Awesome Foundation - Projects

Sarnia (Inativo) – Karam (Generosity) Kitchen

2019-04-18T00:00:00Z

At Lakeroad Public School, 50 students in Grades 6-8 meet once a week in a restorative learning circle, called Circle Up. Everyone in the circle makes a commitment to honour four agreements: listen to understand rather than to judge; take turns sharing our stories; show respect for the dignity of others and speak our truths. One of this year‘s projects is Karam Kitchen. Karam means hospitality or generosity in Arabic. For the students, Karam Kitchen represents an experience of generosity. It is based around 4 cooking lessons that provide a chance to break bread with a translator and a Syrian refugee. Students learn about Syria, being a refugee, building empathy with newcomers & English language learners, foster an appreciation for home through live poetry reading, speaking/writing a different language, examining biases, busting some myths & sharing moments of gratitude. In each of the 4 cooking lessons the students get to try & learn to make a different Syrian-inspired food prepared by our Syrian guest. In the end, the students will have the makings of a complete meal.

Rochester, NY (Inativo) – Complete Streets Makeover 2.0

2019-04-18T00:00:00Z

Last year, the intersection of Parsells Ave and Greeley St was selected for a "Complete Streets Makeover" - basically, we wanted to make the street more inclusive, attractive, and safe for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers as opposed to the dangerous speedway it was. Community members came out en masse for the day-long event where we installed curb extensions to slow down cars as they turned, painted a on-street mural, and put up artistic elements along the streetscape. We even brought in a piano for everyone to paint and play. Neighbors are still talking about what a great time they had! Unfortunately, a key component of the makeover (a set of speed cushions) did not arrive in time for the event. Without it we were unable to collect the traffic data needed to demonstrate our proof of concept and make a case for a permanent redesign of the street. Thankful, the City has now purchased a set of speed cushions, and it looks like we'll have a second chance. This is where the Awesome Foundation comes in! We'd like to make a strong case that the temporary changes we are making should be made permanent. In other words, this project has the potential to demonstrate the power of every day residents to get things done and effect change while having a great time doing it! Even better, it's something that can be replicated all throughout Rochester and in cities everywhere!

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Mobile Makerspace

2019-04-17T00:00:00Z

Chicago Mobile Makers is a nonprofit organization in Chicago that offers free and low-cost youth workshops encompassing design, architecture, digital fabrication, basic construction and place-making in Chicago communities. In the last year, we engaged more than 100 youth, held 25 workshops, and served eight different neighborhoods. Our founder, Maya Bird-Murphy, was featured live on WTTW Chicago Tonight and we were featured in Fast Company Magazine as a 2018 World Changing Idea. We currently have the capabilities to host entry-level workshops within classrooms, or any space that can accommodate students. We bring workshops to communities so communities don’t have to find a way to get to us. We want to create as much access as possible to young people who may have never thought about a career in design, digital fabrication, or the construction trades. We believe the best way to provide access is to build a mobile makerspace - a retrofitted step van that holds power tools, hand tools, and anything needed to design and make. We have secured the funds for the step van itself and we'll be purchasing it this spring. We will continue to find funding for the build-out throughout the summer.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Astro Science in the Western Area of Nicaragua

2019-04-16T00:00:00Z

This project will be implemented for the Association of Amateur Astronomers of León (ASAFILE), in western region of Nicaragua in Central America. ASAFILE was founded in March, 2014, by amateur astronomers with the main goal to promote a not well known and litlle practive science in the country which is Astronomy by doing several activities at a local level, we could mention: 1. Free outreaches in public places: For this purpose, ASAFILE use its telescopes and encourage to people to make observations for free of celestial bodies such as Moons, Sun, Comets and Planets. We also, attend special astronomy events, for example Lunar and Solar Eclipses, encouraging to people to make observations by using our scopes with no cost. We take advantage of these activities to share experiences with the attendants, describing the marvelous of Universe, the Big Bang Theory, technical info about planets amog others. To have a higher impact we prepare flyers or brochure containing this information, thus people can take a part of this information to their homes. 2. Free school talks: We visit local schools to promote Astronomy among students, first we share information about the History of Astronomy and how this science influenced into the development of many civilizations worldwide and its current contibutions of our societies nowadays. 3. Free Univesity Talks: We visit universities to share with students technical information of this science into a deeper perspective way but also to train teachers with the use of astronomy applications or software as teaching tools for their classes. In the case of points numbers 2 and 3, we end our activities with observations by using telescopes. However, all our activities have been implemented at a local level, into the city of León, one our main goals have been to strength our equipments and spread our activities to other cities or municipalities in the western region of the country, and continue sharing science with people.

Artsakh (Inativo) – Ժպտացող Քաղաքի մայթային էթիկետը

2019-04-16T00:00:00Z

«Ժպտացող Քաղաքը» Ստեփանակերտն է: Շուշիի բարձունքից նայելով ինձ համար այն լա՜յն ժպիտ, իսկ երեկոյան ժամերին՝ լուսավոր ժպիտ է, ներսից էլ է ժպտուն: Ինչու՞ «Քաղաք», շատ եմ սիրում: Ինչու՞ «մայթային էթիկետ»: Անգամ Googleելով մայթային էթիկետի վերաբերյալ համապարփակ նյութ չեք գտնի: Հաճախ ավելի լավ հասկանալու համար մայթային խնդիրները, ինձ մտովի դնում եմ զբոսաշրջիկի տեղում, այլ աչքով նայում շուրջս: Փոքրիկ վերլուծություն: Մայթային էթիկետը համարենք հատկանիշ, որով պատկերացում ենք կազմում ինքներս մեր և օտարները մեր մասին: 2018 թ. Արցախ է այցելել մոտ 29000 զբոսաշրջիկ, որոնց գրեթե 98% եղել է Ստեփանակերտում: Ստեփանակերտի բնակչությունը մոտ 53000 մարդ է, սոու մեր 2-րդ թիրախային խումբը զբոսաշրջիկներն են: Կցանկանայի, որ նրանք էլ մեր մասին ամենաբարձր տպավորություններն ունենան: Եւ ի վերջո, խնամված քաղաքը մեզանից յուրաքանչյուրի դեմքն է: Մեր սերը քաղաքի նկատմամբ գործով պետք է ցույց տանք: Մի շտապեք, լսեք: Մշակել եմ մինչեւ 20 to do-ներ՝ «կարելիներ», «չի կարելիներ» «ցանկալիներ» և «ոչ ցանկալիներ»: Հասարակությունն արագ է ձանձրանում, պետք են գույներ, ստեղծարարություն, հումոր: Սոու, To do-ները կներկայացնեմ մայթերին գրաֆիկ դիզայնով արված նկարներով ցուցանակներ տեղադրելով, որոնք արտահայտելու են կոնկրետ իրավիճակներ: Գրություները լինելու են եռալեզու՝ անգլերեն, ռուսերեն, հայերեն, որ ներկայացվելու է 2 տարբերակով՝ գրական հայերենով և Արցախի բարբառով /Ստեփանակերտի առօրյա խոսակցական/ Ներկայացնում եմ միայն 4 նմուշ (կցված), մնացածները՝ անձամբ: Ունեմ լոգոն (կցված), լոգոյի դիզայնի սկսնակ փորձերս են:Կունենամ ֆեյսբուքյան էջ: Պրեզենտացիաներին կներգրավեմ հասակակից կամավորների, ու դուք էլ միացեք: Ծրագիրը երկարաժամկետ է, կներխուժեմ նաեւ Շուշիի մայթեր (մանրամասն կպատմեմ): Չէ, չէ, ձեզանից էլ գումար չեմ ուզելու: Այս ամենից գրքույկ կտպագրեմ, կներկայացնեմ ու բաժանեմ դպրոցներում... Հաճախ մարդիկ «ճանճի» աշխարհայացքով միայն քննադատում են: Ես ընտրում եմ «մեղվի» աշխարհայացքը եւ կփորձեմ նպաստել համայնքի զարգացմանը: Բացի վերը նշված նպատակներից, ուզում եմ մարդկանց լայն ժպիտ պարգեւել: Դե լավ գոնե սովորական ժպիտ :)

Asheville, NC (Inativo) – The Prison Songwriting Project

2019-04-15T00:00:00Z

This May we are facilitating a songwriting workshop for incarcerated women in our community who currently reside at Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women. We believe that meaningful arts experiences should be available to everyone, especially people who have experienced very challenging events in their lives. Since 1980 the number of women in prisons in the United States has increased by more than 700%. (The Sentencing Project, 2015) With your support, we can extend the reach of music based programs in the Asheville Area to the growing number of incarcerated women in our community. At SCCW, as many as 85% of the women serving time there have been physically, emotionally, and/or sexually abused. (Ministries Of Hope, 2018) Artistic self-expression can provide a safe and healthy way to release and cope with potentially destructive feelings. (Blacker, Watson and Beech 2008) Engaging with the arts in prison environments has been described as a “humanising" experience” (Allen, Shaw, and Hall 2004). Olivia Gude, in her 2009 Lowenfeld Lecture, affirmed the importance of art training and engagement in empowering incarcerated people with a sense of purpose and a belief that they are capable of realizing positive change in their lives. (Gude, 2009) This program will ignite the resilience of our participants by providing an avenue for their creative engagement in the world beyond the prison walls. An added benefit of prison arts programs is the opportunity for artists within the prison to reconnect with society. This program will culminate in the opportunity for willing participants to have their songs and stories shared with the public in a community education event outside of the prison. We know that all people, their culture, and their art contribute to the meaning and understanding of our humanity and should be honored and celebrated. This opportunity will help to bridge the gap in understanding between the women at SCCW and other people in and around Asheville.

San Jose, CA – San Jose BoomBox for Luna Park Chalk Art Fest

2019-04-15T00:00:00Z

Every September since 2008 the all-volunteer Luna Park Arts Foundation puts on the Luna Park Chalk Art Festival in Backesto Park (in downtown San Jose, bounded by 13th & 15th streets and Jackson & Empire.) The Festival brings together artists of all ages and abilities to chalk the walks of the park. The event is free to attend. We estimate our annual attendance at 3000. General Admission Artists pay $20-$25 for a reserved chalk space and chalk. K-12 age youth groups (schools, scout troops, art clubs, etc.) are invited to register for free and are then eligible to apply for one of our K-12 grants for their arts programs. We fund the grants from the general admission tickets and give out grants ranging from $200 to $1000 to 5-7 schools each year. We have granted over $30,000 over the past 5 years. We rely upon grants and donations to fund the park use fees and other expenses of running the festival. In addition to utilitarian expenses such as porta-potties and electricity, we pay stipends of $250 to 10-12 inspiring artists, which we feature in a designated area. As part of our community outreach and engagement strategy we also invite food trucks, local vendors, non-profits and neighborhood craftspeople to participate. Just to keep things lively, we schedule 5-7 local acts to appear on our stage. The acts range from Judo class demonstrations, Aztec Dancers, a Celtic Pirate band and other eclectic talent. In support of our talent, we offer each group a stipend of $250. For the last 4 years we have used the San Jose BoomBox as our stage - because it is so much fun to have them at our Festival - and because it is less costly than renting stage and sound equipment. Prior to working with the BoomBox folks, our stage and sound equipment cost were as high as $2500!

Pittsburgh, PA – We All Eat: Neighbors Feeding Neighbors

2019-04-15T00:00:00Z

"We All Eat" is a creative food access project fusing youth maker training and employment, living produce, and the introduction/access to new food choices. The project takes place within Every Day's a Sunday Cafe in Garfield. Through the support of Bridgeway Capital, Sustainable Pittsburgh, and other community partners, a soiless vertical growing system capable of growing 100 plants is being installed on a wall inside the restaurant this spring. With a selection of microgreens and herbs also maintained in-house, we are installing a living salad bar and smoothie concept fueled by a local urban greenhouse. Although plants growing on the wall is cool and organic berry smoothies topped with flash frozen mint leaves is lovely, the fact that much of our community can't access these things due to various barriers is not very awesome. Our goal is to play our part in addressing the disparity in food choices between neighbors old and new. We All Eat sees a pay-it-forward food concept installed in the restaurant. While a patron can choose to purchase a meal or item for a future hungry stranger, indicated by magnetic hearts the wall with the donated item or value listed, we also hope to stimulate participation by offering kind-hearted neighbors tangible items in return for their financial support for our concept. The plan sees a 4'x 8' space on the wall above the cash register transformed into a display for locally made items. The items are things proven to sell at a high margin. They will be manufactured in a separate part of the restaurant building by local youth brought on through the Bloomfield Garfield Corp. 50% of every sale supports subsidizing wholesome, nourishing food for local youth and working parents subsiding below poverty level. 50% goes to the makers, artists, and youth producing the merchandise (and being fed). Everyone eats. That's awesome.

Cass Clay – Handicap Accessible Gardens at the Farm

2019-04-14T00:00:00Z

We are looking for ways to provide employment to individuals with a broader range of disabilities. In order to provide employment opportunities for individuals with mobility limitations, we need to build handicapped accessible garden beds as well as appropriate adaptations for access to the beds. We have already found groups interested in participating in the project with volunteers, but are in need of additional funding in order to build enough beds to provide employment opportunities. The produce grown in these beds will provide funds to pay for the salaries of our employees and provide educational opportunities for both our employees and volunteer groups. The money will be used to pay for building materials to make handicap accessible raised garden beds.

Cass Clay – Career Services

2019-04-14T00:00:00Z

REACH, Rural Enrichment and Counseling Headquarters located in rural Clay County in the town of Hawley, MN ended our affiliation with Dress for Success which was a worldwide brand name for enabling women to enter or return to the workforce by providing business professional clothing. Under that brand REACH was not able to serve men or offer entry level clothing options to women. REACH decided to offer our own career service module and to assist anyone wishing to enter the work force helping with resume building, interview skills and most importantly clothing. We have found that our clients are entering construction types of jobs, entry level administrative assistant jobs, CNA jobs and manual labor jobs. We rely completely on donations of clothing to our thrift store to provide our career service clients one set of interview clothes and then one week of job clothing as soon as they have secured employment. We meet with our career service clients on Mondays and Tuesday when our thrift store is closed so that we can provide them with a private one on one experience. The majority of our clients are from the Fargo-Moorhead area. We have 53 referring agencies from the Fargo Moorhead area. All of this is provided at no cost to our clients. We do the best we can with the donations that we receive however we are very limited in being able to provide work boots for men, heavy outdoor clothing, hospital scrubs or neon colored construction clothing.

Cass Clay – To create a Center for sustainable help

2019-04-14T00:00:00Z

Women Initiative Network of Liberia (WIN-Liberia) was established in 2017 to create a place with activities and support services that would cater for specific needs for single moms, youth,children and vulnerable adults in the Liberian immigrants community in Cass & Clay County. our mission & vision is building our community and improving lives. And our primary activities are: 1.Promote dignity and self-esteem,2.Foster independence and self-determination,3.Facilitate careers development program for youth and teen moms in our community,4.Dispel stereotypes and myths about Liberian community,5.Facilitate after-school programs for single mom’s children. And we intent to extend some of our project to Liberia in the future.However, the organization does not have a funder. All of our passed and current projects is being sponsor by the organization founder/ED, fundraiser and other community members. And for current project, we're seeking for an assistance that will help us keep our center for continue services to the people that we service. In that light,the purpose of this project is to help pay for at least four to five months rent for center/office space as it would ease the weight off our ED shoulders while she continue to searched for a facial sponsor(s).This overall program will be monitored, evaluate, and adapted on a regular basis throughout the program circle. the project will not hire staff with this fund, but stipends will be provided to mentors who will manage and implement this program only when the needs arises. our duty is to supervise, engage, and motivate the beneficiaries from a variety of the Liberian immigrants community and economic backgrounds.The board will ensure program compliance through oversight supervision.Moreover,this program will also allow WIN-Liberia-ND to gain her physical address and be located by her services she provide. this program will further strengthen our capacity to address the root causes of the issues that affect of community.

Raleigh, NC (Inativo) – River Cube Project

2019-04-10T00:00:00Z

The nearly two-million-year-old Neuse River is one of the oldest in what is now known as the United States and stretches some 275 miles across the state of North Carolina. Its waters traverse ancient rift basins created during the break-up of the supercontinent Pangea and accumulate behind dams of the modern epoch before flowing onward to the global ocean. Rivers have the capacity to remember and tell stories; to connect the past, the present and the future. The River Cube Project will explore the Neuse River as a unique environment created and influenced by relationships between nature, people, and technology. The Project is the catalyst for the collection and creation of context-specific materials that take the form of sculpture, drawings, data, audio visual materials, scientific and social studies that synthesize and reflect - present a sampling of - the Neuse River’s diversity and complexity. The River Cube Project is a floating studio, laboratory and experimental space. Within this space, we plan to explore the physical space of the river itself, i.e., as an excavated form carved by water over millennia as well as other interactions within the space. These include the geological and anthropological history of the river, both current and historical scientific research on the river and the instruments and tactics used to better understand this natural phenomenon and its formation, the scientists involved, as well as any collective mythology on the river, and how all of these impact the region’s rich socio-ecological and cultural history. Through the River Cube Project, we hope to bring together a rich and useful dialogue among regional participants in the arts, sciences and humanities as well as within the local communities affected by the Neuse River.

Almere (Inativo) – Hét Eerste DOE-museum/werkplaats onder Expertise.

2019-04-08T00:00:00Z

Mijn met zorg voorbereide Concept heeft al op alle aspecten zijn dienst bewezen in Almere Centrum. Gewoon doen, HIER. Gewoon anders. Talent ontwikkeling voor +19 jaar met een introducee. Vanaf 8 jaar tot 99 jaar onder begeleiding. Doe het Zelf (beter) Werkplaats-museum ( kijk met je handen/oren/neus...). Onder gediplomeerde begeleiding Speciaal Onderwijs. Na een vrij donkere periode waarbij IK evengoed vrijwilligerswerk bleef doen binnen mijn interessegebieden, NU weer gewoon aan 't Werk alleen nooit meer alleen. Dat motto zet zich vertaald in dit Concept door. Ik kan veel in praktijk realiseren voor een grote groep in Talent/ hobby/ ontdekking vanuit zichzelf. Wie ksn dat beter dan jezelf. Zonder wifi/kabeltje/ oplader. Een bevrijdende onuitputtelijke bron van inspiratie zit in iedereen ! IK help daarbij middels observatie en vaak een omweg om dit praktisch samen vorm te geven- door te geven aan de introducé....enz. enz. Het lopend vuurtje door Almere Centrum. Taalvaardigheden/ creatief/ poetisch/ nieuwe taal/ erbij taal/ vreemde taal.... Praktijk creatieve Art suggesties kunnen door t uitgebreide aanbod en verkenning van materialen en mogelijkheden lijken oneindig dan. Muziekaal. Uitsluitend passief op de achtergrond een sfeer zoeken om optimaal te flowen naar eigen inzicht. De huishond zal dit alles erbij verluchtigen door haar eigen karakter. Drempel- verlagend ook ! Meer weten- dan hoor of lees ik ook graag. Vriendelijke groet, Wilco Dusty - teacherspet- lady Labrador dog of 8 years old.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – “Altars: Black Queer Spirit Work”

2019-04-08T00:00:00Z

“Altars: Black Queer Spirit Work” is a visual intervention that addresses the making and significance of altars in the lives of black queer subjects. It is through the making of personal and communal altars that we are able to resist and persist within an everyday reality of intersectional violences such as anti-blackness, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. Altars are a way of creating communion with our ancestors and shape an erotic poetics of intimacy, interiority and radical belonging; within which we construct narratives of freedom and resistance, memory and storytelling, desire and possibility. Our altars can take multiple forms: traditional altars, altars to ancestors, communal pop-up or temporary altars, personal altars, altars for protection, altars of the body, and of water. Thus the project will address how specific black queer subjects participate in African Diasporic spiritual practices through the creation of altars. The project is a collaboration, between myself as visual storyteller and ten collaborators-artists, activists, workers, academics, priests and priestesses of the African Diaspora-who will agree to contribute text explicating their altars and “spirit work.” This first phase of the project will take place in my present locality of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Ann Arbor, MI – Home Builders Workshop

2019-04-08T00:00:00Z

Our project is to start a new workforce development program to provide hands-on training to rehab a house. In addition to teaching skilled trades, this program will give MECCA Development Corporation an opportunity to rehab its first house and give back to low-income/senior/veteran households by requiring each participant to complete 2 service projects upon finishing the program. The plan is to teach participants how to build-out a basement and fix home repair problems. The 12-week program schedule includes learning to use tools, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and computer literacy. The program, targeting 20 underemployed or unemployed young adults between the ages of 18 and 35, will prepare participants with a skill set that can be utilized immediately and provide financial independence. Classes will begin June 4, 2019 and run through August 24, 2019. Sessions will be held twice per week on Tuesday and Saturday; 4 hours per session, at a home in disrepair or classroom setting with space for building mock walls. The program will be promoted at the monthly community meetings for the three neighborhoods we work within. We will mail fliers, provide fliers directly to prospective participants at their door, and email those who’ve completed our “Community Asset Questionnaire” or attended a previous event. Upon completion, participants will have thorough knowledge of how to finish a basement and install and fix various housing system problems. Attendees will receive a $50 stipend (to assist with transportation), a home repair guide and a small tool kit (upon completion). At the conclusion of the program, licensed builders will be able to hire the participants or participants can elect to pursue their builder’s license.

Vegan (Inativo) – Tulsa VegFest 2019

2019-04-08T00:00:00Z

My name is Melissa Furman and I am the Co-Founder and Event Organizer for Tulsa VegFest. For the first time in the Tulsa area, and the first of its kind in Oklahoma, Tulsa VegFest, (being held on May 4, 2019) is an annual festival that will bring information and resources about the whole foods plant-based lifestyle together in one place. We hope The Awesome Foundation can be a visible part of this exciting outdoor event that will reach a vibrant community, thousands strong! I invite you to be a Partner of Tulsa VegFest in its inaugural year by way of a financial grant. Oklahomans are joining the movement of taking control of their health and wellness and caring more about sustainability! That’s why thousands are expected at Tulsa VegFest where attendees can expect to find a wealth of information and resources that emphasize plant-strong, active and sustainable living. We want your organization to be part of this exciting event where attendees from all walks of life and all ways of eating and living will see your organization as a resource for vibrant living! The Plant-Based Green Country Group (PBGC) - a 501c3 entity - is organizing a VegFest to be held in Tulsa, OK, on May 4, 2019. This event will be free to the public. Our focus is to educate and promote a healthy plant-based lifestyle. This will be the FIRST VegFest in northeastern Oklahoma. The Tulsa VegFest 2019 will include presentations by nationally recognized plant-based speakers who are experts in their fields, vendor and non-profit booths, and a food court. The vendors will feature plant-based food products--some national brands, environmentally and animal friendly organizations; gardening, exercise, health, and earth-friendly products. The anticipated number of attendees for this first year is 2500-4500+ and will attract people from the region. Our goal is to educate and encourage others to adopt a Whole Food Plant-Based lifestyle in order to build a stronger, healthier Oklahoma!

Fleurieu – Fleurieu Leaders Youth Program (FLYP)

2019-04-08T00:00:00Z

The Fleurieu Leaders Youth Program (FLYP) was founded to provide a program allowing young people in the Fleurieu to explore their personal potential, develop strong friendships, & to connect with their community. Over a 3 day, 2 night camp 20 participants, aged 13-16, will have the opportunity to participate in a journey of experiential learning & reflective practice, with experienced role models & mentors, A range of interactive events may include outdoor activities, motivational workshops & live music. Our mission is to provide an opportunity for young people to grow into resilient ambassadors of their community. The plan is for FLYP to become a sustainable replicable program for years to come.

Almere (Inativo) – Green Re-Action

2019-04-07T00:00:00Z

My Awesome project is called Green Re-Action for a multitude of reasons: - Green, because my project is all for the environment. This world is the only one we got and we are treating it like crap. - Re-Action, because it is a reaction to shops like the Action, who sell cheap, badly produced, disposable products that pollute our planet. - Action stands for: We have to take action NOW! There is no time to waste! Now, what is Green Re-Action exactly? Maybe you guessed it already... Green Re-Action is the new lifestyle shop. In my shop you will find a diversity of non-food products. From bamboo earbuds to cloth diapers, from sustainable sanitary products to secondhand clothing, from wooden toys to rentable birthday boxes and from beeswax cloths to home decoration. My aim is to be just as diverse as the discount department stores but than fair, ecological and sustainable. A bolt idea? O yes! But I didn’t say I wanted it as big as the existing stores, or I wanted to have it all from the start, but it is something I want to work towards to. In the formula of my shop there are three terms at the core; - Reuse: I will offer a range of second hand and/or reusable products. - Reduce: next to reducing plastic waste it is also important to reduce our global footprint by choosing products that are as locally manufactured as possible. - Recycle: the last one in line, because to make something new from something old costs energy. But still it is a lot better than simply throwing stuff away and burning it. In my shop I like to breath live into old stuff, so there will be up-cycled furniture, clothing and dishcloths made from old towels for sale. That is it for now. There is so much more to tell about my plans, but I think this is the main core. I like to finish with these words: Re-use Re-duce Re-cycle Re-Action!

Newburgh, NY – Consider Me

2019-04-07T00:00:00Z

In 1951, Langston Hughes wrote “Consider Me” which, like most of his poems addressed current social issues. Today, the poem resonates as we are quickly slipping backwards on human rights and civil liberties, the news cycle dominated by accounts of racism, sexism and homophobia. "Consider Me" is a portrait series of the people I come across in and around Newburgh. Each person is photographed in my portable pop-up studio set up on the street. There’s no identifying information other than the clothes they wear. Your experience is as if you were walking towards each other on the street. The work will be presented as an outdoor installation of life-size photographs interspersed with unidentified text panels. You walk through the installation, read statements and histories, but have no idea who is who. You won’t know the single mom from the woman with stage 4 cancer; the detective from the parolee who served time and runs a successful business; the tennis teacher from the homeless man; the opera prodigy from the girl who helps her mom clean houses. In meeting people in Newburgh, I began to think about my perception of the people we approached on the streets. How many times did I get it wrong? It is time we all confronted our prejudices of, and aversions to, people who are different from us. "Consider Me" aims to do just that.

Liverpool (Inativo) – Empowering Independent Cyclists in Liverpool

2019-04-06T00:00:00Z

My project is to empower people to cycle in Liverpool and give them the self-confidence to maintain their bike for themselves. I’ll do this by organising a series of workshop classes for the public at Make. North Docks. I will teach people in small groups at an affordable subsidised price how to clean, maintain and adjust their bike so they can ride it in Liverpool, and benefit from the freedom, exercise and mobility of their bike. I’ve practised this type of class with members of the Make North Docks makers’ space. In a class lasting 2 hours I can teach 5 people -How to adjust the bike to fit themselves best for maximum comfort and confidence when cycling. -How to clean and lubricate their bike. -How to repair a puncture or replace inner tubes and tyres. -How to adjust brake pads for safe braking. -Other basic maintenance, such as pumping tyres to the correct pressure.

Newcastle – The Care-parking poem

2019-04-04T00:00:00Z

I live in Cooks Hill. Nearly everyday, I need to carry my children, plus many many boxes ( I work as a mobile art teacher and have so much stuff) around the block because the people in front of my house are parking extremely unconsidered and happily double park resulting in daily frustration for most of my neighbours and myself. But what can you do? Writing little mean messages does not help. Therefore my friend Helen and me brainstormed, searching for a fun and sweet way to educate without patronising. As a result the Care Parking poem was born. It goes like this: Some people are big, Some people are small, Some people are wide, Some people are tall. Many beasts have two feet, Some have four, A few have six legs, And a few possess more. I’ve seen women on wheels, Ladies with sticks, Dashing men beside prams, And joggers with kids. We all take up space, Some more, some less, But in Newcastle City, We park the best! At the moment I illustrate the poem as a booklet, one verse per spread and once finished we will have something sweet and powerful to give to the double parkers and everyone feeling annoyed by it. Interestingly, since talking with friends about our poem/booklet approach we realised that there are actually so many everyday annoyances that need some poems..... so we figured this could be the starting point a New(y) way of daily conflict-resolution......

Newmarket – Move with Project Autism - York Region

2019-04-04T00:00:00Z

We would like to start offering a weekly program in Newmarket for children with autism. We will be also offering a once a month Girls Group as well as the weekly Move program. The Girls Group is a much needed initiative. It is so important for girls on the spectrum to find other girls like themselves and learn that they are not alone. We provide a much needed social opportunity in an inclusive environment. Each month will include a different activity that the girls will get to enjoy while socializing and enjoying a sense of community. Our Move program is all about getting active and having fun while doing it. We play a variety of cooperative games as well as our own versions of various sports. We play roller scooter soccer, ball hockey, basketball, parachute games and more. All of our active games have been modified to enhance participation and a feeling of positivity. Our participants get to enjoy being active and socialize in an accepting and non-competitive environment. It is about community working together and creating something new and exciting. Together we are creating a nurturing environment that our children can be a part of. There is no judgement and no expectations from them. They are free to be themselves and are accepted for who they are. We encourage them to explore, try new experiences and find the best version of themselves. Our programs are completely free. Everything we do is done through the generosity of volunteers. This way there are no barriers for anyone to participate. Our programs are geared towards those on the autism spectrum but are open to any special needs children regardless of diagnosis.

Singapore – WUJ Kampong Clean-up

2019-04-04T00:00:00Z

Wan's Ubin Journal (WUJ) Kampong Clean-up is the first of its kind on Pulau Ubin, where a clean-up project is aimed directly in helping the community, instead of just the environment. Home to Singapore's last offshore kampong, Pulau Ubin is the only place in Singapore that is left untouched from urban development and is kept in its rustic charms. The 30+ kampong houses that remain on the island are the only remnants of how Singapore used to look like in the past - not just in terms of its environment, but also through the community and its spirit; thus serving as an important heritage and cultural preservation for Singapore. However, as most of the residents have aged gracefully, they have begun to face much difficulty in maintaining the beauty of their kampong houses, courtyards and gardens. Some of the yards have been covered with dense overgrowth and debris that it poses as a safety hazard for the residents too as unattended overgrowth can lead to mosquito breeding grounds and nests for snakes and other dangerous wildlife. Through my project, I hope to give back to the Ubin community by offering my help with volunteers to help maintain their homes and gardens. We assist in sweeping their courtyards, cleaning their homes and other tasks that residents may require help with. This project also strikes a personal note for me as my late grandparents and my mom have spent a lot of their lives on Pulau Ubin in the past. I hope that through this community outreach, I get to show my gratitude and appreciation for the community where my family came from. I also aim to help raise awareness of Pulau Ubin as a heritage and cultural preservation site through this project by sharing heritage stories and memories with the volunteers so that they would also hold a special place for Ubin in their hearts as well. With funding, I hope to make this project run monthly so that we can reach out to as many people as possible on the beauty and significance of Pulau Ubin.

Glasgow – GROWL Tool and Kit Lending Library

2019-04-04T00:00:00Z

GROWL (Glasgow Outdoor and Woodland Learning) is all about getting people outdoors, and specifically, learning outdoors. We help Outdoor Learning practitioners in Glasgow such as Forest School Leaders and Early Years and Primary School Teachers who want to take their kids outdoors gain skills, confidence and access resources. Outdoor learning is proven to reduce stress, increase confidence, resilience and adaptability so is absolutely brilliant for people of all ages, especially children who spend less and less time outdoors so are missing out on these key lifeskills. GROWL runs skillshares and training sessions for our 90 GROWL members around the year (including First Aid, outdoor cooking, foraging and animal tracking) and we help promote their outdoor projects through our social media sites. We recently sent a survey to our 90 members, asking them what they want from GROWL. Almost 70% (61 members) said they want to access tools and physical kit to help them run their projects. GROWL owns a great selection of outdoor learning kit (including tents, knives, saws, a pizza oven and survival shelters) but it is currently in storage in Clydebank and not accessible to our members. Many Outdoor Practitioners are unable to deliver the projects they want to, and see a need for in their area, because they don't have the right kit. It is very expensive for newly trained practitioners to invest in all the kit they need to run a few sessions. We have secured a space in the grounds of the Glasgow Botanic Gardens - a safe, well-known and easily accessible location through our ongoing partnership with their Curator. They have agreed for us to place a secure metal storage unit in their grounds to store our kit and run a lending library. We will also create special boxes for schools and community groups to hire out from the unit, such as a bug hunting kit and tree ID kits, with further resources to access online.

Oakland, CA (Inativo) – Hoover Elementary: Writer to Author

2019-04-04T00:00:00Z

Since 2012, Chapter 510 has been partnering with Oakland elementary schools to offer an intensive, hands-on literary arts unit led by an accomplished teaching artist. Working in small groups of blended classes during school hours, teaching artists and volunteers lead students in creative exploration and writing activities that enrich California’s existing science, social studies, and English curriculum. This year, we worked with students at Hoover Elementary School to develop a student-written, informational comic book. A classroom of eager writers worked with our teaching artists and volunteer tutors to conceptualize, draft, draw, and edit their informational comic book—a "how to" on topics ranging from soccer to slime. Students are knee-deep in experiencing the process of turning from writer into author, and learning all that goes into publishing a book. The final element of each young authors book project is a public reading and book release celebration. Chapter 510 helps students practice performing their pieces before they get onstage in front of families, volunteers, school leadership, and community. Readings are also multilingual, and have included poetry in Mandarin, Spanish and Arabic.

San Francisco, CA – Project Kolateral in San Francisco!

2019-04-03T00:00:00Z

Sandata (Filipino word for "weapon" or "arms") is collaboration between Filipino artists and researchers as a response to our country's growing trend of disinformation and the bloody Philippine Drug War. A British Council-funded study has named the Philippines "Patient Zero" in the global trend of social media-led political disinformation. We believe that by communicating factual data through popular art forms such a hiphop music, our work serves as a bullet in the belly of the beast -- difficult to discredit if the art is good, and doubly difficult to demonize if the music bangs. While the Philippine president called the 27,000+ casualties of the Drug War "collateral damage", we are in the final stages of Project Kolateral, a 15-track music album inspired by real stories of our people's tragedy, struggle, and survival. Our organization has been invited to speak at an event in UC Berkeley (they will be partially covering our travel expenses and board and lodging) and Harvard, but we want to be able to engage with the broader local audiences in San Francisco and Boston while we are there. We want to share our experiences, stories, and music to your local artists and communities, and learn from them in turn. Your $1000 will go a very long way for us in terms of engaging with local communities, organizing community performances, and opening new pathways of collaboration and artistic innovation. We believe the problem of disinformation and its demon child of strongman populism is a growing global problem. As such, communities across various fields must band together and figure out new ways to strike back. By being able to share and listen to experiences across cultures and backgrounds, we can sharpen our weapons and fight back in new and exciting ways.

Birmingham, AL (Inativo) – Community Naturals

2019-04-03T00:00:00Z

We are a group that does job coaching with adults possessing developmental challenges and special needs. We make candles and soaps together in community and sell them to provide for the community. Our candles and soaps are specially designed to be used to coach job skills as they are being made. We also have a pop-up shop where we can coach the "hard skills" to go along with the "soft skills" that we are coaching in the lab.

Los Angeles, CA – SPACES FOR SPONTANEOUS SINGING

2019-04-03T00:00:00Z

My installation was just selected for the Los Angeles Design Festival, which will take place from June 20-23, 2019. The LA Design Festival theme this year is 'Design with Purpose'. The installation, 'SPACES FOR SPONTANEOUS SINGING' brings the activity of uninhibited singing from a private spatial experience of one’s shower, to the public street, inviting moments of joyful expression within a new form of dedicated urban mini ‘singing shower park’. It honors both' joy as a purpose, and that purpose brings joy'. This temporary installation is designed as an intergenerational social experience, where participants can sing individually, in groupings, or remain as seated viewers. Conceptual ‘Showers’ (without water) will be built full scale to a maximum of 7’ high. The 'showers' anchored to bases (stages), privacy screens and seating can be utilized alone, or relocated to a social grouping, allowing for a ‘private’ singing experience or for couples, families and friends to sing together. The sound of water will be playing, soothing in the June heat. Vocal students from Los Angeles (the home of performance) will be invited to the installation to encourage the public to participate. It is part of the overall design festival event, surrounded by other activities and open to the public. The installation on a 20’x40’ site, in a parking space in Downtown Los Angeles, is a component system using circular 'language of perforated holes', inspired by the shower head, to be assembled onsite. -Showerheads of Wood, flexible rubber tubing to simulate water -Stanchions: Wood/PVC -Wood Base (Stage): Option A: 30” diameter -Privacy Screens: Interlocking Wood Strips with PVC/Acrylic Rods inserted into holes -Seating: Wood and PVC -Handheld Shower: Rubber Tubing and Sponge. (This will be used as a fake microphone) The installation is self-funded. Given the short funding cycle between notification and installation, it is challenging to secure grants.

Kingston – YGK Boxing's Champ Dance

2019-04-02T00:00:00Z

At YGK Boxing we host an inclusive environment where youths and adults can learn the sport of boxing while having fun and getting a great workout. Our “Awesome” idea is to host a bi-annual dance for people with disabilities, the youth, and our members. We want to turn our new location into a “dance club theme” for the night where we will have professional DJ services, fun lighting, velvet rope entrance with bouncers, “V.I.P” guest list, soda/candy bartenders, movies, and a bouncy castle. We have partnered up with other business to help make this Awesome idea into a reality. After working and setting up the adapted program with Ongwanada we agreed this could be a great start to have people living with disabilities get introduced to doing a specialized boxing workout and have a fun night out. We are very excited to be hosting an AWESOME event like this at YGK Boxing and want to continue showcasing our passion for the beautiful sport of Boxing in Kingston.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – OCCycling

2019-04-01T00:00:00Z

The OCC Cycling Project has been designed to address the isolation of residents of the Nea Kavala refugee camp in Paionia, North Greece. The camp typically contains 500-750 displaced people, and is 4 km from the nearest town, Polykastro. The absence of suitable public transport means that residents struggle to access supermarkets, pharmacies and the local health centre. Having access to bicycles free of charge means that camp residents can access the amenities mentioned, as well as the community and social events beyond the camp. Open Cultural Center’s project in Polykastro offers English classes, women-only activities, sports and community events such as movie night. Availability of bicycles will improve the access of camp residents to these informal education, community-building, and integration activities, which have been designed with the local refugee and asylum seeker population in mind. There is abundant evidence of the negative effect of isolation on mental health (Watters, 2001), and so OCC Cycling will contribute to the wellbeing of camp residents, as well as the integration of camp residents into the local community. The running of the project will involve assigning positions of responsibility to refugee and asylum-seeker volunteers, who will developing skills in bicycle maintenance, leadership, record-keeping and data entry and customer service.

Minas Gerais (Inativo) – Coletivo de Mulheres Migrantes Cio da Terra – Proj

2019-04-01T00:00:00Z

O projeto mais incrível de MaAbrilrço no universo Awesome é ação de um coletivo de mulheres migrantes com forte sincronismo em atividades sociais. A Feira e Sarau Cio da Terra é resultado desta reunião múltipla, reunindo mulheres de distintas nacionalidades, histórias, línguas e culturas à região metropolitana de BH e promovendo, além de feiras e oficinas, atividades pela geração de renda. Assim, com a realização de oficinas de capacitação para as artesãs migrantes, somando se à compra de matéria prima e instrumento para sua produção artesanal, culminam nesta Feira e Sarau onde se promoverá a apresentação e comercialização dos produtos confeccionados nas oficinas. QUE SEJA AWESOME

State College, PA – The Make Space Repair Cafe Series

2019-04-01T00:00:00Z

A repair cafe is an open community event that connects community members with skilled repair experts who can instruct them on the repair of their broken household items. Across the world, these specialized repair experts teach valuable hands-on skills to others and keep broken items out of landfills. In service of The Make Space’s mission to foster an educated, environmentally-friendly community, we aim to begin a series of repair cafes in Centre County that will teach students and residents how to repair their common household appliances, electronics, and other commonly-broken items. Our goal is to connect repair experts in the area, including our own skilled members, with residents in need of assistance at biweekly repair cafes hosted in The Make Space’s community workshop. Ideally, we would partner with local businesses for a referral program for those individuals who need additional, professional assistance. Specific items we would like to see repaired: Bicycles Kitchen appliances & tools Consumer electronics (phones, laptops, audio equipment, game devices) Clothing, shoes, and jewelry Small furniture Makeup Toys & games Books & more!

Disability – Access-Centered Trauma and Pain Healing Workshops

2019-03-31T00:00:00Z

We are a collective of multiracial, disabled, queer movement teachers and healers who work to make movement spaces more accessible to people with disability and chronic illness by shifting which kinds of bodies, minds, and movements are valued in yoga, exercise, meditation, dance, and healing spaces. In our culture, there is an assumption that disabled people either do not want to or cannot engage in movement-based activities and healing. Yet access to somatic movement is necessary for all people process trauma, and being excluded from these settings systematically isolates and traumatizes an already vulnerable population. Through education, outreach, and “Access-Centered” programming, we utilize a Disability Justice framework (founded/led by disabled queer POC) to address the overt exclusion of disabled people from spaces where we move our bodies. Many spaces and events that are advertised as “accessible” or for “all bodies” are led by abled people that are not doing the work necessary to be accessible for different types of disabilities. To change this, Access-Centered Movement has a threefold plan: firstly, to offer Access-Centered and Trauma-Informed workshops to people in our community so that we can have safe(r) space to move our bodies, supplying ourselves with comprehensive tools that we can take home to aid our self-care and healing practices and supplementing the lack of institutional support. Secondly, to offer somatic-movement training to sick and disabled folks to shift ableist paradigms and support the development of disabled teachers. This training will be a 20-hour certificate program, centering queer and BIPOC folks with disabilities, and will be sliding scale with no disabled person turned away for lack of funds. Thirdly, to offer workshops and trainings to body-movement studios, educational institutions, medical and healing centers, and meditation institutes that unknowingly center abled people and systematically exclude our community. What our grantee is saying: "The most challenging part of our mission to create Access-Centered space is the disconnect between getting the resources we need to meet a diverse array of access needs and the reality that three low income, multiracial, disabled queers have little access to said resources. Receiving the Awesome Disability grant means that we can center access in a way we have not been able to, giving us the opportunity to create radically inclusive space where our community, multiply marginalized folks with disabilities, can access movement, trauma healing, and safe space in a way we have not been able to before."

Alaska (Inativo) – Art Materials for Artists with Disabilities

2019-03-31T00:00:00Z

Fairbanks Resource Agency's Progressive Art Studio Program supports over 30 artists with disabilities to make artwork to be exhibited in in professional gallery settings. Nationwide these types of programs have come to be known as Progressive Art Studios. These programs are often confused with art therapy, which is administered in a clinical setting by licensed therapists. While art making can have a therapeutic benefit, this is not the goal of a progressive art studio. Rather, we aim to support the development of an individualized art practice, which draws from each artist’s experience of neuro-divergence. People with disabilities are often forced to conform to neuro-typical standards in all areas of their life, which can convey a message that they’re doing things wrong. It’s not always overt, but years of this type of feedback, through projects that don't make sense and require almost total staff intervention to get a desired product, can affect a person’s self-esteem. We’re trying to change that old model, and instead, send a message that the choices and art that people make are valuable and important. Some people with disabilities have non-verbal and or non-conventional forms of communication. Making art empowers them to communicate in a new way, bridging the communication gap that they experience.

Raleigh, NC (Inativo) – AI Pop-Up Experience

2019-03-30T00:00:00Z

Art Intimacy Pop-Ups are arts experiences that increase arts access in the triangle’s lowest-income communities. The goal is to develop quality arts experiences that produce creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills in youth participants. Each pop-up delivers arts learning experiences through Creation Stations, hands-on activities that focus on literacy and the arts. To ensure the entire community is involved, we enlist local artists to exhibit art, give artist talks, and perform! We encourage families to collaborate with local businesses and complete a one-day community beautification project (a mural, painted rocks, or garden art!). Partnering with local organizations and business who donate free books, art supplies, and recycled items (used for our Something from Nothing Station) make it all possible! Our awesome project will include a selfie photo session using Fujifilm Instax Cameras, a personal art journal to take home, and lots of other artsy stuff! Did we mention it’s free for all attendees, but online registration is required.

Gloucester, MA – Gambrel Roofed Cottages: Homes of the fishermen

2019-03-29T00:00:00Z

For thirty years I have been recording the small houses of the Gloucester fishermen the dotted the shoreline of Cape Ann in the 18th century. They are vulnerable, old, have seen hard use and from 350 in the 18th century there are about 50 left. They are continuing to deteriorate, burn, or be demolished. I have always thought that I could do a book using antique photos from CAM with modern day photos and some interiors. When I thought about the 400th I knew it was the appropriate time to get this project initiated and completed. At a meeting I was describing what I would like to do and Bill Remsen immediately responded that he would like participate and I was happy to have a partner. I like to write and Bill is good with more technical issues and good with a camera. Most importantly, it seem to be the right time. I want to stress the importance of the project. One hundred years from now we will all be gone but the book will last, and like Babson's history or Garland's book it is a legacy to leave for the city. We would dedicate it to the Gloucester fishermen. We would also do lectures, slide shows, classes, talk to school children and generally make these houses come to life in the eyes of the community. It is fresh material never before published. Not a rehash of previous books.

Santa Fe, NM (Inativo) – Tickets for Teachers at 2019 IFAM Santa Fe

2019-03-27T00:00:00Z

Teachers are awesome! Teachers serve as one of the most important outlets for students to learn about the global world in which they live. In acknowledgement of this, and in alignment of the International Folk Art Market's mission of creating economic opportunities for and with folk artists worldwide who preserve folk art traditions, we value global dialogue and understanding. Our flagship program, the International Folk Art Market (IFAM) Santa Fe captures this transformational sentiment of bringing the world together for a three-day period in the second weekend of July in the beautiful Museum Hill campus. More than 150 master folk artists representing 49 countries showcase and sell their folk art treasures to create positive social change in their home communities. More than $3 million is generated by 21,000 shoppers, folk art collectors, volunteers, community members, and global citizens. The last Market day, which is Sunday Market: Community & Family Day, is significant to our mission in building community, including teachers and their students to the Market. Children under 16 get receive free admission, and our Tickets for Teachers program on Sunday Market also grants educators with free admission for the day. IFAM appreciates teachers and we do this to honor their service. We ask the Awesome Foundation for $1,000 to fully fund our 2019 Tickets for Teachers program to grant Santa Fe area teachers free admission to Market. As one teacher participant states, "By attending the Market, my students were able to see the world in the backyard. I'm so glad to get to as well." The International Folk Art Alliance dba IFAM subsidizes/donates the cost of Sunday admission to teachers. A grant from Awesome Foundation Santa Fe will provide funds for design, promotion and printing of tickets to benefit 600 teachers and the production of an IFAM/Awesome Foundation teachers' badge/button as a gift to these educators to visibly show our support. The 16th annual International Folk Art Market will take place July 12-14, 2019 in Santa Fe, NM.

Aviano (Inativo) – Homeless Blessing Bags

2019-03-27T00:00:00Z

New York City, NY – The Open Plant Community Biology Project

2019-03-27T00:00:00Z

AwesomeNYC is excited to support the Open Plant Community Project with a grant of $1,000 to fund the scientific mentorship and guidance they need to prepare their research into the use of liverwort plants in the production of insulin for the upcoming Open Plant Forum to be held in July 2019. _We are a community project at Genspace, the world’s first community biology lab, based in Brooklyn, NY. Genspace provides an avenue for everyday people to participate in advancing science: members of our group are people from the community who don’t have access to academic or corporate labs and are passionate about collaborating to push research forward and make the world a better place._ _Our Open Plant Project was inspired by the Open Plant Research Centre in the United Kingdom and seeks to make plant research more accessible, approachable, and open source. We hope to be the first Open Plant group in the United States._ _We are applying to the Awesome Foundation to support us in developing our community plant science research project so that we can bring it to an international Forum held by the Open Plant Research Centre in July 2019._ _Right now, our group is working hard to find ways to create more sustainable and affordable insulin production using liverwort plants. Insulin is a valuable protein that is essential to 387 million people worldwide diagnosed with diabetes. We are the only community biology lab participating - all others are from major research universities - and so we operate in a very DIY manner, funding everything ourselves. Through this project we hope to teach members skills in plant tissue culture, advance plant research, and inspire the public to explore ideas about plants in ways they never imagined before._ _The DIY biology community is endlessly curious, cooperative, resourceful, and diverse. We collaborate globally but focus locally - on the needs of our neighborhoods and communities. With the support of the Awesome Foundation, we can show that when everyday people come together in pursuit of cutting edge scientific research, they are capable of discovering things that make the world a better place. This will make our community more awesome by inspiring us to reach farther, think bigger, come together, and break down the Ivy Tower barriers to scientific curiosity and discovery._

Portland, OR – OurBrella

2019-03-27T00:00:00Z

OurBrella is an open-source project with the goal of serving and empowering our houseless community in Portland and beyond. By utilizing an online network, as well as all-terrain, gas-free ground transportation, we will connect businesses such as restaurants with abundance with the people who need it most, those who live outside with scarcity. The mode of transportation is a cargo bike equipped with an umbrella, and room for serving, battery power and storage. Those who operate the bikes will be able to refer to an online map and identify nearby businesses with some excess goods to offer. Businesses can offer a specific pick-up window of time, GPS location, and choose to interact with the operator or not. Operators will be able to let the business know that they are on their way and that goods have been collected, Operators will then go to distribution points in the communities that need it most, and visitors to the website will be able to track their location through GPS. Operators will notify their estimated time of departure, so that other potential donors might be able to find them and augment the distribution effort. The initial bike will be equipped with not only an umbrella for rain or shine, and a platform to serve food, but also battery-powered acceleration. Businesses are also empowered to donate electricity to the bike operator as needed. Food will only be served that is prepared in commercial kitchens, and people will be notified they are responsible for their own consumption. With community support, we will also be able to hire houseless bike operators and provide a living wage as well as a way to serve their own communities, and make this project sustainable for years to come.

Leiden – Athletic Invasion #8

2019-03-27T00:00:00Z

I want to motivate people to engage in more sportive activities. In order to do so I want to increase the accessibility for doing so and therefore boost the motivation for people to take part in athletic activities. I will use the 1000 Euro to buy heavy bags, customize them with the "Awesome Leiden" logo on a pink background and place them all over Leiden. The places are going to create a route throughout Leiden, which can be used for training.

Asheville, NC (Inativo) – Affrilachia & AppalachA'villle Together at YMI

2019-03-26T00:00:00Z

126 years ago, African-American leaders dreamed of a place in Asheville where community members could gather to celebrate culture. With borrowed money from George Vanderbilt, a plan from the architect of Biltmore Estate, and work from Black craftsmen and builders, the YMI Cultural Center was constructed in the heart of town. 26 years ago, Frank X Walker, artist, activist, poet, and teacher, sought to reveal the African-American experience in Appalachia. In the process he coined the term “Affrilachia” and co-founded a group of multicultural poets who express the region's rich diversity. This March the Appalachian Studies Association will hold its 42nd annual meeting in Asheville to explore AppalachA’ville. People from across the mountains will gather to share memories, observations, thoughts, frustrations and hopes about the place that is their home. A key moment of discovery will happen on Saturday, March 16, when Affrilachia and AppalachA'ville come together in the historic YMI Cultural Center for an awesome evening of poetry reading, story telling and fellowship--a celebration of cultural diversity in Asheville and throughout the region. The program Affrilachia y el Caribe will feature three poets: Ricardo Nazario-Colon, Shauna Morgan Kirlew, and Frank X Walker. Here are their brief bios. Ricardo Nazario-Colon grew up in Puerto Rico; is co-founder of Affrilachian Poets, author of Of Jibaros and Hillbillies, currently serves as Chief Diversity Officer at Western Carolina University. Shauna M. Morgan Kirlew grew up in Jamaica but in the US identifies as African American, author of Fear of Dogs and Other Animals, currently lives in Virginia and teaches at Howard University. Frank X Walker grew up in Virginia; is co-founder of Affrilachian Poets, is editor of PLUCK! The Journal of Affrilachian Arts and Culture, and teaches creative writing at the University of Kentucky.

Rotterdam – RotterJam

2019-03-26T00:00:00Z

54% of elderly sometimes feel lonely. This is too many! To tackle this massive issue in our society, we set up our social venture; RotterJam. What does this have to do with food? FOOD IS GLUE! We bring together lonely elderly and student volunteers, who want to contribute to a healthier and happier Rotterdam. Jam is the answer: By hosting jam-making workshops, we prevent and reduce loneliness among the elderly of Rotterdam. Our jam is made from seasonal ingredients with less sugar, more fruits, and of course, looooots of love! Bakkie Peer, our first flavor profile, represents our vision of making "exotic jam" (Algemeen Dagblad, 2019 - oh yes we're in the news) by using leftover pears, figs and chili; diverse - just like Rotterdam! We aim to make the venture circular and work with suppliers to use their foodwaste as our fuel. We already saved 10kg of pears from being forgotten - just like the elderly. 10 elderly weigh more than 10kg so it's even more biomass we gave a new purpose! So far, we had two jam pilots and sold the products - the remarkable revenue of 78.52 Euros was of course reinvested in the workshops to buy proper jars and scale up the venture. To step up the game, we now crave for tools, credibility and exposure, while exchanging ideas with other crazy, curious and creative minds is a fantastic opportunity we do not want to miss! #yeswejam

San Antonio, TX – Summer Reading Party

2019-03-26T00:00:00Z

The impetus for my San Antonio Reading Party started with monthly pop-up book giveaways in Hemisfair Park June 2018. Since the downtown area appeals to a range of locals and tourists, it was the perfect place to begin. Nowadays the book pop-ups have grown beyond me as I have a steady source of book donations, leading to pop-ups in the Jefferson neighborhood for Halloween and the KIPP Commerce campus for Christmas. There are still more to come with pop-ups scheduled for Elmendorf Park splash pad in late spring. I now approach The Awesome Foundation because this charitable work has gained momentum, leading to my vision for a San Antonio Summer Reading Party! A reading party is a 1-3 hour window in which books are at the forefront of SA families' experience. Upon entry, students will receive a passport with varying ways to read, such as "read to a parent," "read as fast/slow as you can," "read in a robot voice," etc. For each reading task, they receive a stamp. Once they've retrieved x-amount of stamps, they will receive a free book. To document, we'll ask kids to do a "chalk talk" to shout out their favorite books and display instant photos. Reading has the reputation of being a passive, silent, and private activity. However, reading can be loud and exciting for all! We just need to take a different approach. Clearly, the need is great. Many San Antonio neighborhoods are “book deserts,” areas lacking access to books leading to lower literacy rates and higher dropout rates. Additionally, studies show that students are less likely to read during the summer months, leading to "summer brain drain," a form of learning loss that puts our students at a disadvantage when they enter the new academic year. This is an opportunity to address “brain drain” and combat “book deserts” in a small yet awesome way! Let’s create a lively experience that generates a buzz around books for our San Antonio families this summer!

Portland, OR – PPS Public Art Initiative

2019-03-26T00:00:00Z

I have started an initiative that will raise equity in education and bring more black/POC history to Portland Public School curriculum through public displays of artwork. The initiative began after making the realization that such a gross underrepresentation of black/POC history in public school curriculum across the country only perpetuates the social divide in the United States. The objective of the initiative is to help students understand the strength, and significance of public forms of expression in civic engagement, and empower them to become the artists and civil rights leaders of our future. The initiative sets out to bring marginalized artists into working relationships with the Portland Public School system through artistic workshops that focus on civil engagement. Creating opportunities for marginalized folks to build working relationships with systems of power will aid in lessening wealth inequality in America. The first project of the initiative is a mural painting project where students of my school will collaborate with a marginalized artist of Portland in the development of a design that will be implemented as a mural on one of our buildings on campus. The mural will be overlooking our community garden, and will have a focus on the intersection of ecology and civil rights. My kindergarteners will create the first design, and each grade level will refine the design all the way up to fifth grade. We are hoping to bring legendary Portland muralist and activist Isaka Shamsud-Din into a working relationship with our school by having him host mural design workshops with our students. After a final design is agreed upon during the workshops, the artist will then work with our students in the actual implementation of the mural on the building, where the students will invite the surrounding community to paint the mural with them.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Refresh

2019-03-25T00:00:00Z

Refresh is one of eight projects at Enactus Simon Fraser University, a global student run not-for-profit organization that utilizes entrepreneurship to make our communities more socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable. Refresh is a social enterprise that collects bruised and imperfect produce, that would normally go to waste, and creates a variety of delicious food products. We have partnered with multiple local grocers as suppliers for the imperfect produce, as well as a local commercial kitchen to create these delicious products. The goal of the program is to provide an alternate future for imperfect produce in order to prevent food wastage within our community. Through various pop-up shops, Refresh volunteers educate the community/shoppers with knowledge on how to mitigate food wastage. Refresh currently sells at the Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. However, Refresh also sells at community events with environmental and food wastage themes such as Recyclefest. The profits generated from our products is reinvested into the project to improve operations. To expand the product line, Refresh is currently researching and testing produce that can be turned into delicious food products. To scale the project, Refresh is planning to sell their products in local grocery stores and hire marginalized individuals to produce the jam. The end goal is to develop Refresh into a self sustaining project that can be transitioned into the community.

Miami, FL – Blooming Bodies

2019-03-25T00:00:00Z

Blooming Bodies combines art-making and flower arrangement in a therapeutic and restorative workshop where cancer patients create their own wearable, living artwork. Cancer patients at UM's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center undergo a sense of loss physically, as treatment potentially induces a loss of appetite, loss of hair, loss of blood through transfusion and psychologically as patients lose a sense of control over their bodies, daily lives, and identity. Blooming Bodies offers a transformative and transcendental opportunity for passive recipients of medical treatment to become actively engaged artists. During the workshop, participants select flowers, cut stems, attach decorative elements, and arrange compositions to make floral art, taking form as a crown, bracelet, bra, belt, anklet, or piece for any affected physical spot or scar. In the process, participants manage their own procedures in a safe environment where judgment and failure are disallowed. As a product, the wearable flower arrangement becomes a subtle reprieve for the physical loss, fostering a beautiful sense of self-esteem. The workshops are rooted in the evidence-based impact of creative “flow,” a self-motivating and rewarding engagement wherein people become intensely absorbed in a task that matches their competencies, reducing anxiety, slowing heart rate, and promoting mindfulness of the here-and-now rather than the “there-and-then” nature of illness and treatment. It invites the participant to partake in a productive and imaginative project that provides a sense of achievement and to experience engagement on a human level. It allows for conversation and encouragement rather than rumination about the stressful conditions of medical treatment. The creative process draws on the historical Japanese arts of Ikebana, a creative and symbolic form that uses plant materials to express awareness of nature and human life, combined with the benefits of arts-based therapy.

Washington, DC – FUNLAND

2019-03-25T00:00:00Z

This month, I applied for and was awarded the Derek Lieu Residency Program at Hole in the Sky Collective in DC. The focus of the residency is on creating a one-night-only art show on May 18, 2019. I pitched a show concept called FUNLAND. Rather than simply coming through and looking at paintings I have done, FUNLAND is an interactive installation show that explores the trials & tribulations of being a local artist using carnival attractions like a shooting gallery, photo booth, fortune teller booth, and more. FUNLAND will operate for a single night (May 18) inside Hole in the Sky's 1,000 square foot space. Hole in the Sky has generously provided me with workspace, some materials, and a very modest budget. I am requesting an Awesome Foundation grant so that we can make even higher quality attractions, pay the actors who are participating as "ride operators", and buy high-quality prizes that attendees can walk away with that night.

Ottawa – Digitization of Lost Bosnian Magazines and Comics

2019-03-25T00:00:00Z

March’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Almir Šehalić to support the digitization of lost Bosnian magazines and comics for children and youth. “During the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” explains Almir, “the National Library burned over two million books. Along with many other books, almost all archives of magazines and comics for children and youth printed in Bosnia and Herzegovina were destroyed. My goal is to organize an archive of all Bosnian children's magazines at my comic book shop in Sarajevo, for reading and research. At the same time, I want to digitize all these editions and make them available online. Dozens of Bosnian writers are published in children’s magazines and comics of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, but if we do not save and digitize these works now they will be lost and forgotten for all time. The magazines also contain thousands of songs, stories, and drawings sent by children throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina to the editors.” Almir’s project is already well underway. “I have collected a lot of these editions,” he explains, “and some that cannot be found can be scanned from the archives of Croatia or the Serbian National Library.” The award from Awesome Ottawa will allow him to purchase a large-format scanner for the project — required as one of the most important magazines, a newspaper that was launched in 1956 for for pupils in elementary schools across Yugoslavia, was printed on tabloid-size pages. Almir is a former professional pilot who grew up and lives in Sarajevo. He owns and operates a comic book shop and publishing house in the city.

Martovska nagrada ogranka „Awesome Foundation” iz Otave, Kanada, dodjeljuje se Almiru Šehaliću kao potpora digitalizaciji izgubljenih bosanskih časopisa i stripova za djecu i omladinu. „Tokom rata u Bosni i Hercegovini,” objašnjava Almir, „zapaljena je Nacionalna biblioteka u kojoj je uništeno preko 2 miliona knjiga. Uz mnoge neprocjenljive knjige, uništene su gotovo sve arhive časopisa i stripova za djecu i mlade štampane u Bosni i Hercegovini. Naš cilj je da organiziramo arhivu svih bosanskih dječjih časopisa i stripova u našoj prodavnici stripova u Sarajevu, kao mjesto u kojem će se moči čitati i istraživati. Istovremeno želimo digitalizirati sva ova izdanja i učiniti ih dostupnim online za pretragu. Desetine bosanskih pisaca objavljeno je u dječjim časopisima i stripovima pedesetih, šezdesetih, sedamdesetih i osamdesetih godina prošlog stoljeća, ali ako ne sačuvamo i digitaliziramo ova djela, ona će biti izgubljena i zaboravljena za sva vremena. Takođe, tu se nalaze i hiljade pjesama, priča i crteža koje su djeca širom Bosne i Hercegovine slali redakciji.” Almirov projekat je već u toku. „Sakupili smo dosta ovih izdanja,” objašnjava on, „a neke koje se ne mogu naći probaćemo digitalizirati iz arhiva Hrvatske ili Srpske nacionalne biblioteke.” Nagrada Awesome Ottawa će im omogućiti da profesionalni skener za veliki format koji je dovoljno brz skeniranje stotine hiljada stranica – „Male Novine“ kao jedan od najvažnijih časopisa, je novina koja je pokrenuta 1956. godine za učenike osnovnih škola širom Jugoslavije, štampan je u formatu tabloida. Almir je bivši profesionalni pilot koji je odrastao i živi u Sarajevu. On je također i vlasnik Striparnice i izdavačke kuće u Sarajevu.

Plano, TX (Inativo) – Hugs Cafe Inc

2019-03-22T00:00:00Z

Hugs Cafe is a non-profit fast casual lunch destination employed by adults with special needs in McKinney, Texas. We serve up that most delicious soup, salads, sandwiches, and homemade desserts. Every meal is prepared and served by our teammates, or adults with special needs. Hugs Cafe serves as a training and employment opportunity for adults with disabilities. It is our mission to provide a positive workplace with meaningful jobs for individuals with disabilities who possess all of the desires of having a job, but require extra time and attention or training to achieve long term success in their position, We are proud to say that 80% of our staff has a disability and is given meaningful employment, training, and support that would not be possible without our organization. Texas ranks 50th in resources for the disabled, and there are nearly 50,00 individuals with disabilities in Collin County alone. With these staggering statistics, we believe it is up to us as individuals to make a difference in the lives of this underserved and special population. During our 3 years of being in operation, we are proud to say have had zero turnover and have sprouted a community within our four walls that provides inclusion, acceptance, and laughter to the special needs population and every visitor of Hugs.

Piqua, OH (Inativo) – Pedicab for Piqua People

2019-03-22T00:00:00Z

One of the awesome attributes of the City of Piqua is the bike friendly atmosphere of the streets and bike path. My wife and I could not count the many miles of peddling that have accumulated over the course of the years. We discussed many times how fortunate we are to live in Piqua and have such a beautiful bike loop to enjoy. We mentioned that there are many people who are not able to get out and have this experience. This brought up the idea of how could we share this feeling and love for what the people and the City of Piqua has given us. This group of people we thought of, to name a few, would be people such as those in nursing homes, disabled, special, injured, or even a family with young children or grandchildren.

Piqua, OH (Inativo) – PCIS Run Club-Race Registration Fees

2019-03-22T00:00:00Z

The PCIS Run Club is a 8 week program offered to 6th graders. The students in the program run/ jog/ walk (move!) twice a week after school with a large group of awesome volunteers. (Piqua PD members, community members, PCS members, NHS members, PCS athletes, etc.) The goal of the program is for the students to be motivated to be healthy and active while learning to build healthy relationships with our awesome volunteers. Our end goal is to then have our kiddos participate in a local 5K race held the first Sunday of May at PHS Alexander Stadium which benefits our PCS Cross Country Teams. The PCIS Run Club has been up and running for 4 years now and it is so fantastic and inspirational every year to see our kiddos practice and complete a 5K race, something a lot of them never thought they would do. The program has been very popular at PCIS! I cannot say enough about the students and volunteers that participate in this program. We are currently in week 2 of the 2019 season and have 91 students and over 20 volunteers. This community is just fantastic!!