathways and ramp-up solutions for women (and men!) returning to work from parental leave. ...and women in business. Our long-term goal is to create an annual grant program where we award a fledgling business with a 12-month hubbub residency. With a leaning towards applicants with childcare needs, the program will be a fantastic opportunity for mums (and dads!) starting out in business. We aim to offer one placement per year per branch (that's right, per branch – our vision is a network of hubbubs across Australia. We're not afraid to dream big!).

Alaska (Inativo) – Forget Me Not Movement

2015-08-26T00:00:00Z

Alaska Natives comprise approximately 85 percent of the homeless population in Alaska, most of whom live in Anchorage. This community—and it is a community—is not hard to find, if you know how to look. Many live in or around the “triangle” formed by Brother Francis Shelter, Beans Café, and the Anchorage Jail. In an effort to reduce the alarming homelessness rate in Anchorage, Samuel Johns, an Athabascan hip-hop artist and community advocate, took an unconventional approach and established the Forget Me Not (FMN) Facebook group in June 2015. The group’s primary purpose: connecting the homeless of Anchorage with their families in Rural Alaska. This was the first time an Alaska Native had used social media to engage other Alaskans to help eradicate homelessness, while humanizing the men and women on the streets of Anchorage. Within four weeks, the group grew to more than 7,500 members, and Samuel was able to reconnect a homeless person with their family in the Bush. Surprised by the explosive success of the group, Sam reached out to four other Alaskan community advocates to establish the first steering committee. In August, the Steering Committee filed nonprofit Articles of Incorporation with the State of Alaska. Johns and the FMN Facebook page have already made statewide and national news. ABC Alaska conducted an interview with him, articles were written in the ADN and the Indian Country Media Network, and the LA Times contacted Johns to produce an article of their own. Here is a link to the ADN story: http://www.adn.com/article/20150621/facebook-group-helps-rural-alaska-families-track-down-homeless-relatives In a very short time, the FMN group has experienced tremendous growth. At our core, we are a grassroots, Alaska Native-led organization trying to help our community. The Awesome Foundation grant will play a crucial role in continuing our street-level impact, as FMN transitions into a more formal and sustainable organization.

Newmarket – Fears, Cheers, & Unclears:Parenting in Digital Age

2015-08-25T00:00:00Z

We are a not-for profit organization looking to promote safety and well-being of students online. We also realize that in order to do this, parents need to be informed and involved. We would like to use the Awesome fund to help us host an panel discussion at the Town of Newmarket in which we assemble a panel of a few parents, kids, York Region Police for an interactive discussion about what we fear about the use of social media, how social media can be used in positive ways among kids, and clear up any misconceptions about what apps kids are using and how they are using them. We have approached Hannah Alpern, who has agreed to be a panelist. She was just featured by CTV news for her work with Bystander Revolution. The news story can be found here: http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/gta-youth-joins-a-list-celebrities-as-ambassador-of-anti-bullying-campaign-1.2503881?hootPostID=302dfa0748a8b174790f3182220df944 We are currently in the process of trying to find experts in the field of Social Media to join our panel. The evening itself will be open to parents in York Region. We will use social media to allow parents in the audience to interact with the moderator and panelists. We believe this to be an immensely important opportunity for dialogue and understanding as we all struggle to parent in the digital age. We'd love support of the Awesome Fund to help us do that! *Please note, information will be put on the website when we confirm date and venue.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – 8th Annual Drama Festival

2015-08-24T00:00:00Z

Women’s Global Empowerment Fund respectfully requests $1,000 to support our 8th Annual Drama Festival, to be held on October 3rd, 2015 in northern Uganda. The annual festival addresses the issues of gender inequality, violence, land rights, food security, HIV/AIDS and other issues facing women in northern Uganda. As part of WGEF’s drama competition, Kikopo Pa Mon, women in our Credit Plus program create original plays highlighting their stories using music, drama, and dance. Each year, participants choose the theme. Past themes have addressed equality, educating girls, land and property rights for women, domestic violence, and women as a force for peace, security, and democracy. Women use the unique opportunity as a vehicle to directly speak to the men and community leaders who are in attendance. Because the issues addressed are sensitive and can be difficult to discuss directly, using music, dance and drama offers a different way to communicate while providing many other benefits including maintaining and celebrating cultural traditions. The competition provides a stigma-free environment in which to talk about sensitive subject matters; it promotes unity and team building, elevates women’s voices, and offers the opportunity to be creative and innovative. The beneficiaries of this project are women in the northern region of Uganda, women who are rebuilding and recovering their lives and communities after more than 25 years of violent conflict. The experiences of their past are as unique and varied as the women themselves, many are formerly abducted, child soldiers, or sex slaves. Most have experienced horrific sexual terrorism and others have lost their entire family. They all face the challenges of poverty and are working hard, committed to creating a brighter future for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Miami, FL – Wake up Miami!

2015-08-21T00:00:00Z

What about starting your Mondays off with a little bit of live music? PAXy, with the support of Miami-Dade County Departments of Transit and Cultural Affairs, will present a two-month series of ten (10) events called “Wake up Miami!” from October 5th to December 7th, 2015. “Wake up Miami!” will bring free live music to the Miami Government Center Metromover station Monday mornings starting at 8:30am. The programs will be from forty-five (45) to ninety (90) minutes in length and will feature classical, jazz, and world music presented by FIU School of Music students and other Miami-based performers. The project will bring life and movement to public spaces in the city. It will also bring a completely new and fresh look and sound to MDT. The program will encourage the community to enjoy both the arts and public transportation, with the added value of music’s benefits on health. Miami is growing fast; parking availability and traffic are now issues in high-density areas. Reducing parking needs and the number of people commuting in private cars is a necessity. This project will help increase the number and satisfaction of individuals using the Metrorail/ Metromover thus making Miami a better place to live, work and study. ANYONE who uses the Metrorail/Metromover or who lives or works close to the station can have access to this program and benefit from it. WHO ARE SOME OF THE MUSICIANS? Omine, Matthew Sabatella, Sean Dibble, Aldo Salvent Trio, Felipe Carvajal, French Horn, Buffalo Brown, Glenga Fernandez-Vega, Shira. We are attaching the project plan for more details.

Antigonish, NS (Inativo) – A Solar Karaoke Machine

2015-08-21T00:00:00Z

The Antigonish Community Energy Cooperative, exists to facilitate the installation of one million Watts of solar electric generating capacity in the Town and County of Antigonish. This will generate about 1% of the electricity consumed by the Town in one year. It’s a small but important amount. Imagine if we succeed in doing this every year for the next ten years. Considering the Town already generates about 30% of its electricity renewably, we could bring that up to 40%. And, we’ll try to inspire ten other communities to do as we are doing in that time. We are doing our part to bring about a future Nova Scotia which generates all of its energy renewably. We’re going to do it like this: Members of our Coop who wish to invest in solar for their homes, businesses, or organizations will become a part of our bulk purchase. If we can sign up 100 members to invest in a 10 kW system each – about the amount you’d need to power a typical family home – we will be able to offer each of them cost savings of about 10% off market value. Our members will require less time – about 12 years – to recover their investment than they would on the open market. But the equipment works for about 25 years. And we’re a Cooperative in the tradition of the Antigonish Movement, which was all about cooperative investment in the common good. Via a small surcharge on our members’ purchases, we’ll raise money for the direct relief of poverty in the local area.

Yerevan – X-ZIBIL: A Trashy Educational Experience

2015-08-20T00:00:00Z

X-Zibil is an educational exhibition that informs the general public about waste management in Armenia, creating awareness and willingness among individuals to act in favour of the environment. Ultimately, the exhibition compels the individual to consider the municipal solid waste that they produce on a daily basis. On a grassroots level, this exhibition empowers the individual to reconsider the simple choices they make relating to the products they consume and, in turn, the materials which they dispose and dismiss as ‘waste’. Our seemingly trivial choices in the house, compounded over time, may have a negative effect on the environment. Thus, every individual must realise that he/she has a significant impact, and thus, a responsibility to the natural environment. One, our main goal is to reveal to citizens normally unseen processes in their environment. Two, our secondary goal is to provide an opportunity to improve awareness of a particular problem and evoke some sort of response from citizens, either through a change of opinion or a shift in behavior, which could then spark larger debate and positive action. Three, our tertiary goal is to reveal to citizens normally unseen processes in their environment. These could be short-term ephemeral processes like air quality or traffic congestion on nearby roads, or long-term processes like growing crime incidence and climate change, providing an opportunity to improve awareness and evoke a response from citizens, through a change of opinion or a shift in behavior, which could then spark larger debate and positive action. Where did the idea come from? Ever wondered how much trash you produce? How does that compare with your own body weight? How about where your trash goes? What happens to it? We were curious too. Since before Armenia’s independence most waste management started with older women (“babiks”) with short brooms and ended with garbage dump sorter in the rolling hills of Sovietashen.

Atlanta, GA (Inativo) – Blindness, Education and Training for Youth

2015-08-20T00:00:00Z

The purpose of the BETA project is to recruit, train, and empower competent blind persons with the skills and resources to serve as sensitivity awareness presenters, and education advocates (BETA Specialists) within the educational environment of blind students. Blind individuals traveling to various schools throughout Georgia to conduct blindness awareness trainings will help to dismiss the fears and stereotypes held by many that continue to negatively affect our blind youth. In addition, exposure to successful blind adults will help to educate parents and professionals about appropriate accommodations, and help parents set realistic academic expectations for their blind children. Furthermore, we know that the best advocate for a blind child is an educated blind adult. It is essential to have competent blind individuals participating in the education planning of a blind student to ensure the development and implementation of successful real world strategies that foster an effective educational environment for blind students. If you are and education professional that would like a BETA presentation at your school, if you are a parent that needs assistance from a BETA Specialist in developing and appropriate Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for your child, or most important, if you are a blind adult that would like to be trained to conduct effective BETA presentations and serve as an advocate for a blind child, please contact us. Georgians Empowered through Mentoring Success The aim of the Georgians Empowered through Mentoring Success (GEMS) program is to link blind and low vision young adults throughout Georgia, ages sixteen to twenty-six, with successful blind and low vision mentors for the purpose of increasing knowledge and participation in the vocational rehabilitation process with a resulting outcome of increased post-secondary academic success, high-quality employment, and community integration.

Tallahassee, FL (Inativo) – Unhoused Humanity

2015-08-19T00:00:00Z

Unhoused Humanity provides the easiest way to house the homeless. One of biggest barriers preventing those who are homeless from transitioning back into a home is not having enough money at one time to put down a hefty down payment (first and last month rent, security and utility deposits). According to the Point In Time Survey, About 20% of the 805 homeless individuals residing in Tallahassee have a steady income every month – they only need help with the deposit and then they can support themselves without returning to homelessness. I have started my own “Rapid Rehousing” program that provides eligible homeless individuals with the funds necessary to pay the upfront costs of an apartment. The homeless individuals are carefully selected by case working agencies throughout Tallahassee. The caseworkers go over financials with the client and make sure that their income is enough to continue the payment of rent on their own. The caseworkers then identify appropriate housing for the client and contact me for the funds necessary. I have already been able to house 10 people! The $1,000 will go directly to help transition eligible homeless individuals into an apartment. These funds can immediately house 2 to 3 people and serve as a momentum boost for the organization. This is the quickest and most efficient way to end homelessness in our community.

Minas Gerais (Inativo) – Saberes D’Avó

2015-08-19T00:00:00Z

Saberes D'Avó é um projeto iniciado na cidade de Prados-MG e tem como intuito estreitar a relação entre os idosos e jovens. O projeto consiste no ensino de programação para os estudantes do ensino médio. Eles utilizarão a ferramenta MIT App Inventor para desenvolver jogos do tipo quiz, utilizando como conteúdo desses jogos o conhecimento dos idosos. A primeira execução do projeto foi na Escola Estadual "Dr. Viviano Caldas", com a participação de 16 adolescentes. O objetivo deste projeto é avaliar o quão importante é a aprendizagem de programação para os jovens durante o ensino médio e após essa avaliação, criar um curso online de App Inventor, para ensinar pessoas que estão cursando ou já cursaram o ensino médio. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projetosaberesdavo/info/?tab=page_info

Gloucester, MA – First Parish Burial Ground

2015-08-18T00:00:00Z

First Parish Burial Ground over the years has been neglected and as a result the area has become overgrown, holes have formed in the ground and stones have either been vandalized or broken by the weather. With all of these things it makes it hard for the city to maintain the area and henceforth more damage occurs. To help stop the cycle we propose doing a fragmenting project. With this project we will be documenting the broken shards, safely collecting and housing them, cleaning and resetting the intact stones to prevent further damage and finally filling in the holes and depressions. By doing this the city can maintain the grounds easier by having the ground cleared for mowing and other types of maintenance; Thus making the area safer and usable once again as a wonderful outdoor public space.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Last Call

2015-08-18T00:00:00Z

LAST CALL is a feature-length documentary that goes inside the life of a remarkable Buddhist priest doing suicide prevention work in Japan. Since the 2008 financial crisis, the global suicide rate has been rising faster than ever. In the developed world, suicide is now the leading cause of death for people ages 15-49. In Japan, which has one of the highest suicide rates of all, a new wave of socially engaged Buddhist priests has emerged, determined to fight this problem. One of them is Ittetsu Nemoto. A 42-year-old former punk rocker who used to work at a Tokyo McDonald’s, Nemoto is not your typical Buddhist priest. He loves Prince, his motorcycle, and dancing all night at clubs. LAST CALL follows Nemoto as he works with desperate men and women to inspire them to keep on living. Having done this work for the last ten years, Nemoto has become known in Japan both for his extraordinarily high success rate, and for his unusual approach to suicide prevention, which includes one-on-one counseling sessions as well as dinners, parties, retreats, camping trips, and wild collaborative art projects. But when a health crisis puts Nemoto at serious risk, can he live by the same advice he gives out? How can we find happiness? What is the best way to live? And in the most trying times of our lives, how can we gather the strength to carry on? LAST CALL will shine a light on the inspiring work that Nemoto is doing in Japan, with Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. It will create an opportunity for discussion and education for communities and leaders worldwide who are struggling in the current economic climate. And as seen through the dramatic lens provided by the recent history of Japan, it will provide a sensitive, compassionate, and thought-provoking look at the rising global suicide rate, offering a model for how people can inspire each other to survive.

Ottawa – Design For Citizens

2015-08-17T00:00:00Z

August’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Jeffrey Neto, Tatiana Ulloa, and Cathryne Lillian Milburn, to support the development of simple visuals that explain public policies and government services for disadvantaged groups. Jeffrey, Tatiana, and Cathryne are working with the Shepherds of Good Hope, Ottawa’s largest not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of the city’s homeless and impoverished, to create an easy-to-read pamphlet that assists clients with a specific policy or service. That policy or service will be identified in consultation with those clients. “Many of those who use government services,” explains Jeffrey, “do not understand how they work. This is because the information presented by the government is not designed with the user in mind. We hope to present information so that those who use services are informed and empowered.” Jeffrey is a student in public administration, Tatiana in human security and peacebuilding, and Cathryne in marketing. Jeffrey and Tatiana also work for the federal government.

Boston, MA – Tilt-Down Fence

2015-08-17T00:00:00Z

Imagine a simple fence in your neighborhood park, that was at once a climbing play structure, but could also transform into a picnic table for the whole family. Awesome! This summer- that could happen! Tilt-Down Fence is not just a temporary urban art project, it activates a green-space that is otherwise unused. It is an urban stage set for cultural and community activities that can generate conversation between the immigrant communities in Dorchester. In serving the Vietnamese immigration population in Boston, as well as the immediate Dorchester residents, our transformative fence will create a place for a fun-filled ending to summer with water puppet shows, potlucks, and oral story performances. These fences are going to be made out of bamboo poles, a material completely atypical to the neighborhood of Fields Corner, but resonate with the Vietnamese population we are collaborating with. These not-so-simple fences are a play-ground for children and adults alike, and the local and immigrant communities. Don't miss out on the possibility to reimagine a different type of fence, a different type of park, here in Boston! We operate and LOVE collaborating with artists, designers from various backgrounds, and of course the community as well. so this summer project we have our incredible partners at the Vietnamese American Initiative for Development (Viet-AID) located in Dorchester, as well as their Youth Group from the Dorchester Environmental Action Program (DEAP). The Youth Group has already begun building their project in the garden lot located across our proposed site and we are eager to get this project started and join them this summer in getting the community excited about the upcoming change! You can follow our project on our blog: http://br-a-ce.org/projects/blog

Pittsburgh, PA – Black Girls Do Bike: Pittsburgh

2015-08-17T00:00:00Z

We want to encourage all women to take up riding, our focus just happens to be African American women who are 1. Under-represented in the larger cycling community and who are 2. Statistically more likely than their peers to be overweight or obese and suffer from heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. We encourage women to pay it forward and bring friends, family, and coworkers along for the ride. We foster a supportive environment for new riders with monthly "no drop" rides. And if you belong to a Black Girls Do Bike group then finding a riding partner(s) for a spontaneous ride can be just a post away.

Boulder, CO (Inativo) – Block 1750 Buildout!

2015-08-17T00:00:00Z

Block 1750 (block1750.com) is a non-profit Dance Studio / community center that provides a home for people of all ages and backgrounds. A place where kids can go to study, relax, hang out with friends, and build their leadership skills through dance. A place where dancers, artists, and community members can utilize one of the nicest dance floors in Colorado for a creative endeavor of their choosing. A place where the purpose is community. The Block was built from scratch by Boulder dancers and business people wanting to make a lasting impact on youth. We spent 3 months of double shifts, late nights and good times building a 2000sqft sprung dance floor (donated in part by Denver Hardwood flooring company) and a 1000sqft chill area, fully involved with a kitchen, furniture (donated by the Painted Furniture Company in Boulder), and office/study room. We opened our doors in June of last year, and have hosted hundreds of classes (we have ~4 classes every weeknight), workshops, and random awesome events supporting local youth and the Boulder community at large. The Block boasts exceptional diversity: we have had multiple people come to our events and tell us outright how blown away they were by the ethnic, background, and age diversity they saw. If you live in Boulder, you know diversity isn't exactly our strong suit.

Seattle, WA – GiveSafe

2015-08-15T00:00:00Z

Confronted with the problem of not knowing what to do when asked for assistance on the street, we're creating a way to give in seconds without having to carry a dollar on hand. We're building low-cost, low-energy bluetooth wristbands called "beacons" and are distributing them to nonprofit shelters. The nonprofits issue these beacons to individuals in need. Citygoers who have our app will then receive a push notification when they pass by or meet one of the individuals, with the option to give $1 or more. Funds from the wristband can be redeemed at a partnered merchant and agency for a service the individual needs to advance their life, such as a workshop or class, a clean haircut, dental or vision correction, as well as basic needs.

New York City, NY – ACCESS N. BK: Flushing Avenue J/M Station

2015-08-12T00:00:00Z

There are 298 closed entrances to our city's subway network spread across 119 stations in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and The Bronx. Closed subway entrances have an overall negative impact on the neighborhoods they inhabit. The most obvious impact is the creation of bottlenecks inside and outside of stations. This not only results in increased dwell times, delays, and missed trains for riders, but it threatens street safety as crowds swarm to choke points at station entrances. Closed subway entrances also diminish economic opportunity. Vacant storefronts and struggling businesses abound near these closed subway entrances due to deactivated public space. Accessing Currently Closed Entrances in Subway Stations in North Brooklyn (ACCESS N. BK) seeks to remedy this issue in North Brooklyn. They are a group of urban planners and activists focused on re-opening closed subway entrances at stations in Bed-Stuy, Bushwick and Williamsburg. Decades ago, MTA closed entrances at many subway stations to (1) prevent crime and (2) cut operating costs amidst budget cuts. However, crime has plummeted and the city's population has grown. Ridership is nearing an all-time high, and the neighborhoods of Bed-Stuy, Bushwick and Williamsburg continue to densify. It is now more critical than ever for the these neighborhoods, and the city as a whole, to have better access to public transportation. Re-opening closed subway entrances offers a relatively cheap option to expand access and re-activate public space. ACCESS N. BK plans to take a creative and light-hearted approach to raising public awareness of the issue. They will be orchestrating a series of events combining street art, theater and technology with old-school community organizing tactics to bring awareness to this issue to the people in the affected communities and beyond. Follow them on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr and you might just get to see one of their events in action! Why We Think This is Awesome We love to see people taking hold of a broken system and trying to fix it themselves, especially when that system is as core to the city as our subways. Taking on the MTA is no easy feat, but the team from ACCESS N. BK has some great ideas on how to bring attention to this issue while having fun in the process. Awesome!

Melbourne (Inativo) – Instagran

2015-08-12T00:00:00Z

When is the last time you wrote a postcard to your granny? ...Exactly. Even though we spend nearly every day becoming more "connected", it's pretty rare that we take the time to send our Grandparents a postcard. Insta-Gran makes it super easy to send your Grandma a postcard. It's 100% online, and 100% free. We take care of the offline work involved--like writing your words, and adding a stamp, and finding a mailbox. We hope the sweet response from your Granny encourages you to make it a habit.

Chicago, IL – Pop-Up Puppet Truck

2015-08-11T00:00:00Z

Have you ever been stuck in rush hour traffic? More specifically, Chicago rush hour traffic? After another long, stressful day at the office nothing is more welcome than 2 hour drive to a destination 7.9 miles away, right? Well if we're stuck in our vehicle anyway, we might as well be entertained. I propose to use my awesome grant to convert the back of my 2003 Ford Ranger into a pop-up puppet theater which will intentionally get stuck in rush hour traffic. The shows will be put on by puppeteers from the around the Midwest, and will cover a range of subjects and themes. The overall goal is to provide frustrated commuters relief from the stresses of everyday life, and allow for a break from the ordinary. The intention is to create a buzz and develop an appreciation for chance sightings. The truck will conduct shows in both the Minneapolis and Chicago areas.