Awesome Foundation - Projects

Newcastle – Secret Book Stuff

2018-09-10T00:00:00Z

Secret Book Stuff is a kindness project to spread the love of literature and create a little more magic in the world. Who doesn't love a random compliment, a smile from a stranger, a pay-it-forward coffee, or a good read left on their doorstep/desk/mailbox? For the past twelve months, I've been wrapping good condition pre-loved books in 100% recycled brown paper and biodegradable hemp twine and leaving them as random acts of kindness around Newcastle's cafes, bus stops, doorsteps, etc. Pretty soon, the idea (and Instagram) caught on, so I created a basic website where people could cover the cost of postage to have a book sent to a friend anywhere in Australia. As a writer and hectic bibliophile, my favourite part of the 'job' has been acting as a 'book doctor' and choosing the perfect book to be sent, with a handwritten personalised message inside. Last year, I collaborated with The Grateful, donating flowers AND secret books to the John Hunter Hospital and Ronald McDonald House. I also donated 200 books to the Newcastle Basket Brigade to put in hampers for disadvantaged families at Christmas time, and donated 250 secret books for gift bag goodies to a charity fundraiser event for women called She the Change. For the past few months, I've also been holding a Secret Book Stuff stall at local markets like Hunt and Gather and Olive Tree, selling secret books and donating proceeds to local charities like Newcastle Basket Brigade, Soul Cafe and the Centre for Ecological Learning. So for each book sold, that funds two book donations to a charity!

Vegan (Inativo) – Compassion Ride for Animals

2018-09-10T00:00:00Z

Apithan Ministries is partnering with Mototech and the Deming Animal Shelter for a motorcycle dayride for the Animals. We will take a picture of each of the Animals living at the Deming Animal Shelter and laminate the picture, along with each animal's raffle ticket number. Each rider will have a $20 sponsor fee, choose their Animal to 'ride with' for that day. The laminated picture will be taped to their motorcycle or gear. Part way through the ride, we will stop and enjoy a Vegan Meal and have a short, positive presentation on the importance of peace through compassion and with all Animals, including those exploited in Animal Agriculture, as well as peace with the natural environment. We will continue our ride back to Deming Animal Shelter where we will have a tour of the Shelter, enjoy music, and the riders will each have a chance to meet the Animal whom they rode for. The Animal Shelter will offer 50% off their adoption fee! We will then have a drawing for four prizes, as each sponsor comes with a single raffle ticket. We are having the ride in honor of International Day of Peace. Peace with All Living Beings.

Newburgh, NY – Teaching Kids about Native American Culture

2018-09-10T00:00:00Z

Jumpstart at the Newburgh Ministry is an academic enrichment after school program modeled after The Children's Defense Fund Freedom School. Students in grades k-12 will learn about the Indigenous peoples of America, their culture, food, and language. The students will utilize a community garden already in existence at the Newburgh Ministry to observe the growing of traditional Native American crops such as corn, beans, and pumpkins. The students will also research Native American culture via books, videos, audio, and the Internet. The project will culminate with an informal presentation of what the students learned about Native American culture. The students will work in groups to construct a traditional Native American medicine wheel to display at the Newburgh Ministry. The medicine wheel will be permanently displayed so the larger community can see their achievements.

Singapore – You Can Reach The Sky

2018-09-07T00:00:00Z

“You Can Reach The Sky” is an immersive theatrical experience for babies aged 2-24 months, or for children with psychomotor and cognitive abilities of up to two years. It follows the journey of a dandelion and its desire to reach the sky. It premiered in 2017 at The Artground’s White Box. Most of the props and set were created using household items. We hope to set an example to parents/carers that it’s possible to engage the baby without the use of technology or store-bought toys. We created “You Can Reach The Sky” because: we want families to go to the theatre together, and to interact with other families regardless of race, religion and social class; and we believe that baby theatre is very useful for a growing baby’s brain, because the theatre environment (which is very unlike their home environment) translates into new data for them. Research has shown that the early years, especially during the first three years of life, are a time of rapid cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and motor development. An immersive theatrical experience encourages appreciation, exploration, self-expression, self-esteem, imagination and creativity. While there have been many baby theatre productions staged overseas to great success, it is a relatively underdeveloped sector in Singapore. In 2018, “You Can Reach The Sky” was presented in infant care centres and centres for children with special needs. Through these experiences, we saw many centres with parents struggling to pay the subsidized centre fees and some babies facing emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse due to their estranged family situations. This sparked our decision for “You Can Reach The Sky: October 2018 Season of Sharing”. We will be reaching out to various organizations that house low-income families, babies born under the care of underage mothers and estranged families under their care. Examples of these organizations are Help Family Service Centre, AWARE, Single Parent Support Group, PPIS, etc.

Oakland, CA (Inativo) – The 10th Annual Oscar Grant Vigil

2018-09-06T00:00:00Z

The Oscar Grant Vigil is a safe space to share healing of the community violence occurring in or at Oakland Bart Stations. The event is at Fruitvale Bart Station, and an annual event. This year, we will be offering free food at our event to comfort the thousands of people who will attend. This year, community will be signing a petition to have more accountability regarding the safety of bart stations. This vigil has been rolling ongoing for 10 years every year since 2009.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – The Black Lunch Table in South Africa

2018-09-03T00:00:00Z

The Black Lunch Table(BLT)’s primary aim is the production of discursive sites, wherein cultural producers can engage in dialogue on a variety of critical issues. BLT animates discourse and initiates a democratic rewriting of contemporary history around and among the people living it. The past few years have seen an increase in public dialogue around issues of race and BLT has provided a critical platform for exchange, staging and recording community roundtable discussions at institutions internationally. Our roundtable sessions provide both physical space and allotted time for interdisciplinary and intergenerational discussions, bringing together a diversity of community members and fostering candid conversations. The Artists’ Roundtable series curates artists of the Black African and African Diaspora into roundtable discussions, while The People’s Table series invites participation from all community members. We also stage Wikipedia edit-a-thons to mobilize the collective authoring of articles pertaining to the lives and works of Black artists and curators. At the roundtables, participants are provided with conversation prompts on a variety of topics. We record, master, and transcribe the conversations from each table. The dialogues are then published on BLT’s forthcoming dynamic online archive (launch end of Summer). The archive structure will enable web visitors to search our dynamic database using a variety of metadata tags. The BLT archive is significant in that it will provide a unique collection of primary source materials. It is critical for this project, about Blackness and the Diaspora, to include voices from the content of Africa. We have the opportunity to present this project internationally this summer in Cape Town and Johannesburg, our first events overseas. My collaborators and I have worked hard to make this connection happen and BLT can’t fully realize this opportunity without further funding.

Liverpool (Inativo) – Dingle Community Print Workshop

2018-09-03T00:00:00Z

The idea behind our print workshop came about though chance and opportunity. In july 2017 I was lucky enough to be offered a room rent free in a community building in the dingle to use for the good of the local residents and provide an activity/service or workshop from. At the same time the opportunity came up to buy an exposure unit used in the screen printing industry to expose design onto screens . myself, and two other artists- Jake Florek and michelle Wren combined forces and decided we needed to take this opportunity to set up a community print studio. We bought the machine with our own money and acquired the rest of the equipment for free over a few months. Once we felt set up we then applied for funding through Beautiful Ideas Company for the rest of the materials. Our aim is to set about using the print room to run regular art projects and workshops from for small numbers of young adults in Dingle and Toxteth areas of liverpool. We hope to link up with other community youth projects such as Toxteth T.V, Toxteth FireFit, The Florrie and Squash Nutrition to provide multi disciplinary projects. We want to offer those on low income an opportunity to learn these skills and potentially apply them to what interests them, weather it be making t-shirts for their band, posters for DJ nights or just wanting to make art we would like it to be a place they can have a go at it. If our idea takes off we imagine in the near future to be able to sustain the expenses of the materials and utilities by taking on small jobs for local businesses. By printing t-shirts/flyers or artwork we can also provide payed employment to the young adults from the area who have already been trained up to do those jobs. We have spent so much time and effort between the three of us along with a lot of help from friends and family yet we are still a long way from being able to run a project in the space due to lack of funds and legal documentation required.

Austin, TX – We Can See Through Time

2018-09-01T00:00:00Z

‘We Can See Through Time’ is a collaborative 3D drawing project between Austin based artists Matt Rebholz and Rachel Wolfson Smith. The show addresses optics, drawing, and time, through a changing landscape. The show is made up of four 55” x 96” drawings of landscapes that highlight cycles of urban change: a vacant lot, the frame of a house, a pit dug for a condo, that condo being constructed. Dioramas will be built as working models for each drawing. The drawings will be anaglyphs, meaning red and blue ink will be layered to create 3-D effects when seen through red and cyan glasses. They will explore traditional 3D depth of field effects, as well as creative experimentation between the red and blue layers. The subjects address a changing landscape, namely that of East Austin, where Rebholz and Wolfson live. They will draw from a separate diorama for each drawing. The diorama will be created largely from found materials in East Austin, and it will be exhibited in the gallery with the drawings. ‘We Can See Through Time’ will be the first show in ICOSA collective’s new gallery space. ICOSA is a collective of 20 Austin artists, and their mission is to “ignite ideas and relationships between the Austin and global art communities.” The gallery recently lost its original space because of the swell of gentrification in Austin. Their new space is in the current East Austin hub of Big Medium and Canopy studios. Included in the programing is a free workshop Matt and Rachel will teach on anaglyph drawing. Outreach will be directed at young folks that grew up in East Austin, before the boom. An artist talk and reception will follow the workshop. The exhibition will run September 7 – October 6, 2018

North Minneapolis, MN – H-cubed: Harrison, Healing, Harmony

2018-09-01T00:00:00Z

H-Cubed: Harrison, Healing, and Harmony is an artist-led, community-driven, family-centered, grassroots organized series created with the purpose of cultivating healing and harmony in the North Minneapolis Harrison neighborhood through intentional creative space-making and collective empowerment. Each month, we host a catered meal with featured artists, open mic, and community conversations at Harrison and North Minneapolis locations. The gatherings are free of charge and open to the public, all ages and identities, inviting anyone in search of a place of belonging to join the growing movement. Together, we are developing the courageous and compassionate community our hearts long for. Each event has a thematic topic, chosen by the collaborative team, around which performance and conversation is centered, where an inclusive environment of intergenerational, authentic dialogue can occur. H-Cubed grew as a community resource in response to the police killing of Jamar Clark and 4th Precinct occupation just North of Harrison. Partnerships expanded to include Redeemer Center for Life, Harrison Neighborhood Association, Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, and Intertwine Northeast. Our mission is to empower marginalized voices, build collective resources that address deep-rooted, systemic issues, and catalyze healing through the arts. Traditionally, our work has been a labor of love operated by a core planning team of artist organizers and volunteers. Grant funding strengthens our efforts and allows us to deepen the impact of much needed community asset development.

State College, PA – Wild Geese Mural

2018-09-01T00:00:00Z

A community-produced mural for downtown State College. The image is inspired by "Wild Geese" by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Mary Oliver. "You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -- over and over announcing your place in the family of things." The mural can be painted with community help off-site and installed in a fun installation day and celebration.

Libraries (Inativo) – UHV Traveling Bookmobile

2018-09-01T00:00:00Z

The Traveling Bookmobile at the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) Katy delivers books to children in suburbs of Katy, Texas who lack transportation to the public library or who do not have books at home to read. Books are available in both Spanish and English. Research has shown that one of the most important steps to help children learn to read and become life-long readers is to get books into their hands and homes. For some families, especially families that struggle financially, this can be difficult. Parents may not have the time or the means to take their children to the library, and some may be intimidated by the process of applying for a library card or finding appropriate books in the library. Many of the children that live in the neighborhoods targeted do not have transportation to visit a library during the day. By bringing books, in both Spanish and English, the UHV traveling bookmobile provides a service that is lacking. By including parents in the outreach, the hope is to interest them in reading with their children or in learning to read themselves. Drs. Amy Barnhill and Janelle Bouknight, UHV professors of education in the School of Education, Health Professions and Human Development, began the UHV Traveling Bookmobile in 2017. Even though they didn’t have a bookmobile in the beginning, they used their own vehicles to deliver the books. One or two children began to visit the bookmobile and then others followed. An average of approximately 29 students per week visit the bookmobile, with 75 repeat students and 382 books checked out so far. Through this project, UHV students, who assist with the bookmobile, learn about the needs in the community and learn how to interact with and teach at-risk students. Observing children outside of school with their families can provide a worldview that can't be experienced in the classroom or through student teaching. It provides a fun learning experience for UHV students studying to be teachers, and a fun learning experience for children who will benefit from books in their lives. An initial grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation provided over 700 books for the bookmobile. A bus has been provided by UHV but, with state budget cuts, the University budget is unable to pay for operating costs for the bus for the initial year. Funding from the Innovation in Libraries Awesome Foundation Chapter will be used for gasoline, maintenance, etc., so the bus can be utilized to deliver books to the children. The bookmobile is an awesome program and children are really excited to see the bookmobile when it arrives. The University of Houston‐Victoria (UHV), a dynamic destination university in the Coastal Bend Region of Texas, is dedicated to providing students with educational and leadership opportunities that empower them to be successful 21st century professionals and citizens in the global economy. UHV is located in Victoria, Texas, but also has a campus in Katy, Texas. Professors at UHV are dedicated to assisting ALL children and youth in reaching their potential by overcoming barriers that hinder literacy development. The UHV Traveling Bookmobile is one of these efforts. What our grantee has to say: "Through this project, UHV students who assist with the bookmobile will learn about the needs in the community and also learn how to interact with and teach at-risk students. Observing children outside of school with their families can provide a worldview that can't be experienced in the classroom or through student teaching. It provides a fun learning experience for UHV students studying to be teachers, and a fun learning experience for children who will benefit from books in their lives." What our trustees have to say: "This project is a valuable asset to the community and will have a direct impact on town and gown relations." "It's an excellent opportunity for future teachers to understand the continued importance of physical books and the growing impact of the digital divide in this country."

Raleigh, NC (Inativo) – Tile Mosaic & Mural

2018-08-31T00:00:00Z

Spurred on by images I saw on Instagram, I contacted the creator of some concrete benches (in CA) that had been mosaic-ed with beautiful scenes. Next I contacted Raleigh Parks to find out where there are some concrete park benches in Raleigh, and they immediately got stoked about my project proposal. However, there may or may not be any concrete benches. So, they suggested a wall at Laurel Hills Park that would be a great place for the project. Once I saw the wall, my idea morphed into a painted mural/tile mosaic combo project on the wall. Parks Dept. is seeking for approval from the stakeholders of that place, and we are hoping to enlist some volunteers to assist in the painting segment of the project (I love community art projects; helping people wax creative). I have a couple of potential designs for the space and plan to work with the Public Art department (and the stakeholders @Laurel Hills if that is where we do the project) to make it a good fit for the setting. I would love to be part of bringing more beautiful and public art to the city of Raleigh. And I am thrilled with the receptivity for this project that I have received from the Parks department and the Public Art department. Photos I am including feature the Instagram shots as well as the proposed wall site @ Laurel Hills Park. *so far we have not found any concrete park benches, even with the help of the Parks department.

Disability – "Spill the Disabili-Tea" workshop

2018-08-31T00:00:00Z

“Spill the Disabili-Tea” is an interactive, facilitated workshop designed to elevate knowledge of disability justice and provide a space to apply this lens to the inclusive practices of various community spaces. As a queer, biracial, amputee with a Master’s degree in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, I draw upon my lived experience, education, and advocacy skills to lead a candid conversation unpacking the following questions (and more): Who is "disabled" and what creates that experience? What is "disability justice?" What's the "right way" to interact with people with disabilities? How do we navigate "microaggressions?" What's the difference between "access" and "inclusion?" Is disability a cultural experience and how can that intersect with other cultural identities? How can I integrate these skills in the community? This specific project is proposed as a collaboration with the Plus Bus, a plus size retail store that sells new and used plus size clothes in Los Angeles. In addition to fostering a safe space for body positivity and ethical fashion, the Plus Bus is an established venue for community events and encourages opportunities for “face to face connection” and strives to “provide a safe space for spending time with other fatshionistas looking to connect and create memorable experiences.” With funding from the Awesome Project, I will be able to host “Spill the Disabili-Tea” at the Plus Bus, bringing the spirit of disability justice to a community space founded on body positivity and radical inclusion. The Plus Bus has created an engaged community of activists who are eager to build connections and awareness through socially conscious dialogues. Through this collaboration, I hope to draw connections between the fat activism and disability justice movements, fostering an exchange between these communities, highlighting the common goal of challenging normativity and embracing all bodies with love. What our grantee is saying: "This grant award represents an opportunity for me to take the passion and skills I’ve developed for disability justice in the Bay Area and share it with a new community of people eager to join in the movement. I admire the mission of the Plus Bus and am humbled to facilitate a workshop showcasing the relevance of disability justice in that community’s culture of body positivity and fat activism. I am also thrilled to have the means to create paid work for other marginalized peers in my network and compensate them adequately, using this capital to address inequities in work opportunities for marginalized people."

Minas Gerais (Inativo) – Coletivo Cai Junto - Redução de Danos

2018-08-30T00:00:00Z

A redução de danos (RD) é uma prática pautada na ideia de que as pessoas não devem se intoxicar com produtos que podem prejudicá-las, mas se forem fazê-lo, têm o direito da melhor informação a respeito e os cuidados necessários. O Coletivo Cai Junto de Redução de Danos, fundado em agosto/2017, inspirado em outras iniciativas semelhantes, é uma organização autogerida com funcionamento horizontal, que tem recebido apoio da Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei (UFSJ), berço do Coletivo. O Cai Junto começa suas ações com RD em festas (principalmente festas universitárias em repúblicas ou outros espaços), geralmente “open bar”, em São João del-Rei, MG (uma cidade universitária), com uma excelente receptividade local. A Repúblicas Universitárias Associadas (RUA), entidade que congrega várias repúblicas tradicionais da cidade, firmou uma parceria muito forte com o Coletivo, e a presença do Cai Junto vem sendo solicitada nas festas com freqüência. A maior parte do Coletivo é de estudantes de Psicologia da UFSJ, mas também há estudantes de Medicina e Jornalismo. Durante as ações, os membros do Coletivo estão sempre uniformizados para facilitar a identificação. Há uma estrutura ativa, de informação e orientação para o uso de álcool e outras drogas de forma mais segura, e uma estrutura receptiva, de acolhimento e aconselhamento aos freqüentadores da festa que estão passando por algum desconforto pelo uso de álcool e outras drogas (desde que não seja uma urgência médica).

San Antonio, TX – Earn-A-Bike@School

2018-08-30T00:00:00Z

Earn A Bike@School is a semester-long, tuition free, youth development program that partners with schools to increase attendance and academic performance, while decreasing negative behavior. Earn-A-Bike offers each participant the opportunity to earn a brand new bicycle, helmet, light and lock upon completion. We have successfully completed our program in both an in-school and afterschool capacity and are able to tailor the program to the campus needs. Our Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) aligned curriculum teaches students the importance of physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, and key bicycle, safety, and maintenance skills. The goal is to improve campus statistics, including Texas Education Agency (TEA) scores, by way of increasing attendance and academic performance, while decreasing negative behavior. The culmination of the program is our Bike Build Event, which is a six-hour long program where students, with the help of a volunteer, assemble their new bike, reinforce what they have learned about safe cycling, and learn how to support each other when riding as a group. The event acts as a celebration of the students’ commitment and dedication to improving themselves and concludes in a two-mile group ride. This year, 300 students from Edgewood ISD will earn their spot at the Earn-A-Bike for Christmas 2018. Their good behavior, school attendance, academic performance, and health and wellness knowledge will have paid off. They will all receive a brand new bicycle, helmet, lights, lock and the experience of a lifetime. This Christmas Season, Earn-A-Bike will bring together 300 children, 300 parents and more than 700 volunteers to make the Earn-A-Bike for Christmas 2018 the largest bike build event in the US.

Aviano (Inativo) – Aviano Awesome Fivers

2018-08-30T00:00:00Z

Following the excellent example of other chapters, Awesome Aviano will be distributing Awesome Fivers throughout the month in our area. It seems like a fun way to get Awesome.

Tallahassee, FL (Inativo) – Non-profit Status for Tallahassee Autism Community

2018-08-28T00:00:00Z

Tallahassee Autism Community began is 2014 as an online support group for families that were struggling to find to find Autism Spectrum Disorder related services, resources, and support in the Big Bend Area. That online forum now serves over 200 families and sponsors programs such as TallyAutism.com- An online searchable database of all the available ASD related resources, services, and events in Tallahassee. Providers can be searched by location and insurance accepted. TallyAutism.com is a free website with no charge for provider listings to ensure that the community has access to all available services. The Annual "All About Autism" Resource Fair- 2018 was the inaugural year for the resource fair. Over 20 ASD related exhibitors gathered together to provide an amazing Autism Awareness event. The resource fair was completely free to the public and included popcorn, face painting, and a sensory friendly petting zoo experience. Each exhibitor also offered a children's activity. Monthly meet-ups and quarterly parent's nights at local venues. Spectrum Scouts-an activity based social skills group. This program is similar to Boys scouts, in that it teaches social and real life skills to children ages 5-18 who are on the Autism Spectrum. https://www.facebook.com/TallahasseeAutismCommunity/

Melbourne (Inativo) – Kensington Social Inclusion Week Lunch

2018-08-28T00:00:00Z

We are looking for a sponsor to fund our free community lunch event scheduled for 30 November during Social Inclusion Week. Our target group will be disadvantaged older people living alone. Nearly 50% of public housing residents that live in Kensington are elderly and living alone. This equates to just over 200 people. The level of health risk associated with social isolation has been compared with that of cigarette smoking, obesity and other major biomedical and psychosocial risk factors. Statistics from beyondblue show that approximately 10-15% of older people experience depression and 10% experience anxiety. The aim of the event is to provide an opportunity for people to socialise and make new connections. This may be with each other, or with staff and volunteers from the Neighbourhood House. An invitation from a friendly and familiar staff member to join an activity can be all that is needed for someone to make that first step. The event will consist of a free healthy lunch and several activities. The activities will be tasters of existing programs at the Neighbourhood House. This is an easy way for people to come and try something new without the anxiety that sometimes surrounds coming in new to an existing group. Activities will include; gentle exercise, art therapy and gardening. We will try and remove as many barriers as possible to ensure people are able to attend. We will provide a free community shuttle bus from the public housing estate to the Neighbourhood House for those unable to walk the 800 metres. The event itself will be free. We will have a team of staff and volunteers on hand to talk to people looking lost and lonely. In 2017 we held our inaugural social Inclusion Week Lunch which despite extremely hot temperatures managed to attract over 40 people. We will work with the Community Engagement Team at Unison Housing on the public housing estate in the lead-up to the event to spread the word and encourage people to attend.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Mosaic street art series

2018-08-27T00:00:00Z

I've been dreaming of creating small mosaics to install around my neighborhood, much like the street artist Space Invader but in my own fashion and style. I would love to install these pieces in spots where people would come upon them unintentionally – providing stained-glass mosaic art in a context they wouldn't normally find.

Birmingham, AL (Inativo) – Magic City Poetry Festival

2018-08-27T00:00:00Z

The goal of the Magic City Poetry Festival is to spread a love of contemporary poetry to the Greater Birmingham area through community-focused, free programming. Last year, we hosted open mics, a community conversation/keynote panel, featured poetry readings, and a community poetry showcase. This year, we hope to expand our open mic events, bring in Sonia Sanchez for our keynote speaker, host a poetry block party with the Woodlawn Street Market, name a Birmingham River-poet and host a reading, host an “in translation” reading, and create literary festivities for adults and children throughout the month. Our philosophy is that poetry is for everyone, and because of that, every event is free and open to the public.

Alaska (Inativo) – Spruce Root Apprenticeship

2018-08-27T00:00:00Z

From Trevan: Sealaska Heritage Institute is sponsoring a spruce root harvesting and weaving class. Spruce root weaving has been recognized as a dying northwest coast native art form. I want to be part of the next generation that revitalizes this art form. I have an amazing opportunity to further my knowledge in spruce root weaving from Master Weaver Delores Churchill. I have been chosen for the Sealaska Heritage Institute spruce root weaving apprenticeship. From Kayla: I am Tlingit from Saxman, Alaska. I have been taking native art classes from 2 years now at our Totem Heritage Center. My culture has become my passion & this is one of my dreams to be able to work & learn along aside Master Weaver Delores Churchill. I am very passionate about these arts & want these to carry on to my own children & hopefully someday become a teacher myself.

Santa Fe, NM (Inativo) – Fall 2018 Expanding Your Horizons Conference

2018-08-25T00:00:00Z

STEM Santa Fe, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization advocates for, develops and provides STEM programming, mentoring and resources for all youth, especially under-represented groups in STEM, to realize their potential and expand their opportunities in a dynamic world. Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) conference focuses specifically on encouraging young women to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers by providing women STEM role models and hands-on workshops and activities. EYH brings women from a wide range of industries and professions to work with girls in 5th-8th grade in an exciting hands-on environment. Over the course of the conference day, girls experience new activities and engage in discussions about current opportunities in STEM fields. This conference is often a once in a life-time opportunity for girls to engage with female role models working in STEM professions. 200 girls in 5th-8th grade from Santa Fe and Northern NM are expected to participate. The conference starts with a Keynote address, followed by 12-15 workshops run by STEM women professionals. Each girl attends two workshops, lunch and then all the girls attend a STEM Fair in the afternoon where about 15-20 STEM demos are being shown. Every year at this conference one of the workshops needs microscopes and we have been borrowing them and hauling them carefully all the time. We would love to have our own set of microscopes for this conference. $1,000 would allow us to buy 5-7 good quality microscopes.

Tilburg (Inativo) – stadsdichters en haven

2018-08-24T00:00:00Z

Hierbij mijn idee over het bewerken van de randen van de piushaven, en om de stadsdichters een mogelijkheid te hebben om hun naam te vereeuwigen. Het aanbrengen van dichtregels in de bassaltkade-keien rondom de Piushaven-kom. Voor de dichtregels zullen de ex stadsdichters, de huidige stadsdichters en de toekomstige stadsdichters uitgenodigd worden om teksten op te stellen. Elke nieuwe stadsdichter zal in de toekomstig gevraagd worden een aanvullende tekst te maken. Zo is het niet een eenmalige statisch kunstwerk, maar een voortdurend levend. Bij elke nieuwe bijdrage kan met communicatiemiddelen de Piushaven, het water in de stad worden verbonden met de stadsbewoners en hun cultuur. Het kan nog worden verrijkt met de volgende elementen: De uitgekapte dichtteksten kunnen in brons worden gegoten. Ze zijn dan beter leesbaar, lichten op onder licht, zijn nog duurzamer en ogen nog waardevoller. Een andere toevoeging is om te voorkomen dat de dichtteksten te groot worden, waardoor de kaderand te snel “vol”is. Dat kan door de dichters uit te nodigen om de Japanse dichtvorm genaamd “haiku”toe te passen. Deze wordt gekenmerkt doordat een gedicht maximaal 12 lettergrepen groot is, en uit slechts twee regels bestaat. Het project lijkt me ook rond het thema water, diverse partijen in de stad aan elkaar te binden. En een vorm van voortdurende aandacht te borgen. Met vriendelijke groet Piet Hoofs

Glasgow – Let's Make Glasgow's Healthy!

2018-08-24T00:00:00Z

I would hold a well-being event for the public to attend for free. The location of the event would be within Greater Glasgow, preferably in Maryhill area, where these types of events don't tend to take place (I have an amazing studio in mind, awaiting confirmation). I would be targeting people with low income /people who don't usually have access to well-being activities. The event would involve various aspects to overall well-being. The event would be split into physical well-being and mental well-being - showing that the two are interlinked and we need both to have overall health. There would be movement activities such as beginner yoga and Pilates, to illustrate simple movements being sufficient for exercise and allowing individuals to not feel they have to run 10k to be fit and health. For mental well-being, mindfulness and meditation workshops would take place to allow people to learn how to do this and why it's useful, Practices such as QiGong would also be taught, to show that both physical and mental health can be looked after all at once. The last aspect of the event would be creativity - zine making activities to allow everyone's creative sides to come out, which is fantastic for mental well-being and allowing individuals to feel focused and driven on a task which has a positive outcome.

Piqua, OH (Inativo) – Avenue of Honor

2018-08-22T00:00:00Z

Traveling down Ash St from Spring St heading east it is a great sight to see so many of the veterans banners hanging from tthe light poles.

Chicago, IL – Refugee High

2018-08-22T00:00:00Z

The book, "Refugee High," an expansion of my article for Chicago magazine titled “Welcome to Refugee High,” will chronicle a year inside Chicago’s Sullivan High School. Sullivan has one of the highest proportions of refugee students of any school in the nation. The book will follow a group of students who have come from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Central America and the passionate group of adults fighting to help give these teenagers a second chance in a culture that increasingly vilifies them. For a century, Sullivan has been an engine of education and assimilation for immigrants, but the project of making the current class of students into new Americans differs starkly from any before. The stakes for these students are higher than ever. The refugee students at Sullivan are more geographically, religiously, and culturally diverse. Many come from backgrounds the school has never served before. Some arrive having only lived in refugee camps. Nearly all have been subject to the world at its most hateful and violent, and they are both traumatized and resilient. Above all, they are still teens navigating life in America. They flirt, dream, work, and try on different personalities, fashions, and spiritual practices. At Sullivan, the students also cope with the challenges of urban poverty and oppression. They meet racism against themselves and others and face the realities of overburdened social service organizations. Untold is the story of how a school and its professionals mediate the conflicting cultures, ethical expectations, and urban challenges to shepherd these survivors through a better future. These are teachers and administrators who must deal with students’ domestic stress, gangs that recruit and prey on refugees, and a fraught political climate, all while continuing to teach and manage their own lives. Sullivan’s fate is no less than the fate of American project itself.

Cass Clay – Harvesting Hope for Others Farm Camp

2018-08-21T00:00:00Z

Harvesting Hope for Others Farm Camp for kids is a 15 week camp for children ages 7-15 years old. Our farm camp meets Wednesday evenings from 6-8pm from May 23, 2018 through September 19, 2018. Each of the 17 children attending farm camp has their own 4x6 raised garden bed that they planted on May 23rd and will nurture and raise through harvest in September. Each week, the children weed and water their garden bed as well as the surrounding in ground gardens. All produce raised from the garden is being given to families in need in the Fargo/Moorhead area through our Free Produce Box program. Harvest Hope Farm strives to Harvest Hope in others by enhancing their physical, emotional, spiritual and financial health through a hands on farm experience and education concerning sustainable food resources and environmental stewardship. In addition to tending to their gardens, the children attending farm camp learn about sustainable food resources and environmental stewardship by also working with the farm animals, exploring nature on the 13 acre farm, learning from others professionals in the community including extension agents and NDSU agriculture students and staff. Children who attend farm camp are encouraged to bring what they have learned at the farm, home, to teach their families how to grow their own garden and how to support the environment through using compost, recycling and being good stewards of the blessings they receive. In addition to learning about sustainable food resources and environmental stewardship, children attending farm camp are able to develop leadership skills, self-confidence, social skills, life skills, and increased self-esteem. The produce raised from this summers Harvesting Hope for Others farm camp will be given to 10 families with children in the Fargo/Moorhead area that are struggling to make ends meet. Farm camp will be offered annually with a goal of serving 100 families within the next three years.

Cass Clay – Silent Witnesses Project: ND Human Rights Film

2018-08-21T00:00:00Z

As part of the North Dakota Human Rights Film & Arts Festival, we would like to have the "Silent Witness" art exhibition created by Lisa Brunner, Member of the White Earth Nation and 2016 Bush Fellow, placed in the businesses of downtown Fargo. The Friday night portion of the film festival will be dedicated to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis. The film "1200+", which documents 1,200 Native American women and girls who have disappeared or have been murdered in Manitoba. The film’s co-directors, Shelia North and Leonard Yakir, both from Winnipeg, are currently scheduled to join us. Sheila is also the current Grand Chief of the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, a non-profit, political advocacy organization that provides a collective voice on issues of inherent, Treaty, aboriginal and human rights for the citizens of 30 sovereign First Nations. In addition to holding a panel discussion that will include Lisa Brunner, Grand Chief North and Leonard Yakir, we would like to bring awareness and discussion around the MMIW crisis through the "Silent Witness" project. Lisa Brunner created 5 life-size silhouettes of women who were murdered at White Earth. We would like to bring these 5 silhouettes to Fargo and construct 5 additional silhouettes and work with businesses in downtown Fargo to have them stationed in their stories. As shoppers are visiting the stores, they'll randomly come across these silhouettes and learn about indigenous women in the region who have been murdered. The silhouettes will be on display Monday, November 12, 2018 through Sunday, November 18, 2018. The "Silent Witness" project will be culminate on Sunday when they will be on display at the Radisson Hotel during their Sunday morning brunch.

Ottawa – The Living Colouring Book Project

2018-08-21T00:00:00Z

August's Awesome Ottawa award goes to Brenda Dunn to support a giant art piece for viewers to colour. "So often, in gallery settings," says Brenda, "we are told not to touch the artworks. To challenge this taboo, I'll be creating a giant colouring page that will stretch the length of the Lalande-Doyle Exhibition space at the Shenkman Arts Centre. The work will be comprised entirely of line drawing in black ink on heavy drawing rolls that measure 4 feet high by 30 feet in length that I'll be inviting the audience to 'colour' in order to complete the piece." Brenda's Living Colouring Book will consist of many scenes of Ottawa's creative spaces, both interior and exterior. "I will be documenting the evolution of the piece throughout via time-lapse recording," she says, "in order to capture the process of collective completion. The struggle of viewers to reorient themselves as participants, and overcome the taboo of touching is a tension I'm fascinated by and keen to explore. I want to encourage people to subvert the usual gallery expectations, and break down the idea that galleries places for quiet, passive contemplation. I love the idea of a piece we complete collectively." The exhibition will take place in January or February of 2019. Brenda is a self-described community-engaged Ottawa-based artist. "I make things," she says, "but I also make things happen."

Asheville, NC (Inativo) – BlkGirlAffirming (Yoga as Embodied Social Change)

2018-08-20T00:00:00Z

I spell the word black, BLK. I do this because I believe that the current social definition implies that black is some how the lack of something. Truthfully black is the absorption of all light and color. I wanted to challenge this norm when naming my project. So who am I? My name is Jazmin and I am one of the few women of color teaching yoga here in Asheville. What do I do? I believe in holding brave space for undeserved communities in Asheville. Spaces were we affirm each others stories and collectively begin the process of healing ourselves from trauma, which often is stored in the body! What this looks like , is me showing up for communities that have historically not had access to holistic wellness tools. I would like to have a rotation of places I would host these pop-up events. Essentially going into public housing communities and community centers, such as the South Side community center. There I would provide donation based yoga and mediation classes. Out of the 72% of women who practice yoga, only 2% are Black Women. This is a billion dollar industry, often reflecting the racial and economic inequalities we see in America. My purpose is to empower communities of color to cultivate a more holistic relationship to themselves and the Earth. Sharing meditation, plant-based living, and yoga as an act of radical resistance and embodied social change. .

Ann Arbor, MI – Wander Packs

2018-08-20T00:00:00Z

We are currently developing a non-profit with the main idea of enriching families to go explore and wander nature areas. We will also be providing education through workshops and events, and leading volunteers in conservation projects. We are designing an extremely user-friendly website to highlight nature areas and allow people to find the places that best match their needs. We will be launching in early July 2018. Our present focus is on Washtenaw County which is where our passion for nature has grown as well as being our home. One of the most impactful projects that we are working on is Wander Packs. Our Wander Packs are adventure backpacks filled with supplies to enhance children's experiences in nature as well as provide opportunities for education. Our goal is to stock public libraries and schools in Washtenaw County with 2-4 Wander Packs each that they would loan out just as they do books and educational kits. We have contacts at the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation department as well as other local conservation groups that are excited to partner with us in this. We just need to kick-start this amazing project!

Pittsburgh, PA – Look Who's Here! Carpool Karaoke Edition

2018-08-20T00:00:00Z

Imagine a charismatic Pittsburgh podcaster who happens to have Down Syndrome jamming in the passenger seat of a car while interviewing a local musician and an international journalist in the style of British Late Late Show host James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke series! You can make it happen. Our project Look Who’s Here! All-Abilities Media equips people with disabilities to work as interviewers and producers on informative and fun audio and video podcasts. After a year of production, we just won two Golden Quill awards from the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania. Erin Gannon was honored for interviewing a disabilities advocate about the recent history of institutions in Pennsylvania. Erin’s also interviewed Pittsburgh-native and Yankees second baseman Neil Walker. Their conversation included discussions about getting injured as a pro athlete, Walker’s involvement in Miracle League baseball for people with special needs, and a batting and catching demo. Our project is timely. Pennsylvania and other states are increasingly integrating people with disabilities in the workforce and community, a process that will continue into the coming years. Yet many people still don’t interact with the one in five people who identify as having a disability. Citizens still often fight against group homes being established in their neighborhoods and threaten disabled residents and staff. People with disabilities should be prepared to have a more significant voice and role through media. Our carpool karaoke video episode will demonstrate that people with disabilities often have the same human curiosity (nebbiness?) and joy in music and good conversation that connects us all, whether or not we identify as having a disability. Guests we are considering inviting include local journalist John Miller, who recently wrote about the housing crisis for people with disabilities in America Magazine and hosts singalongs, and/or Joe Negri. Finally, we will work with a video producer who has autism.

Miami, FL – The L.S.D. Journal (Volume 6)

2018-08-17T00:00:00Z

Line Script Diary is an artist-run publisher and cultural office which highlights the peripheral practices of artists and cultural producers, with a primary focus on the written language- as well as sound, performance, and limited-editioned things. In addition to supporting newly commissioned dynamic publications, one major pillar of Line Script Diary’s mission is the ongoing series; The L.S.D. Journal. The purpose of the journal is to provide a mediated and discursive site for the exploration of ideas and executions within the realm of text-based works- giving a platform to an often underrepresented, but significant, aspect of the contributors’ practices. As an artist and writer myself, I have found that writing is usually the start of the creative process- regardless of how the actual art is resolved. There were no venues that highlighted this paramount point in the practice- so I set out to create one- and thus The L.S.D. Journal emerged. Following on its success, I have decided to select some of the contributors to create larger-scale books and publications, evolving from just the journal to a small arts-publishing house. Available free of charge at each new volume’s release, the journal also functions as both a testing ground and a teaser for potential future publications and projects by the contributors.

Yerevan – Canyoning

2018-08-17T00:00:00Z

Գաղտնիք չէ, որ Հայաստանն ունի տուրիզմի մեծ պոտենցիալ, որը լիովին չի օգտագործվում և զարգացվում։ Ես ցանկանում եմ ներկայացնել արկածային տուրիզմի նոր տարբերակ, որը կոչվում է Canyoning: Դա արկածային զբոսանք է կիրճի և գետի մեջ։ Զբոսանքի ընթացքում պետք կլինի լողալ, ջրվեժներից իջնել պարանով, թռնել ժայռերից ջրի մեջ, սահել թեք ժայռերի վրայով, մագլցել և այլն։ Այդ ճանապարհը հնարավոր կլինի անցնել 2-6 ժամում, գետի հոսանքի ուղությամբ։ Հայաստանում արդեն կան 4 հետազոտված գոտիներ, որտեղ հնարավոր է կազմակերպել նմանատիպ ժամանց։Մեր կլիման թույլ է տալիս հապատասխան գույքի օգտագործման դեպքում զբաղվել այս գործունեությամբ տարվա մեջ մինչև 8 ամիս։ Այս սպորտաձևը դարձել է արկածային տուրիզմի այցեքարտ բազմաթիվ երկրներում։ Հայաստանում այս մասին ցավոք քչերը գիտեն, եզակի մարդիկ են փորձել։

New York City, NY – Just Write Community Project

2018-08-17T00:00:00Z

Just Write is a simple idea with profound impact. A community project curated by community organizer, activist and nonprofit coach Tanesha ("Coach Tea") Ingram, Just Write runs quarterly letter-writing parties to provide support and encouragement to people writing letters to their incarcerated friends and loved ones and to help keep those communities connected. In Coach Tea's words: _Just Write is so awesome! We gather the community quarterly to write to children and adults that are incarcerated. Our letter writing parties involve, art, music and love. We create a safe space so that children and other community members do not feel ashamed about writing to their loved one in jail! On September 15th we are having a GIVE day for youth with a family member incarcerated. The day is designed to support the youth with building positive relationships , learning through play and self-expression. Youth can take advantage of slime and beat making, face-painting and team-building activities._ _Your $1000 will actually help with our Essay & Art Contest. We are launching this context prior to the event to give youth an opportunity to express how having a loved one incarcerated makes them feel and how they plan to still live a successful life regardless of these circumstances. We are super excited about this!_

Seattle, WA – Solar Panels for the Chinook Indians - LiveBright

2018-08-16T00:00:00Z

LiveBright is a high school student run nonprofit bringing electricity to resource-poor communities while promoting service above self to surrounding students, showing them the impact a small initiative has on the world. Previously, we have been able to equip several Seattle homeless encampments with solar panels, as well as low income housing in Tijuana, Mexico. We are wanting to give back to marginalized groups in the Seattle region, and have decided that we want to help the Chinook Indian Nation, by helping them build a kiosk to enable visitors to learn more about their group, as well as provide them with solar panels for members of the tribe who may not have enough money to pay for electricity.

Baltimore, MD – New Live Score (Adventures of Prince Achmed)

2018-08-16T00:00:00Z

Sweaty Eyeballs is a monthly independent animation series curated by myself, Phil Davis, and screened at the Parkway Theatre in Baltimore. Past programming has included both feature animations and shorts, free screenings for students and discussions with a diverse range of animators from all parts of the world. For our October 2018 program, we are attempting something spectacular with the pairing of an historic masterpiece, and a live, original, musical score from 12 regional musicians and one Foley sound effects artist. The Adventures of Prince Achmed by German animator Lotte Reiniger is considered the first feature-length silent animation and was made in 1926. The film is made with paper cut-out silhouette animation, telling the tale of a prince who overcomes the deception of an evil sorcerer, and embarks on a wondrous adventure, finding love and comradery. Our goal is to breathe new life into the film by creating an original score composed by regional musicians and sound artists, and perform it live. The film is 67 minutes long and has been assigned to six musicians/bands in 10-15-minute segments. The unique scores will range from improvisational to formally written, with the purposeful plan of offering the audience multiple sound experiences in a single film, through a broad range of musical styles and instrumentation. Along with the musical accompaniment, a professional Foley sound effects artist will be creating live sound effects to the entire film. A 35mm print of The Adventures of Prince Achmed has already been secured for the screening. The programming will consist of two screenings, each with live musical accompaniment, on Saturday October 13th at the Parkway Theatre. Between the two screenings will be a free silhouette animation workshop teaching puppet building, lighting techniques, and animating with a smartphone to get community members excited about the techniques used in the film and encourage them to try animating themselves.

Sydney – Uz: The Town

2018-08-14T00:00:00Z

Uz: The Town by Gabriel Calderon 17-20 & 22 September, 2018 New Theatre, 542 King St Newtown Tickets from $20 via https://sydneyfringe.com/buy-tickets/?e=MTU2OTU Uz: The Town, by award-winning Uruguayan playwright Gabriel Calderon, is being translated to English for the first time by director Veronica Barac and making its Australian premiere at the 2018 Sydney Fringe Festival. Uz: The Town is a dark comedy that follows a provincial woman, Grace, who is ordered by God to prove her devotion by performing a heinous act against her family. The resulting chain of events is a wickedly satirical romp exploring religious faith, homosexuality, morality, and small town dynamics. In the sleepy town of Uz reigns harmony, good manners and a love of God. There lives Grace, mother, perfect wife, and township role model. She lives with her loving husband Jack, her son Thomas and daughter Dorothy. Peace shatters in Uz when God, picking up on biblical stories of Abraham and Job, speaks to Grace and asks her to prove her faith by killing one of her children. Suddenly the local butcher, his daughter, nosey neighbours, and a questionable priest come into the picture, destabilising the predictable facade of each character. Donate to our Australia Cultural Fund page - we’re full-time students producing this independently and every dollar counts: https://australianculturalfund.org.au/projects/uz-the-town/ Buy tickets: https://sydneyfringe.com/buy-tickets/?e=MTU2OTU

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Notes to my Younger Self: Future Fellows Project

2018-08-13T00:00:00Z

Artists Within Reach is a collective of 19 parents, 11 organizations and 52 South Florida residents who work as a team to respond in real-time to issues that affect our youth. The Notes to my Younger Self Future Fellowship initiative is a year-long grassroots service and leadership training project designed to support and empower an emerging network of young women (ages 18 -25) of color from underrepresented communities in South Florida. Fellows participate in leadership and skills development workshops relating to mobilizing youth voters and executing non-partisan voter registration activities. The initiative is created by youth for youth who understand that their peers may require a different more creative approach to civic engagement. Participants of the Future Fellows initiative are tasked with designing voter registration activities that are interactive and branded to reflect and employ youth concepts, interests, design and programming that communicate the value of young electoral participation. Young architects of this project crafted a campaign that would allow participants to 1) feel included without judgment 2) learn without being embarrassed and 3) interact with peers in a safe environment as key elements of the project. The project was created out the need to immediately respond to our young people who are just learning to use their voice. On a broader scale, young people are expressing the desire to learn how to clearly articulate their concerns, demonstrate that activism is more than a hashtag, and stand in solidarity with their peers to advocate for issues that directly affect them. Our goal is to activate narrative power of young communities to tell the stories that are most important to them and to help young people as they conceive and create a more just world with and for one another.

Orlando, FL – CITY unseen. A New [AR]t Experience.

2018-08-13T00:00:00Z

In October 2018, Snap! Orlando will unveil ‘CITY UNSEEN’, a multi-year, multi-location, citywide public art project that will ignite the landscape of Orlando. This project will open artistic borders by launching the city and its visitors into Augmented Reality (AR) experiences that captivate with brilliant fusions of internationally renowned artists and cutting edge AR technology. CITY UNSEEN will position Orlando as a pioneer which casts a new vision for the fusion of art and technology in the 21st century, and serve as a platform for discussion about social, cultural and environmental issues affecting those around us. A CITY UNSEEN App is being developed and will be available for users to enjoy the full range of art installations and immersive AR experiences. Some of the experiences will include: METAMORPHOSHIS PROJECT: Miami-based artist Felice Grodin recently launched Pérez Art Museum Miami’s first-ever AR installation during Art Basel Miami Beach 2017 will manifest a simulated experience representing how Orlando is morphing from its amusement park perception. GREEN MURAL PROJECT: Building upon the issue of ecological awareness, Turkish visual artist Can Büyükberber will create an ecologically conscious mural, which will find permanence into the virtual world through AR. Through projection mapping, the audience will experience depth and movement and view this eco-friendly installation. THE PORTAL: Visit the studio of famed Los Angeles artist Nancy Baker Cahill. This first of its kind experience allows the viewers to walk and teleport through the artist’s LA studio, in 360 degrees. JR’S INSIDE/OUT PROJECT: In 2017, Snap! hosted the ‘Inside Out/Dreamers’ project with award-winning JR PHOTO BOOTH TRUCK, giving members of the community an opportunity to take a photo and participate in an art installation in support of the DREAM Act. The original mural pasting of portraits was washed away. Snap! is bringing ‘Inside Out/Dreamers’ back to life through AR.

Washington, DC – Limestone of Lost Legends

2018-08-13T00:00:00Z

My mural project stems from one of the District of Columbia's biggest flaws: gun violence. 116 homicides took place in the year of 2017 and there is no place of remembrance for those fallen. My plan includes creating a mural to commemorate six faces of slain youth from the 2017-2018 school year. I began this project with a petition, to gauge communal support. The petition grew rapidly on a local level. About ten weeks after I launched the petition, the Parkland shooting took place. About five kids from Parkland, Florida came to my high school in Ward 8 to learn more about everyday gun violence, rather than mass shootings that rarely take place, and gain momentum in the media. We educated them about our homicide rate, how guns are trafficked into the city, and what we were doing to combat the issue. The topic of my mural came up and Cameron Kasky tweeted it out and my audience grew geographically. At that point, me and my teacher, Ms. Lee, were still looking for a space to paint. We were told no by a Council-member and maybe from business owners. The process became discouraging and we continued on for about six months, until we lucked up. Ms. Lee walked through an alley connected to Barracks Row in Capitol Hill, owned by The Fridge art gallery. Alex Goldstein, the owner, was thrilled to sponsor the mural as he had his own ties to gun violence. The location was perfect, I want the mural in a neighborhood where the residents can live their everyday lives and ignore what happens in the city's poorest corners. Lastly, we have an artist and are currently in the stage of fundraising.

San Francisco, CA – 100 Jars of Jelly

2018-08-13T00:00:00Z

FARM (Future Action Reclamation Mob) is a next-generation protest project, gift-economy community, and non-profit org started by art and design students on an "adopted" and toxic swath of land in Potrero Hill. This successful project then became FARM Davis. Over ten years, we have grown thousands of pounds of food to give away. While we make regular donations 52 weeks a year to soup kitchens, low-income housing, and food pantries, we now want to engage our eventual gift receivers (the eaters) to make/farm with us. (The FARM will never require that eaters participate; this is a community service to spread awesome!) Our delight and purpose is to grow food to give away. The involvement will result in nourishing, delicious food, building rich relationships in the spirit of a gift economy. 100 JARS of AWESOME POMEGRANATE JELLY! — share a day in the kitchen with low-income eaters (mostly formerly homeless and/or seniors) — 2 low-income housing locations that have certified kitchens — 7 very productive pomegranate trees=gallons and gallons of juice — Build connected community via pomegranate jelly-making, using FARM Davis fruit. —Eaters keep knowledge and make jelly all year round using fruit we donate every week. — Hand make tags for the jars so the contents are clearly identified — Husks (skins) from pomegranates are saved for natural dyes when we grow/make cotton and wool scarves for donation. FARM has 2-3 meals/year where 5th graders grow ingredients and cook a meal to share with seniors. Each child has a senior lunch date and intergenerational magic explodes over a meal. Details are here: http://farmdavis.org/kids/ We imagine a similar response in the kitchen, making 100 Jars of Jelly. The event would happen in Davis— about 1.25 hours from San Francisco. FARM Davis was a direct result of FARM in Potrero Hill, and we hope that our mother-ship connection inspires you to fund the project and to participate in the workshops. We are just a skip from SF.

Newburgh, NY – Newburgh Elementary School Gardens: Hudson Valley

2018-08-13T00:00:00Z

In this coming school year, we at Hudson Valley Seed will be partnering with the Newburgh after-school program to complement our current in-school offerings with Crop Shops, after-school student-run farm stands. The Crop Shops allow us to expand students’ access to fresh foods beyond the school day, sending veggies and veggie knowledge home with their families at significantly lower prices than what would be available at a grocery store. Students learn how to handle money, calculate change, interact with customers, explain about the produce they are selling, and cooperate with one another to successfully make sales. Our students are excited to use the knowledge that they have gained in garden lessons during the school day to educate customers on the nutrition, life cycles, and fun facts about vegetables being sold, and the different ways of preparing them in kid-friendly recipes. We hope to continue increasing this access and to better serve our students outside of the school day, as well as share the gardens’ bounties and veggie knowledge with the communities in which we work.

Portland, OR – Domino Tournament in Dawson Park

2018-08-12T00:00:00Z

The Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods serves the neighborhoods in inner N-NE Portland. The Eliot neighborhood, that is home to Dawson Park, has experienced high levels of gentrification, like many of our neighborhoods in our district. This summer we were contacted by Police, that there was interest to increase police presence in Dawson Park. We are collaborating with Police and the neighborhood association to increase positive activities that are culturally relevant and positive. NECN would like to sponsor a Domino Tournament, that will be a way to be inclusive of those, who would otherwise feel the pressure of a police force presence, and the every day effects of gentrification. We believe that by supporting positive activities that many already enjoy but through a larger supported platform, that we can increase safety and still keep space for all that enjoy that park. Funds will be used to purchase prizes for the tournament- like gift certificates to local businesses, food/ beverages and provide stipends to contract 2 community outreach workers to help promote and facilitate the event. We are shooting for late summer/ early fall for the event.

Vegan (Inativo) – Becoming Vegan - A 4-Week Community Event

2018-08-12T00:00:00Z

Here at Catskill Animal Sanctuary we are excited to launch a community-based vegan mentor program this September. On four consecutive Saturday afternoons we will welcome visitors interested in becoming vegan to our beautiful grounds to learn more about the whys and hows of becoming vegan and to engage in meaningful conversations with others who can help support them on their journey. These afternoon events will feature talented and accomplished speakers, food demonstrations with samples, snacks, and an educational tour of the sanctuary which includes meeting some of our beloved rescued residents. Participants pledge to be vegan for the month and are paired with a trained mentor who will provide guidance and support tailored to their individual goals and needs. Participants have the option to continue with a mentor after September and are also given a comprehensive resource packet which includes books, films, apps, and websites. We have 15 mentors who, after an initial application and interview, have completed our carefully designed 8-hour training and are prepared to work with up to three participants (“mentees”) each. We anticipate having 30-50 participants in the program, some of whom may attend one or more of the community events but choose not to become a pledge or have a mentor. We welcome all who are interested to attend any or all of the Saturday afternoon events. For those who pledge, there will be a shared celebratory meal on the last day of the program. These events and the mentorship support are provided to the public free of charge to help facilitate the attendance and participation of all who are interested in making this important lifestyle change - a change which we know creates a kinder world for animals, our shared Earth, and ourselves. The project is operated by Elana Kirshenbaum, our Adult Programs Manager, who has many years of vegan advocacy and program management experience. Please reach out to us with any questions you may have!

Rockport, MA – 3rd Annual Pay-It-Forward Pink Envelope Initiative

2018-08-12T00:00:00Z

In partnership with one another, Awesome Gloucester and Awesome Rockport will distribute 132 pink envelopes containing undisclosed amounts of cash across our neighboring communities. Together, our chapters will give away a total of $2000 in free cash over the course of a single weekend. The dates of distribution are August 11 and August 12. In addition to the cash, we will also insert a brief note in each envelope requesting that recipients (a) do something awesome with the money and (b) share a story about what they did via email or through social media.

Gloucester, MA – 3rd Annual Pay-It-Forward Pink Envelope Initiative

2018-08-12T00:00:00Z

South Bend, IN – Ink Project

2018-08-10T00:00:00Z

The purpose of Ink Project is to provide free tattoo cover ups for individuals that believe their pre-existing tattoos are impeding their lives. This program is intended to empower individuals and to support individuals in enhancing their lives by providing a resource for tattoo cover ups of racist, gang, and/or profane tattoos. The idea is to connect community members, local human service agencies, and community businesses to address the need of tattoo cover ups. Their are many in our community that feel that their tattoos are keeping them from employment opportunities and from being able to fully participate positively in our community. Ink Project is the means by which individuals in our community can replace a negative image on their skin with a new image and eliminate the barriers the old tattoo presented. Ink Project is a local resource for individuals in the Michiana area. It supports community serving community and agency networking. Only agencies and local community groups can refer individuals for a tattoo cover up. This way, those that are already actively involved in changing their lives for the better or are positively enhancing the community and those that have the most need for the free cover ups are reached. Ink Project uses talented local tattoo artists to complete the tattoo cover ups. This supports the local small businesses and creates another positive network between the local tattoo artists in the Michiana area.

South Bend, IN – Children's Museum Start-up

2018-08-10T00:00:00Z

I am part of a group of parents in the beginning stages of starting up a children's museum in South Bend. The museum will be composed of hands-on, educational activities, focused on science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM). Our museum will be accessible for all children in our community and surrounding areas, either through monthly sponsered free admission days or discounts for low income families. Our plan is to start small, through traveling or "pop-up" exhibits to immediately make STEAM-based activities available to children in our community. Once we have enough funds raised, we will lease a small space so we can be open daily for families who want to participate in our activities and exhibits. We eventually plan to move into a large, permanent space which we will gradually fill and improve over years of hard work. Our motto is to dream big, but start small. In July, we held a community meeting to organize support and get input from other families and stakeholders to hear what they would like to see in the museum. About 90 people attended, and we were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and number of people who were interested in joining our efforts. We are currently meeting with city officials and other potential partners, interviewing potential board members, and planning our pop-up exhibits. For more information, visit our Facebook page @SBchildrensmuseum where you can follow our progress, watch the Facebook live stream of our meeting, read our Tribune article, and watch our ABC-57 and WSBT-22 news segments.

South Bend, IN – Picnic in the park

2018-08-10T00:00:00Z

We would like to host one last picnic in Howard Park before the next major wave of construction starts. We own a restaurant, Baker & Rose, on the East Bank across from the park. We offer frisbees and picnic baskets, and we would like to add some other fun outdoor games, music, along with displays from local artists and vendors. We have been in contact with DTSB, South Bend Venues, Parks, and Arts and some of our regular customers about potential dates and assistance in building a good crowd.

Boston, MA – Tutus For Batman

2018-08-07T00:00:00Z

As gender identity and LGBTQ rights continue to shape our national conversation, how can we help kids embrace gender diversity, question gender stereotypes, and feel affirmed in their own gender expression? Tutus for Batman: A Gender Identity Workshop for Kids will be an event during Transgender Awareness Month in November, 2018 . The workshop is facilitated and produced by Wee The People- a social justice project for kids based in Boston, MA. Tutus for Batman features a live theater performance on gender identity, a drag queen storytime, and separate interactive workshops for kids 4-6 and 7-11 exploring and disrupting gender stereotypes and the gender binary. The pilot Tutus for Batman workshop was done in 2016 in a 50 person capacity community space. The event exceeded capacity (we had to turn approx 30 families away) and was one of the most popular workshops we have done. Because of the demand and interest, we have collaborated with the Puppet Showplace Theatre in Brookline who is donating its 100p-capacity space to do a workshop for a larger audience with the flexibility for multiple workshops.

Boston, MA – Screaming Chicken Piano

2018-08-07T00:00:00Z

I have a vision of making a pipe organ. But instead of a traditional pipe organ, the pipes are those screaming chicken toys. I plan to build it with an actual keyboard to play it with as well as being midi-controlled. It should be fully ridiculous and awesome.