Awesome Foundation - Projects

Sydney – Under new Management

2012-07-10T00:00:00Z

Under new Management (UNM) is a space for ideas. Located on the busy Oxford St, just down from Taylor Square, UNM is intended to be an evolving space whose function is only limited by my ideas, and the ideas of collaborators. Inspired by NY's Grand Opening, UNM aims to delight, surprise, educate and entertain. I'm taking a 6 month lease from Jul - Dec. The current planned uses are scheduled for a month at a time, though shorter periods will be considered, as will nightly activities not necessarily attached to daytime activities. A team of creatives, industrial designers and builders (cough-amateur DIYers ) will be able to completely transform the space each month, making it seem like its use is permanent and adding to the chameleon reputation of the space. July will be Le Tour Lounge - a relaxed, inclusive space for people to come and go, get updates on the previous day's racing, and watch selected live stages. Coffee, magazines and bikes will be the fare. The end of July will see an installation for the Camping Website, another project of mine. For one week, the space will be transformed into a camping ground, and there will be a launch event complete with tent, film and ofcourse, damper. We're even going to sleep overnight in the tent. August is currently free As is September October is planned to be The Share Market - a promotional month featuring examples of Collaborative Consumption. Car sharing, accommodation, tool sharing, skill sharing will each have a week of activities and displays designed to stimulate. November is free December is free I am confident of curating some great installations and events with collaborators and for generating significant media exposure for the space. Post December, there is also the chance of the lease continuing. If not, having built up a brand, relocating the space might also be plausible. ps. This should go below but we would also display The Awesome Foundation as a partner on the shop window.

New York City, NY – Silent Lights

2012-07-09T00:00:00Z

Silent Lights is an architectural series of gates that frames a pedestrian pathway by day showing constant movement through shadows. It transforms sound into patterns of light at night as it mimics movement with led lights, reflecting and interpreting movement and sound. There are no blind spots, the path is always lit and each gate responds to create a dynamic installation. Cars drive by, microphones pick up the sound from traffic, a computer processes the sound and triggers each gate to light up sequentially. As noise increases, the light from each gate intensifies. It is located on an isolated, pedestrian path under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway on the median of 9th Street and Hamilton Avenue. The path is one of few connecting Red Hook, Brooklyn to the nearest point of public transportation – the Smith and 9th Street stop of the G subway train. Our project offers members of the community both on and off the path the opportunity to share an experience of light and beauty originating from the loud noise. We want to create a reason to connect, provide a safer commute and give people the chance to slow down, interact with our project and smile. We are collaborating with the IT consulting firm Control Group and the local organization Red Hook Initiative to use our project as a platform to introduce design, technology and physical computing to local teens. They will learn how to create lighting systems, produce their own programs and test each one out on the actual installation.

Washington, DC – Outfit Our Kitchen Classroom

2012-07-04T00:00:00Z

Walker Jones Education Campus, a DC Public School serving a preschool through 8th grade community, turned over the soil and started planting on our new farm this past July. We have over a half acre for our awesome endeavor, and in just a few short months, we have grown over 3,000 pounds of food. We donated approximately 2,000 pounds of that to our neighbors at DC Central Kitchen, and the rest was prepared for school events and shared with our other neighbors. Our farm is our outdoor classroom, an avenue for community building and outreach, and our chance to fight the statistics that say that one fourth of our student population will have a form of diabetes before reaching adulthood. We are a 100% free meal campus, but we are committed to showing both students and families that tight budgets do not have to mean unhealthy food choices. The farm is getting a little cold right now so following the excellent example of Edible Schoolyards across the country, we are taking the good fight inside by establishing a kitchen classroom. The staff has been lending equipment. We have a full size refrigerator, a stove, two Viking induction burners, and a stand mixer but we need quite a few things more to make this a high functioning learning environment. And that's where you come in ... Please check out our progress on our blog at wjfarm.wordpress.com including the video of our CNN feature. Or drive by and check us out. We are on the highly visible corner of New Jersey and K NW.

Washington, DC – Make a low income farmers market awesome

2012-07-04T00:00:00Z

OK, look, I feed people. Looked at chef's training, but the school moved out of the state and there was a woman I wanted to feed more than I wanted the school. So, I work with farmers markets. I have been working with one in SE DC. Ward 8. Really bad food options in Ward 8. They call me the market master. I have never had the word "master" in a job title. It's pretty cool. We're doing something great. We bring fresh veggies and sweet-corn-picked-that-day and 4 different kinds of apples and jam and chemical-free meat and muffins and bread and cider and nutritionists and chefs and our SNAP-card reader to the middle of the city and give people better choices. It's educational. It's helpful. It's virtuous. It's fun. BUT IT IS NOT AWESOME. Awesome seems too much like an extra when you are just trying to get by. But awesome makes it a happening. Awesome makes it coherent. Awesome makes it belong to the whole neighborhood. We should be awesome.

Newmarket – Help-Portrait Day Newmarket

2012-07-03T00:00:00Z

Help-Portrait (www.help-portrait.com) is a worldwide movement. It is a collaboration of photographers, hair/makeup artists, and general volunteers that come together to provide the unique experience of a professional photo shoot for the less fortunate in the community. Help-Portrait is simply about 'giving' rather than 'taking' photographs of individuals and families who may not otherwise have the opportunity. This year the event will be held December 8. I have decided to organize the event in Newmarket. Currently in the planning stages, I have a core team in place to start pulling the details together. Already 7 photographers, 2 hair salons and 10 high school students have signed up to participate. Help-Portrait Day Newmarket will focus on youth - I want to help the youth in Newmarket feeling the dignity and self-worth that comes from the experience of having a professional photograph taken. This ties into missions of organizations that focus on empowering youth to reach their potential, supporting young mothers, and inspiring girls to be strong, smart, and bold. For that reason I have plans to partner with several local community benefit organizations, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Rose of Sharon and Girls Inc., but also with schools located in the less fortunate neighbourhoods in Newmarket, i.e. Huron Heights S.S. and Maple Leaf P.S.

Toronto – StopGap

2012-07-02T00:00:00Z

There is nothing worse than showing up at a music venue for a concert with a bunch of friends super excited to see a show only to find out that there are 15 steps separating the street level from the ground floor concert hall. Over time I developed thick skin in order to overcome the immense frustration that encounters with physical barriers would cause. But just over a year ago my armor failed me and my frustration boiled over while looking for a good spot for a Friday afternoon refreshment with my good friend and coworker Michael Hopkins. Enough was enough and together we decided to do something about this huge problem that exists in every community across the country. Together we formed StopGap - an initiative with a goal to raise awareness about barriers in our built environment. Our first project that we have embarked upon is called The Ramp Project. With help from Home Depot businesses with single stepped storefronts are invited to participate and have a custom ramp made at no cost. The brightly coloured ramps do not present a perfect solution to the problem however they create curiosity and get people talking about this huge design issue. The project has introduced many to the human right to equal access and has broadened the conversation on this topic. The ramp project has been successful at highlighting how a simple ramp can make life easier for everyone. Participants have shared that a ramped storefront is more inviting. Parents pushing strollers, couriers using dollies to handle heavy packages and people using mobility aides all benefit from a barrier free storefront. The project has also proved that business owners are able to increase their customer base by providing an accessible storefront. The ramp project has been successful at highlighting how a simple ramp can make life easier for everyone.

Austin, TX – Astronomy for underserved populations

2012-06-30T00:00:00Z

For Amy Jackson of Starry Sky Austin, looking through a telescope is an eye-opening experience, and something she believes everyone deserves a chance to experience for themselves. Amy plans on using the Austin Awesome Foundation's $1,000 grant to fund free astronomy education programs at local recreation centers around Austin. "My intention is to bring people a new perspective through learning about the universe above," says Amy. "I hope that everyone walks away from our time together with a re-awakened sense of child-like wonder and appreciation for the magnificence and beauty our universe holds."

Ottawa – Dance Dance (Office) Revolution

2012-06-30T00:00:00Z

June’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Natalie Fraser and Meena Rajulu to organize a giant outdoor lunchtime dance party. “Instead of sitting in the grey walls of your dark, depressing cubicle, who wouldn’t want to get out and dance at lunch,” says Natalie. “Dance Dance (Office) Revolution will break your solo lunchtime routine and get you out into the city for a dance party. This will be your most important business meeting of the week.” Lunchtime dance parties have taken off in Europe over the last few years, especially in Sweden. Natalie and Meena believe it’s time for Ottawa to be a leader in this trend and make Ottawa the first city in Canada to get on board. The pair describe themselves as lovers of travel, food, friends, life, and adventures. Meena left Edmonton to study in Ottawa, where she met Natalie, hailing from Cape Breton. In the past, they’ve embarked on such awesome adventures as organizing speed dating for charity, holding fundraising dinners for Haiti/Pakistan/Mongolian charities, and, as they put it, exploiting their friends to help raise money for worthy causes. We’ll be sure to put out the word when we learn when and where the dance party will take place. We’re told there will be free popsicles. UPDATE: The lunchtime dance party will take place from 12-1 PM on Thursday, August 23, at the corner of Sparks and O’Connor. In the event of rain, it will take place exactly one week later.

Houston (Inativo) – Eagle Project

2012-06-30T00:00:00Z

My project is the renovation of a courtyard at the Star of Hope Transitional Living Center. This includes repairing and water sealing a gazebo, painting the fence surrounding the facility’s A/C units, painting 5 metal picnic tables, elevating low spots in the courtyard with sand and new sod, and making soccer goals and other sports equipment for the kids at the facility to use. This will provide the kids with a better, safer play area and the adults with a more enjoyable resting area.

Melbourne (Inativo) – Freelove Magazine Melbourne

2012-06-29T00:00:00Z

Freelove is a magazine published from a house in Melbourne. People on creative pursuits contribute once a month, so that we can compile their work into a neat little printed package. Attached to a small piece of cardboard is a cd and a folded A2 sheet: the contents include four songs, a poster, photography and a short story. It's available to order online and in selected spots around Melbourne. The best thing about Freelove is that it is free. It costs $0.00 to pick up. The idea behind it is that we wanted to create something of tangible value, and distribute it for free. We don't have an office and we don't have any financial backing, or industry support. We have a bedroom, our parents' internet connection, and some unfinished uni degrees. We're 4 passionate guys who wanted to put together a unique little project and see if it would work. A few weeks ago, we launched edition 1. The response has been amazing, much better than we expected. Positive feedback is flying in from all directions, and people are genuinely excited to see it progress, none more so than us! We love working on Freelove. We've been working on it for almost 12 months now, and we finally decided last month, after too much procrastination and worrying about minor details, to pool some of our savings' and finance the first edition ourselves. Right now, we're ready to launch edition 2. We've got four bands who have submitted their music, a writer who has penned a fantastic piece, an awesome photographer and the most enthusiastic designer who has made a poster. We've even got content all organised for edition 3. All we need now is financing to send it to the printer. Each month we offer one space for printed advertising in the magazine, and that advertiser will help cover the costs of printing. So far, all the advertisers we've approached are keen on helping out, but they need more time and a better understanding of the magazine to fit it in with their respective marketing campaigns. We respect this decision and are happy to work on projects with them in the future. But we want to keep Freelove a monthly thing, because that is what it is meant to be. We are ready press play on edition 2, and if we can't get this edition out, there won't be a Freelove after this.

Calgary, AB (Inativo) – Buying Local Project

2012-06-29T00:00:00Z

A series of "community awareness" videos featuring a variety of local sustainable businesses. Who: Our entire community!! How it's awesome: It will be social networking exposure via facebook, twitter, youtube, etc of green, local and sustainable projects in yyc to spread the message "Why buy local?" How I'll pull it off: By trading services with a variety of local vendors in exchange for business recognition (logo placement, etc); I"ll be conducting fun, fast (1-2 minutes) interviews with a variety of people involved in all levels of sustainibility projects, from Urban City Farms to retail. Photo Credit: Brett Gilmour

Grand Rapids, MI (Inativo) – Rollobrary Book Club

2012-06-28T00:00:00Z

I'm a high school English teacher that will be operating a Summer Reading Camp for ages 2-12 at Davis Memorial Church. The children this camp will service attend Buchanan, Dickinson, and other GRPS schools. Children need to be encouraged to improve and expand their reading and writing skills during the summer months. My church is located in the GPNA area. Our goal is to encourage "Reading Around The Community" We are having a Scholastic Book Fair to help raise funds to support the camp. People are donating books for the camp, also. The Rollobrary Book Club will provide a Community library, reading circles, volunteers reading to children, ages 2-4, and tutorial for challenged readers. The Cyber Reading Club initiative is a project combining reading and technology. Club members will read stories on an Ebook. I have operated summer community programs at my church. I funded the programs with my personal funds and donations from church members, family and friends. Church members, family, friends, and colleagues have volunteered in the programs. We provided lunch and snacks for participants, also.

Halifax, NS (Inativo) – Hope Blooms ...In Saladarity

2012-06-28T00:00:00Z

Project Lead Hope Blooms- youth driven (yes there are over 30 kids ages 6 to 14)inner city project where youth grow organic fruit and veggies, manage a greenhouse and make their own brand of salad dressings while contributing back to help their community. The kids want to bump it up a knotch in this North End halifax Community and have a Saladarity Party. The youth will host a street party on Gottinggen Street (in front of the library) and make delicious gourmet salads, using their dressings and give away these awesome salads to the community. We will walk up Gottingen Street with our 'In Saladarity' banner and bicycles with salads on the back (in the bike trailers the the youth will make)and loudspeaker inviting people on the street to gather at the library for an awesome party- coming together to enjoy fresh, delicious, nutritious, local food made by local youth. Youth will be spreading laughter, sharing their new love for fresh veggies, and feeling the awesome power of giving!! Hope Blooms/ North End Community Garden is in its 5th year and have won provincial awards for community development, featured on local and National news stations, and was featured in Canadian Living magazine last year for "Growing Seeds of Hope". This would be such an over the top way to boost the momentum and continue to energize the community at large.

Oahu, HI – Kawananakoa MS Additional Seating Project

2012-06-28T00:00:00Z

Awesome Foundation Oahu is proud to announce that Andrew Chun is our June grant winner!! Andrew Chun is a Life Scout in the Boy Scouts of America and he is working on his Eagle Scout Project. How awesome is that! Andrew attended Kawananakoa Middle School and wanted the opportunity to give back to his community and school through his project. At Kawananakoa Middle School, which is in the Liliha neighborhood just above downtown Honolulu, 53% of students are under the poverty level and qualify for Federal breakfast and lunch assistance. According to Andrew, school lunch and breakfast are the most important meals; however, the cafeteria cannot accommodate all the students even though the school has instituted 2 lunch periods. Additionally, many of their parents start work early and end late, leaving their children at school as early as 6 Am and picking them up as late as 6 PM. For Andrew’s project, he plans to build the forms and pour a new concrete pad and fabricate 4 sets of concrete tables to be placed alongside the Kawananakoa Cafeteria. The goal is to provide seating and a place to work and eat before school, after school and during school. The project will positively impact the nearly 1,000 students at Kawananakoa Middle School. As a former student of the school, Andrew can affirm that the crowding in the cafeteria is very uncomfortable; despite Kawananakoa's best efforts, there are simply too many students. He hopes to make a significant impact on this with his project. The project has already been approved by the Principal, the School's Parent Teacher Student Association, as well as the Department of Education and Facilities Managers. Andrew has already poured two tables and 9 benches, but he still needed funds to pour the slab. That is where the Awesome Foundation Oahu stepped in! Congratulations Andrew Chun!!!!!!

Pittsburgh, PA – The First Bytes Society

2012-06-28T00:00:00Z

Computer science education, wait no let me rephrase that, the "art of hacking" has changed my life. Not only has it provided me with great career opportunities, but it has also shaped the way that I think and the way that I express my "creative side". I want to pass my enthusiasm for tech on to the next generation of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs/Wozniaks, and Mark Zuckerbergs in a refreshing way. For many people computers seem to have this mystical, magical aura about them, giving many people the misconception that only "nerds" or "straight A" grads can really harness their power. The First Bytes Society would work to break this myth by providing a learning place for students as young as middle schoolers to start to learn the art of hacking. The First Bytes Society (FBS) will take a new approach to computer science. Instead of starting off in math or programming theory, FBS would focus more on engaging the students and above all things, teaching them them how to *communicate* with computers. The curriculum will also focus on producing tangible results – real programs that can easily be shared with their peers in and outside of the classroom. What motivates good programmers-in-training is not the money or future career opportunities, instead, it is the pride that one has when seeing something they've created go out into the wild and be used by other people. This also has a domino effect – if a 6th grader sees a game that his/her peer just created, they will believe that programming is something they too can achieve. This "engage first" approach is something that organizations like Code Academy (http://codecademy.com) have already started to have success with. FBS would target students between 5th and 9th grade. It would encourage diversity, targeting groups that are typically underrepresented in Computer Science.

Boston, MA – FLOAT

2012-06-27T00:00:00Z

FLOAT is a collaborative, community-oriented project centred on mapping air quality in Beijing, China—the 10th most polluted city in the world. We will build simple but technologically advanced kites which sense pollutants in the air, recording air-quality data and also reflecting it visually with multi-colour LED lights. Through a series of workshops and mass kite-flights, FLOAT aims to spark discussion about air pollution in Beijing. We will first teach groups from three neighbourhood communities how to build kites for themselves and how to record air quality data to share online. During scheduled group flights in public parks, the spectacle of a small constellation of flashing kites in the night sky will encourage passersby to engage more closely with their environment. Our aim is to attract the attention of both young and old Beijing residents—all are affected by the city's air. Data will be recorded from the kites as well as at ground level. It will be used in conventional mapping projects as well as in multimedia installations in Beijing and Boston. Air pollution data recorded by the kites would not otherwise be accessible to Chinese citizens: the kites are able to monitor PM 2.5 particles—very fine airborne matter that present the greatest risk to health. The Chinese authorities do not release data on PM 2.5 particles. I (Joshua) will produce a short documentary (8-15 min) that chronicles the month-long project. I will also produce instructional videos for the project, to be used in educational presentations in Beijing and Boston, as well as other US cities. In sum, FLOAT touches upon a number of issues crucial to contemporary China: pollution, civic engagement, public space, and censorship…not to mention the fascinating reactions that veteran kite-flyers will have when they see hordes of luminescent kites take to the skies in their favourite parks. We are truly excited for the many complementary facets of this project to come to life!

Boston, MA – Social Colander: Dinner Party Meet Cooking Contest

2012-06-27T00:00:00Z

Social Colander is a culinary experiment: traditional dinner party meets raucous cooking contest. More and more folks are experimenting with cooking, but there are very few venues for showcasing those skills besides the informal potluck dinner. Social Colander is an event series and platform that provides foodies with a competitive yet friendly opportunity to fund their experimentations and share the experience with others. It all started from weekly roommate dinners in Cambridgeport that became venues for us to out-gourmet each other. The concept is based on 3 key philosophies: 1) We must democratize food experiences by celebrating the amateur chef, someone who is not often celebrated 2) We can utilize digital experiences to augment physical experiences, and 3) When we tap into our "inner Iron Chefs", we are able to gather good people around good food. We’ve hosted three successful pilot events already (in Mar/Apr/Jun 2012) with tickets selling out in less than 24 hours. Here’s how it works: 1. Each month, the Social Colander hosts (currently Mark+Tiffany) choose a theme and coordinate 3 chef teams to compete. A set number of Guest Judge tickets are sold through our website+Eventbrite, and all funds go towards chef ingredients, event materials, and winning prize. 2. At the dinner, each chef team serves a course based on the theme. Guest Judges are given a 3-course meal, wine, beer, foodie chit chat, and a digital voting ballot. 3. After the meal, each Guest Judge votes for the best dish by seamlessly filling out their digital ballot with the following criteria: Taste (50%), Presentation (25%), and Creativity (25%). The winning chef team receives a gift certificate to a top restaurant. Currently, we've sold out each event, and we'd really like to grow the experience to a larger audience. While we've proven that it's successful in small, one-off dinners, our vision is to expand Social Colander more events, larger venues, and more cities.

Boulder, CO (Inativo) – Creative Arts Therapy Group

2012-06-26T00:00:00Z

Blue Sky Bridge serves child victims of crime (2-17) and their families in several ways: we provide forensic interviews, crisis counseling and referral support for the families and prevention education programs in Boulder County. I plan to start a Creative Arts Therapy Group to help those children heal from the trauma they have experienced. There currently are no therapy groups to help child sexual assault victims in Boulder County nor are there any creative arts therapy groups to help child witnesses to domestic violence. Children need a place where they can explore and heal from their trauma with a group who understands what they have experienced and to know they are not alone in their history. All trauma survivors need and deserve timely therapeutic help to address issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I want to provide this service to families and the school system free-of-charge.

Detroit, MI – HER Detroit

2012-06-25T00:00:00Z

Our goal is to, in the mist of so much negativity, shine a light on those that are triumphing and persevering in our area. In a one hour news segment, we ear about 40 minutes of robberies, deaths and scandals- then a small clip of something positive. Well, HER Detroit is well aware that there are women (and men) that are being innovative, helping others and improving our city. It's time to give them the recognition and kudos that they so well deserve. HER Detroit is here to help promote their awesomeness! Yes, we assist women with fashion trends and tell them which beauty products are best for the season- those are things that help women look and feel great on the outside. Throughout our pages, we're determined to also help women feel good on the inside as well. Our expert advice and touching stories resonate in hearts and minds of our readers. I can honestly say that we've touched the hearts of many and have allowed several to tell their story and begin a healing/cleansing process. If we are blessed with the grant, the money would be used to help brand the magazine. As with any media outlet, our organization depends on the support of advertisers. The funds would be used for marketing materials, developing a larger marketing team and improving our web presence in order to built better, long-term marketing relationships. Once we've actually went to print, there is little or nothing left to help build and prepare for the next issue or improve our team. The grant would be a tremendous help in insuring that HER Det can successfully compete with larger publications.

Kingston – Young People's Busker Festival

2012-06-21T00:00:00Z

You've heard about Kingston's Buskers Festival - well, with Awesome Kingston's help, this event is going to be even better. I purpose starting an alternative Busker's Festival...a Young People's Buskers Festival. At this event, all interested young people of Kingston, ages 6-18, would come out and share their busking skills with the Kingston community. In City Park we want to see children doing balloon animal creations, juggling, cartoon drawing, unicycling, cup stacking and much, much more. There will be no jury and no fees associated with this festival - young people can just come out and have a good time. This idea is AWESOME and will help the Kingston community because it will allow kids in Kingston the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of a large group of people instead of just their family and friends. It encourages the Kingston community to support and recognize their youth. By giving these young buskers an audience, it boosts their confidence and encourages them to take pride in their talents. This event also allows the young people of Kingston to meet new friends of similar interests.

Maldon (Inativo) – Governance Training for All

2012-06-19T00:00:00Z

It has become apparent in the town that there are some committees that would benefit from some Governance training. It would be my hope that with $1,000 we could conduct a session on governance, provided by an external provided, and make it available to all committees and those interested in the town. I have contacted a provider who can conduct a 3 hr session for the best part of the $1,000 it would be conducted in the local community centre and all committees would be contactd by mail. I am a local woman who has served on a variety of committees in town in varying capacities over many years. This project would be awesome as it would be available to ALL townspeople and I have the right connections and associations to engage others to assist me in organising this project.

Maldon (Inativo) – The Nerdy Birdy

2012-06-19T00:00:00Z

I am 20 years old and I have lived in Bendigo my entire life. I am a great believer in following dreams that have been given to you; and stepping into the life you were born to live. After being involved with a local youth organisation Lead On for many years, my passion for young people grew, and from my experience with this organisation I knew that I had the passion and motivation to - one day - do something to help young people and show them how amazing they are (and how much potential they all have). I had always had a dream to write a children’s book, however as I started working full time I gave up on my dreams and lost my confidence. In the last few years I have grown so much as a person, and feel that I am now in a position to finally chase that dream. Throughout my schooling, I have seen countless students and friends ‘dumb themselves down’ and pretend to be less bright then they actually are; in order to simply fit in. It is something that, during primary and secondary school, I also struggled with, myself. The children's picture book, 'The Nerdy Birdy' follows the main character, Ned -a very smart little bird who gets bullied for shining so brightly. In the end, young Ned proves to those that tease him that we are each strong in our own ways, and that we should always stay true to ourselves. The reason I am writing this book is because I believe in encouraging young people to be who they were created to be, and not to change in order to blend in with the crowd. My aim with this picture book is to inspire young children to be themselves; and to use the skills that they have been given. By achieving my dream, I will also show other young adults like myself that if they work really hard and stick to their dream, they can one day see it come to life. Your support would mean everything to me!

Connecticut (Inativo) – Shop for Hope

2012-06-18T00:00:00Z

Hi there. We are a (food obsessed!) mom and son who often talk about ways to feed the hungry (usually while we're eating). There are lots of ways that people do this here in Fairfield but we find that usually it's the same people. We came up with what we think is a very simple way to get many people to help, easily and regularly. With help from the local food pantry on what's running low, we would identify one item in one grocery store each week (say, peanut butter or tuna fish or shampoo or toothpaste - any brand) and put a Shop for Hope (or whatever the catchy name is) card on the shelves near that item. It will say something like "Buying toothpaste today? How about picking up a tube for a neighbor in need?" followed by a couple of lines about the program. The shopper will pick up an extra tube or two or whatever, will pay for it at the cash register, and will add it to the collection in the front of the store for the week. Our shelter and pantry in town are run by Operation Hope, which has volunteers who are ready, willing and able to pick up the items each week. This is the case in many communities. In this project, everybody wins. The shopper feels good about helping out someone (and maybe raises their awareness for the day about hunger), the store wins because they sell more product in a simple way that doesn't litter their store with people and signage, the pantry or shelter wins because they get publicity and more goods without having to turn to the same people, and - most importantly - the needy get some help from their neighbors. This project is easily replicable in other communities. Our hunch is that when one store sees how easy it is (and how it spreads a feel-good feeling among their staff and their customers), they will spread the word throughout their chain. Thanks for considering this. Carol (mom) and Chris (son) Dannhauser

Connecticut (Inativo) – Cluefest 10: FREE New Haven-wide Scavenger Hunt

2012-06-18T00:00:00Z

The awesomeness of Cluefest10 will come to fruition at New Haven’s Annual Free citywide scavenger hunt. Cluefest is turning 10 and with a team of 6 co-organizers and a few dozen volunteers (an eclectic mix of New Haven citizens/residents), we are motivated and inspired to make it a memorable event our 300+ participants who will decipher clues to find unique gems scattered around the Elm City. Upon completion of the activity at each of the the 5 main stops, they will have the final clue in hand, which will lead them to the Secret Party Location (our best yet!) to celebrate the creativity, passion and spirit of all our new friends. Participation has grown each year and on the hunt we see infants (strapped to their parents) to retirees gleefully scurrying around New Haven after figuring out the amusing, and sometimes perplexing riddles. Despite the dramatic growth, the fundamental mission and spirit of Cluefest has remained true to its founding members’ (The Group with No Name, a.k.a. TGWNN) intentions of offering a free and fun-filled day for people to learn about New Haven and its treasures, both old and new. With the Awesome Grant’s support of Cluefest, we will be able to execute our most ambitious Cluefest to date and hopefully inspired others to create more awesomeness for New Haven and other CT neighborhoods, i.e. Bridgeport held their inaugural Cluefest in 2011 and we got wind that a past Cluefester has transplanted this idea to….wait for it….Cambodia!! Some of our other sponsors included the United Way and New Haven Chamber of Commerce, but we have yet to reach our fundraising goal. We hope you are just excited as we are and plan to join us on Saturday, July 21st, 2012 for an what will be an epic day. Links of interest: http://myconnecticutstory.com/gallery/newest/0/1177/P0/ http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2012/apr/04/find-new-haven/ http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/we_clue_we_happy_/

Chicago, IL – Layin' Down Tracks

2012-06-16T00:00:00Z

I have a class full of weird, smart, awesome, hilarious, clever, punk-ass fourth and fifth-graders who are so talented, but who are continually frustrated by not having a real polished end-product of what they do in their (chronically underfunded) after-school enrichment classes. The kids are obsessed with Eminem and rap in general, so my goal is to get them to write a concept album. I also work at the Old Town School of Folk Music, so I have musician and sound recording friends who I could work with so that the kids could have a professional quality recording of their album. A mild-mannered arts educator might be an unusual choice to spearhead a rap concept album, but I spit rhymes like dragons spit fire. You can check out my Rick Bayless rap, which Chef Rick Bayless himself called "pretty hilarious stuff" here: http://soundcloud.com/dyanysus1116/rick-bayless-rap

Seattle, WA – The Pop-Up Museum

2012-06-12T00:00:00Z

My name is Michelle DelCarlo, and I am passionate about creating conversation between people of all ages and walks of life. I have a Master's degree in Museum Studies and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Washington. What I really want to do with all that schooling is to keep on creating meaningful experiences and build community through conversation. The Pop-Up Museum is my awesome project. The concept is this: based on a theme, people are invited to bring their own objects and share their own stories in order to have conversations with others. It's a participatory, traveling community event that challenges the notion of museums as silent, one-voice places and invites people to grapple with and celebrate their own perspectives. Pop-Up themes have ranged from light-hearted and fun to deep and heavy. These include "Handmade," where people brought in an array of handmade items that were meaningful to them. People had conversations about how handmade objects can create links to the past, and how the traditions of hand-crafted objects may be in danger of being lost. Also, I had an "Adoption" pop-up in collaboration with a colleague who is adopted. She wanted to do so because she felt that adoption is not a topic that museums generally address. People came to the pop-up and cried, laughed, and were moved. I have had pop-ups in Australia and here in the US. Also, I have advised numerous other organizations on how to hold their own pop-ups. I have done this all on my own time and with my own resources, which is why I am applying for an Awesome grant. For me, the pinnacle of museum practice is listening and responding to community needs. I want to keep on giving voice to people, building community, and making conversation happen between people of all ages and walks of life. How awesome would that be!

Airdrie, AB (Inativo) – Reaching for the Stars

2012-06-12T00:00:00Z

“Reach for the Stars” Airdrie is project that we would like to spear head this summer for the residents of Airdrie. We want to build a climbing tower in downtown Airdrie, outdoors where kids of all ages can come and try to climb the tower. There would be different paths on the tower that accomodate every climbing level so that kids as young as 3 or adults who had advanced climbing levels can all go it a try. It would benefit the whole community as it would give residents something new to try with the family over the summer months. We think its an awesome idea because it gets families out doing something together and also promotes fitness and fun. We will make it happen by finding the right location, getting some of the material donated by local bussinesses, building the tower and then finding volunteers to help run the tower when its open so that its always done safely. The $1000 is needed to purchase building materials such as wood and climbing holds as well as ropes and safety equipment. We would also use the funds to pay for any permits that may have to purchased for this project. Photo Credit: Chris Simnett, Airdrie Echo

New York City, NY – Regret Project

2012-06-11T00:00:00Z

There are few things we hold to tighter or with more persistence than our regrets. But Grayson Earle believes that if our most painful secrets are unlocked and voiced, they can teach and inspire others, and maybe transform us in return. Awesome Foundation-NYC awarded its $1000 June grant to Grayson’s Regrets Project, which solicits the regrets of anonymous visitors to its website and then transforms them into public art on the streets of New York. Having wrestled with regrets in his own life, Grayson hopes the project will bring catharsis to some of those who find the ability through it to share their dashed or deferred dreams. And once transformed to art, those regrets of the past may inspire a few of the passerby to reflect on the values guiding their present life, and reorient their futures. The world seems hungry for the project — Grayson says on average 20 regrets are submitted per day and the number is rising — and the grant will allow Grayson to expand into new media including video and other interactive forms.

Ann Arbor, MI – Shakespeare in Prison

2012-06-03T00:00:00Z

The Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company acts to eliminate apathy, violence, prejudice and barriers to education through theatre productions, projects and programs; and further acts to reestablish and expand Detroit’s theatre district. Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company's Shakespeare in Prison program is conducted at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti, Michigan, beginning in February 2012 and running continuously thereafter. This program, modeled on other successful programs of its kind, empowers inmates through theatre exercises and Shakespearean text to think creatively, re-examine decisions they’ve made, become more in touch with their emotions, and develop crucial life skills to be used both in and out of prison. Inmates who volunteer for the Shakespeare in Prison program work with Shakespearean monologues and scenes, experiencing the empowerment and satisfaction derived from working with this material. There is an idea that only “great actors” can do Shakespeare “right,” and that is absolutely false. Anyone can perform Shakespeare, and everyone has the right to create art as part of being a self-aware and individual human being. Participants will also be given the option of staging a full play by Shakespeare. Similar programs have proven to be extremely effective in empowering inmates to think creatively, re-examine decisions they’ve made, get more in touch with their emotions, and develop life skills such as confidence in creative thinking and speaking in front of an audience. These programs are also very effective in building self-esteem in the prisoners, and all of these effects have a direct impact on prisoners’ ability to become constructive members of society when they are released, or, if they are not released, excellent citizens and role models in the facility. Magenta Giraffe’s program is modeled after Shakespeare Behind Bars, the oldest program of its kind in North America. Participants in Shakespeare Behind Bars have had only a 7% recidivism rate, as contrasted with the national rate of 67%, and Magenta Giraffe hopes to continue that trend with its own program. Shakespeare in Prison has the potential for real change in the community, helping women achieve a sense of self that can help them with their families, their community, and their personal future. The Shakespeare in Prison blog may be found at http://shakespeareinprisonmgt.wordpress.com/

Austin, TX – Slow Cooking for a Fast Food World

2012-05-31T00:00:00Z

“Most parents would like to provide a tasty, low-cost, healthy meal for their family but many struggle with minimal available time for preparation and planning. This leads to last-minute, expensive, high-fat meals. Wouldn't it be awesome to go back to the time of slow food even though we live in a fast food world?” That's the idea Beth Rowan successfully pitched to the Austin chapter of the Awesome Foundation. Her mission: “To help interested, low-income family leaders enhance their slow cooking habits through a network of support (email/cell phone reminders), key ingredients/coupons and slow cookers (provided free or on a sliding scale),” with the larger goal of combating diabetes and obesity in the community. A mother of two, Beth says her inspiration for the project came from seeing “hard-working moms who get home at 6 or 7 at night with ravenous children.” For many working families, she says, “fast food often seems like the best (or maybe the only) option. But by using your imagination, a meal plan, and hardly any prep time, a slow cooker can have a hearty meal all prepared when you walk in the door.” Beth plans to recruit participants by connecting to community agencies such as the Austin Housing Authority as well as other outreach organizations. Slow cookers (known to many people simply as “Crock Pots”) are a great tool for families on a budget, Beth says, because they make it easy to use inexpensive ingredients such as dried beans as well as less-expensive cuts of meat. Recognizing that a slow cooker can be a big investment for a family living on the edge of poverty, Beth has already lined up an agreement with appliance-maker Hamilton Beach to provide slow cookers at a sizable discount. She's currently working on fine-tuning recipes for tasty, healthy meals that combine inexpensive ingredients with a minimum of prep time. The initial menu will likely include pulled pork, hearty black beans, simmered chicken, Moroccan chick peas, and easy pot roast, but Beth says suggestions for all types of recipes, especially culturally diverse ethnic food, are more than welcome, via the project's Facebook page. As the program develops, Beth expects the project's Facebook page to grow into a community where participants can share recipes, meal plans, shopping tips, and more. Beth says she was “surprised and thrilled” to find out she had been named the Austin chapter's third-ever $1000 grantee. “The Awesome Foundation made it possible for me to move from 'just thinking about it' to making it happen!”

Oahu, HI – Aloha Beach Volleyball

2012-05-31T00:00:00Z

Awesome Foundation Oahu has chosen our second grant winner! We are proud to announce that Aloha Beach Volleyball is our $1,000 winner!!! Rod Suzumoto, Diana McKibbin and Chase Suzumoto have joined forces to create Aloha Beach Volleyball. In January of 2012 Aloha Beach Volleyball started as a program to provide a sustainable physical fitness program using beach volleyball as one of their activities for children to fight childhood obesity and other health related concerns for the Leeward Communities at Maili Beach Park. Their team of volunteer coaches and parents have created a program that strives to make it fun to learn while exercising. We agreed that their idea was AWESOME, because they do not charge to participate in their events! Yes, their events are FREE. They have players from 3 to adult at their events learning basic volleyball skills and physical fitness activities by completing obstacle courses. Some of our Trustees hope to attend an event where they plan to schedule Parent/Child, Grandparent/Grandchild, Brother/Sister, etc. volleyball tournaments (no score/time limit) to create family participation and getting everyone exercising at beautiful Maili Beach Park. We were encouraged that they were working closely with Kevin Wong (USA Volleyball), Scott Wong (UH Wahine Beach Volleyball), and Aloha Region Juniors to be able to provide additional training so their players can advance in their skill level. Their vision is to provide children positive choices and have them realize the consequences of negative choices by partnering with DARE and the Hawaii Meth Project. Our $1,000 will go to fund volleyball nets, volleyballs, and additional equipment. Their last event, which is advertised only by word of mouth, had over 50 players. Congratulations to Aloha Beach Volleyball!!!

Houston (Inativo) – Yellowstone Academic Stars

2012-05-31T00:00:00Z

Yellowstone Academy is a private PK3-8th grade school for children living in extreme poverty. We would like to use $1000.00 to purchase trophies for academic achievement to be given at a school wide end-of-the-year awards ceremony. We want academic achievement to receive the same (or better!) recognition than sports and fine arts. The money will be used to purchase trophies and medallions of all sizes and shapes to reward academic achievement in different subject areas, in honor and achievement rolls, and in accelerated reading, It will also be used to reward "most improved" in each class and to award those who show the discipline of hard work and perseverance. Most of our students will be the first high school graduates in their families, let alone college. We want academics to be praised and celebrated.

Grand Rapids, MI (Inativo) – Jake's Music Festival

2012-05-30T00:00:00Z

Great music for a great cause! Jake's Music Festival is a benefit concert held each April at the Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids. All proceeds from the event are donated to the local chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). This is quite possibly the most eclectic mix of live music in West Michigan. Featured performers include Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys, The Fainting Generals, Valentiger, The Waxies, Ritsu and Karisa Wilson. Along with all the music there is also a silent auction, free cake samples and other surprises. Jake’s Music Festival was started in 2005 by Tom and Mary Scheidel of Rockford and named for their son Jake who was diagnosed with Type 1, also known as juvenile diabetes, 15 years ago when he was only six. The festival enjoys fantastic support from the community. All the performers are local acts that donate their time to the cause. Several local business donate items for the silent auction. A few businesses even make cash donations to JDRF as part of the event. Local television and radio stations, as well as magazines and newspapers, regularly feature stories about Jake's Music Festival. It is a gratifying experience to be part of an organization fighting to find a cure for diabetes. It is our hope that the Awesome Foundation will join our cause.

Boston, MA – Nomadic Picó Picante

2012-05-30T00:00:00Z

We propose to create a traveling outdoor public event series called Nomadic Picó Picante, a mobile version of our monthly tropical bass party at Good Life. We will build a traveling sound system that visits neighborhoods for unannounced, guerilla parties throughout Boston. Our sound system will be derivative of a picó—a hand-crafted mobile soundsystem for DJs with origins in Barranquilla, Colombia. Picós are painted with visual elements that evoke local history and culture, and were originally invented to create communal, public parties because people with little money weren’t welcome in dance clubs. Working from the concept of a picó, we want to create public spaces for people across all communities in Boston, that are not able to come to Good Life because of the price point, lack of accessibility or simply feeling uncomfortable. We’ll use the platform of a box truck as a mobile stage for DJs and video artists, complete with speakers, lights and projections. We expect to have held 1–2 events by mid-summer. We want to create public spaces that embody the post-geographic nature of tropical bass music, a genre that crossbreeds dance-friendly electronic elements with traditional and folkloric genres such as cumbia, champeta, salsa and kuduro. The nomadic parties will be public, pop-up events that use tropical bass to establish a celebratory inter-cultural dialogue in an oft-segregated Boston. We’ve built a family of collaborators through Picó Picante by inviting local and out-of-town DJs and video artists. Our team includes: Sara Skolnick and Ernesto Morales (DJs Pajaritos), Ricardo de Lima (OXYcontinental), Vela Phelan (HEXbeam) and Ethan Kiermaier (Ultratumba). The project will benefit participants of these events and the communities they occur in by creating an open cultural space. This action creates a dialogue by using music as a catalyst to explore the commonalities of Boston’s contemporary cultural diversity. We kick our conclusion to Wayne Marshall, a local ethnomusicologist, to get to the heart of the matter: "We become familiar with our neighbors when we have some regard for them, when we listen and play collectively. We can actively resist discourses of the exotic and touristic, and propose other modes of interaction with the strangers / neighbors among us: from collaboration, to taking a focused and sustained rather than “eclectic” or trendy approach, preferring 'getting under each other’s skin rather than simply 'used to each other.'"

Boston, MA – HASER: Laser Space Heater

2012-05-30T00:00:00Z

Heating is expensive. A small room takes 1500 watts, but your skin (surprisingly) needs only about 20W at 65F ambient temperature. So, I'm creating the HASER SYSTEM, which heats you directly with soothing, warm infrared (IR) lasers. See the video at HASER.TINYMOGUL.COM. It uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to see you, track you (like Microsoft's Kinect) and heat you. Not the room, not the air, JUST you. The wall-mounted Painter unit uses laser-like eye-safe radiation to cover you with heat. Even if you move, even 20 feet away: a space heater can't do this. It uses either an IR laser or a specially collimated (highly focused) heat lamp. It also learns your behavior, e.g. preheats your chair before a TV show. You can set the thermostat lower by 15F and cut bills by 60%. Its companion, ROVER, is a robot heater that follows you, radiating heat from a thermal storage mass. ALMOST ALL THE TECH & FREE SOFTWARE NEEDED ALREADY EXISTS, so it isn't pie-in-the-sky. HASER will also provide data on temperature & usage, and an API (Application Programming Interface) so that it can be modified by hobbyists and hackers. Ready for mash-ups, e.g. use an optional visible laser to play with your cat when you're away! HASER is itself an AWESOME mashup! I've been building and hacking things forever. I am a design fanatic, hungering for practicality and beauty. I'm an engineer turned software architect turned entrpreneur turned, again, engineer. I've studied neuroscience & AI, worked in digital electronics, computer software architecture, interior design, small-building architecture, business process design.

Halifax, NS (Inativo) – Tulipmania

2012-05-30T00:00:00Z

My project, Tulipmania, is about beauty and community, two things that are both awesome! I live on Tulip Street in Downtown Dartmouth. I want to plant tulips all along the street, on the unloved strip of land between the sidewalk and the road. The typical median strip in HRM is full of weeds, scrubby grass, bare dirt and is just ugly wasted space. The problem is that no one wants to spend money to improve them because, although adjoining property owners are responsible for upkeep, the space is technically owned by HRM. Last fall I planted a large tulip patch in front of my house in the median, which blossomed into a magnificent splash of spring colour (still blooming if you’re passing by). The response from the community has been overwhelming. Everyone loves the tulips. As one of my neighbours said, “they just make me smile.” A lot of people also travel through Tulip Street and many have slowed down to take a look or stopped for a picture. The median tulip patch is unique, fun and there’s something delightfully obvious, yet unexpected about tulips on Tulip Street. Since my test patch went over so well, I would like to expand the effort. With an Awesome grant, more tulip patches could be added. I have gone door to door and almost everyone on the street loves the idea (41 of 43, 96%). It’s a feel good project the community can get behind. The best part is this awesome idea is actually two awesome events in one. If we get the funds to buy bulbs, the whole neighbourhood will come together in October to plant them. Neighbour will help neighbour and we’ll cap off the afternoon planting party with a potluck bbq. In the spring, Phase 2 of Tulipmania begins when the flowers bloom and everyone on the street and in the wider community is treated to an awesome spring display. The tulips should also come back for several seasons. One awesome grant, two awesome outcomes with several more seasons of awesomeness thrown in for good measure. I’m the right person to champion this because I have already done it in front of my house and I have already organized and sold the community on the idea. All we need is the financial resources to carry it out. I’ve done a few other awesome things, but my favourite is that I’ve spent years building digital replicas of Halifax landmarks and sharing them online, bringing Halifax to the world through the urban planning game, Sim City.

Melbourne (Inativo) – Roll-Up Bike Valet for Park(ing) Day 2012

2012-05-30T00:00:00Z

My name is Joyce and I’m a Melburnian, an inner city urbanite, a lawyer, a blogger, a mother...and a cyclist. I am passionate that Melbourne would be more awesome place to live, work and play if we could encourage more people to ride bikes as mode of transport. Park(ing) Day is an international movement where individuals, artists and companies take over parking spaces to create public spaces for people to enjoy (http://parkingday.org/). For this year’s Park(ing) Day Friday 21 September I propose taking over 3 metered parking spaces in the City of Yarra (Brunswick St, Gertrude St, Smith St) over the course of the day and to provide valet bike parking in the car spaces using Melbourne company Roll Up (http://roll-up.com.au/). Basically we feed the meter for the allocated time (2 hours), valet park up to 10 bikes instead of 1 car during that time and then move onto the next spot. City of Yarra have agreed in principle to the project, but don't have any funding for the project themselves. You should also know that I own CycleStyle, an online store selling bicycle clothing and accessories for the urban cyclist (www.cyclestyle.com.au). However, Park(ing) Day is not a commercial initiative as part of the licensing agreement is that we can’t put up or hand out any advertising. So together with Roll-Up I want to show people that bikes are fun, cheap, convenient, ease congestion, bring businesses more customers and generally have a bit of fun with the concept of ‘parking’. Please let me know if you have any questions and need more information! Joyce

Detroit, MI – Kidz Times

2012-05-30T00:00:00Z

Kids Times is a newspaper written by kids for kids that will be published as a supplement to the Detroit Native Sun. Writers, ages 5 to 17, are given a voice in the community to address concerns pertaining to youth and to offer solutions. Young perspectives on issues taking place throughout metro Detroit and in the schools are highlighted. Young aspiring journalists are given an opportunity to work beside experienced award-winning journalists and to have their works published both online and in an actual newspaper that will be distributed throughout Detroit, Highland Park, Oak Park, Southfield, Dearborn and Inkster. Students will learn all of the steps needed to publish a newspaper from identifying news worthy stories to interviewing, writing and laying out the newspaper. In addition, student reporters will have the opportunity to broadcast their stories on television in a special Kids Times segment that will air on Wednesdays from 7 pm to 7:30 pm on Comcast 20 and TV 33. This is a unique opportunity to showcase the editorial talents of creative and community minded youth, who are looking for a means to express themselves “Children are our future” is not just a popular saying but an expression of truth. It is vital for youth to have a positive outlet to express their thoughts, become active observers in identifying problems in the community, and to participate in offering solutions. By doing so, youth will help to bridge the gap in communication between young and old and will have a vested interest in improving the quality of life for those residing in the communities in which they live. A transformation in attitudes and actions will occur. Kids Times will help to dispel stereotypes about youth, as they are no longer viewed as a part of the problem but a part of the solution..

San Francisco, CA – Bathtub Street Gondola!

2012-05-29T00:00:00Z

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with an itch in the back of your brain to build something? I spend many nights researching various projects and ideas. Everything from a homemade stick welder to an adult sized big wheels. Once I get a project out of my head and onto paper I can get back to sleep. Tonight I awoke to the thought of giving people rides in a bathtub down the Embarcadero wearing a traditional gondoliers outfit. I would stand proudly in the back of my tub gondola singing poorly with my wide brimmed hat, striped shirt, and red waist sash. The project would involve acquiring a tub. Then attaching a set of fixed wheels to the front of it, a pair of casters to the back, and a steerable electric motor powered wheel. This would give the feeling of steering a boat. Once the vehicle was operational I would don my traditional gondolier outfit and give people rides. I would also be thoroughly documenting the build process for posting on Instructables. The sharing of knowledge no matter how obscure or odd it maybe is important. A shared experience allows for easy inspiration of other ideas and projects. I find spending time with people who make awesome things inspires me to make awesome things myself. The documentation of this project I hope will be as much as an inspiration to people as the Bathtub Gonadal. Anyone with the desire to be a bathtub gondoliers will have an easy to follow guide to start them on their quest. Who am I to bring such an idea into existence? I am a lighting designer and electrician for live performance. More importantly, I am an artist who likes working with friends and coworkers to make awesome sets, props, etc. for theatre and beyond. On a practical note I am a member at the S.F. Techshop and have access to all the tools I would need for bringing forth the Bathtub Gonadal into the world. Past projects include: •Building a stick welder from old microwave transformers •The pocket lawn (an edible wheat grass lawn for your pocket) •Small vacuum former made from trash(used to make the Pocket lawn) •Junk metal sculpture Here is a link to my past instructables. http://www.instructables.com/member/TinkeringProductions/ Thank you for your time.

Chicago, IL – Chic-A-Go-Go

2012-05-29T00:00:00Z

since the late nineties I have been producing a cable access show where kids, teens, the elderly and all ages in between dance to bands and records and hang out with our puppet host Ratso. Chic-A-Go-Go (we have a Facebook and YouTube channel if you want to check it out) has been on for almost 800 episodes, and we have had lots of musicians from every era and every genre come and lip synch for kids, and the best thing about the show is how it proves that's music and dancing have no demographic restrictions -- inner city kids will dance to 40s jazz, avant garde noise, 70s punk, polka, and anything in between, and older folks learn to dig contemporary hip hop, electronica, and bubblegum pop. I am really committed to community and non-mainstream media, working with different groups to advocate for cable access television, being the format chief for all the public affairs programming on the community radio station on the Southside, WHPK, and producing a zine called Roctober. but I am probably best known as the voice of Ratso, who has interviewed the Cramps, the Shirelles, The Residents, Fugazi, Rudy Ray Moore, GZA, the Misfits, Sleater Kinney, Anvil, Andre Williams, and over a thousand more. Because the show has no commercial restraints there's no pressure to appeal to a narrow audience which frees us to make something that is truly for everyone and expands people's horizons, and is super fun. Some links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chic-a-Go-Go http://m.youtube.com/user/chicagogo?client=mv-google http://www.roctober.com/chicagogo/ http://www.facebook.com/chicagogo

San Francisco, CA – Lunar Topographies

2012-05-29T00:00:00Z

Hey Awesome! I've been making light-based sculpture for a few years now and, through these objects, I accidentally discovered a process by which I can carve actual lunar topography into wood. I use a home-made CNC router. http://craigdorety.com/lunar_topo.html I also use a home-made laser cutter. Here are my light objects. http://craigdorety.com/objects.html I'm a HUGE proponent of open hardware and the DIY movement and I never farm out any work that I can do myself with a comparable investment in the proper equipment. I have a degree in mechanical engineering and use it to make beautiful things. After having carved several lunar surface segments and showing them off to several art consultants, collectors, and mentors, I've decided the carvings will be more compelling if I make them larger. This is where I need some help.

Seattle, WA – Portable dodgeball court

2012-05-28T00:00:00Z

Hi all, my name is Peter Rothbart; I'm an editor at FOUND Magazine, and the founder and director of the Seattle-based yard sharing organization We Patch. Most importantly for this application, I'm a part of the Seattle Street Dodgeball community and the Seattle Dodgeball Syndicate. We host a set of weekly pickup dodgeball games in Ballard and Capitol Hill, as well as various league games and tournaments. We do all of this for the love of the game and not for profit; we try to keep games free or at least affordable so we can include everyone who wants to play. We pay for balls with money from donations. This means that we don't have much of a budget for publicizing our events. Recently we've discussed ways to help spread word about Seattle dodgeball, and we decided that rather than attract only the folks who happen to come across our game, we want to bring dodgeball to the people. To do this, we're going to construct a portable dodgeball court that we can set up in any space that would be suitable for a game: on a grassy patch at the Seattle Center, on a moving trailer bed in the solstice parade, on the street in Fraternity row at UW, on top of a parking structure, on a floating platform in Lake Washington - the possibilities are endless and so tantalizing! The court will be made of 6-10 rigid and collapsible supports fitted with cargo netting, construction fencing, or other easy to roll siding. Within our community we already have the skills to make this a reality, we just need funding for the raw materials. Our long-term goal is to make Seattle the epicenter of the dodgeball revival. Each new player adds skill, talent, and character to our community, and we hope this portable court will bring a massive influx of new faces. We would love your help making this happen!

Pittsburgh, PA – Pittsburgh Light Disco

2012-05-24T00:00:00Z

This project idea is inspired by the Cell Phone Disco in Tito Way, The Seattle Piggy Bank project and the weather notification light on top of the Gulf Building in Downtown Pittsburgh. I propose an animated Pittsburgh themed Marquee-type art installation or billboard to be placed in the cultural district that has the compability to accept donations via mobile or loose change. When a donation is recieved the art installation or Marquee will light up and display a thank you, fantasic symphony( or move depending on the design) to note the donation. Each time someone donates the display will mark it in a celebration. This effects could be similar to the Cell Phone Disco art installation in Tito Way or the iconic weather notification on top of the Gulf Tower--both are visually appealing and uniquely iconic. I propose that each month the donations go to a particular type of organization on a rotating basis; for example, Earth Day is in April so April donations could be given to environmental organizations. I would want the donations to be divided amongst many Pittsburgh non-profits because they all contribute to the community in certain ways. I believe a small advisory board to help manage incoming funds and decide who recieves the funds(most likely via RFP application and project goals) would be an easy feat. For the art installation and management of the project, I would collaborate with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership because of their experience and interest in art installations as well as their interest in doing a project simuliar to the Seattle Piggy Bank Project. Both the Cultural Trust and Downtown Partnership are committed to creating a vibrant and awesome Pittsburgh as well as creating solidarity between organizations through collaboration. I think this would be another great way to pull together the wonderful Pittsburgh community.This project defines awesomeness and connectiveness; a Light disco for non-profits is an amazing way to connect the city. This project is sustainable and once the installation is installed, the goal of the project will continue.

Ottawa – Yarnbombing a Bus

2012-05-24T00:00:00Z

May’s Awesome grant goes to Lisa (Justy) Dennis for her proposed project Bus Yarnbombing! Justy is an artist who works alongside her mother to crochet a vast array of amigurami and other yarn projects. After they starting work together they opened an Etsy store and have been in many arts and craft shows in Ottawa over the past three years. Her proposed idea is to yarnbomb a bus in the parking lot of the SuzyQ donut shop in Hintonburg. She hopes this project will warm up the hearts of bus drivers all over the city and show that Ottawa is a “cozy” place to live. As testament to her proclivity to capturing the essence of things with yarn, behold the ginormous pile of cute things she has made! She will use the funds for wool supplies, velcro and crochet hooks and the renting of a bus for a day if she can’t get one donated. Just so everyone can get a good idea of what it might look like, here’s a bus yarnbombed in Cincinnati. If you would like to be involved in the project as a volunteer crocheter or have a spare bus drop us a line!

Calgary, AB (Inativo) – Tool Library

2012-05-24T00:00:00Z

A tool lending co-op where people can borrow, for free, tools for home project, maintenance and repairs. Did you know that the average lifetime use of a power drill is 8 minutes? Nobody needs their own power drill. They just need to borrow one. Calgarians also need to borrow from time to time, a: - stud finder - roto-tiller for the garden - saw - power-sander - painting supplies - ladder - etc! We will create a library of tools that the public can access for free, just like you can do with books at a regular library! The money will be used to: - purchase the tools (some second-hand) - create a secure space to store the tools - develop the webspace for rentals/bookings

Melbourne (Inativo) – The Ownership Project

2012-05-22T00:00:00Z

The Ownership Project is a not-for-profit visual arts social enterprise based in Fitzroy, Victoria. We provide free art training and representation for artists from refugee, newly-arrived and Indigenous Australian background as well as facilitate community cultural development projects with local and remote community groups. We currently run Artist in Residency program where we provide free studio space, materials and art training in woodblock printing, drypoint and painting under industry professionals. We launch and sell the work of our artists in our adjoining gallery. Sales of the work directly support the artist and the sustainability of the project. We work to create better access to the arts within the community and to promote culturally diverse art to the greater public.We currently work with artists from Ghanaian, Ethiopian,Iranian,Columbian, Vietnamese, Eritrean and Indigenous Australian backgrounds. COMMUNITY CUSHION PROJECT - We would like to be able to build on the existing design work and skills of our artists, creating a range of limited edition hand printed cushion covers. We would hold an intensive three day fabric printing workshop (using lino cuts)with four artists in our studio under an industry professional print maker. Once the fabric has been printed, we will outsource the manufacturing to The Social Studio, a fashion social enterprise in Collingwood that trains and employs young people from a refugee background. The cushions would be sold in our gallery and would directly support the individual artists who took part in the workshops and also fund the following cushion cover workshops with the next round of artists (with each round of cushion sales funding the next workshops and so on). Having the cushions in our gallery and promoted through our website and media is another way we can further promote the talent and skills of artists from under represented communities in the local art and design scene.

Portland, OR – Schoolyard Farms

2012-05-17T00:00:00Z

Schoolyard Farms sprung from of a love of putting our hands in the dirt, eating delicious food and getting to know our neighbors on a deeper level. Simultaneously, by doing what we love, we hope to demonstrate--and formally teach--how to cultivate healthy food, and thus healthy community. We are a non-profit educational farm located on an urban elementary schoolyard. We chose a non-profit model because we value people and community more than we value the bottom-line, and we believe it is in the public’s interest to know how and from where their food comes. We chose an urban location because we value interdependence and hope that our visibility will create a dialogue amongst our neighbors that challenges and progresses the way we produce and consume food. We also believe that just as ecological systems function best when at their most diverse, so too does the food-system, therefore we need farms in every shape and size, in every corner. We chose a schoolyard because we value education and believe it is the foundation for changing our relationship with food. We choose to farm ecologically because we value the land and believe the best way to sustainably grow food is to nurture the soil. We want to evolve the school-garden model and start cultivating school-farms that will feed their cafeteria. We envision a day when there are Schoolyard Farms on every campus. There are many hurdles to achieving this goal, yet in the interim we are content finding alternative avenues to provide fresh food to our community. Our current chosen paths are Community Supported Agriculture shares that can be purchased with SNAP; donating CSA shares to families in need; educating children about healthy ecologies and healthy lifestyles through a farm-based summer camp; demonstrating the repurposing of land and alternative agriculture practices in a highly visible setting; offering farm tours and workshops to anyone who asks. You can read more about our project here: http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=133589310535265300

Kingston – Eat It To Beat It

2012-05-17T00:00:00Z

The Garlic Mustard Weed is choking out native plants and disrupting the eco system. Research would suggest that the important eradication of the invasive plant can't be done. Eco Kids say it can! They are willing to put the work in to solve this problem and enlist the support of the entire Kingston community through an informative poster and booklet campaign in conjunction with field activities and other community events. Invasive species are a serious concern and threat to our local eco system. There are many species which are threatened by plants such as the Garlic Mustard Weed. Anecdotal accounts suggest that the Garlic Mustard Weed is thriving as ever before in the Kingston area. Awareness is key and the Eco Kid would like to have their important message and unique spin (eat the enemy) heard loud and clear. This eager group of young people would like to see change and improvement in their community and they work very hard at their goals. They have taken the challenge of removing the Garlic Mustard Weed and invite you to help them convey this idea to the Kingston and Area Community. The Centennial Eco Kids were outraged once they discovered that a cruel invader lurked in their very own school yard! They quickly mobilized into action and waged a war on the dreaded weed. They set out on a mission to eliminate the enemy and carefully pulled out several bags worth of the menace. As focused and as furiously they worked they soon realized that the weed is a formidable foe threatening to take over Kingston! The Eco Kids need some awesome support to combat the wicked weed and restore peace to the eco system in Kingston and Area. Get rid of the Garlic Mustard Weed - Eat it to Beat it!

London (Inativo) – The Liverpool Project;stopping bleeding in the str

2012-05-16T00:00:00Z

I am Charlotte, a junior doctor working in Newham and involved with The Liverpool Project, in particular I lead on expansion and have founded the London team. The Liverpool Project is a group of junior doctors and medical students who teach Young Offenders how to provide immediate medical care at the scene of a penetrating trauma (knife/gun wounds) to prevent death and injury. We teach two 90 min sessions on consecutive weeks. Teaching takes an easy to understand and interactive format so that skills can be recalled and utilised in pressurised situations where action is required urgently. The aim is ultimately to reduced injury and death from interpersonal violence while giving young people skills and greater confidence. The project also offers young doctors and medical students a fantastic opportunity to work with young people from less privileged backgrounds and to learn from their experiences - hopefully making students better doctors in the long run. We already have established teams delivering training in Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and have recently expanded to London. We hope expand to cover young people in all of the Youth Offending Teams (YOTs)in all major cities. The Liverpool Project has achieved a lot, recently being awarded a place in The Observer and NESTAs "Britain's New Radicals" as well as receiving small grants from NHS innovations and The National Lottery. However we are a fragile organisation relying purely on our volunteers and gifts of equipment to continue our service. Currently we do not have money to pay for our volunteers to have specialist training and rely on skilled trainers donating their free time. We hope to expand to teach in all YOTs in London, Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham and Liverpool, which are the cities with the highest rates of violence. This will be done by carefully recruiting teams of volunteers via medical schools, giving them excellent training and supporting them in delivering teaching. We want to improve through research and measuring the impact of our intervention. The Project is awesome because it is totally unique. It targets the highest risk young people and gives them new skills and confidence which when put into practice could save lives. We are the right people to do this because we have been up and running for years. We are dedicated and passionate, as is demonstrated by the expansion of the project at the hands of several long term committed members of the team.

New York City, NY – Legomandala

2012-05-14T00:00:00Z

“Legomandala” combines the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of creating and ritualistically dismantling ornate sand mandalas with the contemporary medium of LEGO. A meticulous work of art, it is taken apart just after completion by a group of adults and children invited to transform it into their own creation. Please see (http://vimeo.com/19932607) for a timelapse video of the first large Legomandala I completed with some LEGO I had on loan last year. It was an experiment and it worked! Now I need a collection of LEGO dedicated to this work to bring more Legomandalas to the public at large. Using LEGO, a contemporary toy and a plaything of wealthy nations, in an artistic, political and social context has proved a powerful way of communicating with people today. The LEGO makes accessible to people who might otherwise be unconcerned with spiritual, philosophical or political issues, uncommonly profound concepts in an environment focused on one thing: collaborative change. The deconstruction of the piece represents the acceptance of material impermanence; calling us to live more presently and to value all life in its precious fragile reality. It is also a statement as to the insanity of valuing material goods over the good of other living beings. This is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist message and has helped the Tibetan people resist the Chinese occupation of their country peacefully and for decades. Their cause is no longer in “fashion” but it is still very much alive and as relevant to the world’s crises as ever. The reconstruction of the LEGO represents the importance of imaginative co-creation and joy in transformative work. When participants are invited to dismantle this “sacred” universe and encouraged to make it their own, they are being called to play an active role in to co-creation of our world. The LEGO represents the building blocks of our universe and how when we are involved in transformation and re-creation collaboratively and joyfully – we are at our best in the world. It is both a spiritual, political and social piece. The beauty of the mandala, letting it go and participating as a group in creating the new - is an excellent medium for raising awareness. Not only is a Legomandala a profound agent for social impact, it is also fun. I am currently involved in a number of awesome projects. Another one of note is a street art initiative involving children's drawings, The Monster Project. See www.themonsterproject.net And Thanks!

Kitchener-Waterloo – Berlin Shorts

2012-05-12T00:00:00Z

I grew up in KW but moved to Edmonton to do my Masters degree in Drama. My intention was to spend 3-5 years there, but ten years, 1 marriage and 1 kid later my wife and I decided to return to the land of free babysitting . . . I mean family. I wanted to return to Kitchener because I'd heard so much about the exciting things happening downtown and wanted to be part of the revitalisation. I wanted to lay down some roots, dig in and really focus some energy on planting seeds and watching them grow. And the thing I'm best at growing is creative opportunities. I stayed in Edmonton because of the vibrant arts scene. I produced sketch comedy shows and did a lot of arts admin, but toward the end of my stay I began presenting a short film competition that really excited me in the way it connected emerging and established film makers. I liked it so much that I decided to start a festival here just like it. And so Berlin Shorts was born. Berlin Shorts is a new and on-going adjudicated short film event presented in association with the Multicultural Cinema Club. Films are screened before a live audience and adjudicated by three industry professionals. Judges provide live feedback, and points are awarded based on audience and judge voting. Filmmakers whose films are selected for inclusion receive $50 IMAA screening fees. Top-scoring films get renewed for the next event and win prizes. The notion is to stimulate continued and sustained creativity by setting deadlines and commanding repeat performances from film makers. The Multicultural Cinema Club provides a free venue for screening (the Queen Street Commons Cafe), but I pay screening fees, the cafe employee, and related costs out of my pocket. It costs me about $500 per event; I've done two events so far, and have a third planned for May 26, 2012. I intend to keep investing my own money in this project because I believe in it. In the three years I ran a similar program in Edmonton I saw tremendous improvement in the quality of submissions, but even more exciting was how film makers met each other and started working together. Several of them now work professionally; one works for Kenny Hotz (Kenny vs. Spenny). After I get a few years under my belt, I'm certain that the funding I intend to seek from all three levels of government will come through to support this very worthwhile project. But until then, every little bit helps . . .

Zürich (Inativo) – Relaunch LAMM

2012-05-11T00:00:00Z

Die "Liga der aussergewöhnlichen Montagsmailer - LAMM" ist ein von Studenten gegründeter Verein, der mithilfe eines Blogs vernünftiges, kritisches Denken fördert. LAMM schreibt scheinbar naive Fragemails an Unternehmen, Verbände und städtische Behörden und publiziert die meist entlarvenden Antworten auf dem LAMM-Blog. Mit diesem Frage- und Antwortespiel machen wir Unternehmen einerseits darauf aufmerksam, dass Konsumenten ihr Tun beobachten. Andererseits lernen unsere Leser aus der simplen Tatsache, dass sich die Firmen jeder noch so naiven Frage annehmen, dass sie selbst als Einzelne eine Stimme haben, die es zu gebrauchen gilt. Zu den Erfolgen von LAMM gehören u.a.: *der KVA Zürich das Eingeständnis abgerungen zu haben, den aus der Verbrennung von Abfall erzeugten Strom doch nicht als CO2-frei bezeichnen zu dürfen. *Mails und entlarvende Antworten von Migros, Coop, McDonalds, Microsoft, Coiffeur Valentino, Chicoree, Carhartt, H&M, Nordsee, WWF, Stadt Zürich und vielen Mehr. LAMM hat in den letzten zwei Jahren die Leserschaft konstant gesteigert. Doch seit Beginn unseres Schaffens publizieren wir unsere Beiträge auf einem rudimentären Wordpressblog. Auf diesem System verschwinden alte, nach wie vor relevante Beiträge in den Tiefen des Blogs, eine flexible leserfreundliche Führung ist kaum möglich. Auch neue Publikationsgefässe können nur mangelhaft umgesetzt werden.