Awesome Foundation - Projects

Boulder, CO (Inativo) – Sonder Immersive Dance Theatre Production

2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

Sonder is an immersive dance piece directed and co-choreographed by Makena Sneed. The production invites audiences into an ethereal labyrinth of hedges, where memories become lost, fragmented, and ultimately rediscovered. Sonder creates various dreamscapes through performer-audience interaction and diffuse dance sequences. Sonder is a performance event that is new and will carry a lasting effect. In each of Sonder’s 5 acts, the audience drives the experience instead of the performers, and is dependent on audience interaction and response. In performance, audience members engage with issues related to coming of age, holding conflicting interests, and carrying nostalgic recollections of youth. Older audience members have the chance to re-examine their past experiences in a new light. While a younger generation are given an opportunity for pensive consideration of their future idealisation of the present. Sonder is the first immersive theatre production written and staged in Boulder. Immersive theatre emphasizes a multi-sensory audience experience that is dependent upon the interactions of audience and performers alike. Sonder will not be in the same, old vein of theatre— of sitting in a chair, merely watching and listening. Sonder pulls the audience into the frame of performance. Furthermore, this project carries the belief that what matters most is empowering young creators to create. As part of our production team, Makena Sneed has brought together Caroline Fenty (playwright), Elizabeth Goitia (co-choreographer), and Amanda Berg Wilson (consultant), who each reflect Boulder’s young and driven voice in the arts. Furthermore, the cast has some of the most distinguished young performers in the country— from Macy Gosch, a Pre-Professional Trainee with the Colorado Ballet, to Terin Christopher, who assists dance conventions nationwide. Ultimately, the production is infused with the youthful energy and excellence that makes Boulder such a vibrant arts community.

New York City, NY – Coffee Cup Artwork

2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

The Center for All Abilities is a NYC-based nonprofit that celebrates and nurtures the multi-faceted talents of the young people with special needs (autism and other developmental disabilities) by promoting growth in social and motor skills, mental and physical health, and creative expression. They provide information and resources to their families through free or affordable, culturally sensitive, and informative workshops and services in Chinese dialects. In their own words: We want to print 1,000 printed paper cups with artwork created by our students from the Center for All Abilities. The paper cups will allow the student's artwork be showcased in a non-traditional medium (coffee cups) and reach a different audience than typical CAA supporters. We want to empower the students as artists and members of society that contribute great beauty through creative work. The $1,000 Awesome Foundation grant will allow us to print two different prints onto the coffee cups and use it to pay for postage to send the paper cups to two coffee shops (Dirt Coffee in Denver, Colorado and Cultural Cafe in Ontario, Canada). These two coffee shops empower individuals with disabilities through hiring them as employees. Partnering with these two like-minded businesses/social enterprises is a powerful way to empower our youth and their artwork. We are excited by this unique opportunity to bring CAA's mission and work to a wider audience. While this first round is limited in scope, it's our hope that this first run will inspire more coffee cup artwork in the future!

Portland, OR – Making On-Demand Animal Law CLEs Accessible

2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

I am an intern for the Center For Animal Law Studies on Lewis and Clark Law Campus this year. We are working independently from the university to create an interactive Continuing Legal Education program for lawyers in the Portland area, as well as around the country. The focus is on Animal Law. Animal law is an expansive field ranging from local anti-cruelty and other animal related statutes to animal welfare in zoos and in research facilities to wildlife conservation. We want to make it so that existing attorneys are able to get general required CLE credits while learning the tools to better be able to help the animals in the area.

Portland, OR – Cat Traps for Clackamas County

2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

Although our project is not sexy or fun or cool, It is vital for a desperately overlooked problem. While the feral cat situation in Portland is currently being addressed by organizations like the Feral Cat Coalition (FCCO), it is quite a different story in Clackamas County, Portland's neighbor to the South. Although Clackamas County government provides services for dogs and wildlife in need, they have absolutely no programs that serve the cats in the community. This means that every stray, every feral, every cat left behind when their owner moves away, becomes incapacitated, or dies without a plan for pet care, is at risk of becoming homeless and forgotten . Without the assistance of the county shelters, this situation places an unsustainable burden on the smaller animal welfare organizations in the Portland area since they end up being the only ones taking these cats in, providing services for them or working to find them placements so they don't end up suffering and perishing. The problem is especially critical in the feral cat community, where there are absolutely no local services to provide spay/neuter surgeries, relocation or medical care. Our project will provide 20 humane feral cat traps which will be stored in Clackamas County so that residents and volunteers can have ready access to them instead of traveling to FCCO in SW Portland every time a trap is needed. Having Clackamas specific traps cuts down on time committed and money spent on gas for residents who are often already financially burdened. Volunteers will help transport the cats in traps to Feral Cat Coalition where they will be spayed/neutered and returned to their property in Clackamas County, assuming other rehoming situations are not available. While the ultimate goal would be to campaign for the county to include cats in their animal services department, this is our starting point in what can hopefully grow into a movement and ultimately change the policies currently in place.

Philadelphia, PA – Queens Code Mentoring Program

2016-11-21T00:00:00Z

The project is a mentoring program "Queens Code". Queens code is a 10 week program needed in the North Philadelphia area for girls ages 8-16. This program was designed to pair College students with a young queen to serve as a mentor for social and economic differences. This program teaches the young ladies the power of confidence through education, self-esteem building and service initiatives. The mission of this program is as follows: Mission- To teach and inspire young ladies ages 8-16 to embrace their inner beauty and understand the power of confidence. The vision of this program is as follows: Vision- Queen’s code will consist of a 10 week program that focuses on the social and personal aspects of a young ladies development.

Pittsburgh, PA – Girls Write Pittsburgh

2016-11-21T00:00:00Z

Girls Write Pittsburgh inspires teen girls to find their voices through writing. The purpose of Girls Write Pittsburgh is to empower teen girls, exposing them to a world of opportunity through writing. Teen girls, specifically those who are at-risk or underserved often lack skills-building opportunities that result in critical thinking, as found in the craft of creative writing. These same girls, realizing a biological shift within themselves as well as an external shift in self-awareness, require additional support to establish boundaries, develop self-respect, and learn personal power and self-confidence. While parents, caregivers, teachers, and mentors provide certain structure for a girl, many girls lack a creative approach to identify their own capabilities as an individual of worth. Those lacking a supportive external structure are at a greater risk for education prohibitive consequences. The creative outlet of writing offers myriad tools for personal growth and development, providing teen girls with a method of self-expression along with outgrowth skills that will last a lifetime. Girls Write Pittsburgh partners with local outlets to provide a safe and supportive environment for girls to express their individuality through various forms of writing including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, songwriting, playwriting, screen writing, blogging, journalism, and more (Girls Write: Spaces). Other partner organizations play host to workshops and seminars geared toward preparedness including college readiness (Girls Write: Places). Participants in Girls Write will also have the opportunity to publish and read in unique social settings (Girls Write: Faces). The program consists of: Collaborative partnerships: 1 - 3 outreach locations (Brookline Teen OutreachCenter) for once per week group meetings, quarterly workshop sessions at outlying locations, yearly readings and publications with established community partners. One-to-one teen writer to mentor pairing.

Kingston – Human Library of Kingston

2016-11-20T00:00:00Z

Years ago, when Awesome Kingston first started, I pitched the Humans of Kingston project and didn’t win a grant. The project happened anyway, in fact of all the projects we’ve ever worked on has been one of the most popular (engagement, viewer metrics, _______). The project is coming to an end in the spring having reached and in some ways, surpassed, its maturation period. The void of ‘connecting’ strangers in town has been filled, in part, by other projects, and quite frankly our goals have changed. To take some of the momentum we’ve collected in the ~5 years since the project began, we want to feature some of the humans and translate them into books. These ‘books’ will on a yet-to-be-decided date be available to be checked out for a duration of time for an honest, sincere, and unscripted conversation. Our current aim is a modest 50 folks in the ‘library,’ though depending on the logistical juggling we hope to scale that a little higher. Aside from the physical, tangible, IRL (in-real-life) engagements, interactions, and multitudes of story, we’re aiming to design a participatory way of collecting these stories and hosting a digital potluck so that the project may, perhaps, somehow, if possible, evolve.

Tallahassee, FL (Inativo) – DRUM Out Bullying

2016-11-16T00:00:00Z

DRUM Out Bullying is a comprehensive bullying prevention program that uses developmentally appropriate music-based interventions to address bullying behaviors and facilitate the development of healthy social-emotional skills among children in grades K-5. Faculty and students from FSU’s Music Therapy program will partner with the Magnolia School to offer the program to all elementary students (approximately 40) and provide training to teachers. Parents and other community members will also be provided with learning materials and encouraged to participate in a community music making experience that will highlight program concepts. The program will be led by board-certified music therapists who will use music interventions like drumming and song writing to teach participants how to recognize and respond to bullying. Healthy interpersonal and conflict resolution skills will be taught, with “DRUM” used as an acronym for the concepts covered. Program staff will also model and reinforce these skills, and opportunities will be provided to practice the behaviors (Jones et al., 2013; Schroeder et al., 2012; Shafer & Silverman, 2013). A total of 7 sessions will be included, 3 each for students in grades K-2 and 3-5 plus a final community-wide session. The final session will highlight program concepts and promote generalization across the community by sharing the students’ musical experiences. Take home materials will be provided to the children, families, and teachers to promote ongoing use of the concepts learned. To investigate program effectiveness, FSU students and faculty will collect data pre- and post- program using tools adapted from Haner and colleagues (2010). Students and teachers will also be asked program-specific questions. A 3-month follow up will be given approximately 12 weeks post program to determine if information was retained and/or if program concepts were used at school, home, or in the community following completion of the program.

Cass Clay – F-M Rainbow Families: Granted

2016-11-15T00:00:00Z

A community organization focused on providing family-friendly activities and resources to the LGBTQ community in Fargo-Moorhead. So far, we have had a welcoming picnic, a pool party, a roller skating event, and marched as a group in the F-M Pride parade. We are also planning (and funding) holiday-season events, which is an especially important time for members of the LGBTQ community, to have an opportunity to celebrate the holidays in a welcoming environment, as some may not have supportive traditional families.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Trauma Camp

2016-11-14T00:00:00Z

San Jose, CA – Cambrian Symphony’s June 2017 Concert

2016-11-14T00:00:00Z

Cambrian Symphony is dedicated to enriching the arts in San Jose while working with our community to support the next generation of classical musicians. We are the only symphony in the Bay Area that actively mentors young musicians by engaging students in performance side by side with volunteering professionals, providing students countless opportunities not available via school or traditional student ensembles. This season we are proud to include 20-25 local middle and high school students among our 60-75 total musicians. Our unique combination of professionals and students brings added vitality to our performances and we have earned rave reviews from San Jose audiences. Classical music can be expensive to learn and to enjoy, but Cambrian Symphony is committed to making great music accessible to everyone. We offer our concerts free of admission and charge no tuition to our students, eliminating financial barriers that take classical music out of reach for many. With your support, we can bring more of our awesome music, education, and vision to San Jose! Cambrian Symphony’s June 2017 Concert will showcase a brand new piece written specifically for us by award-winning composer Luis Andrei Cobo. We will perform the world premiere of his Piano Concerto, joined by internationally acclaimed local pianist Tamami Honma. We will also perform two exciting classic works, Gershwin’s An American in Paris and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. We are delighted to partner with San Jose State University’s Beethoven Center, who will deliver a pre-concert lecture discussing Beethoven’s masterpiece. Our students will not only receive a great lesson on one of the greatest composers ever, but will gain the incredible experience of working directly with a living composer, in addition to the exceptional musical training they always receive. We are thrilled to bring this amazing music to San Jose and will present this program free to the public at SJSU on June 16, 2017, at 7:30pm.

Chicago, IL – A Dance of Welcome

2016-11-12T00:00:00Z

Peace is an embodied practice. Dance is a way forward for children living in a volatile world. By creating artistic experiences with intergroup contact, Dance Peace positively disrupt norms of segregation, provides positive and immediate results in prejudice reduction and joy through embodied learning and is intended for areas with insular or divided communities, potential or actual violence, weak interfaith or cross-cultural bonds, and needed Track 3 diplomacy. Our social practice arts interventions inspire an ecology of peace, engagement and entrepreneurship. We are starting in Chicago. According to the UN and Amnesty International, around 13.5 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria; here in Chicago, there are currently 30 Syrian refugee families. They have been resettled near a loving but insular community of Orthodox Jews in West Rogers Park. The two communities share public space but also remain disapproving and distrustful. In this bubble-like context, our team has created a performing arts program integrated the Syrian refugees into the neighborhood. Last spring, I donated workshops for 9 of the Syrian refugee children resettled here. Their hard work and commitment was viewed by a 400 audience at their end of the year recital. What was not necessarily viewed by the audience, is the incredible impact dance has had on these children, myself and the other volunteers. We decided the work had to continue forward and deeper into the needs of this specific neighborhood of divided and insular communities. Project Components: 1. Scholarship fund to integrate 10 Syrian refugees into existing, ongoing arts programs (music and dance) in Chicago each year. 2. Workshop series and collaborative performance by 5-10 Syrian refugee and 5-10 Orthodox Jewish teens in Chicago. 3. Community performance in spring 2017, Northwest Chicago. 4. Training for local arts leaders and arts educators (including refugee artists).

San Antonio, TX – Eastside Fit

2016-11-11T00:00:00Z

We are a group of certified fitness professionals who are providing free fitness classes to the Eastside community. Our classes are offered 4 days a week on Monday-Wednesday from 7:15 pm to 8:15pm and Saturdays at 10am. Classes are completely free and adults and families are encouraged to participate. We encourage all ages and fitness levels. We offer a high quality diverse exercise program including; strength training, yoga, agility and calisthenic exercises. We began our program in January and have grown from 2 to 3 inconsistent participants to at least 15 to 20 participants on a consistent basis. We are continually growing! We are working to create a sustainable free gym in the 78202 community as there is only one gym in this part of town. We believe our program is unique because parents can workout with their children. Obesity typically affects families and if families are able to be physically activity together an environment of a healthier lifestyle can be achieved.

San Antonio, TX – Suit Up!

2016-11-11T00:00:00Z

The Suit Up! Business and Professional Clothing Program is a community initiative to collect clean gently worn professional attire for Teens/Adults entering or re-entering the workforce. The Purpose of the program is to promote the importance of owning a suit and dressing well. This helps with the development professional attitudes, building self-confidence, increasing the value of self-worth while making a difference in our community by inspiring and changing lives. The Suit Up! Campaign is committed to providing new beginnings for people facing issues of self- confidence and overcoming obstacles when entering the workforce for the first time. Over the last year the Suit Up! program has partnered to work with students at Sam Houston High School, Wheatley MS, and other middle and elementary schools within the Eastside Promise Zone Neighborhoods (EPN) footprint. The SUIT UP! program has partnered with Bexar County Municipal Courts to hold weekly classes at Pfieffer Academy which provides mentorship, career and college readiness along with business and professional etiquette training. There is a 8 week curriculum and classes include, Tie Tying, ironing, self image and productive attitudes. Our mission is to help instill positive behaviors by working with the youth and their families personally and introducing them to professional etiquette, to help prepare them for college and career planning. The overall goal is to serve the community at large within the upcoming year. This year we are striving to provide professional attire for 250 students once they have completed the 8 week program.

San Antonio, TX – San Antonio Girls Rock Camp

2016-11-11T00:00:00Z

Our goal is establish a nonprofit program called San Antonio Girls Rock Camp among the Girls Rock Camp Alliance. Our program will be a week-long, day-camp for girls, genderfluid/nonbinary youth, and trans-youth, ages 11-14. In one week, campers will learn an instrument, form a band, then write and perform an original song, culminating in a showcase at the end of the week. Aside from learning to play an instrument and writing a song, the campers will attend workshops aimed at creating a better sense of self. Workshops include: History of Women in Rock, Healthy Relationship / Communication Skills, Body Positivity, and Gender and Diversity. The projection date for the launch of San Antonio Girls Rock Camp is Summer 2017. CORE VALUES: We value the power of music as a means to create personal and social change; We value efforts that actively expand opportunities for girls and women; We value positive approaches to fighting sexism; We value integrity, honesty and respect; We value appropriate sharing of resources, cooperation, and collaboration; We value using our collective voice to further our mission; We value diversity.

Yerevan – ՀԱՎԵՍԻՆ ՍԵՆՅԱԿ

2016-11-11T00:00:00Z

Սահմանամերձ գյուղերում վառ երևակայության տեր, ընդունակ շատ երեխաներ կան, որոնք հնարավորություն չունեն զարգացնելու իրենց տաղանդները, շփվելու հետաքրքիր մարդկանց հետ, դպրոցական պարտադիր առարկաների շրջանակից դուրս բավարարելու իրենց մշակութային պահանջները: Ծրագրի նպատակն է Տավուշի մարզի Վազաշեն գյուղի դպրոցի դասարաններից մեկը դարձնել ՀԱՎԵՍԻՆ ՍԵՆՅԱԿ` մի տարածք, որտեղ երեխեքը կնկարեն ու կքանդակեն, արվեստի մասին ֆիլմեր կնայեն ու հանդիպումներ կունենան Երևանից և այլ քաղաքներից ու գյուղերից եկած արվեստագետների հետ: Վազաշենը 18 կմ սահման ունի Ադրբեջանի հետ, մարտական և «խաղաղության» զոհեր, 47% արտագաղթ, ռմբակոծված մանկապարտեզ: Գործազրկություն: Փակուղի: https://www.facebook.com/armine.petrosyan.908/media_set?set=a.10151121941826482.438932.723461481&type=3 Որպես արտագաղթի պատճառներ (հակառակորդի մշտական նշանառության տակ ապրելու անապահովության զգացումից բացի) գյուղացիները նշում են սահմանապահ գյուղի նկատմամբ կենտրոնի ուշադրության բացակայությունը, մայրաքաղաքի մշակութային կյանքին չմասնակցելը: Դպրոցում կան ազատ դասարաններ, որոնցից մեկը կարելի է կահավորել որպես ՀԱՎԵՍԻՆ ՍԵՆՅԱԿ: Այս գաղափարը ծնվել է 2 տարի առաջ, երբ մի խումբ նկարիչներ նախաձեռնեցին ԱՐԵՍՏԸ`ՍԱՀՄԱՆԻՆ ցուցահանդեսը. http://yerkirmedia.am/?act=news&lan=hy&id=19918 Ցավոք, մի քանի օր առաջ երիտասարդ տարիքում վախճանվեց ցուցահանդեսի համադրող, տաղանդավոր նկարչուհի Սևան Նագգաշյանը: Նրա վաղաժամ հեռանալն էլ ավելի հաստատ դարձրեց իմ և արվեստագետ ընկերներիս կամքը, և մենք որոշեցինք իրականացնել Սևանի նպատակը: Awesome հիմնադրամի աջակցությամբ Վազաշենի դպրոցում կկահավորենք ՀԱՎԵՍԻՆ ՍԵՆՅԱԿԸ, որտեղ կկազմակերպվեն -նկարչության դասերը, -կինոդիտումներ, արվեստի թեմաներով քննարկումներ, -վարպետաց դասեր գրողների, արվեստագետների հետ, -օն-լայն դասընթացներ (գեղանկարչության, մուլտիպլիկացիայի ուսուցման և այլ): Ծրագիրը գրելուց առաջ դպրոցի տնօրենի հետ համաձայնության ենք եկել սենյակը Սևան Նագգաշյանի անունով կոչելու մասին: Գործի շարունակականությունը կապահովենք մենք ընկերներով և Սևանի ընտանիքը: Ֆինանսավորեք և սպասեք նոր տաղանդների:

Yerevan – Public Smart Phone Charging Station - Խելալիցք

2016-11-11T00:00:00Z

The idea is to install an environmentally and eco-friendly public Smart Phone Charging Station in downtown Yerevan (nearby Swan Lake) that will allow the citizens, tourists and general public to interact and communicate with each other while putting their mobile devices on charge. How does it work? A solar panel charges a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, that in turn charges your mobile. This means you can charge your phone even when there is no sunlight - at night for example. The battery requires 4-6 hours of sunlight to be fully charged and is able to provide power from 40+ hours. The station itself is produced locally with 3 solar panels that provide power. Each charging station has six connectors to charge the mobile devices simultaneously.

Ann Arbor, MI – Supporting Inclusion in Girl Scouts

2016-11-08T00:00:00Z

Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan (GSHOM) has worked diligently to ensure transgender girls are welcomed into all Girl Scout activities, serving as a buffer so the girls are safe in our environment. We have begun to develop facilities (non-gender specific bath and private changing areas) at our camps and regional headquarters) and changing signage to accommodate transgender girls in a way they will feel safe and well cared for. Our national Girl Scout organization has embraced this issue; however, they have not provided any support materials or information for implementation, and have generally not been able to be as nimble as local councils on issues. We have reached out to them as well as others for support materials for staff and leaders to be able to really advocate for and communicate around issues transgender girls face, and find real ways Girl Scouts can provide meaningful experiences in their lives. The resources do not exist specific to orienting and educating Girl Scout volunteers on ways to best transition girls into troops and other Girl Scout offerings. We seek to create much needed education sessions and lead from a grass roots position. Across the Girl Scout landscape, leadership, staff and volunteers alike need training on understanding the issues and of correct, sensitive and appropriate phraseology to advocate for and welcome transgender girls and their families to gain advantage of Girl Scouting. Our initial focus is the engagement of Girl Scout leadership from across the country and local youth-serving organizations in education and planning sessions in the form of a three day summit intended to build this understanding. We envision the Supporting Inclusiveness in Girl Scouts (SIGS) summit as a springboard for the development of education/training course(s)/orientation for volunteer Girl Scout volunteers, educators and youth mentors.

Rockport, MA – Wellness Studio

2016-11-08T00:00:00Z

Rockport public school has recently purchased the former Pathways building located between the elementary school and the middle/high school. One side of the building will be used for a classroom attached to the new greenhouse which is under construction. The other half of the building will be converted into a studio for yoga, meditation and dance and other wellness group activities. This space and equipment with be available for every student and staff member in the district during and after school hours. Equipment to be purchased will include storage pieces and furniture, mats, bolsters, blocks, blankets and other yoga and meditation essentials. We have already set up a shared Google calendar for staff in all 3 schools to sign up to use this space for group health and wellness activities and would like to work to create a space with all the equipment necessary for these activities. Our mission with this project is to build and foster a culture of health and wellbeing for students, staff, families and community members. We hope to inspire and empower individuals to take responsibility for their own health and support them in their healthy lifestyle choices including lifelong learning, health, fitness and wellness.

San Francisco, CA – GollOrbs—Flying Wind-Powered Kinetic Sculptures

2016-11-08T00:00:00Z

Inspired by Theo Jansen, and Anthony Howe, I started building my sculptures about 2 years ago. Made just for fun, they explore aerodynamics and art in a way never seen before. They can be flown during the day, or when the LED's are activated, at night for a wide range of visually stunning displays. Burning Man 2016 loved them! Please check out my Facebook page, as it has videos!

San Francisco, CA – Replacing Missing Piers of SF’s Embarcadero

2016-11-08T00:00:00Z

I’d like to replace / restore / recover / rebuild the non-existent Pier 11 and Pier 13 on San Francisco’s Embarcadero with two wooden sculptures of Piers 11 & 13 and a small plaque. As part of the project, I’m planning on a ribbon-cutting ceremony with various experts and non-experts to speak about the Missing Piers. My goal with the installation is to spark questions in passers-by about the history of our city’s built (and demolished) environment. It’s too easy to not notice what’s not there! Here’s some background: After a predictable Pier 1*, Pier 3, Pier 5, and Pier 7, the piers on the Embarcadero go from Pier 9 (Autodesk) to Pier 15 (Exploratorium). Pier 11 and Pier 13 are missing and there’s no explanation! I’d like my installation to recognize the spot of the Missing Piers and to prompt pedestrians to ask themselves, ‘Was Pier 13 considered too unlucky to construct? Was Pier 11 too boring to build? Why didn’t I notice this lack of piers sooner?’ I’d like the ribbon-cutting ceremony to be a kick-off of the inquiry into the history of Piers 11 & 13. As a big group we’ll go through noticing the empty space where the Piers are not. Then, in small groups, we’ll formulate some theories of where they might have gone. After we share those theories with each other, we’ll hear from some experts, non-experts, and (hopefully) musicians! Finally, we’ll read the plaque and cut the ribbon! Here are some fun theories: Pier 13 is unlucky. They sank! The piers fell down in the 1906 earthquake. They were moved to Treasure Island. They caught fire! Their pilings were eaten away by crabs. I bet you can think of some more good ones! *granted, Pier 1-½ is a bit wonky!

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – The Mission

2016-11-07T00:00:00Z

The Mission is a digital comedy series about pressing global issues at the UN. It's a vehicle to poke fun at some of the absurdity of the UN world (it takes VEEP and Parks & Rec as inspiration), but it's also at its core a vehicle to engage our audience on critical issues and diplomacy. The idealistic Jasmine (aka JAZ), joins the ragtag team at the Canadian Mission. She's raring to run their campaign for the UN Security Council, the committee of powerful countries that governs global war and peace. But just as things start to go right, an even more lovable candidate announces it’s running, too. Sweden.Damn those beautiful, meatball-loving egalitarians. Each episode follows the arc of the race, Jaz's personal leadership journey, and zooms into a critical issue. Media plays a key role in influencing individuals, including their career decisions. This series features a woman in a leadership role at the UN, which is important for young women and girls to see. They can begin to see themselves in that role. We not only hope to make the UN funny, but also decrease the gender gap in leadership. Our "one issue, on episode" format allows us to dive into issues like girl's education, reproductive rights, and economic empowerment. Marie-Marguerite’s years of expertise in digital campaigning and issue-driven storytelling built at Purpose means we can activate follow-on campaigns online. The team’s deep networks in the humanitarian space will allow us to partner with the right organizations doing impactful work (e.g. partnering with Biolite on clean cookstoves for women). This show is at its core diverse and international. The creators and our broader team of collaborators and informants are American, Canadian, Indian, Italian, Egyptian, Swedish, and more. This diversity informs the writing, casting, narrative, and tone. Why diverse? As Trudeau famously said, “because it’s 201(6).” It’s an actual reflection of what the US, Canada, and the world look like now.

Minas Gerais (Inativo) – INTERAÇÃO FAMÍLIA X ESCOLA: UMA RELAÇÃO NECESSÁRIA

2016-11-07T00:00:00Z

O projeto tem como objetivo desenvolver um trabalho focado na arte de aprender a cozinhar, juntamente com o desenvolvimento de outras habilidades voltadas para os conteúdos estudados nos 8º e 9º anos do ensino fundamental, através da interdisciplinaridade. O projeto conta com a participação de 15 alunas que foram selecionas através de critérios observados pelos servidores da escola, que levaram em consideração alunas que tem problemas de convivência com a família e também no ambiente escolar e/ou que vivem em alguma situação de risco na sociedade em que estão inseridas. Também foram selecionadas alunas que participam efetivamente das ações desenvolvidas na escola e que demonstram um bom relacionamento com todos no ambiente escolar. Além do aprendizado na culinária, o projeto tem como meta uma aproximação com a família das participantes. Acontece uma vez por semana com a elaboração de uma receita e cada uma das alunas leva o prato elaborado para degustar com a família. Esperamos com essa ação promover um momento de afetividade e diálogo entre pais e filhas. O projeto já tem como parceira a casa da amizade, que ofertou a cada aluna os utensílios usados na cozinha. Precisamos de outros parceiros para ajudar na compra do material para elaboração das receitas. As aulas estão sendo ministradas pela atual diretora da escola e voluntários. Já foi observada uma mudança significativa no comportamento das alunas em relação ao comportamento e também no interesse ao aprendizado. As famílias participaram de todo o processo da construção do projeto e no dia da aula de culinária uma mãe participa para auxiliar e acompanhar o nosso trabalho.

Singapore (Inativo) – Azura Marine Earth

2016-11-07T00:00:00Z

Azura Marine Earth is a social enterprise that aims to transition combustion engine boats to solar power in South East Asia. Much of the sensitive marine environments are currently being threatened by pollution generated by conventional boats. We will build our solar boats with local people and materials, using ancestral boat building techniques mixed with high ecological technology. Our boats will be used for tourism activities such as diving, snorkeling, ferry people between islands and other purposes. As a social enterprise, we will re-invest a portion of our profit to upgrade fishermen boats from diesel to solar power, provide apprenticeships in the field of renewable energies and technology and offer workshops on environmental issues and solutions. Our keystone is to make eco-friendly boats available and financially viable in less economically developed areas. We believe that renewable technology is not only for those who have money and strive to prove it is within reach of most of us. We can achieve this by carefully assessing every aspect of the boat design and always favoring local and natural materials, as well as local workmanship and techniques. Industrially produced materials and equipment will be restricted to solar panels, energy storage and the electric propulsion of the boats..

Sydney – Back to School with a Smile

2016-11-06T00:00:00Z

South-West Sydney has a high percentage of children living in poverty, with Claymore being one of Australia's poorest suburbs. Intergenerational disadvantage, homelessness, single parent families, unemployment and a high percentage of residents under the age of 15 all adds up to a huge number of children living with social deprivation. Unfortunately, OECD research shows that coming from an environment of disadvantage predisposes students to poor educational results, and this then predisposes them to employment inequality. So, at the most basic level, if a child starts kindergarten without all necessary school supplies to start formal learning, this may put them on the path to continued disadvantage from the beginning. Second Life Stationery is a not-for-profit organisation that takes donations of gently-used stationery & school supplies from individuals and businesses. This group of volunteers then cleans & re-packs the donated items into backpacks, and passes them on to organisations who provide assistance to disadvantaged people. The main purpose of the group is to assist learners who are disadvantaged, in the form of the most basic school supplies like pencils, erasers, rulers & exercise books. We also ensure that each backpack has a reading book at an appropriate level for the age group. Literacy is the key to academic achievement, and sadly, children from low socio-economic backgrounds are at risk of reading difficulties due to a lack of exposure to books. Therefore, even one book in each of these backpacks could assist in improving literacy for these children.

Adelaide – Aware Project

2016-11-04T00:00:00Z

The Aware Project is a social media platform for awareness and dialogue on issues that are negatively impacting young Australians. The way that we generate our content is through young people submitting personal stories about their experiences with these issues to the Aware Project, and also by interviewing influential Australian figures about what they think needs to change in our society. I started the project while living in Alice Springs last year in my gap year with the help of two other friends. The reason I started the project was because I was sick of seeing issues that were obviously happening in Australian society not given the attention they deserved or treated as taboo topics. These issues include mental health illness, disability, bullying, racism, discrimination, gender and sexuality. In September last year I began the Facebook page for the project and a week later it won the Foundation for Young Australians Jumpstart Award, (an award for a young person who has the potential to scale their idea through digital but needs a jumpstart), I created a website for the project with two of my close friends who also wanted to impact these issues by increasing awareness about them. Since then the Aware Project has gone on to publish 20 stories and 15 interviews, all gaining substantial traction and views, and we are adamant on continuing to share these important stories and interviews. At the start of this year, however, my two friends (and co-founders of the Aware Project) moved to Melbourne and I moved to Adelaide. While this hasn't stopped the work we have done, it's definitely been a bit of a roadblock because we only have one camera and one microphone between us which is used in Melbourne whenever we do interviews there. This means that I've had to film interviews on my phone whenever I want to do interviews in Adelaide, and means that the quality of these important interviews we do aren't as good as they can be.

Washington, DC – Community Bus Stop

2016-11-04T00:00:00Z

There is a bus stop directly in front of my house and I'd like to reserve part of my front yard to make install a comfy bench, community library, some art work, and other amenities for the community. Currently people including families and children are frequently sitting on the sidewalk or steps behind the bus stop while waiting for the bus and this would make it a more enjoyable and colorful bus waiting experience. The bus stop is on a very busy street next to 3 hospitals and 2 universities so it gets a lot of use and street exposure.

Annapolis, NS (Inativo) – Annapolis Royal Space Agency - Space Probe Launch

2016-11-04T00:00:00Z

Okay, so sending a probe into space may be a bit misleading. A more accurate description would be sending a probe into the upper atmosphere using a high altitude balloon. But when you see the curvature of the earth, with the backdrop of space behind it, it looks like the probe is in space. High altitude ballooning has become much more accessible due to the low cost of materials. Last year, we were able to be the first school in Nova Scotia, to successfully launch and retrieve a high altitude balloon. This year we want to repeat the project with more sophisticated technology on board. We also want to find ways to involve more people and organizations in the community. The technology being used for this project is called Arduino. It is a programmable micro controller built originally in Italy. The board is about the size of credit card and cost about 5 dollars to purchase a Chinese clone. These boards are programmed using a free software interface which uploads coded commands to the Arduino board. The Arduino board then controls a variety of electronic components and sensors. As an additional bonus, you can strip parts from any electronic waste to use in your project. This makes projects more affordable and encourages students to recycle electronic devices that are at the end of their life cycles.

Oakland, CA (Inativo) – Frailty Myths Workshop Tool Sets

2016-11-04T00:00:00Z

Frailty Myths is a non-profit founded by four women and four friends; using the foundation of their friendship to create a transformative experience for other women. The idea behind Frailty Myths is simple, yet powerful: Give women the space to discover just how empowering it is to explore their physical strength together. Frailty Myths offers an array of free and paid workshops that train women in traditionally male-dominated activities like word working, power tools, welding, climbing, art, and sailing. Each workshop will offer hands-on skill building as facilitated discussions that examine the learning experience and how societal myths have kept women from actively participating in these spaces. Our workshops aim to empower women to recognize and dispel the myths of frailty through dialogue and exploration of their physical capabilities. This October, for the launch of Frailty Myths, we’re hosting five workshops in Oakland, California, open to everyone in the community. These community workshops are being offered to individuals with an emphasis on reaching low-income and marginalized communities. These workshops are offered on a donation basis with no one being turned away for lack of funds. Over 1,500 women expressed interest in the event on Facebook and over 300 women registered for tickets on our website to the workshops. So far we’ve done everything in this process on our own. From writing the articles of incorporation, creating the bylaws, and becoming a nonprofit here in California, to funding five free workshops here in Oakland, everything so has been self-created and self-funded by our leadership team.

Sarnia (Inativo) – The Shop

2016-11-04T00:00:00Z

Jumbos (Inativo) – Garden of Mercy (working title)

2016-11-02T00:00:00Z

On September 11, 2001 my father, Anthony Mazurek, was on a business trip at the FedEx headquarters in Memphis, TN. His trip began ominously the night before: a man who sat beside him on the airplane unfolded a large knife from his pocket–a gesture that was both subtle and threatening. Over the next 24 hours, the attacks in New York, D.C. and Pennsylvania would send my father and his three co-workers on a surreal two day, 900+ mile road-trip home to their families. Their path would take them through remote and economically distressed areas of the Deep South, ultimately leading them to a series of heart-wrenchingly beautiful moments; kindness unfolded from tragedy. I learned about my father’s journey nearly a decade later as a 21 year old student attending SMFA/Tufts University. My Dad, who was on yet another business trip, took me out to dinner and our conversation brought us back to September 11th. To discover what he went through and how deeply it affected him so long after the events initially transpired, immediately invoked an overwhelming sense of guilt–it made me realize my own selfishness. Providing for our family, making sacrifices to give my siblings and I a better life, is what sent him away from us on these trips in the first place. Our conversation made me realize that I’d never taken the time, I’d never asked what he’d been through after he finally returned home to us in 2001. The older I become, the more humbled I am by the magnitude of my parents’ love for their children; I realize their selflessness in ways I never did before. I am translating these ideas and emotions into a multimedia project that uses my Dad’s experience on 9/11/01 as a catalyst to examine parent-child relationships and how they evolve as each get older. The project's main narrative element is a road trip my Dad and I just returned from: on 9/11/16 we journeyed together from Memphis to Baltimore, the very same route he took 15 years ago.

Tilburg (Inativo) – Artomaat

2016-11-02T00:00:00Z

Mijn project is de Artomaat, een oude sigarettenautomaat die omgebouwd is tot artomaat. In de artomaat zitten doosjes waarin kleine kunstwerken van lokale kunstenaars zitten met informatie over het kunstwerk en de kunstenaar. Op dit moment heb ik één automaat in bezit, maar het plan is om meer vintage automaten aan te schaffen en deze op plekken in de openbare ruimte of in horeca- en/of culturele instellingen op te hangen. Mensen betalen dan een klein bedrag, op dit moment €4, en krijgen daarvoor een gesigneerd kunstwerkje. Je weet niet wat je uit de artomaat trekt. De verschillende kunstwerkjes van de verschillende Tilburgse kunstenaars zijn verdeeld over de pakjes en de automaten. Kunst voor een kleine prijs.

Philadelphia, PA – Healing Window Paintings

2016-11-02T00:00:00Z

.We would like to bring an exhibit of Healing Window Paintings into a skilled nursing home and rehabilitation center for three months. While the exhibit runs, we would like to do a collaborative activity with staff and residents so together we can create a small permanent piece for the facility. Healing Window Paintings are created with translucent paint on clear plastic and are adhered temporarily to windows. In the daylight the paintings glow much like stained glass cascading color and light into rooms and hallways. The healing qualities of these paintings come from their images, colors and texture which encourage engagement and stimulate conversation. Residents and staff benefit from the stimulation and relaxation the paintings bring to the environment. During the activity, each participating resident or staff receives a small piece of acrylic to paint their own painting which we then adhere to a larger surface using the smaller components to paint one organic whole. This painting will then be giving to the facility so staff and residents can enjoy their own work which can continue to heal. We have been able bring paintings and activities to 16 locations in the Philadelphia area and have seen firsthand the changes our project can bring to the environment. We are highly motivated to continue to bring Healing Window Paintings are art activities into more places, but need the funding to do so!

Portland, OR – Project POOCH, Inc.

2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

Project POOCH began with one dog and one youth in 1993. Since then, Project POOCH has paired hundreds of shelter dogs with hundreds of incarcerated youth at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility. The youth in the program train, groom and care for the shelter dogs while incarcerated. They learn the life skills of responsibility, patience and compassion while working with the animals, and leave the program with vocational skills. The youth pursue a canine education certification, and leave corrections with proof of the courses completed, including proof of certification for pet first aid. Many Project POOCH alums work with dogs upon release from corrections. Project POOCH also has an overwhelmingly positive impact on the welfare of dogs in the program. Project POOCH saves dogs from shelters that often have histories of neglect, abuse or abandonment, even saving some from euthanasia. These dogs then receive veterinary care. This includes a neuter or spay, and bringing the dogs up to date on vaccinations. Because these dogs often come from unfortunate backgrounds, we frequently see dogs in poor health due to lack of dental care or proper nutrition. These dogs are seen by a veterinarian and a treatment plan is developed. Before we find these dogs permanent homes, they are microchipped, groomed and trained to be a canine good citizen. The microchipping process ensures that dogs will be recoverable if they are lost in the future. The dogs are then trained by the youth in order to pass the Canine Good Citizenship (CGC test). Dogs are then ready for adoption, and we carefully screen applicants to guarantee that we have found the right home for the dogs in our program. Our adoption process involves a home visit and a trial overnight. If any dogs need a “brush up” on their training, we provide it for the life of the dog.

Awesome Without Borders (Inativo) – Disability Allies blog series

2016-10-31T00:00:00Z

I'm Bryce. I'm a Youth Services Librarian and the author of the blog Bryce Don't Play. Recently I wrote a post urging librarians to see themselves as disability allies (linked above), like they see themselves as allies of other marginalized groups. It garnered 3000 views in 1 day, far more in that amount of time than any post I'd ever written. It was clear there needs to be more discussion about this. I enlisted the help of three other librarians with disabilities that I know online, and we decided to start a blog series about ableism and allies. First, we'll discuss our own internalized ableism and relationship to disabilities; then, we'll tackle ableist issues and how able-bodied librarians (and people everywhere, really) can help, as well as work better to become allies. We will be seeking guest posts to ensure we cover many different perspectives.

Austin, TX – Plastic Planet Animated PSA

2016-10-31T00:00:00Z

Plastic is everywhere. The man-made substance litters roads, fills oceans and has entered the tissue of all living things. Humans transformed nature to make our lives more convenient, only to leave a massive mess for the next generation. What are the steps to solve this crisis? Like the scavenger animals she sculpts, Calder Kamin collects a variety of colored plastic bags from friends and family. She then strips and twists the bags until they fold into a texture like fur or grass, and meticulously apply each piece. The Plastic Planet series diverted thousands of plastic bags from the environment. With the help of the Awesome Foundation, Kamin will debut an animated call to action via a 1-minute stop-motion video about the plastic crisis that will air on KLRU and online.

Stockholm (Inativo) – Mega-grant coming soon!

2016-10-30T00:00:00Z

We like to mix things up. That’s why Awesome Foundation Stockholm will invest our October grant to maximize impact. The 5000kr will be seed money for an event that will generate a mega-grant for one mega-awesome project in Stockholm. We’re planning the event for February 2017 where we hope to attract and fund some of the larger projects in Stockholm. The event will, obviously, be awesome. Watch this space and spread the word. More info coming soon…

Rio de Janeiro (Inativo) – Projeto Capacitex

2016-10-28T00:00:00Z

O Projeto Capacitex é um Projeto de Informática oferecido pelo Instituto Thereza Tosta com atendimento socioeducativo em meio aberto a crianças e adolescentes em horário complementar ao da escola, por meio de atividades culturais, esportivas e sociais, com foco na tecnologia educacional. Nós executamos o projeto na Associação Beneficente Projeto Elikya – ASBEPE situada na Rua Siriema, 34 – Ramos, CEP: 21.040 – 090 no Estado e Município do Rio de Janeiro. Atendemos crianças e adolescentes em dois turnos e nas 3º, 4º e 6º feiras. O primeiro turno entra 08h00min e fica até 10h30min e o segundo turno das 13h00min ás 15h30min, nestes horários estão incluídos 30 min para o lanche. Os inscritos são divididos em quatro grupos e com faixa etária de 6 anos a 15 anos , atualmente atendemos 100 crianças e adolescentes. Nossas aulas vão além de utilizar os programas de computador, mostramos casa do futuro, inovações tecnológicas e os perigos da internet, por isso todo ano participamos das campanhas da Safernet. Acreditamos no potencial da internet para alavancar o empreendedorismo nas comunidades do Rio de Janeiro.

Chicago, IL – Bridging the Gap

2016-10-28T00:00:00Z

My students who are apart of the Peace and Leadership Council (PLC) rangeS from 5th through 8th grade at Marquette School of Excellence discovered that young people and police on the Southwest side of Chicago have a strained relationship. The students explored the root causes of the issue and concluded that the lack of trust is what's causing the gap in the relationship. Last year, they decided to host a basketball game aimed at restoring the trust between the police and the young people in the community. Not only did they host a basketball game, but they also hosted two breakout workshops where young people and police both participated in. During one workshop, the students facilitated team teambuilding activities such as minefield and balloon tower. During the other workshop, the students in the PLC facilitated a discussion using questions they brainstormed a week before to get to the root cause of the lack of trust between young people and police. The event was successful. We had 8 police officers show up and 30 young people. This year, we are thinking of continuing the project but change it up a bit.

South Bend, IN – Dr. Angie's Dental Health Exchange-filling the gap

2016-10-27T00:00:00Z

Dr. Angie's Dental Health Exchange (DADHE) provides low income residents of St. Joseph County with an opportunity to exchange volunteer hours for dental care. This awesome pay-it-forward project recognizes that everyone's work has value whether it is filling teeth or volunteering. To participate in the program, you must be at least 18 years old, live in St. Joseph County and have no dental insurance. Since its beginning, DADHE has provided almost two hundred dental procedures including fillings, extractions, cleanings and X-rays. Almost all of dentists in St. Joseph County have agreed to treat patients. DADHE's target population was those individuals who sought dental treatments in hospital ERs where they received antibiotics and pain medication. This care gave pain relief but did not treat the cause of the pain, so patients returned to the ER over and over again. Today, these patients can get a permanent solution to their pain. This is awesome and increasing oral health in our community.

South Bend, IN – Westside Wednesday - 2016 Holiday Edition

2016-10-27T00:00:00Z

In December of 2015 it started with lunch. One lunch, called Westside Wednesday, to promote businesses and the improvements on Western Ave. Those kept going monthly, until summer came, and people asked for a bigger evening event. So we delivered an evening festival with beer, tacos, art, music, culture, and lots of kids activities. We estimated over 1,000 people went! So now as we near the one year anniversary of Westside Wednesday we are planning another festival. Our first festival was a summer family event, well this one will be a festive holiday event! We are planning to have Santa, maybe sleigh rides, an art project for kids, a Christmas Bazaar (crafts fair), hot chocolate, etc. We have booked December 10th as the date, we are working now with the city to get holiday lights up on Western Ave before the event, and it will be a day to celebrate the great things happening on the westside and get ready for the holidays! Downtown South Bend always has fun First Fridays, Holiday Lights, great flowers, family activities... our families on the Westside of South Bend deserve the same. This event helps create pride in the neighborhood, great memories for kids in their neighborhood, and gives them something to be proud of in their neighborhood.

South Bend, IN – The Local Cup Leadership Training Program

2016-10-27T00:00:00Z

Here is a synopsis, but first let us say that we have made one key change since our previous Awesome grant, which came up a bit short. The focus is still the great teen program, but now we have secured a donor who will match a 1k grant in order to fund the truly Awesome college intern we have to be able to stay next summer to fully operate and grow our program. With that, here is the context: The Local Cup is a non-profit neighborhood coffee shop in a diverse part of town that seeks to create a space for neighbors to come together, form relationships, and strengthen community (and drink tasty, locally-roasted, pour-over coffee). In an attempt to welcome all, we have adopted our pay-it-forward system, where your coffee and muffin have been already been paid for. You are then free to accept the gift or pay it forward, in any amount, to keep the chain of neighborly generosity going. As part of our commitment to the neighborhood and its people we have developed a teen internship Leadership Training Program. Too often in this part of South Bend, the goal of youth is to be able to move to another area, But through this program we provide paid internships to local youth, who work behind the counter and serve hand-crafted coffee drinks. Most importantly, our program also provides mentorship, skills training and teambuilding. The Local Cup's pay-it-forward donations cover the costs of coffee, baked goods, supplies, and even paying the interns (mostly - and we're working on covering that gap elsewhere). But the revenue does not provide for the operation of the Leadership Training Program. So far this work is being done by the all-volunteer managers of The Local Cup, as well as by a College Intern, who is able to use approved Federal Work Study resources for this community outreach. But these funds do not cover the summer, and our experience last summer was that without this help, burnout for us volunteer managers is a real possibility!

Portland, OR – Spaceness 2017

2016-10-25T00:00:00Z

We are three artists that run a free, annual art event called SPACENESS. Spaceness is a celebration of time, space, and "the unknown" through sculpture, performance, and experimental installation. We take over the shady coastal Sou'Wester Lodge (near Astoria, OR) for one weekend each year. Last year over 200 people came out from Portland to participate in Spaceness, and this year we expect that number to double. Our audience ranges from toddlers to serious art critics, and our artists range from quirky outsiders to established career professionals. We are quickly watching our event grow from a quirky experiment to a serious annual art event. We have always paid for the event out of pocket and this year we are getting serious about raising funds to PAY our artists for their time and materials. Examples of past Spaceness projects: - sculptural performance based work, where small packages of food wrapped in parachutes, were launched from a cannon - visitors had to run to catch their lunch - a replica of the Monolith from 2011: A Space Odessey was installed mysteriously on the beach - a geodesic dome filled with hammocks and inflatable hot tubs was provided for all visitors to use - a dance interpretation of sci-fi classic Invasion of the Bodysnatchers was performed - a cabin was transformed into a glowing dream portal - a handpainted Roswell Crash Site Photo Booth was installed with a handmade alien crafted by a local puppet maker - an artist held a roundtable reading of the play Macbeth as if written by Philipp K Dick - and so on! A special and magical community develops around this free/public event each year. Please help us make it even more magical in it's third season! Thank you AWESOME FOUNDATION <3

Melbourne (Inativo) – Pihuru Community Sanitation Project

2016-10-25T00:00:00Z

Pihuru community is located on Makira Island, Makira Ulawa Province, Solomon Islands. The community population is 400 which comprises of men, women youths and children. The community have access to water supply however, proper sanitation is the community's biggest problem. Currently the community is using coastal seaside beaches as toilets. It is anticipated that once approval and funding is given, the community will use funds to built proper toilets using low cost pour flash system seeing that water supply access is already available in the community.

Newmarket – Poplar Bank Public School Student Garden

2016-10-25T00:00:00Z

Poplar Bank Public School is a virbrant French immersion school in northwest Newmarket. We have a currently enrollment of 470 students at our school, and we are fortunate to be able to offer many clubs and activities to our students. One such focus is healthy living and healthy eating. We operate a healthy breakfast/snack program called Crunchy Manchu which serves 1000 items each week free of charge to any student who wishes to partake. In hopes of expanding on the success of this project, we are in the midst of gaining approval from York Region District School Board to build a Student Garden. The garden will help us green an underutilized area of our school grounds, as well as offering a unique outdoor classroom opportunity. Students will be involved in selecting, growing, maintaining and harvesting the garden. Items grown in the garden will supplement the crunchy munchy program as well as donations to the Newmarket Food Bank. Our goal is to encourage lifelong healthy eating habits, teach a skill students can use for life and encourage them to be responsible citizens within their community

Twin Cities, MN (Inativo) – Grand Oak Opry

2016-10-24T00:00:00Z

Grand Oak Opry brings neighbors and people from throughout the Twin Cities together with local musicians into a casual setting -- our backyard -- under a 200 year old White Oak. The objective is to promote the creativity and unique qualities of our neighborhood, West 7th, and to support local musicians. * Attendees are asked to donate up to $10, with 100% of their contribution going to the musicians. No one is turned away for an inability to pay. Musicians make $500-$2700. * Local business sponsors cover the hard costs associated with the program. * We don't make any money on the project. The "recipe" works for everyone: * Musicians have a casual and intimate setting in which to perform. One performer wrote this review: "By far one the most genuine, unique and sincere shows I have ever played. Tim and Sean are the most gracious hosts you will ever meet and the community they are creating is endearing and inspirational. Hats off to the people that put the time and energy into making something special happen, not only in the world but right in their backyard." * Individuals and families who might not be able to go to clubs are able to see great local music. Kids are welcome and encouraged to attend. The shows start at either 4:30 pm or 7:30 pm and never run past 9:30. * Neighbors fully support the program. It's become a local point-of-pride for many in West 7th. We don't have a single complaint yet from anyone! Neighbors contribute their talents to making the program happen: last year the person behind us took the photographs and the person next to us developed the logo that we still use online. Another neighbor contributes benches for people to sit on, and other neighbors act as greeters. Last Saturday a local bakery, Brake Bread, showed up to give away extra product. We believe that it's a unique mix that builds community and highlights the unique qualities of our neighborhood, and support local musicians.

Alaska (Inativo) – Mountain View Post Magazine

2016-10-24T00:00:00Z

Mountain View is a complex place -- a diverse Anchorage neighborhood with a long, colorful history and a rough reputation. I call it home, and I publish local news and stories from my neighbors at MtViewPost.com. Through a partnership with the Mountain View library and numerous local contributors, we’re transforming the website into a magazine. It’s a place to share stories and build community; a hyperlocal spotlight on the issues and experiences overlooked by traditional media. The Mountain View Post blog has received multiple awards from the Alaska Press Club and built a strong network of readers and neighbors. The magazine will help us reach even more people. The inaugural print issue focuses on neighborhood youth. The average Mountain View resident is around 27, according to census data, and about 30 percent of the neighborhood is age 17 or younger, so we’re building our first issue around the things that are important to them. Basketball. Music. Art, gaming and the future. Our contributors include young illustrators and photographers and writers who share their hopes and dreams and ideas for the neighborhood. The magazine is a megaphone for the community, by the community and about the community. We won’t stop with one issue, either: We plan on publishing the magazine quarterly, expanding to reach more readers and eventually offering door-to-door delivery throughout Mountain View. For free, of course.

Kingston – QSB Presents: Slaying Senior Year

2016-10-22T00:00:00Z

"Slaying Senior Year" by Alisha Grech is the first musical of Queen's Students on Broadway's 2016-2017 season! Slaying Senior Year is a musical parody of beloved, cheesy high school-slasher films, pulling elements from titles such as Scream, Psycho, Heathers, Mean Girls, and so many more. It is packed with Broadway and classic rock hits, pulling from musicals such as RENT and bands such as Queen. Slaying Senior Year was written by second-year Queen's University student, Alisha Grech, with the goal of getting as many members of the Kingston community involved as possible. Following the mandate of Queen's Students on Broadway, who are producing the show, all proceeds from the show go towards youth arts charities in Kingston and youth outreach programs in the Kingston area. With this goal in mind, Slaying Senior Year needs to be as amazing as it can possibly be!

Pittsburgh, PA – Hops On Lots Pittsburgh

2016-10-21T00:00:00Z

Pittsburgh has 90 different neighborhoods. Imagine if each neighborhood had its own beer? That’s what we are trying to do: Bring the communities, neighborhoods, and the breweries together. Hops On Lots Pittsburgh (HOLP) is project that brings together communities and local breweries through urban agriculture. Created by three guys; Pete, Joe, & Jonny, we are using our years of experience in gardening and beer tasting to think outside the box. Our project plans to grow hops in a way that not only benefits the local communities financially and aesthetically, but also benefit Pittsburgh area breweries and brewers by supplying locally-sourced hops. The HOLP team has been working hard on our two projects this summer; the YMCA in Hazelwood (15 plants) and the retaining wall in Stanton Heights (78 plants). So far this season, the hops have grown well beyond our expectations. At the YMCA location 80% of the plants have sprouted and over at the wall in Stanton Heights we have 75% of the plants sprouted. We are also excited about the harvest coming up this fall and what will happen with the hops. We are in the midst of planning release events at both locations. Full Pint Brewery and Spoonwood Brewery will be brewing a beer with the YMCA hops and we are excited that Roundabout Brewery will be using our hops grown in Stanton Heights. The HOLP team has also been working behind the scenes to develop a couple of projects for next season that will allow us to help more communities in and around Pittsburgh. Check out a story about us by Next Pittsburgh: http://www.nextpittsburgh.com/eatdrink/hops-lots-betters-communities-beer/

Pittsburgh, PA – Boys Build

2016-10-21T00:00:00Z

Boys Build is a program sponsored by The Flower House Collective members and is lead by national exhibiting artists Darnell Chambers. Boys Build introduces new builders and youth to a broad range of materials and tools. We believe hands on learning is important to the lives of young men. Our kids work on individual and group projects with real tools and materials while engaging in creativity, problem solving, safety, and respect. Our goal is to share the joy of building, revising, and repairing. The program will be held at the Flower House community space on Penn Ave. The goal of our program is to lead young boys away from the school to prison pipeline, and equip them with basic handyman skills they can utilize. Our main mission is to develop young boys with active and creative minds. We will encourage imagination and problem-solving skills of our boys by showing them that they can learn to make anything they want with the help of some wood, a hammer, and some nails. This we will do by engaging the whole child: mind, eyes, hands, ears and bodies are all part of the learning process. Our workspace, materials, and teaching methods are interwoven to create safe and creative educational experiences for mainstream, special needs, and gifted/talented learners. This is what will make Boys Build so effective. Not to mention they will be working beside mentor-men who will be showing them the importance of safety, respect, and building from their own minds.

Oahu, HI – Personal Empowerment Program (PEP)

2016-10-21T00:00:00Z

Our Awesome Project is to provide up to 20 girls in Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility (HYCF) a four-part workshop designed to assist them in successful transition from the correctional facility to long-term placement or reintegration into home and community. The intent is to provide these high risk girls with skills they will need to guide them through life and lead them on a successful track of healthy choices and self-management. PEP is based on a proven evidence-based curriculum, Skills You Need: Helping You Develop Life Skills, which assists high risk girls with self regulation, problem solving, relationship building, service learning and leadership development. Content curriculum addresses: Looking after your body; rest and sleep; food, diet and nutrition; exercise; doing the right thing; looking after your mind; stress and health; the good and healthy mind; and the power of positive thinking. Four two-hour workshops will be developed by Hoola Na Pua Starfish Mentoring Program Director to help develop life skills through fun, experiential and interactive activities designed to develop key physical, mental and emotional habits, skills and maintenance. The workshops held at the HYCF will be broken down as follows: Session 1: Self-Regulation & Managing Stress Activity - Yoga/Coloring books Session 2: Fun Health and Safe Exercise Activity - Zumba/Dance exercise Session 3: Protective Factors and Healthy Mind Activity - Cooking for the brain/Mind body connection Session 4: Self Care and Health and Hygiene Activity - Hygiene products/Hair/cosmetology/Rest & sleep Success and outcomes of this program will be measured, qualitatively and quantitatively, with a pre- and post- survey self-evaluating measuring how each girl rates herself (on a scale of 1-10) in the four areas of life skills, prior to the workshops and after completion. Additionally, each girl will be asked to come up with a personal transition plan addressing each session.

Louisville, KY (Inativo) – Steve's Club Louisville

2016-10-20T00:00:00Z

Steve’s Club Louisville is the local chapter of a national non-profit called Steve’s Club. Steve’s Club provides free CrossFit to at risk and high risk youth at no cost. All middle schoolers and high schoolers are welcome. We are located in West Louisville, historically an underserved area of the city. Our goal is to make a positive influence on youth through the mentorship and guidance of our adult members of our CrossFit gym. Our gym has two classrooms in the front where students can study and we want to provide the students an afterschool snack as well. The gym is a safe place for these students that might not have anywhere else to go after school.