Awesome Foundation - Projects

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Healing Space

2018-08-06T00:00:00Z

Sanar is one of the first trauma-informed organizations in the country working to ensure all female and female identifying individuals have safe places, spaces, and faces with whom they can share in their healing experience from gender-based violence. Sanar’s New Jersey-based headquarter's groundbreaking services have yielded significant results in the reduction of trauma-related symptoms for historically marginalized communities that have transformed the lives and futures of women and girls. Sanar's trauma recovery services include therapy, expressive arts and music, yoga and mindfulness, education and employment coaching, and psychiatric support, case advocacy, legal support, and other customized services to meet individual needs. To increase our healing impact, Sanar is opening a new healing space in Los Angeles, California! The new office will help move us closer to our vision that all survivors have access to healing spaces that foster resiliency, inspire hope and allow women and girls to meet their full potential. We want to take the AWESOME outcomes and learning opportunities from New Jersey and build a one-of-a-kind healing space in Los Angeles that will allows survivors to move beyond the violence their past and create an empowered life of their choosing. The new office will integrate TONS of sensory-based tools that have proven to reduce trauma-symptoms for survivors. Resources like yoga and mindfulness are accessible, transportable, and culturally diverse strategies that allow survivors to regain a sense of safety when they have a trauma-trigger, reduce anxiety when they have trouble sleeping, and befriend their bodies after the violence of their past. We know that creating a safe space that provides key resources and fosters a sense of hope are key elements in trauma recovery. This AWESOME new space will help countless women, girls, and female identifying individuals have a home base for healing to build strong, violence free lives!

Adelaide – Y-Cook

2018-08-06T00:00:00Z

Careship Coorong is a social care farm for people living with dementia, people with mental health problems and those who just feel lonely in their community. A social care farm provides social support by enabling participants to work on an actual farm. Our farm is set up as a free-range snail farm. As part of our social support we run a fortnightly intergenerational cooking & gardening program in which local school students come to the farm to interact with older community members through cooking and gardening. The student would come to the farm every week (recently changed to fortnightly) and cook lunches in the Mongolian yurt for older community members who would like to interact with the students. The students have learned many new skills and gained confidence while building up valuable networks in the community. The older community members say they feel less lonely and they engage more in community events. The Y-Cook program has been running for 3 years with much enthusiasm and passion from all participants.

Oakland, CA (Inativo) – Creating Freedom Movements: more justice, more joy

2018-08-03T00:00:00Z

CFM’s new year-long popular education program & social justice project incubator begins this September. Designed for emerging & established grassroots leaders, it provides participants with resources that support the sustainability & power of their work, while also building deeper cross-issue understanding & solidarity through the intensive cohort model. The first 9 months consist of weekly workshops in social movement history & analysis, the arts, healing practices, and practical skills (full workshop list here: www.creatingfreedommovements.org/workshops.html), followed by 3 months of mentorship as participants cultivate projects that increase justice & joy in their communities. Projects can contribute to existing organizations or be new, based on community priorities. The projects incubated through our program allows us to go wide in our impact, while the program year allows us to go deep, building the kind of cross-issue relationships that are crucial to deep societal transformation. Interlocking systems of oppression are good at keeping us apart, but by spending substantive time together on a weekly basis for a year, participants in our program build meaningful relationships with people different than themselves in multiple ways, thus strengthening the local activist ecosystem and the collaborations needed to grow our collective power. (We just accepted our first cohort: 28 people who are truly diverse in terms of race, class, gender, sexuality, age, issue areas they’re passionate about, level of experience, and modalities through which they work (direct action, education, service provision, the arts, policy, organizing, etc.) - we are excited to embark on this transformative year with them!) Finally, alongside deepening our understanding & relationships, and supporting actions that increase justice, our workshops focus on cultivating joy. We believe joy is the antidote to overwhelm and paralysis, prevents burnout, and attracts more people into this work.

Newcastle – Feedback Organic - Food waste into Urban produce

2018-08-02T00:00:00Z

We run an organsation that sees the best in waste. Aside from many other waste types we've dealt with over the last five years - we've begun to focus on circulatory waste benefits of food. We've been collecting and converting food waste around Newcastle for five years and for the last three years - we've been converting it into urban farm produce and feeding it back to the community. We also run a program called the 'one hour farmers' which engages our broader commercial and residential communities to get involved in farm to plate and waste conversion.

Annapolis, NS (Inativo) – Rose Fortune: A Biography

2018-08-01T00:00:00Z

We have seen our local heroine, Rose Fortune, immortalized in a Canada Post stamp and a local ferry named after her. It is well past time we had a biography of Rose Fortune. Although there is not a lot of information we have about Rose, her story can be woven in with the stories of local African Nova Scotians and their settlements in places such as Granville Ferry, Delaps Cove, Brindley Town (now called Jordanville) and Spa Springs. After talking with staff at the Black Loyalist Centre in Shelburne, they have been very supportive of the idea and would love to use a biography of Rose Fortune in their education and outreach programs. Working with some of the descendants of Rose Fortune and with archival material, scholarly books and articles, and oral histories, I will put together this book about Rose. SSP Publications has agreed to publish it once it is ready. Presenting cheque to author Brenda Thompson (center) are trustees Sue Bonnington and John Coker.

Singapore – Photovoice for Sex Workers in Singapore

2018-08-01T00:00:00Z

Project X is organizing a photovoice project which involves getting sex workers to use cameras to capture aspects of their daily lives. Photovoice is a recognized method to enable marginalized communities to participate in the documentation of their own reality. As such, the aim of our project is to provide a platform for women in the sex industry to tell their own story, empowering them to take control of their own narrative away from the society’s prejudices. A series of workshops will be conducted and the women will have an opportunity to learn photography skills and seek peer support. There will be a total of 10 participants who will attend four photovoice workshops over the course of 2 months. There will be one principal facilitator, Robyne Hayes, who is a Social Justice Photographer based in Singapore. She has kindly agreed to conduct the workshops for free. The workshops are scheduled to take place from September to October 2018. The photographs will then be exhibited in various galleries, with its debut at Project X’s 10th anniversary gala dinner slated for the 16th of December 2018. A research project will run concurrently to the photovoice workshops. Recognizing that the media is very powerful in shaping people’s opinions and their resulting behavior, a research team will analyse media coverage of sex workers in 2017. In particular, they will be examining the language used when writing about sex workers, and the photographs that accompany those articles. We will then be comparing the photographs from the photovoice project to the mainstream media’s representation of sex workers, and engage with local media outlets with our findings.

North Minneapolis, MN – Minneapolis Nature Preschool

2018-08-01T00:00:00Z

The children of North Minneapolis would benefit greatly from a nature-based preschool. Young children love being outside. They learn best by being active, curious, and playful. There is a wealth of information regarding the need for greater physical activity, sensory integration, and social-emotional development among children. Time in nature offers rich opportunities for achieving these goals. The number of nature-based preschools is increasing across the nation, yet we do not have a program available for the citizens of Minneapolis. We know there is a market to create such a school, and have worked hard to make it happen on the Northside! A group of us have been meeting since October 2016 to create this inclusive nature-based preschool. Our purpose is to: • Cultivate the innate curiosity and wonder of young children • Empower families to help their children succeed • Offer children a better understanding of the environment and reasons to protect it. We are ready to start our pilot program in Sept 2018, have teachers hired, and are fully enrolled with a waitlist. We are excited to be renting from Kroening Interpretive Center in North Mississippi Regional Park. Over 62% of children enrolled live on the Northside.

State College, PA – 'Shake' the Stage

2018-08-01T00:00:00Z

State College loves theatre! With four theaters within a 1 mile radius of each other, State Collegians can’t get enough. Unfortunately, not many Centre County residents get to experience the other side of watching a great performance, the thrill of actually being on stage performing. So why not bring the stage to a larger audience and make performance more accessible and fun with, ‘Shake’ the Stage. A fixed, one-person stage will be constructed and made available for anyone in Centre County to play an instrument, sing a song, dance, or perform! Participants will have the option to experience the thrill of performance with whoever they’re with or post and share 30-55 second clips of their performance with a community of other residents and visitors who also ‘Shake’ the Stage on our social media platforms. Don’t know what to perform? No worries! A web page dedicated to a mission of spreading the love of theatre and performance will have tons of challenges. From Pirouettes to juggling, participants will have a variety of performance challenges to 'Shake the Stage with. Maybe you want to recite a monologue, 'Shake' the Stage will have tons of monologues at your fingertips from some of the greatest playwrights in history such as: Eugene O’Neil, George Bernard Shaw, Tennessee Williams, August Wilson, and, of course, William ’Shake' speare! I developed this Idea during the second year of pursuing my MFA in Acting at the Penn State School of Theatre. After traveling abroad to Europe, I fell in love with the hundreds of street performers I witnessed reciting poetry, playing instruments, performing magic, and much more! I could feel a powerful commitment to the arts and performance that seemed to liberate the souls of the people there. ’Shake’ the Stage wants to be that force in Centre County that gives participants a platform to overcome or challenge their fear of speaking or performing publicly and allow them to share those experiences with the world.

Melbourne (Inativo) – The arts as a therapy in stroke recovery

2018-08-01T00:00:00Z

We are a not-for-profit organisation that run a Centre for stroke survivors and carers in Geelong. While we offer groups and programs at low (if any) cost at The Centre, we understand that recovery for most looks like getting out into the community in a facilitated and supported environment. A few weeks ago we ran a pilot session at a local acting school with a group of young stroke survivors (between the ages of 23 -54). The amazing actresses from the school that facilitated the group were so inclusive and empowering and the team LOVED it, they had so much fun. They walked out of the class engaged, laughing, smiling, confident. The transformation was incredible. We would like to offer this class to all of our groups of stroke survivors so they can all encounter the same level of confidence from this kind of session. There is no doubt that enriching our environments and enhancing our creative capacity is fundamental for brain recovery. This class is an opportunity for stroke survivors to activate neural pathways and therefore enhance recovery outcomes at the same time as empowering them to be creative and think about recovery differently.

Tallahassee, FL (Inativo) – Farming The Future

2018-07-31T00:00:00Z

Farming The Future pairs engineering expertise and leadership in system design to bring food, entrepreneurship, and community to Tallahassee. Farming The Future is a women owned, award-winning Progressive Business. We are a greenhouse distributor. Inside of those greenhouses we design and build aquaponic systems. Aquaponic systems consist of two parts: fish and plants. We raise tilapia and catfish in ponds, we pump that water into finely calculated bioreactors, we grow vegetables out of the bioreactors, and then we send that water back to the fish. We then pair that with an external terrestrial garden where we can add more growing space. We use our systems as a tool to teach STEM, Agricultural, and Career Education. All the food grown goes to the cafeteria, and whatever is left over goes to local shelters, A Second Harvest Food Banks, and other community organizations fighting food deserts and food insecurity. We build our systems in Juvenile Detention Centers, Title I Schools, Commercial Institutions, Low Income/Food Desert Communities, Private Backyards for Individuals, and Commercial Scale Farms. Over the years of building these in educational facilities, our director Michele Madison has written and developed a hands-on STEM curriculum that meets Florida State Standards. FTF provides people the opportunity to save money at the grocery store, provide an enriching environment for children, and healthy, nutrient dense food by installing low maintenance fruit tree kits in Tallahassee backyards! Our ultimate goal when combining aquaponics, foodscaping, and education is to bring all of this back to where it belongs: the people and especially the future. When kids have access to fresh, nutritionally dense food, they are able to stay healthy and spend more days growing. We want to make this future a reality for Tallahassee as we continue to develop into a leading city in the state of Florida and nationwide. We're not farming the past, we're farming the future.

Disability – Community-Built Dance Performance

2018-07-31T00:00:00Z

VAE Raleigh has spent the past five years working to build trust with our local disability communities and highlighting the creative contributions made by artists with disabilities. This fall, we want to continue this work by bringing Barak adé Soleil, a performance artist with disabilities, to Raleigh, NC for a community-build performance. Barak would visit from August 13-17, 2018. He would spend the first two days of his visit in conversation with members of our local disability communities, talking with individuals about their everyday experiences traversing spaces in our city, including Lichtin Plaza, a particularly contentious space. Licthin Plaza sits in front of Raleigh’s performing arts center and its wide expanse of concrete must be traversed to reach the front doors. Visitors with disabilities and visitors who cannot walk long distances must traverse Licthin Plaza’s wide expanse in order to access the performing arts presented inside. This is been a longstanding problem that has been discussed in community, with the venue, and with the City of Raleigh. Barak will spend time talking with community members about their experiences with the plaza, their attempts to negotiate structural or policy alterations, and their frustrations with the lack of change. He will use these conversations to create a dance that will be performed on the plaza. This event offers the community a chance to see their frustrations be turned into a piece of work, performed in the very space that caused their frustration. It also brings the performing arts out of the giant building on the other side of the plaza and makes them accessible to everyone. The following two days of Barak’s visit will be spent with young artists with disabilities, talking about his career, motivations, and upcoming work. This part of the visit is a partnership with Arts Access, North Carolina’s only statewide organization focused on the intersection of arts and disability. What our grantee is saying: "This support is AWESOME! We value artists and do not work with them unless we can pay them for their time and talent. This funding means that VAE Raleigh, a small nonprofit, will be able to support artist Barak adé Soleil as he makes a new piece of work with our local disability community. This would not have been possible without the support from Awesome Disability!"

Disability – "Buy A Battery-Give Independence"

2018-07-31T00:00:00Z

Our non profit, REquipment Durable Medcial Equipment & Assistive Technology Reuse Program, Inc.refurbishes durable medical equipment and gives it away for free to people in Massachusetts that need it. One of our most requested and highest cost pieces to refurbish are power wheelchairs and scooters. We install new batteries in every chair before it leaves our facilities. People who receive our power wheelchairs include seniors, veterans, children with disabilities as well as adults with all types of paralyzing disabilities. They are generally low income and cannot afford the cost of new batteries, which can run up to $300/pair. Many people who use power wheelchairs do not have back up chairs as insurance will not cover them. So when their wheelchair breaks down and needs to be taken into the shop for repairs it means it could be gone for several weeks to several months. Without a back up they miss work, school, social life and are at risk of secondary health conditions such as pneumonia and possible hospitalizations. Meet Sarah. Sarah was out to dinner one Sunday night in March when her power wheelchair died. Luckily she was with someone who assisted her in getting home. The next day Sarah called her wheelchair vendor and found out a technician wouldn't be available to come look at the chair for 7-10 days and if it had to have a major repair then it could be gone for 4-6 months. Sarah did not have a back up wheelchair. Staying in bed for weeks was not an option. Sarah was due to start a new job the following week and MA was in the midst of a hurricane. Sarah called us and she was able to select a power wheelchair that we refurbished from our online inventory. Due to the hurricane we were unable to deliver the chair right away but she did start her job the next week. Our power wheelchair enabled her to continue to work, get around in the community and maintain her health. With funding for batteries we can make more power wheelchairs available. What our grantee is saying: "The REquipment Durable Medical Equipment Reuse Program is so grateful for this award to enable us to purchase batteries for 5-6 power wheelchairs to give people with disabilities independent mobility to pursue work, school and/or community activities. These refurbished power wheelchairs change people's lives!"

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – A Town Called Victoria

2018-07-30T00:00:00Z

Our project is a documentary film about Victoria, a town in South Texas. On January 27, 2017, an executive order immediately banned citizens from several predominantly-Muslim countries from travel into the United States. Later that night, a mosque in Victoria, Texas, was burned to the ground. International media descended on Victoria, expecting to cover a story of hate. But instead, something unusual happened: the next day, almost five hundred Victorians arrived at the smoldering mosque for an impromptu peace rally. Within a week, a global GoFundMe campaign raised more than a million dollars to rebuild. The story of Victoria made headlines around the world, offering a parable of togetherness in dark times. But what happens when the media-friendly narrative ends, and the cameras turn away? What happens afterwards, when a community is left to look at itself and ask difficult questions about its true identity? Beneath the inspirational facade is a deeply-divided town facing real challenges. How does a community overcome its age-old political, cultural, racial, and economic divides, and begin the hard work of changing itself for the better? And what happens when a local man – a young Hispanic father of two – is arrested for burning down the mosque? Our film, A TOWN CALLED VICTORIA, asks all these questions, and follows the people of Victoria – its activists and politicians; its preachers and worshippers; its students and teachers; its community leaders and ordinary folks – as they struggle to find answers, to reach each other, to learn the tough lessons of the past, and find a new and better way forward. (Note: We learned about AWB after another documentary that includes Li got this grant! http://awesomewithoutborders.org/grant/seeing-believing-women-direct)

Alaska (Inativo) – of relation

2018-07-30T00:00:00Z

of relation is a three part, progressively building, performance series addressing the concept of relationship. First presenting the relationship to the self, second, familial (specifically father daughter, brother sister), and third, romantic. Through the use of performance art, wearable art, sculptural installation, and sound, viewers are taken through an emotional and physical narrative. told in three progressively building vignettes. The viewers are woven through each piece beginning with the relationship to the self where two woman sit back to back 10-15 feet apart. They are wearing a dress covered by a knit sweater; they are versions of the same self. As they sit back to back, they are individually knitting their sweater to complete it. Each sweater is connected to the other by a thread of yarn, as one woman attempts to knit her sweater it unravels the other woman's sweater, as the other self knits her sweater, she is taking yarn from her other self. This action is never ending and creates a futile repetitive act. The viewers then move to the second piece where three performers stand. They begin a dance set to sound which reveals a tumultuous father-daughter, and brother-sister relationship. As they dance, more of the female character's sweater is unraveled creating this sense of loss and detachment. The viewers then move to the third piece where a full size woven house stands. Inside are performers, attached back to back, creating a push-pull action. They are silent and are moving to an audio that tells the relationship stories of communities members. Viewers can only see whats going on "behind closed doors" by peering in through windows or door ways, further examining what we share and what we don't and challenging vulnerabilities. There is a social practice aspect to this piece. I will interview 35-50 community members on their experiences with love, pain, and relationships. I will then edit those interviews into the audio for the third piece

Plano, TX (Inativo) – Chicago the Musical: a musical charity project

2018-07-27T00:00:00Z

We are five Plano East Senior High School Theatre students who are passionate about the arts and wanted to give back in some way. We decided that we wanted to help less fortunate, aspiring theatre students grow and learn within the arts. Being theatre students ourselves, we thought that there was no better way to further our own experience, than to also support and educate future Plano East Theatre students. We are teaming up with Armstrong Middle School, a low income school that happens to feed into Plano East. Their theatre program doesn't have the equipment, amenities, or opportunities that so many other middle school theatre programs have. By supporting us and donating, you will be helping us put on our summer muscial: Chicago , in which all the proceeds will go to Armstrong's theatre program. In addition to the musical, you would also be helping us fund a Theatre summer camp for Armstrong's theatre students.

Plano, TX (Inativo) – Unmasking Brain Injury

2018-07-27T00:00:00Z

BIND: Brain Injury Network of Dallas is a post-rehabilitation program in Plano that serves the long-term needs of stroke, traumatic brain injury and brain cancer survivors. Our mission is to provide tools and a bridge of support so that adult brain injury survivors can reconnect to work, life and the community. Our program members have a unique opportunity to participate in a nationally-recognized advocacy event called "Unmasking Brain Injury." Each participant creates a mask as a means to tell their brain injury/recovery story. Support is provided through the Brain Injury Association and related partners to facilitate groups like ours to execute the project. Additionally, we would travel the entire display through the DFW metroplex, including our annual Gala in October to bring further awareness of brain injury and the BIND program.

Oahu, HI – Stage Mosaic Mural

2018-07-27T00:00:00Z

Washington Middle School is located in the heart of Honolulu on the corner of King and Punhahou streets. We have an extremely diverse population attending from 6th to 8th grade. Art Club which began in 2010 is currently working on it's third mosaic mural and wanted to make a design that celebrated our diversity. Students attend Art Club after school facilitated by myself, the 6th grade art teacher. Our goal is to beautify our school and have demonstrated this through mosaics. We choose mosaics as the medium, because it is hearty enough to withstand the elements and is virtually maintenance free. We did our first mosaic on the corner on our main administration building. The second is located on King street side by our parking lot. This last one that we are currently working on will be mounted behind our stage where our school holds assemblies. Leah Kilpatrick Rigg and her father Doug Kilpatrick have graciously helped us along the way with the three mosaic murals. I contacted them in 2010, and they gladly stepped into the teaching role giving up their own free time to come and teach the kids and myself about the process. Students designed the mural. They learned how to glaze tiles, make clay slabs, use nippers to break tiles, and to grout. Not only did students learn the physical and aesthetic roles of creating this mosaic mural, but they also learned to work together in tight spaces, appreciate everyone’s different styles and techniques, and figure out ways to harmonize these differences. Students gave up hours and hours of their free time. They even came over Christmas and Spring Breaks. A few teachers, counselors, and a custodian also helped piece together some of the mural puzzle. We are currently about half way through the project but are optimistic that we will finish by the end of the school year in May.

Oahu, HI – ARTBOX Kaimuki

2018-07-27T00:00:00Z

We want to bring more art to our town, Kaimuki, and we are doing that through our project ARTBOX Kaimuki. Our objective is to take ugly, gray traffic boxes, some even with graffiti, from bad to beautiful and from utilitarian to works of art by incorporating the artistic talent from our community. We will be offering this invitation to artists from local high schools, colleges and our artists at large. We have identified 15 traffic boxes on Waialae Avenue and one on Harding Avenue that are in need of attention, and we anticipate this being done in two phases. The first phase will include seven traffic boxes on Waialae Avenue in addition to the one on Harding Avenue. We have included pictures of a traffic box on Waialae Avenue with the original gray paint and graffiti and also a pictures from a painted boxes on the mainland as an example of what can be done. We will be focusing on eight Hawaiian themes including beach scenes, native flora, mountains, and ethnic diversity. We will be vetting the artists’ entries to ensure that their work is family friendly and meets our theme criteria. We recently presented our project, ARTBOX Kaimuki, to the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA) and received approval to go forward with our event. The ARTBOX Kaimuki project is not just an artistic endeavor; but a way to bring our community together as we beautify our environment. It is our hope that Awesome Foundation will agree that this is an awesome project!! **Please note that we do not have a website for ARTBOX Kaimuki because this is a one time project but in order to be able to submit the application we needed to list one so we are using Kaimuki Neighborhood Board website.

Gloucester, MA – Period Partners

2018-07-27T00:00:00Z

We provide menstrual products to people in need on Cape Ann. Access to menstrual hygiene products is a basic survival need, but for many people in America this need goes unmet. This can have a negative impact on people’s lives in a variety of ways, including missing work or school and having to resort to unhygienic practices, which causes infections requiring medical attention. Homeless shelters and food pantries rarely have adequate supplies of tampons or pads to meet the needs of their clients. Because it’s something we rarely talk about, people just don’t think to donate these essential items. We have been in operation since December 2016 and began working with The Open Door in June 2017. We've raised over $15,000 and it costs us around $1,500 a month to meet the needs of our community. An average 500 individuals a month take advantage of our products. Our funds are low at the moment, so an Awesome Gloucester grant right now would really help!

Oahu, HI – Naonealaa Story Board

2018-07-27T00:00:00Z

There is a special place on Windward O`ahu which figured greatly in Hawaii's history, and which we hope to tell the story through an Awesome Foundation grant. This is Naonealaa, which has a modern name attached to it - Kaneohe Beach Park. Our organization has raised $1,200 of the $2,200 needed for the storyboard to be purchased, from an earlier grant given by the National Geographic Society. NAONEALA`A The Sands of La`amaikahiki In ancient times, this area was named Naoneala`a, for the famous chief who once lived here a long time ago. In 1867, noted Hawaiian historian Samuel Kamakau tells the story: “La`a, that is, La`a-mai-Kahiki, was so named for his coming from Kahiki. After the death of Olopana, the kingdom was inherited by La`a, and he heard from Kila and others that Hawaii was a fertile land, and that the people were great farmers and keepers of fish in fish ponds. Oahu was the richest of all, so La`a became determined to come here to Hawaii. At Naoneala`a, the chief built three heiau, one of which was named Kalaoa. Perhaps the area is best known as the site where the chiefs of all the islands gathered to make peace. Kamakau describes this important place in the history of the Hawaiian people: “It was in January, 1737, that the two hosts (Alapai’s and Peleioholani) met, splendidly dressed in cloaks of bird feathers and in helmet-shaped head coverings beautifully decorated with feathers of birds. Red feather cloaks were to be seen on all sides, both chiefs were attired in a way to inspire admiration and awe, and the day was one of rejoicing as that of the ending of a dreadful conflict. So it was that Peleioholani and Alapai met at Naonealaa in Kaneohe. The canoes were lined up from Ki`i at Mokapu to Naonealaa, and there on the shore line they remained, Alapai alone going on shore. The chiefs of Oahu and Kauai and the fighting men and the country people remained inland, the chief Peleioholani alone advancing. Between the two chiefs stood the counselor.

New York City, NY – Block Party for a Just Rezoning

2018-07-26T00:00:00Z

_An exciting social justice event using the arts to mobilize and educate people of Inwood, Northern Manhattan, and other NYC neighborhoods subject to predatory rezoning plans._ _Dominican fusion band Yasser Tejada y Palotré will headline entertainment that will include spoken word performer Kaila Paulino, dancers, poets, and other artists. This big, upbeat event will celebrate the sharing local culture of our diverse, mostly working class, majority-Latinx community, and educate people about competing rezoning plans: the Economic Development Corporation’s predatory plan making its way through the approval process despite its rejection by the community board and borough president, and the alternative Uptown United plan developed by a coalition of community groups._ _EDC’s plan, with 70-80% of new housing as market rate luxury units, is a 1-way ticket to displace low-income residents, as has happened elsewhere in NYC. EDC’s upzoning commercial streets and enabling big-box stores will displace thriving local small businesses, many immigrant- and/or woman-owned. EDC offers no protections for 150 small businesses ripe for displacement in easily-developed “soft sites.”_ _The Uptown United plan enables growth of over 2,500 apartments affordable to Inwood’s working class residents and includes protections to discourage big-box chains and keep local small businesses in Inwood. People from other communities subject to recent or ongoing rezoning—East Harlem, East New York, Chinatown, and parts of the Bronx—will join us in solidarity for just rezoning plans across the city, including investments in oft-neglected neighborhoods that need new schools, improved infrastructure, better-maintained parks, and legal support for low-income tenants, as well as more affordable housing and commercial space._ _Amidst the fun and entertainment, this event will make the case that social justice demands these investments without predatory rezonings that push out current residents and businesses._ **AwesomeNYC is happy to be able to support the members of this community who are putting on this event to raise awareness about changes coming to their own community, and can hopefully lend a voice to making changes in support of this vibrant neighborhood.** **Read more about the Uptown United Platform here**

Minas Gerais (Inativo) – Coleta Seletiva

2018-07-25T00:00:00Z

A COLETA SELETIVA é um projeto da Associação de Catadores de Material Reciclável de Salinas, na qual 12 associados, a maioria mulheres, catam até 100 kg por dia, buscando ampliar a coleta seletiva na cidade e melhorar as próprias condições de trabalho. Para isso precisamos de apoio financeiro para poder dar continuidade e evitar que material que podemos reciclar vá para o aterro sanitário. A ideia para realizar esse sonho é usar o dinheiro para poder comprar algo que tenha valor para podemos realizar um bingo ou uma rifa para arrecadar mais dinheiro para comprar um carro para a coleta seletiva da cidade.

Portland, OR – KB's Poise Parlor

2018-07-24T00:00:00Z

KB'S Poise Parlor is an idea I came up with in my last year of undergrad that is just coming to life now. My idea is to help young foster girls of color in the pacific northwest express themselves by learning new and healthy ways to care for their hair. Self care is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. Feeling a disruption of self expression can bring on cloudy feelings of confusion and loss of identity. I strive to help each child find the best representation of themselves through hair care. I also find it very important to help their foster parents become educated on healthy hair care routines , and how this can also play into their child's self confidence and identity issues. The goal is to put on an event in august before the 2018 school year for a group of at least 10 -15 youth. At this event I want youth to receive hair products,a simple hair style and education on the importance of healthy hair.

San Jose, CA – Youth Science Institute's 33rd Wildlife Festival

2018-07-24T00:00:00Z

Youth Science Institute is a non profit organization that has been educating the public and local schools about science and nature since 1953. This year is Youth Science Institute's 33rd Annual Wildlife Festival, and it's also our 65th Anniversary! Every year, we invite a variety of vendors and exhibitors to YSI's Alum Rock Park location, and we educate the public about, like face painting, crafts, and games, as well as guided nature walks, We also feature a stage where we have various exhibitors speak about what their mission to protect wildlife, and give education about their organizations and what the public can do to help. We bring out live animals that the public wouldn't normally see face to face, and we also have story time with Smokey the Bear, as well as Fire Fighters coming to speak about fire safety, and let kids try on their safety gear. This event is completely free to the public, so we are always searching for ways to raise money to help cover funds. We would be very appreciative of any funding for this wonderful and educational day!

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Chalkbeat Tennessee School Board Debate

2018-07-23T00:00:00Z

Through unbiased reporting, Chalkbeat journalists help the public examine how schools are truly operating, scrutinize key policy and legislative developments that often happen behind closed doors, and gain access to important data and context. Our reporting holds schools, politicians, and organizations accountable. By building communities’ understanding, we can improve their ability to serve students better. As part of our strategy, we hold regular community engagement events. In July of 2018, Chalkbeat Tennessee is planning to host an event in advance of the upcoming school board elections in Memphis, Tennessee. The event will be a debate between all the candidates, but with a twist -- it will be led by students. Over the next few months, Chalkbeat journalists will be working with a select group of students to come up with questions for the candidates. Two of the students will moderate the discussion, which we hope will be attended by a wide variety of community members. The goal of the event is to create a more engaged and active community around issues of education reform in Memphis. At Chalkbeat, our dream is for our community to get more engaged in its local schools. Through our work, we can help people learn together about what is working and not working in Memphis’s public schools. We want to provide the community with a space, both digital and in real life, to talk openly and honestly. We also want to ensure that, when they enter the voting booths to select school board members in August, Memphians are making clear, informed decisions and selecting candidates who will serve students well.

Almere (Inativo) – Beach PicNic NL

2018-07-23T00:00:00Z

The largest picnic ever hosted in the Netherlands had 1400 visitors and took place in Zeeland, we can do it better. We would like to organize a PicNic with a minimum of 1500 visitors on Almeerderstrand. I have found various partners that would be interested in participating should I be getting the green light for this event. A food partner (ecological), a partner wanting to offer sustainable picnic blankets that also function as trashbag, and Elle Eten as a media partner. Also from my network I have connections with various influencers that we would be inviting to give this event the footprint it would need to be getting 1500 visitors. I hope to be getting the opportunity to pitch at the event.

Santa Fe, NM (Inativo) – Street Homeless Animal Project

2018-07-22T00:00:00Z

Street Homeless Animal Project (SHAP) is the only organization in Northern New Mexico working with homeless youth to provide services to their companion animals. This summer SHAP, partnering with Smith Vet Hospital, will fund services for the companion animals of 10 or more homeless youth - girls and boys. No shelter in Northern New Mexico will allow people to bring in their animals. Kids often just sleep on the street with their animal families. SHAP’s services since 1998 have included emergency veterinary care, preventative care, spaying neutering, shots, teeth pulling and more. Also provided are leashes, harnesses, food, blankets, coats, crates and more. SHAP exists because none of the emergency or long-term shelters in Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico have the resources to house companion animals along with their people. SHAP gets referrals from police, fire, EMT, animal control, the humane society, Street Outreach, youth, adult, family and animal shelters. They get daily and nightly calls from homeless people on the streets whose animal companion is suffering or in need. Summers are especially busy for Street Homeless Animal Project, as many homeless youth are in the streets and arroyos with companion animals. In the last 5 of years we’ve seen 40% of these calls coming from homeless youth, 21 and under. There are many reasons that youth are on the streets. Homelessness stems from an epidemic of mental health issues, domestic violence, substance abuse, the economy, and more. As many as 25% of homeless persons have animals. Studies have shown that companion animals provide emotional support and represent important, loving relationships especially in youth. Animals make them feel loved, safe, less depressed, less lonely and with more of a sense of purpose. Teen suicide is reduced when the youth has a companion animal. There's no question about it - these animals are family! SHAP helps alleviate suffering and provides aid to these kids and their families. This summer, SHAP will come to the aid of at least 10 homeless youth in Santa Fe whose companion animals need preventative or emergency veterinary care. In partnership with Smith Veterinary Hospital, $1,000 will fund 10 office visits (at a 30% discount) for wellness preventative visits including vaccines for rabies, distemper, bordatella and kennel cough, or emergency visits for exam and meds for an infectious disease or bad reaction to diet.

Ottawa – Wish of a Lifetime

2018-07-22T00:00:00Z

July’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Monica Harvey to support wishes of a lifetime for residents of Cornerstone Housing for Women, a non-profit organization that provides emergency shelter and affordable housing for women in the city of Ottawa. The award from Awesome Ottawa will help Cornerstone give at least five of its residents something from their previous regular lives they are currently missing, a chance to accomplish something they always wanted to do but couldn't, or an opportunity to reconnect with someone from their past. “The wishes of the women are often simple,” says Monica, “and only limited by not enough funds. One woman, for example, was a lifeguard all her life. When telling stories about saving lives or teaching people to swim, her face lights up with passion. She lost her job when she became sick and couldn’t work. After finding her way to Cornerstone and becoming healthy she would like the chance to go swimming again. Unfortunately, she is unable to afford a swimsuit, goggles, or a pass for a swimming pool. Being able to get back in the pool would make her feel like it was yesterday, before she was sick.” Other wishes that might be granted involve reuniting women with family members who live outside Ottawa, or enabling them to cook with herbs from a home country. Monica is a volunteer and member of the corporate board at Cornerstone Housing for Women.

Miami, FL – Painting Rocks in Overtown at Lotus House

2018-07-20T00:00:00Z

Painting Rocks... as we can all agree! Art is one of the best tools used to gather people and build community. The Lotus House in Miami caters to homeless women and children in need. I am an artist and founder of Earth Angel Outreach, a non profit organization that helps bring awareness and support to children in need. I have designed a series of Plays and Programs that have been taught in Liberty City, Overtown and throughout Miami in various schools and are now being offered to Lotus House for their children. One of the playful sessions being offered is Painting Rocks on a weekly basis in the garden at Lotus House. Painting Rocks has been a wonderful tool used to bring people together in a simple way by decorating rocks. These sessions engage children quietly and creatively while opening a window for mothers to relax and socialize with each other. With a little imagination and some paint and glitter, when settled in a safe space, time warps and people connect as they get into their creative zone. A simple concept can become a regular outlet for creativity, ideas, and a force in building new friends. Set outside, Painting Rocks in the garden allows for children to connect with nature and see the relationships between art, nature, and themselves. I would like to offer Painting Rocks every Friday at Lotus House. This would be a class setting that would encourage mothers and children to paint and create together. All supplies and tools will be made available with ample time and assistance to make mini paintings on various size and shape rocks. Many rocks become part of a collection that is being recycled back into the community. Painting Rocks has been a regular Friday night pop-up where people have been supporting the effort to allow the children to paint for free. Each session lasts for 2 hours and costs approx. $100 per session with all supplies, materials including aprons, brushes, paint, glitter, rocks and more for up to 20 people.

Miami, FL – Ukuleles for my school!

2018-07-20T00:00:00Z

My name is Nerissa Manela and I am the music teacher at two schools in Miami. I found out about your organization while researching some grants and wanted to reach out to tell you more about my music programs. I work at Morningside K-8 Academy three days per week and Phillis Wheatley Elementary two days per week. Both schools are above 90% free and reduced lunch and support from parents and the community is sometimes limited. In my general music classes (with grades 2-5), I try to incorporate a variety of lessons including songwriting, movement, reading music notation, music listening, instrument playing, singing, and cross-curricular integration. I am trained in Little Kids Rock method, which is a modern band and music teaching philosophy. I have been teaching with my modern band instruments (ukulele and keyboard) at Morningside, but I am not able to transport them between schools. I am hoping to start teaching a ukulele curriculum at Phillis Wheatley next year, and need 20 ukuleles to serve students in 2nd-5th grade. I look forward to hearing from you and finding out how we can hopefully collaborate together.

Kingston – Keeping Kingston Kool

2018-07-20T00:00:00Z

Along with my 8 year old grandson, Riley, our awesome idea is to hand out free ice cream vouchers to people in the down town core. We chose White Mountain Ice Cream as our source as they are a locally owned business who have been a part of Kingston for many years. Our target population will be anyone who looks hot, needs a reason to smile or simply requires verification as to why Kingston is so Awesome! We have recruited 6 family members who will volunteer their time to help distribute the vouchers. They will be handed out over the course a few weekends and one weekday, for the construction workers who are working hard to make Kingston more Awesome. We chose ice cream as opposed to water bottles as they are a consumable product with no environmental impact. After all, who doesn't smile when they're eating ice-cream, especially when it's the result of a random act of kindness!

Newmarket – Back to School Backpacks - WCYR

2018-07-19T00:00:00Z

The Women's Centre of York Region's Back to School Backpack drive is in its 11th year. The Backpack drive supports women attending programs or counselling at the centre who are returning to school, as well as their children. Many of our clients are low and moderate income residents of York Region whoa re mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, friends, neighbors , and coworkers. The majority of women that seek our help are women who have experienced violence, have limited income, have low participation rates in the labour market, or experience other barriers that make it difficult for them to contribute to their communities and live their lives to their fullest potential. Many of our clients struggle meaking ends meet and often cannot afford back to school items. Our Back to School Backpack program ensures that all children and adult learners hav access to the tools they need to be successful in school, and ensure that they start their year with dignity. Each age appropriate backpack is estimated to cost about $40. We begin taking names and ages for the program in late June and distribute the backpacks in late August. In 2017, we were able to0 distribute 80 backpacks to 9 clients and 71 children as follows: 9 for JK/SK; 17 in grades 1-3; 20 in grades 4-6; 12 in grade 7-8; and 13 in grades 9-12

Yerevan – Պատահական Անցորդ. «Ձեռքի ուժը»

2018-07-19T00:00:00Z

Որքան էլ մեզ հետաքրքրում են անծանոթները, մենք երբեք նրանց հարցեր չենք տալիս և փորձում ենք չխոսել նրանց հետ՝ սահմանափակելով շփումը միայն հայացքների փոխանակմամբ: Այնինչ, շատ հնարավոր է, որ պատահական անցորդը լինի մեր գաղափարակիրը, մեր ապագա գործընկերը, երկրորդ կեսը, լավ ընկերը կամ ուղղակի հերթական պատահական անցորդը, ում հետ կարող ես անցկացնել կյանքիդ ամենահիշվող 1 րոպեն, ժամը, օրը... «Ձեռքի ուժը» նախագծի թիմով կենտրոնական սրճարաններին կից կտեղադրենք պատեր՝ 2 փորագրված ձեռքերով (նկարում տպագրված տարբերակն է), ձեռքերի միջով կանցնի LED լույս, որը կլուսացնի մութ ժամերի զրույցներն ու հանդիպումները և ձեռքերին շրջապատող տախտակը: Մեր ծրագրի շնորհիվ պատահական անցորդները, տեղադրելով իրենց ձեռքերը հատուկ նախատեսված վայրում, կունենան հնարավորություն նոր ծանոթություններ ստեղծել, կիսվել օրվա դրական և բացասական լիցքերով, ստանալ խորհուրդներ անծանոթներից և վայելել հանդիպման րոպեները կից սրճարանում: Շրջապատող տախտակի վրա մարդիկ կգրեն իրենց մտքերը և այն մարդկանց անունները, ում հետ ծանոթացել են: Գրառումը կարող է ունենալ հետևյալ տեսքը. <<Այստեղ ես ծանոթացել եմ Արինա Մկրտչյանի հետ>>: Հարթակը միշտ կյանքով լի պահելու համար պարբերաբար կկազմակերպվեն միջոցառումներ և այդ օրը մարդիկ հնարավորություն կունենան ծանոթանալ և խոսել օրվա հյուրի հետ՝ ձեռքերը դնելով պատին: Մեր նոր Հայաստանում վստահ ենք որպես հյուր կարող ենք տեսնել ամենաբազում զբաղմունքների և մասնագիտությունների տեր մարդկանց՝ սկսած վարչապետից մինչ գործարար և արվեստագետ: Հանդիպումների արդյունքը կարող է լինել նոր ծրագրերի ստեղծում, կապերի հաստատում կամ ուղղակի զրույց բանիմաց մարդկանց հետ:

Buffalo, NY (Inativo) – Feed Buffalo Little Pantries

2018-07-18T00:00:00Z

I’ll be launching a new pantry this summer (like June 2018)! In effort to encourage the community to support one another, Feed Buffalo will lead a Little Pantry installation project. Our goal is to have 25 Little pantries throughout Buffalo by the end of August 2018. The pantries will hold non-perishable items and toiletries (toilet tissue, toothbrushes/toothpaste, feminine items) & baby items (diapers, baby wipes). The idea is that anyone can donate to the pantry and/or take an item from the pantry whenever needed.

Newcastle – The Share Shop - A Library of Things

2018-07-18T00:00:00Z

Our mission is to create a vast library of useful things in a friendly space where the community can borrow items and learn how to use them. We want people spending less money on things they don’t necessarily need to own (and the storage associated with those things), we want to reduce waste eventuating from the disposal of unwanted items and reduce our carbon footprint by enabling access to local resources near our homes and workplaces. Some examples of the type of things we already have in our inventory including camping equipment like tents and camp chairs, party equipment like a PA and chocolate fountain and tools for DIY like jigsaws, drills and post hole diggers. Sharing is also an exciting way for the community to come together. Sharing provides people with the opportunity to try new things and learn new skills with minimal outlay. The Share Shop will be co-located with other community groups it is expected the location will grow to be a vibrant community hub. The Share Shop is a not-for-profit, incorporated association run by volunteers. We have a core team of eight with a broad network of community-minded people pitching in on various aspects to help us get going. All the things in our inventory to date have been donated by members of the local community. We have set up our inventory and member management system and our website, we have over 100 things in our inventory and we have an agreement in place to occupy a space in Clyde St, Hamilton North. Annual membership is set at $52 a we want the Share Shop to be accessible for all. We also plan to looking into sponsored memberships through charitable partners once we're up and running. At the moment we are building our inventory, taking pre-purchased membership through a crowdfunding campaign (https://chuffed.org/project/theshareshop) and documenting core processes with the intention of opening the doors at the end of July.

Philadelphia, PA – Love Starts Here.

2018-07-18T00:00:00Z

Love starts here. Within our hearts, our soul, our spirit. If you can't love yourself, how in the heck are you gonna love somebody else? I want to put together an art show that is a safe space for featured artists who bring awareness to mental health and LGBT+ issues within the Black community. I have a mission to shine light on the importance of self-love and showing artists that collaborating is more progressive than competing. I want everyone involved to feel empowered and to gain a bit of insight into how artists use their work to cope and elevate. I have a team of artists, performers, and vendors that are willing to help me create my own show as I've only been a part of other people's events. It will be a collaborative event where artists are not only showcasing their work but engaging with the attendees to help them in expressing themselves. There will be 3 main sections for interactive displays such as live painting on a large shared canvas, jumbo coloring sheets created by the artists with markers for attendees to color in, and a self-portrait photo booth. I want to influence the community to practice love for self through art because the more I expressed myself and refined the results, the more I developed my skill and clarified my path. Hopefully this event can inspire and uplift people to feel more confident in their natural talents and potential growth.

Philadelphia, PA – Impact Workshop at Riverside Correctional Facility

2018-07-18T00:00:00Z

Starting on July 23rd, we will begin a two-week performing arts workshop with women at Riverside Correctional Facility (RCF). RCF is one of six jails in the Philadelphia Prison System. Our workshops empower communities of marginalized, incarcerated women in this jail and many others by expanding their pro-social skills (particularly confidence, empathy, resilience, and leadership) and faith. This creates communities of courageous leaders amongst the women who participate, the effects of which ripple out to the rest of the facility and, after they are released, into their home communities. In each workshop, professional artists collaborate with 30 women from the correctional facility for two-weeks to develop a 45-minute performance of dance, music, drama, and spoken word. This performance presents an uplifting message of hope to other incarcerated people in the facility. During the workshop, SLM staff and artists work with inmates for seven hours per day, five days per week, in rehearsals, community building activities, reflection, and small group discussions on faith and self-awareness. All choreography, theater sketches, and spoken word pieces are original work, crafted by the participants from their own life experiences in a way that will powerfully touch their peers in the audience. The two culminating performances take place on SLM’s full stage, set up in the facility’s gym, complete with a professional lighting plot, sound, and video projection. Each performance is accompanied by a professional band and is followed by an interactive feedback session between participating inmates and audience members. This workshop is one of six workshops we are holding in 2018, and will be our fourth annual Impact Workshop at Riverside Correctional Facility.

Chicago, IL – An Arm and a Leg:Podcast re: Cost of Health Care

2018-07-18T00:00:00Z

The cost of health care shapes people’s lives: The jobs they’re afraid to leave, the businesses they don’t start, not to mention their health. It keeps getting more expensive, and it’s confusing— and scary— to face alone. An Arm and a Leg will pull back the curtain to show how the dark machinery works. And that should be… fascinating. Surprising. Entertaining. (That’s how a nerd like me sees it.) It should also be kind of empowering. Occasionally, maybe even useful. Also, consoling, as in: None of us is in this alone. On this show, all us blind people will put our hands on this elephant and ask, WTF IS GOING ON? And what can we do—individually, collectively—to help ourselves? Our 20-minute episodes will include: • Root causes of everyday nightmares: A guy gets a knee brace from a local hospital, and then the bill: $1,400. Google says he could’ve gotten the same brace for $150. We investigate: What the heck? • Personal stories: In one woman’s epic quest to save her family from sky-high medical bills, she makes heroic sacrifices… and history. • Expert findings: Some terrific reporters and researchers have already done GREAT digging here. We’ll have them on, to unpack what they’ve found. Interesting hacks: • Renaissance Fair workers often have trouble getting good health insurance, so they’ve improvised a creative alternative. (I recently did a brief version of this story, produced with Planet Money, for NPR; there’s more to tell.) •Experiments, with your help: In her book An American Sickness, journalist Elisabeth Rosenthal offers some prescriptions for “taking back” health care— by becoming better-informed, more-assertive consumers. Honestly, they sound TOUGH: tricky, awkward, and uncertain. Let’s try them, record the results, and compare notes.

Cass Clay – Harbor Health Clinic/Diversity Training

2018-07-17T00:00:00Z

We've put together a non-profit clinic that allows people to be seen for Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy using an Informed Consent model, in essence, we do not ask that our patients see a therapist/counselor prior to prescribing hormone therapy. Our provider lays out the pros and cons of hormone therapy to each patient and provides an in-depth analysis for the reactions that will occur while on hormone therapy, and then we let the patient decide what is right for them. We are looking to expand our model across the state, as well as via tele-health. We also offer diversity trainings for community members and organizations wanting to know more about the LGBTQ+ cultures. Our training helps identify ways to be more supportive and better allies, and acknowledging ways that they're already doing that.

Pittsburgh, PA – The Busnegie Museum of Art

2018-07-16T00:00:00Z

I am creating a temporary art museum in the two bus shelters outside the Carnegie Museum of Art during the Carnegie International Exhibition (which starts in October and only happens once every three years), featuring the work of Pittsburgh artists. One of the target audiences is the arts professionals who will be attending the Carnegie International in the hopes that this will provide exposure for the local artists involved and propel their careers. The second target audience is people who do not have a relationship with art and rarely (if ever) attend museums or galleries. By bringing art to them in the very egalitarian space of bus shelters, the Busnegie seeks to remedy the (often correct) perception that art is elitist and stuffy. To further promote the arts to those who are economically disadvantaged, the Busnegie will publicize the little known fact that people who receive government services and have an ACCESS card can attend the Carnegie with up to 7 other people for just $1 each.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – CodeBuddies

2018-07-16T00:00:00Z

CodeBuddies is a free, open-sourced project and Slack community that enables an international community of over 4000 independent coders to improve their coding skills via peer-to-peer organized study groups and remote study hangouts. The platform was built from scratch entirely by volunteers, and lets anyone start a study group or schedule a virtual hangout to learn together, with the premise that getting coding help and getting access to study partners shouldn't be limited by where one lives or by one's ability to commute to a tech meetup after work.

Birmingham, AL (Inativo) – YWCA Summer Adventures in Learning (SAIL)

2018-07-16T00:00:00Z

The YWCA’s After-School Enrichment Program (ASEP) serves school-age children living in local homeless shelters during the academic year. In the summer months, the ASEP Program serves as a site for our Summer Adventures in Learning program (SAIL) which provides academic and enrichment activities for approximately 50 children from 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. during the work week. During the summer children participate in hands-on academics targeting the summer slump in areas of reading, math and science. They are also given the chance to participate in typical summer experiences such as field trips to local museums, Railroad Park, movies, swimming, skating, Desoto Caverns, and more. These summer experiences offer homeless and at-risk children access to opportunities for physical growth, cognitive development, socialization and integration that they would otherwise be denied. SAIL students participate in scientifically research based assessment that measure Literacy, Mathematics, and Reading aptitude. At-risk students often miss important early reading instruction providing a foundation for continued success in school. We focus on phonemic awareness, the alphabetic principle, comprehension, exposure to wide genre of literature. Classrooms are print rich with books, magazines, multimedia software, and newspapers. Last year, students gained one month in reading comprehension and two months in math ability. Summer is usually considered the summer slide when students are not focused on academics and lose grade level competencies if not engaged in academic enrichment activities. The YWCA collaborates with dozens of organizations including Red Mountain Theater, Children’s Theater, Hand in Paw, The Civil Rights Institute, Southern Museum of Flight, The McWane Center, UAB School of Education and more to increase our capacity to provide the experiences that all children should have despite their family financial circumstances.

Minas Gerais (Inativo) – Fundos Rotativos Solidários

2018-07-16T00:00:00Z

O programa visa criar um Fundo Rotativo Solidário com características de uma poupança social. O processo de criação do fundo é divido em três partes: 1. Rodada de Conversa; 2. Formação sobre Economia Solidária e Social; e 3. Realização da Assembleia Geral. Objetivo do Programa: Buscamos promover práticas para permanência e sucessão do jovem no campo: (i) Jovem gerando sua própria renda; (ii) Filiação de jovens na cooperativas da economia solidária e agricultura familiar; (iii) Participação juvenil ativa nas comunidades; (iv) Programa baseado na formação em economia solidária e social. Público Alvo: Jovens na faixa etária de 16* a 29 anos, da agricultura familiar, com relações de parentesco ou não com produtores rurais. Momento 1: Momento de sensibilização da cooperativa, mapeando a possibilidade da criação do fundos e possíveis jovens participantes. Dividindo nas seguintes etapas: (i) Apresentação do programa; (ii) Reunião entre Trias, cooperativas e jovens interessados; (iii) Criação do grupo de trabalho; Momento 2: Formação sobre Economia Solidária e Social. Processo de formação sobre economia solidária e social para o grupo. O processo de formação tem uma carga horária de 6 (seis) – 8 (oito) horas e será divido nos seguintes módulos: - Aspectos da Economia Solidária e Social; - O que são fundos rotativos solidários e como funcionam; - Educação financeira; Momento 3: Após as etapas anteriores, o grupo já está com a decisão formada: a criação de um fundo rotativo solidário. Para criação do fundo, é necessário a realização da Assembleia Geral de criação, neste momento serão abordados os temas: - Regimento Interno; - Regras e normas do fundo; - Criação do grupo gestor. Com a iniciativa da criação de fundos solidários, o Trias juntamente com seus parceiros busca aumentar a participação juvenil nos empreendimentos da Agricultura Familiar com o foco principal na geração de renda dos jovens.

Pittsburgh, PA – Giant Puppet Dance Club

2018-07-16T00:00:00Z

Giant Puppet Dance Club is Pittsburgh Puppetmaker Cheryl Capezzuti's latest experiment in community connection, laughter and delight. Through this project she invites people to put on a giant puppet and join a pop-up Zumba dance class in a Pittsburgh park or other public place. Capezzuti currently has about 200 giant puppets, including a set of 10 super-lightweight puppets designed for dancing. Through this project she will work with local organizations that host events in parks and other public places to create Giant Puppet Dance Club experiences during their already planned events. For example, on the Braddock Community Day, Capezzuti has already talked to the Braddock Library about using their Zumba teacher and existing puppet collection to stage a Giant Puppet Dance Club experience in the park on Saturday, August 11. The only barrier to the success of this plan is a little bit of $$ to pay our dance leaders. Events that I would like to connect with include: Braddock Community Day Brighton Heights Halloween Festival An Open Streets event Allegheny Commons Farmer's Market Gallery Crawl in downtown Pittsburgh Puppetry Guild of Pittsburgh Puppet Slam

Oakland, CA (Inativo) – The Pan African Festival (PAF)

2018-07-12T00:00:00Z

Pan African Festival is a free annual one-day festival that aims to, 1.) strengthen the Bay Area Pan African community through arts and culture, 2.) reclaim public space, and 3.) bring residents together to celebrate. More than a festival, PAF is a cultural resistance tool developed to build bridges between long time Black Oaklanders and new African immigrants. PAF utilizes a five-pronged strategy to build the power of attendees. The first strategy is to host an Elder Zone that satisfies PAFs theory of change that creating a site for scholarship which puts elders in direct contact with youth will transfer history, enhance understanding and critical thinking skills, and help build a racial justice fight overtime. Secondly, the Artist Zone open to all regardless of experience, increases people's visual story-telling competency-another method that builds voice, and transfers histories and legacies. It is premised on the idea that the community's visual surroundings directly shape residents’ thinking and behavior. Therefore, the creation of (mural) arts featuring a radical message/images fosters a sense of self-determination. Thirdly, the Youth Games Zone engages children and youth in team building activities that promote a restorative justice philosophy for their day-day lives. Fourthly, the Workshop Zone threads people's lives beyond boundaries, borders and blocks to deliver key information and resources. Lastly, the Main Performance Stage showcases artists and singers from across the diaspora in order to highlight the diverse Pan African experiences.

San Francisco, CA – Ice on Ice: an Ice Capade!

2018-07-11T00:00:00Z

A night of performance art pieces and ephemeral sculptures on ice. Think something like Einstein on the Beach meets the Disney Ice Capades, curated by Marina Abromovic. It would be weird, spectacular, and free. Amateur hockey players, up-and-coming figure skaters, and other ice skating stars will interpret the rapid-fire series of acts and actions that make up the night. Each will be performed in a sequence of 60 acts in 60 minutes with the giant hockey scoreboard buzzing and counting down time. As people filter into the dark arena, a large block of ice would be kicked in and out, through a single spotlight in the center of the ice rink. Eventually, as audience members opt to either file onto the ice themselves with just their tennis shoes or sit in the stands, the spotlight expands to a hockey goalie in his full protective gear, frantically practicing Buster Keaton falls, tumbling to the ice like a collapsible doll. Other acts include whimsical figure skating (the Bay Area is home to a number of young, world-class, Olympic hopefuls); a tragi-comedy farce of a man pinning his laundry to a long, moving clothesline; the echo of drums and wooden blocks in the massive, resonant arena; the audience shuffling around the edge of the rink as performers glide past them on skates, passing a giant 8’x8’ concrete cube back and forth across the ice. It’s going to be weird, wonderful, and free to the public. Join us November 2nd, 2018 at the Oakland Ice Center! http://amfuller.com/ice-capade/

San Francisco, CA – Whose World Is This

2018-07-11T00:00:00Z

As more conversations centered around anti-immigration is on the rise, now is the perfect opportunity to document immigrant narratives for future generations, a pro-immigration dialogue. We are tired of others telling our story which is why we should encourage all immigrants AND children of immigrants to take responsibility and document these stories. This initiative is to highlight these narratives through a book as a collection of stories/statements and a video series. This project specifically would work with artists, influencers, educators, small business owners, organizations, and regular day people. With the book, it is meant to bridge the successes and struggles of members from various communities through word and imagery. Usually, these struggles/successes aren’t acknowledged, and doing so would allow insight into the differences and similarities we have with one another. The video series will be individualized interviews(up to 5 minutes) of cinematic video. The website would include more info about each piece, more content, and where to find those who contributed to the collection.

Seattle, WA – Upper Skagit Library Bikemobile

2018-07-10T00:00:00Z

Why a book-bike-mobile would be an awesome addition to the Upper Skagit Library District A book-bike-mobile would greatly improve Upper Skagit Library District’s (USLD) ability to provide library services to the close (yet so far away) residents of eastern Skagit County. It would allow us to reach families who find it difficult to visit the library due to poor public transportation and/or physical or financial limitations. USLD opened its doors in 2005. The library, located in the small town of Concrete, WA, serves the 5,000 residents of the eastern “upriver” portion of Skagit County. While the area abounds in farms, forests, and natural splendor, it is also home to many at-risk kids and households facing difficult economic challenges. We have learned from talking to community members and patron surveys that distance and cost to travel to the library during open hours prevents many people from visiting the library as often as they would like. For example, there is no bus service to two of the area’s most economically challenged neighborhoods, Cedar Grove and Cape Horn. These neighborhoods, only 4.5 and 6 miles away from the library respectively, are home to numerous mobility and economically challenged families. Some of our patrons go to great lengths in order to visit the library; many are not able to make the trip. A book-bike-mobile would make it possible for us to reach out to these neighborhoods with consistent summer book visits and programs. A book-bike-mobile would also enhance the Upper Skagit Library’s partnership with the Concrete School District on various projects and programs. One is the Concrete Summer Learning Adventure (CSLA). CSLA’s mission is to encourage learning and prevent the “summer learning slide.” Bringing the library book-bike-mobile to summer camp at the school would be a natural and exciting partnership opportunity.

Miami, FL – PhotoGetherness

2018-07-09T00:00:00Z

The day we took my Aunt Pam to live at an assisted living facility was one of the saddest days of my life. I couldn’t believe we were leaving her with a bunch of strangers in this complex that was supposed to be her new “home.” True, it had the appearance of a home in that it had a kitchen and a living room, 5 bedrooms and a couple bathrooms. True, they called themselves a “family.” But, there was one huge thing missing: a sense of home and belonging. I left her facility thinking how sad it was that Pam’s new home had no pictures up on the walls. It felt barren, not like the home or family that my loving Aunt had grown up in. Then I realized that I could help Pam transition by actually taking pictures of her and her new home family. This is how I started PhotoGetherness, a non-profit endeavor to help bring a sense of home to group homes in South Florida. Research shows that photographs are a powerful tool in establishing a real sense of belonging, and they help make a house look and feel like a home. My goal is to take, develop, frame and hang pictures in Pam's home and throughout all the units in her facility. Furthermore, I want create a family photo calendar with group photographs and individual photographs for the home to have and use and to send copies to the other family members. I have already started this project. I have taken photos of Pam’s immediate villa and am in the process of printing and framing and putting the calendar together. Once I am successful in Pam’s villa, I hope to move on to the other villas to help create this sense of belonging at Sunrise, a complex of 8 villas (with approximately 80 residents) in Miami. Once done there, I will move on to other assisted living facilities in Miami. As such, I have incorporated PhotoGetherness as a nonprofit so that I can seek to raise funds in other ways as well.

Miami, FL – MIAMIGIRL-Empathy training for police officers

2018-07-09T00:00:00Z

Violence and death by police shooting are overwhelmingly associated with mentally ill persons. Likewise, mental illness training may be insufficient or ineffective for officers that routinely encounter the mentally ill while on duty. Given the high stigma associated with mental illness and the lack of understanding and empathy towards the disease, empathy training with police officers and family caregivers could influence police-related violence and deaths by building community engagement and constructing a deeper understanding of the mentally ill person. To solve this problem, I will implement an innovative project aimed at reshaping attitudes towards mentally ill persons. Police officers will participate in an auditory hallucination simulation during roll call. First, police officers will receive a pre-briefing of the exercise. Next, police officers will listen to “Pat Deegan’s Hearing Voices” simulation for 45 minutes while completing: a) an origami puzzle, b) a number crossword puzzle, c) an employment application, and d) a mental status exam. Then, police officers will watch video-taped testimonials of a mentally ill person and a family caregiver that describe their lived experience of being taken into custody for transport to a mental health facility. Finally, the facilitator will debrief police officers and data will be collected to determine: a) if the objectives were met, b) their feelings about the activity, c) lessons learned, and d) how this training may affect future encounters with mentally ill persons. Within six months of completion, the results of this pilot project will be shared with local police departments, policy makers and mental health stakeholders to suggest improvements in current practice. From these meetings I plan wider dissemination of the results through professional journals and national conferences. Ultimately, the results will be used to justify the project’s significance when requesting larger subsequent funding.

Miami, FL – BAM! Black Architects in the Making

2018-07-09T00:00:00Z

Because architects of color are woefully underrepresented in the creative industries, The Miami Center for Architecture & Design (MCAD) seeks to work with young people in under served neighborhoods to foster an interest in pursuing careers in architecture and other creative industries. More than a career talk, BAM! is a creative series of hands-on labs where students create a computer-generated model and display images of these models at the end of the workshop. The workshops will also feature interactive presentations by architects and architectural students of color. Additionally, we are working to develop “Design & Build” programs much like the one we created for the New Educational Paradigm School in Miami. We were invited to share our mission—introducing children in under served neighborhoods to the profession of Architecture. For the pilot project, our volunteers worked with the students to design and construct raised planter beds as part of a greater focus on the science of agriculture. We partner with the Miami Chapter of the American Institute of Architects to bring this program to our community.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Choosing Our Roots

2018-07-09T00:00:00Z

Choosing Our Roots is a new (and awesome!) grassroots nonprofit devoted to safely housing queer youth in Alaska. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth experience homelessness at disproportionately high rates, and while there are other organizations dedicated to serving homeless and marginally housed Alaskans, there are none that focus on the significant and unique needs of LGBTQ youth. Choosing Our Roots (COR) has emerged from that gap as a youth-led and queer-led initiative that is participant centered, culturally relevant, trauma informed, and chock-full of awesome. Our existence responds to a deep and persistent need for services that center the safety, needs, and potential of LGBTQ youth in our communities. COR will begin offering services in 2018, working with homeless and marginally housed youth (ages 13-24) who identify as LGBTQ. Using a host home model that has been successfully established and refined in many other communities, COR will provide participants with more than just shelter: our services will empower participants to build supportive, long-term relationships with host families while growing into confident, competent young adults who know their own value and promise. To this end, COR will offer extensive training and ongoing support for host families, comprehensive case management for youth participants, and supports and training to families of origin, while coordinating with community partners to provide wraparound services. COR is currently developing services in the Anchorage and Mat-Su regions of Alaska with a strategic plan to expand to hub communities throughout Alaska by 2023. Our vision is that all queer Alaskan youth have access to safe homes and supportive communities, thus allowing them to thrive and to fulfill their own potential for awesomeness.