Awesome Foundation - Projects

San Francisco, CA – Swing Low Sweet Bicycles

2015-04-03T00:00:00Z

Unlocking the potential of empty bike racks by adding a little swing to them. A couple years back I noticed that all the bike racks being installed around town had a little hole drilled through them, right at the top most point. I started wondering what those holes were for, and then started wondering if I could use them in some creative way. Since these racks were so consistently placed (always the same distance apart, same height, and that 1/4" hole right on the top) I started working on an artist desk that could be moved from rack to rack, but then decided to focus on something I could bang out a little cheaper and just leave installed. On January 1st, 2014, I secretly installed a small swing in front of The Church on Valencia. The swing was designed to sit between any two bike racks and provide a space for pedestrians to relax for a bit. I picked this location because it's racks were usually empty and it happened to be the same location as another set of swings installed illegal a few years before. It stayed up for a little over a month, and I was thrilled every time I'd walk by and see someone using it. I stopped by on a few more popular nights and noticed that the swings designed didn't prevent folks from locking their bikes over it if the rest of the racks were used up. I love seeing bike racks installed over the city, but feel that all too often city planners tend to think about solving a single problem, rather than thinking creatively about function and community. My dream is to see public exercise areas, benches, tables, and water fountains creatively integrated into the urban landscape. Adding a swing anywhere is going to bring a smile to people's faces. Fact. I was happy to see how the swing encouraged simple conversations between strangers too. At very least with an exchange of a little eye contact and a smile, but sometimes leading to deeper interaction. Most importantly, I think it will help people envision simple ways to interact and improve with everyday objects.

San Francisco, CA – Limbus Lab

2015-04-03T00:00:00Z

Decentralize technology development from Silicon Valley! I'm going back home to the family farm in rural Minnesota this summer. I want to teach Arduino workshops in these rural communities. I'm in the process of setting up inexpensive or free Arduino workshops 4-H and other organizations. This is one aspect of my project, Limbus Lab, that focuses on education that leads to individual empowerment without sending people into crippling levels of debt. The money would be used for ten Arduino kits to use in these workshops. Emerging technology is hugely applicable in rural farming communities. Technology should be used as a tool. It is a difficult tool learn but I have watched how it can be used to empower individuals to feel more self reliant. That is the goal in teaching this technology, so people feel that they have more control over their lives. Within the U.S., I cannot think of a better group of people to have more impact on society as self reliant, empowered individuals than farmers. Agriculture is fundamental to our society and we cannot let technology control the farmers. We need to have the farmers control their technology. How do we start? Reach the young farming kids and make this unintuitive and intimidating tool accessible through workshops that focus on playful exploration. Failing is expected and ultimately encouraged. There are no bad ideas. Allow them to be self directed in their exploration but provide enough support to keep them from giving up prematurely. I have been doing this at CCA, now it is time to leave the bubble of San Francisco and push it out into new areas and endeavors. My hope is to bootstrap these workshops enough to make them free or very inexpensive but not have sponsorship from companies or organizations that will dictate what I do. The more individuals from varying backgrounds we have exploring potential uses, the greater the chance we will actually create something meaningful. Most 24 year old developers making six figures are too far removed from the reality of the world to actually be able to create something that isn't just designed for themselves. The goal is to empower individuals to be more self reliant. We can take control over our own lives and not let it be defined for us.

Plano, TX (Inactive) – Ordinary Days Plano

2015-04-02T00:00:00Z

Ordinary Days is a musical about 4 different people simply trying to make it by in an ordinary day living in New York! It really gets interesting when their lives start to go downhill but they regain spirits through their hilarious and bubbly friend. This is nothing more than a fun, romantic comedy musical. It is directed by students at Plano East Senior High and will be put on this summer at the Cox Building. THE REASON WE ARE PUTTING ON THE SHOW: recently, a man named Jason Manthe died of Alzheimer's Disease at the age of 31 with three kids, another on the way, and an unemployed wife. Since this is a completely donation driven production, all the ticket sales and food sales would be piled together; half of this would go straight to the Manthe family to help them financially, the other half would be donated towards Alzheimer's Research in honor of Jason Manthe.

Plano, TX (Inactive) – Reaching and Inspiring Student Engineers

2015-04-02T00:00:00Z

Reaching and Inspiring Student Engineers (RISE) is a student organization at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) that reaches out to local elementary schools with free science demonstrations aimed at motivating young students to pursue STEM careers. For the past two years, we have built up a great deal of experience and expertise, which has prepared us to broaden the scope of our outreach. By the end of this year, our UTD student volunteers will have donated 400 hours of their time and presented to more than 4,000 young students. We have built a volunteer base, established relationships with a network of Plano educators, and developed packages of demonstrations that we can present on teachers’ request. We envision building on the success we have seen so far to expand our program into a resource used by all Plano teachers and students. We have developed a teacher-centered approach that creates a hassle-free way for schools to provide students with exciting, educational science demonstrations. We develop packages of demonstrations beforehand and visit schools to engage students with both classic science experiments and cutting-edge technologies that have emerged from UTD labs. Since we take on the responsibility of creating curriculum, our model requires minimal time investment from teachers. Through this preliminary initiative, we have gained experience and prepared ourselves to expand into a larger role in the fabric of science education in Plano. With the support of the Awesome Foundation, we will develop a library of demonstrations covering a wide spectrum of science topics for all levels of primary and secondary education. We aim to enhance the existing Plano science curriculum while creating opportunities for students to learn outside the classroom. By concentrating experience, knowledge, and materials among our volunteers, we can be a reliable resource for K-12 educators throughout Plano for years to come.

Baltimore, MD (Inactive) – Baltimore #popscope

2015-04-02T00:00:00Z

Look again at that dot. That's here, that's home, that's us. - Carl Sagan When was the last time you looked at the stars, the craters of the moon, or the rings of Saturn? Baltimore #popscope aims to reconnect Baltimoreans to the night sky—and to each other—by hosting free, “pop up” astronomy nights in public spaces. The project is powered by the Baltimore Global Shapers hub, one of several multi-stakeholder communities at the World Economic Forum. Building on the successes of similar projects in Ottawa and Philadelphia, #popscope (derived from “pop-up telescope”) envisions the spontaneous set up of telescopes for public use across Baltimore City on at least five occasions in Spring 2015. In doing so, we hope to: (1) encourage social interactions that challenge norms and erode spatial boundaries; (2) promote science by providing exciting views of the night sky; and (3) contribute to public discourse over how public spaces are used and allocated. To make our gatherings as successful as possible, we will work with community leaders to bring telescopes to neighborhoods in an inclusive, safe, culturally sensitive, and socially aware manner. Toward the same goal, we will host these astronomy nights in a variety of strategic locations, including McElderry Park, Hampden, the Inner-Harbor, Stricker Street, and Patterson High School. Given our spontaneity, we will use social media to announce the location and date of each event. A virtual community will complement in-person gatherings, and extend our reach of this project by linking participants to other similar movements in different cities. Users will be able to learn about upcoming astronomical events, post questions, and share astronomy related articles or photos. The night sky has inspired and brought people together from the days of Stonehenge to the age of the Hubble Space Telescope. We believe it can also inspire and bring people together in The Charm City. Our motto? Keep looking up, Baltimore!

San Antonio, TX – Random Acts of Kindness/Pay it Forward

2015-04-02T00:00:00Z

CAPiSA group is fundraising to do Random Acts of Kindness throughout the San Antonio Community. Started in July 2014 and have had success with small events to "pay if forward" , just because. We pay for peoples meals in restaurants, deliver flowers to restaurant managers, take homemade cakes to firehouses/firemen, given a $25 Walmart gc to someone random who joined our facebook page, had a Christmas Toy drive for the Children's Hospital of San Antonio (over 200 new toys), Left $1 in envelopes with the words "finders keepers" on bus stops, given many gift baskets we created at our fundraising events through drawings. We would like to give bigger gifts to people more often!

Plano, TX (Inactive) – Learning Commons: An Uncommon Learning Experience

2015-04-02T00:00:00Z

If you can imagine it, you can create it in the Learning Commons! Exposing students to hands-on, highly engaging STEAM activities will immerse them in exploring, discovering and learning and will help ensure their success in the future. Getting to make and create will transform our students from consumers into makers and give everyone the opportunity to see the world around them differently, to explore and imagine new possibilities for a future they help create. Our school is identified as a bilingual campus with a diverse student population, more than 60% of whom are considered at-risk. Many of our students and their families tend to have a high rate of mobility, causing them to exhibit gaps in either background knowledge and/or academic achievement. Generally speaking, our students struggle with content knowledge and are further hindered by a lack of experience in problem-solving and critical thinking. During his 2012 State of the Union address, President Obama called attention to the dwindling pool of future U.S. innovators and emphasized the importance of young Americans entering careers in Science, Technology, Engineering,Rrts or Math (STEAM). Industry groups are also calling on schools to graduate more engineers while fostering educators with innovation-based skills to help the future workforce qualify for the Science, Technology, and Math fields that are projected to grow in the coming years. Education must shift from instruction to discovery...to probing and exploration." This quote from Marshall McLuhan explains the way our Learning Commons works. Our students learn best through independent discovery and creating things themselves. Giving students opportunities to make and create will transform them from consumers into makers and will foster their sense of creativity and wonder. By providing these experiences to our students, we can prepare them to be the engineers, inventors, and scientists of the 21st Century. We are closing the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and their peers by providing them with the same opportunities. The Learning Commons will immerse students in those STEAM skills.

Stockholm (Inactive) – Apelns Grafs Studio

2015-04-02T00:00:00Z

There is a need for safe spaces for the queer and trans community in Stockholm. The good people at Apelns Graf has identified this and decided to do something about it. This something has taken the shape of a music studio in Värtahamnen. A studio they’re building with their own bare hands. We say good luck and stay awesome! We’re also hoping for an invite to show our skills in playing the triangle...

Austin, TX – Freehand Arts Project: Bringing the creative arts to those behind bars

2015-04-02T00:00:00Z

The Freehand Arts Project is a group of volunteers committed to bringing the creative arts to people incarcerated in Texas jails and prisons. The project employs highly qualified volunteers from local schools and universities to teach weekly creative arts classes to some 2,000 inmates at the Travis County Correctional Facility. The program strives to address the deep wounds found in the incarceration system by providing a safe avenue for self-reflection, the opportunity to develop emotional awareness, and a supportive community. Says Founder Kelsey Shipman: "Will writing poetry keep people out of prison? I don't know. Maybe one day. Will reading short stories about overcoming addiction keep the needle out of their hand? It is impossible say. The path to well-being is laid one brick at a time. Does seeing your name in print pay the bills? Unlikely. But, it does suggest an alternative to the status quo."

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Subsistence Research Center of Southern Illinois

2015-04-01T00:00:00Z

A few months ago, a group of friends and I were granted the opportunity to turn the old Big Muddy Independent Media Center in Carbondale, Illinois, into a radical info-shop. The Big Muddy IMC was exactly what the name states, an independent media center, that was last used during Occupy Carbondale. Now we have re-opened the space and turned it into a radical info-shop. What's an info shop? Well, it's a space where people involved in radical movements and countercultures can trade information, meet and network with other people or other groups, from their own town, other cities, or even other countries. It's also a space where various groups can hold meetings or events like, music, poetry, or seminars. Some infoshops house "free schools," meaning various educational workshops––that are offered to the public, for free. Inoshops have been around since the 1930s, they began in Europe during the Spanish Revolution, and eventually inspired North Americans to begin housing their own infoshops during the 1980s. The aftermath of the Cold War in 1991 popped off a growing movement of radical infoshops in America, as anarchists felt the need to create spaces where people could gather and organize around various issues. Our info-shop, which we may call "No-Coast" or "Fly-Over," has had a slow start. We are in dire need of new flooring, ceiling tiles, and money for utilities. There is a large network of earth activists, anti-police activists, and LGBQT activists in Carbondale––that have been using the space for meetings and workshops. Recently, I proposed by community soil bank and edible landscaping idea to the city of Carbondale. Both of these projects would be an extension of the info-shop, which is also known as the subsistence research center by locals. We are trying to create subsistence and community, essentially freeing Carbondale from the mass economic system. We also hope to eradicate the damage done by corporate acts of environmental racism.

Portland, OR – The Incredibly Short Film Festival

2015-04-01T00:00:00Z

What would you do if you saw a little pig driving an ice cream truck down Foster Boulevard? Or a psychedelic Sasquatch skating through your favorite burger place? It would be incredible- even more incredible if these scenes were paired with music, food, and neighborhood pride. This is what the Incredibly Short Film Festival (ISFF) does. For one night, projectors are set up through a neighborhood in unexpected places. They’re showing GIF animations from artists around the world or around the block. Originally started in Sydney, Australia, the festival has also appeared in Croatia. This summer we want to bring it to Foster Boulevard. The ISFF re-imagines what the .GIF file format is capable of. Most people have seen silly looping clips floating around the internet. But what happens when you bring them offline? The GIF becomes a showcase for emerging animators. It adds fun and color to city streets. Maybe it just makes someone laugh pretty hard. We’re confident these are worthy goals for an Awesome Portland project. This event will be free and 100% volunteer run. We've already reached out to local animators who are stoked about this totally unique venue for showcasing their work. We’re working with the business community to find sites and host mini-parties. The event is going to reach a lot of people; both those who make it a destination and those who are just passing by. Even though it will be a one-night event, there is a lot that will stick around. The community that comes together to pull something like the ISFF off creates new collaborations. The stoke and good vibes from unexpected art in public space can not be discounted. Finally, the attention on a street that hasn't been known for art will last beyond the event. In the end, we hope to surprise people, take the internet offline, create wild video graffiti (with permission from owners!), and bring an incredible idea from abroad back to our hometown.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Sex Education for Social Justice

2015-04-01T00:00:00Z

While Mexico City youth get some exposure to sex education in schools, the most impactful sex education happens in everyday experiences with movies, TV, porn, religion, family, friends. Unfortunately, this informal education frequently reinforces heteronormative and patriarchal notions of gender, sexuality, and relationships. These notions, in turn, sexually and socially disenfranchize women, people who are gender non-conforming, and anyone identifying outside of the heterosexual norm (these cultural dynamics are of course not unique to Mexico). It is Colectiva Justicia Sexual’s mission to offer alternatives to mainstream sex education. In our project, Educación Sexual para la Justicia Social (Sex Education for Social Justice), we hope to take our sex education to informal spaces around the city, starting with the metro station, La Raza. Through a series of public lectures and workshops, we will offer sex education about gender, sexuality, and relationships that promotes gender equity, the embracing of diverse sexual identifications, consent, communication, and safe sex. Because La Raza is a transfer station for two commuter lines that traverse the entire city and extend between two major universities, it experiences extremely high foot traffic of diverse populations and is an excellent site for the presentation series. Colectiva Justicia Sexual is already in communication with the La Raza station administration, and they are on board with our project. The administration will promote the Sex Education for Social Justice presentations on station message boards and lend the collective its presentation space, which comes with seating and audio equipment. The collective will create a series of presentations that engages commuter audiences in topics rarely articulated in public spaces. To speak about sex education in a public metro station will be a radical and effective retaking of the informal public sphere for sexual and social justice.

Paris (Inactive) – Artothèque Fanatikart

2015-03-31T00:00:00Z

L’Artothèque permet de louer et d’acquérir des œuvres d’art contemporaines réalisées par de jeunes artistes : photos, installations, vidéos, sculptures, tableaux, dessins,... Le but est de permettre à tous d'appréhender l’art dans un contexte ludique et convivial, de s’ouvrir aux pratiques artistiques, d'accorcher de l'art chez soi, et de découvrir des lieux d’expositions conventionnels ou non. Chaque année l’Artothèque présente sa collection dans des lieux partenaires (galeries, médiathèques et associations) et organise des visites et des rencontres avec les artistes. Pour fêter la première année d'existence de son Artothèque, Fanatikart organise une exposition au mois de juin dans le 19ème arrondissement afin de regrouper toutes les œuvres de l'artothèque, et diffuser son existence auprès des parisiens. Des visites guidées seront organisées pour les jeunes du quartier, afin de leur faire découvrir l'art contemporain dans un moment de rencontre avec les artistes. The Artothèque offers to everyone the possibility to rent and acquire contemporary artworks from young artists : photos, videos, sculptures, drawings, paintings… The goal is to give people the chance to discover art in a fun and friendly setting, to open up to the practice of art, to hang up art in their homes, and to discover (un)conventional exhibition venues. Each year the Artothèque partners up with galeries and organization to present its collection and organizes meeting with artists. To celebrate the Artothèque’s first anniversary, Fanatikart will organize an exhibition in June 2015, in the 19th district of Paris, to bring together all the artworks and communicate towards Parisians. Guided tours will be offered to the youth of the neighborhood, to help them discover contemporary art and meet the artists.

Moscow (Inactive) – Бочча-спорт равных возможностей!

2015-03-29T00:00:00Z

Бочча -спорт, дающий возможности заниматься спортом детям с ДЦП и выраженными двигательными и интеллектуальными отклонениями. Мы планируем приобрести комплекты для игры в бочча и внедрить новый вид спорта для детей-инвалидов на базе центра адаптивной физкультуры в г.Иваново. Учитывая, что бочча – вид спорта, где можно играть командами – приобретение данного спортивного оборудования позволит вовлечь учебно-тренировочный процесс большее количество детей-инвалидов , в том числе с тяжёлыми формами ДЦП. Даст возможность для детей с ОВЗ участвовать в соревнованиях. Раздвинет границы их возможностей, разовьёт в детях дух соревновательности и ещё больше раздвинет границы социальной адаптации. Ожидаемые результаты- повышение качества жизни инвалида,на основе достигнутого в процессе тренировок комплекса изменений:физического,психологического и социального его состояния.Укрепление здоровья,преодоление физического недуга,приобщение к здоровому образу жизни, формирование потребности в физической и двигательной активности.Коррекция координационных и двигательных способностей инвалидов,которая достигается в процессе отработки согласованности движения с направлением и скоростью движения шара,а также в процессе развития специальных физических способностей,главным образом силы и быстроты сокращения мышц,от которых зависит овладение моментом воздействия руками на шар(при подаче). Нормализация психоэмоциального состояния ,улучшение общего самочувствия,оптимистический настрой,развитие воли,настойчивости в достижении цели,формирование новых жизненных интересов и потребностей,создание условий для интеллектуального развития инвалидов с ограниченными умственными способностями.Нормализация функционирования в социальной среде ,включение участников тренировок в коллективное взаимодействие группы по интересам. Соревнования проводятся на различных уровнях.

Miami, FL – Warm Fuzzies

2015-03-29T00:00:00Z

There is a large Autism Walk in Miami in April, which more 20,000 people will be attending. My project is to make soft yarn octopi for the autistic children to play with during the walk. Having something to focus on that is their own to keep could be great for them for such an event.

Miami, FL – Hand Built Boat

2015-03-28T00:00:00Z

"Hand Built Boat" is a short documentary film about a 70-year-old man who teaches high school kids to hand make boats at the oldest house in Miami. It's a story about one man's willingness to mentor youth, teach through the introspective patience and discipline that is fostered through craftsmanship, and the positive influence one person can have by sharing their gifts with others. Documenting this story is important because our community is all too often portrayed as vice-ridden, backwards, and hedonistic. However, the story of Miami being a place that fosters community and develops youth, at a historic landmark no less (which is also a state park), is also a Miami story as well. Telling this story is an opportunity for both Miami natives and visitors can be inspired to identify with Miami as a place where great community engagement is possible.

New York City, NY – Cricket Coop

2015-03-24T00:00:00Z

Cricket Coop is a multidisciplinary artistic and community-oriented gastronomical project by artist Rodrigo Guzmán de San Martin (RSM) that aims to aestheticize and normalize the use of insects for human consumption. While insects are high in protein and micronutrients and thrive on minimal feed, people generally view them as disgusting, a food of last resort. Through creating an attractive and affordable domestic method to raise crickets, Cricket Coop aims to ‘rebrand’ insects as a desirable ingredient in their own right. Cricket Coop consists of the primary product – an open-source ‘coop’ to rear crickets that utilizes their chirping as an aesthetic element — with accompanying community dinners, collaborative artistic coop design exhibitions, a teaching curriculum for middle school students, and a cookbook. The project is being developed in collaboration with Art In FLUX, a local arts organization lead by Leanne Stella that creates opportunities for artists that live and work in Harlem, NY. Through Art In FLUX Rodrigo intend to create community events, collaborations with local schools, restaurateurs and other key leaders in the Harlem community, as well as organizing exhibitions to promote the use of crickets as a legitimate source of protein and a viable option to ensure food security. This project appealed to the AwesomeNYC trustees for both initiating a dialog about sustainability and food security as well as the questions it raises about the role of living creatures in our lives, as pets and as food. In speaking with Rodrigo, we learned about his desire to delve into questions of the home and domesticity as well as community and food and we're looking forward to seeing how all of these elements come together in this project.

London, ON (Inactive) – The World's Longest Human Circuit

2015-03-24T00:00:00Z

Did you know that there is only 1 world record holder in London? Well after we're done, they'll be more than 1200. Our goal is to create a world record attempt that our community can share and celebrate - creating the world's longest human circuit. In 2013 1113 people at Coulson Tough Primary School in Woodlands Texas broke the world record for creating the world's longest human circuit. For London to break the record set in Texas, we would need 1200 people to come together, hold hands, have a small current pass through them, and light up a light. Every single person who helps us break this record will receive an official certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records recognizing their contribution to achieving something no other place on Earth has achieved. At the MakerBus we believe that London is an awesome place, filled with awesome people and with the help of Awesome London we can help highlight that awesomeness on the global stage of the Guinness Book of World Records. The Head Science Officer on the MakerBus has designed a safe device that is capable of passing less than one volt of current through up to 2000 people. This device will expose people to less electricity than you would be exposed to holding a watch battery in your hand, meaning this world record attempt is completely safe - even for people with pacemakers. The exposure of an Awesome London win will allow us to begin promoting our world record attempt. To beat the Texas record we need to get the word out to as many people as possible. They may do things big in Texas, but we do things AWESOME in London!

Connecticut – New Haven Community Murals

2015-03-23T00:00:00Z

Cities all over the world are discovering how community mural projects can transform neighborhoods. In some cases, large murals have been credited with decreasing local crime and increasing feelings of security and hope amongst residents. As an Americorps VISTA member serving in New Haven, I believe that the city's under-served neighborhoods could be positively impacted by a collaborative mural project. Two sites have been identified as prime locations for a collaborative mural project in New Haven: the first site is a wall along the Farmington Canal Greenway in the Newhallville section of New Haven, and the second is the side of the Christian Community Action Agency (CCAA) building on Sylvan Street in The Hill neighborhood. Local New Haven artist Kwadwo Adae has agreed to lead the painting portion of the project. A New Haven native and a successful entrepreneur, Mr. Adae is the founder and director of the Adae Fine Arts on Chapel Street. Mr. Adae is deeply committed to community values and is excited to collaborate with local residents on selecting a design as well as the actual painting of the murals. The two artworks created by the Community Murals Project would be highly valuable and useful to residents of the surrounding communities. The Farmington Canal Greenway mural would be a welcoming symbol to pedestrians who utilize the Greenway’s lanes for running, cycling, or walking with friends. The mural would celebrate this unique landmark and enhance the feeling of safety and positivity while pursuing healthy lifestyle habits. The CCAG building is a landmark of its own, as a long-standing community institution that provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, food, and educational opportunities for low-income families, specifically targeting families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. CCAG’s motto is: “Help, Housing, Hope”, and we wish to celebrate this theme with a giant 3-story mural on the west-facing side of their building.

Newmarket – One Stop Shopping in Support of CDN Mental Health

2015-03-23T00:00:00Z

Dear Awesome Foundation Committee, I fundraise for the Canadian Mental Health Association – York & South Simcoe branch and hope to raise a lot of money for this AWESOME organization. The money I raise will be put towards the annual Ride Don't Hide event in Newmarket during the month of June. The money from the ride at this location is being used to set up a youth initiative. CMHA York Region and South Simcoe will be leading a transformational approach to youth mental health in the region with the purchase of Ontario’s first mobile mental health clinic for ages 12-25. “After reviewing the greatest needs facing our community and the current research literature, youth mental health quickly surfaced as a top priority,” Rebecca Shields, CEO CMHA YR&SS. Named MOBYSS for Mobile York South Simcoe, the clinic will have 2 meeting spaces and one lounge area where youth can drop in, helping to ensure privacy and confidentiality. Youth will be able to use the MOBYSS mobile app to check the van schedule, route & GPS location, book and confirm appointments, digitally connect with the van and access links to other supports and services. More info can be found at http://www.cmha-yr.on.ca/mobyss/ A way to raise money is to have a vendor show that will benefit youth in these areas. The One Stop Shopping in Support of CMHA will have 40 vendors for visitors to shop from & 100 silent auction items. I also want to have a fun area which will include a photo booth, candy table, balloon artist and face painter. This fun section will be a paid area – all the attendees (young and old) will be able to receive one or all of these activities for a set fee. All the money received from this area and the silent auction will go directly to CMHA. I held 2 shows in the past. One show had 200 guests come through. The charitable organization received $4,500. I want to raise $6,000 at my OSS show for the CMHA York and South Simcoe Region. You can learn more at my CMHA website judybrunton.ca

Portland, OR – King School Neighborhood Museum

2015-03-23T00:00:00Z

The King School Neighborhood Museum is an art museum that lives inside a public school. It is a collaborative project between Portland Public School’s King Pre K-8 and Portland State University’s Schools of Art + Design, Architecture, Urban Studies and Planning, and community partners. It is a participatory work of art that layers a contemporary art museum into a public school in NE Portland, OR. We are artists, professors, students, teachers, administrators, and volunteers engaging art as a vehicle for social change. Creating Meaningful Change—Not Your Everyday Art Museum The King School Neighborhood Museum is a living space for education catalyzed by art practice. The school and museum share a physical site and an audience at King School Pre K-8 in NE Portland. One of the lowest performing public schools in the nation, King School serves 300+ students from Portland’s highest poverty populations in gentrified communities. At King the resources to develop and sustain meaningful art curriculum for students are understandably lacking. The King School Neighborhood Museum explores cultural heritage within a new system of ideas about the art museum’s responsibility to people, education, and community. We believe that collapsing the physical and conceptual borders between what represents culture (artifacts in museums) and how it is constructed (school curricula) provides new opportunities for engaging students. In borrowing organizational elements of conventional art museums—like exhibitions, collections, education, and outreach—we certainly espouse aspects of this historic institution. However, access and relevance are core values directly addressed within our collaborative and interactive programming. The King School Neighborhood Museum is a participatory museum wherein King students join in curating exhibits, giving tours, and creating artwork for display. Additionally, the museum houses exhibitions by professional artists, and hosts events open the public. Join us

Tallahassee, FL (Inactive) – VFW Historical Mural

2015-03-19T00:00:00Z

The purpose of this project is to paint a mural on the exterior walls of VFW Post 3308 in Tallahassee, FL. The building walls will include a progression of paintings that depict the history of the VFW, from it founding during the Spanish-American War to sections of walls depicting WWI, WWII, the Korean War, the Gulf War, Dessert Storm, and finally the War on Terror. The mural will also depict the Statue of Liberty, the Washington Monument, Lady Justice and the Lincoln Memorial. All sections of the mural will be framed with a flowing flag embossed with the slogan "Freedom Is Not Free" and intertwined with, "In God We Trust." This entire mural will be a history of the VFW and the role it played in defending the lives of all Americans. This grant will fund supplies needed for local university artists to paint a historical war mural at the post, located at 2769 West Tennessee Street in Tallahassee, FL.

Ann Arbor, MI – Live in Peter's Attic

2015-03-19T00:00:00Z

This is an idea that developed pretty organically - the Euphoric's (local band) wanted to record a video for a pre-album release party. My friend Theo Schear and I decided to help them out, and since then we've been receiving requests for similar projects! Working together over the last year or so, Theo and I have developed a workflow for shooting live video/audio (especially of music) that is cheap and efficient. This is done through prioritizing the organic, live, human elements of performance and accentuating the situation as it is (i.e. a "band in a room" sound). In reference to the strong tradition of the DIY aesthetic in Ann Arbor, we want to use these videos to promote the legitimacy of our music community and "scene". This desire is shared by all the bands that we've been in contact with, and students and community members that actively support local music. And of course, YouTube videos are somewhat limited in their reach - the internet is generally large and impersonal - but through leveraging our social media presence and using "Live in Peter's Attic" as just one of our pro-"scene" projects, it could prove to be very effective! Another consideration is the involvement of more well-known bands that come through town. We've been contacting the artists booked for local venues in the next few months, and there is a good amount of interest from bands like The Dodos, Suuns, etc. in joining with us on this! But we need your help to make this sustainable! For some context, here is an excerpt from how we've been describing the project so far (please excuse the colloquialism): "A lot of it has to do with giving Ann Arbor bands some legitimacy, connecting them to the outside world, a "scene" and also its really a fun time. We usually get J Garden and tea and junk. Having a band with people who listen (i.e. "fans) be connected with student/community bands gets kids out of frat parties and into listening to music and coming to your and my shows."

Kingston – To the RoboGames - olympics of robots!

2015-03-19T00:00:00Z

Online I host the Robot Party. It’s a Google+ Hangout for robot builders from all around the world to join in and share their robots. We have had people stream video from their quadcopters, and a university lab participating in the DARPA challenge join in. There is even a 5 year old girl who joined and will be showing some of the robots that she has been working on with her parents. It’s a real great celebration of robots - from 3 million dollar projects to fun $3 ones. We call ourselves the Robot Party Rockstars. I have been working on a project called the Rapidly Deployable Automation System. The idea is to have robots that are reconfigurable, and can blend their actions with adjacent cells. Leading to less downtime if one robot fails. Instead of the objects around us being stationary, we could set up some robots to help move objects around in an automated way. The moonshot of this idea is to eventually be used in natural disaster settings. The robots could be deployed to help move things around, dig troughs to improve water flow. Being able to add automation to any task in any environment. Right now it is just the start, it’s a long project. I’m releasing the major design updates as open source hardware so everyone can learn about it. RoboGames would be the perfect place to demo my project and have a Robot Party LIVE. RoboGames is the olympics of robots. There are robot makers from many different countries, and it will be amazing to see what I can learn from the ways they create their robots. The cross-pollination of ideas and skills is one of a kind. There are no guarantees that the event will happen next year. One of the ideas I want to try after RoboGames is a local mini robo-olympic event involving water. Since Kingston is known for its olympic water events, it would be a great place for it. This could be accomplished by having local workshops on building robots, helping more people to get started in robotics.

Gloucester, MA – Igniting Environmental Action in Gloucester

2015-03-17T00:00:00Z

Although there is a recycling program in our schools and city, a lot of materials, including reams of discarded paper, heaps of disposable water bottles, and many iced coffee containers, do not get recycled. In addition, none of our schools or government buildings have a composting program; all food waste ends up in the trash. According to our research, composting and increased recycling will save the city thousands of dollars, keep recycling and compost out of the incinerator, and reduce our city’s carbon footprint. The goals of our awesome project are to reduce the amount of waste at GHS by expanding recycling efforts and launching a composting initiative, and to create a recycling model that can be replicated in other schools and city buildings. Our plan is based on our study of successful programs at area schools. We will achieve our goals through these steps: We have administrative approval to place student decorated recycling bins (March) and compost bins (May) next to trash cans in the cafeteria with interpretive signage illustrating where waste should be deposited. Once bins are in place environmental club students will be visible in the cafeteria to inform other students about where to put different types of waste during lunch time. Students will work with the custodial staff to make sure the compost is ready for pick up by a local compost vendor, Black Earth Haulers; students have already begun work with school administrators to ensure systems are in place to manage composting. Students will work with community members, including Backyard Growers, to create a promotional video that explains and showcases the recycling and composting initiatives. The video will be part of a spring presentation at the high school, which will also include guest speakers and activities. We will share our efforts with the community and other schools through presentations, videos, text, and photography in the online school newspaper, The Gillnetter, and through social media.

Pittsburgh, PA – Busk Street Stage

2015-03-16T00:00:00Z

Busking, or street performing, is a centuries-old tradition of entertainers performing for tips in public areas. In medieval Europe, local merchants would invite entertainers to their storefronts, plazas and public squares to attract pedestrians and increase business. The roots of the American busking tradition lie in the numerous circuses that once migrated from coast to coast. Barnstorming from town to town, circus performers adjusted their comic, sword swallowing, acrobatic and juggling talents for street corners and soon became a mainstay in American street culture. Street performers attract the public into an area and encourage them to browse from performer to store to restaurant and back to performer. This creates a mutually beneficial commercial environment for the stores, performers and the public. Street performers cost the city and stores nothing and attract large crowds of people who are introduced to the other establishments during their visits to see the performers. The public benefits because it is exposed to a variety of quality entertainment for a minimum of expense and they can feel a part of the process of supporting the arts. There is also a benefit which can’t be gauged in terms of dollars and cents. Performers encourage people to know each other and to be connected. As a way to encourage street performance in Pittsburgh and enliven a city street, we want to brand and build an outdoor area in which performers of all kind will have the freedom to busk legally. We'll work with NextGen Pittsburgh, The Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition and Chamber, Shift Collaborative, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in Squirrel Hill and Councilman Dan Gillman's office to build and promote the effort. We'll work with Busker Street Union to program the area. Many buskers have been harassed by police or kicked off the street, even though it is a Constitutional Right. This will offer a safe place for performers to busk and find new audiences.

Sydney – Every Little Bit Helps

2015-03-16T00:00:00Z

Every Little Bit Helps is a charity that stated in Sydney just over 6 month ago. We specifically receive unwanted hotel toiletries, airline amenity kits, cosmetic and make-up samples as well as sanitary items, that are then made into care packages and donated directly back to these in need. Since establishing we have donated over 33,000 items directly back to Homeless shelters, Women’s Shelters and Youth Centre throughout Sydney. This equates to approximate 2,500 care packages!

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – LA Storytellers Outdoor Film Series

2015-03-16T00:00:00Z

LA Renaissance is working with KAOS Network and Leimert Park Village in LA to host a monthly outdoor film series that highlights diverse and female filmmakers. For our first screening, we partnered with Blackout (http://www.blackoutforhumanrights.com/) to show Fruitvale Station. The series is not only a way to expose audiences to provocative films, but to strategically engage communities. Every screening is followed by a think tank where audience members discuss their creative and activist endeavors, which allows people to collaborate and share resources. Furthermore, we host weekly community meetings where people can continue to work together and actually execute ideas. Since our first screening, we have seen increased participation at our meetings, from people of different backgrounds and gender. Donations from our screenings support the People's Plaza and tech initiative in Leimert Park (http://www.leimertparkvillage.org/). USC Innovation Lab is a partner on this project which aims to bring tech resources to Leimert Park through a variety of labs and workshops. Furthermore, the Plaza is part of a 5-year plan envisioned by galleries, non-profits, businesses and developers in the area. The metro line will extend to Leimert Park within that time frame so this is an urgent opportunity for the community to bring an exciting resource to the area that will encourage unity and innovation. About Leimert Park: Leimert Park is a historic neighborhood in LA, rich with culture. Our partner KAOS Network is an arts center founded by filmmaker Ben Caldwell. His legendary program Project Blowed produced the music groups Aceyalone, Medusa, Busdriver, Freestyle Fellowship, and Jurassic Five. Filmmakers and artists such as Ava Duvernay have also been affiliated with the center over the years. http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/youthvoices/leimert-park/

Boulder, CO (Inactive) – Living the Dream ~ Celebrating Community

2015-03-16T00:00:00Z

During the 2013 flood that ravaged our Martin Acres Neighborhood many of us who had never formally met worked together for hours in a downpour, fighting deep water in an attempt to divert water away from the homes and elementary school that sit near Bear Creek. Although it was a frightening time for all of us it did have the positive impact of highlighting the importance of connection with our neighbors and a revitalization of community spirit. The Martin Acres Neighborhood Association (MANA) would like to host an event to celebrate and continue to build on the revival of our neighborhood connections. We would aim for this to be the most well attended event in the history of Martin Acres. We feel that integral to community spirit is the history of that place. Our idea is to feature a wonderful 45 minute film created by one of our residents about Martin Acres and its diverse and vibrant community. It’s called Home Stakers – Living the Dream of Martin Acres; it includes great stories told by some original owners and fascinating residents and even old neighborhood film footage from the fifties. The film was produced in 2007, so an idea would be to have several video cameras at the event to capture more history. We could archive other memories from longtime residents, gather recent flood stories, and maybe find responses to a few things before they are lost to time; such as the lyrics to the official Martin Acres song, the story of Stephen King living in MA while writing the Shinning or a collection of retorts as to why our neighborhood is fondly referred to as Martian Acres. Once a team comes together we’ll consider other potential ideas to weave into the theme. In an emergency our neighbors united, it would be awesome to gather again, this time to play, to promote continued healing and to celebrate!

Adelaide – The Analogue Laboratory - Making Better Magic

2015-03-15T00:00:00Z

Two fresh out of University students - Alex and Aurelia - started up Adelaide's only community darkroom in 2012. After graduating we found we had nowhere to practice the skills we'd spent years learning and decided to get proactive about the conundrum. We raised all the funds to build the darkroom with a whirlwind crowdfunding campaign, some key components were donated by local businesses and lots of friends lent us their tools and their muscles. Alex had been hoarding enlargers and associated equipment for many years - the pieces we were missing seemed to materialise from the aether as word of mouth about our project spread. We run the darkroom as volunteers on a not-for-profit model. To pay the rent we run workshops once a month, sometimes inviting local artists to share their skills. We have open hire days every month for anyone in the community to come and use the facilities at a student-friendly prices. Occasionally we work on special events and workshops for groups such as ArtLab, Moving Music, The Cocktail Exchange and even a highschool! We do it all for the love of photography, and the very necessary luxury of having a facility that allows us to continue with wet process and alternative photography outside a university context.

Ottawa – Fungus Among Us

2015-03-15T00:00:00Z

March’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Scott Perrie, to support a wild mushroom “easter egg hunt.” He plans to call the project Fungus Among Us. “I will inoculate recently dead trees and tree stumps with edible oyster, hen of the wood, and lions mane mushroom plug spawn across Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley, and record the locations,” explains Scott. “Then I will report on these locations through social media as the mushrooms grow.” “Hopefully,” says Scott, “this project will have people think about their landscape differently, and about how they can use the space around them to create food. Many inoculated logs can grow mushrooms for a few years,” he adds, “so this project is one that will keep on giving!” Scott is a new father and husband, a sociologist, and a wild food forager in the Ottawa Valley. He reports on mushrooms and wild edibles at facebook.com/valleyedibles and as @valleyedibles.

Liverpool – How May I Direct Your Call?

2015-03-15T00:00:00Z

We will be creating an outdoor theatre performance: Chit chat, clandestine conversations, and calling your mum for a lift home: what springs to mind when we think of the iconic red telephone box? Join their designer, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, in a twilight journey across Liverpool with an ensemble of actors and a jaunt through the ages, as we explore our country’s love affair with the red telephone box. Paperwork Theatre’s upcoming production, How May I Direct Your Call?, is formed of five site-specific street performances, as well as three roaming performers. Focussing on the great British icon that is the red telephone box, 90 years after they were installed, this performance celebrates the city’s connection with the famous boxes and their designer Sir Giles Gilbert Scott*. In addition, it has been 30 years since BT abandoned the traditional red phone box design. These anniversaries show the development of the telephone technology, and the radical impact it has on our lives. We have moved from an age when the telephone box was thrilling and new, to a time when (some might say) it is obsolete. The audience will be given or can download a map of our performance sites, and will follow the map to discover our actors - the mini-plays can be seen in any order, and the audience can move between them a their own pace. In addition to live performance, we will collate recordings from the Liverpool community in advance, exploring their most important telephone conversations; these stories will form the basis of an audio installation at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral (subject to final approval), which will run in conjunction with the street performances, and be shared online after the performances, to engage with people from across the city. We use the striking red telephone boxes to ask: what was your most important conversation? * As well as designing the red telephone box, he also designed Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral.

Seattle, WA – Really good Art Supplies for Homeless Children

2015-03-14T00:00:00Z

I am an art teacher with an opportunity to bring higher level supplies and classes to children of Mary's Place this June. There will be a special fine arts camp at Plymouth Congregational Church in downtown Seattle and I have been asked to be the art teacher. We do not have supplies outside of Crayola Crayons and construction paper and I'd like to bring Prismacolor Markers and Acid Free Paper along with good pens for all. I teach "The History of the Pen" and help each student find the writing instrument that sings for them. We study them all from the quill to the Sharpie. I have taught this class in Zurich where we created a "Field Guide" of all the living creatures in the watershed of the school that featured me... I have seen amazing breakthroughs for each individual student and the true joy that the lessons bring is confidence building. I will hope to continue to serve as "art liaison" and use the "fine art supplies bank" as I work with children of trauma and loss. I have worked as a grief nanny through the years and use art and music therapy to teach self care skills. My methods are proven but I am ready to bring them to financially disadvantaged children.

Yerevan – Հագուստ բոլորին/Clothes for all

2015-03-13T00:00:00Z

Հայաստանում չկա մի համայնք, որտեղ չլինեն անապահով ընտանիքներ: Նրանցից շատերը հազիվ են գոյատևում՝ մի կերպ վաստակելով օրվա մի կտոր հացը: Այդ ընտանիքների անդամները տարվա բոլոր եղանակների համար ունեն մի, լավագույն դեպքում երկու, երեք կտոր հագուստ: Անձնապես առընչվելով նման ընտանիքների հետ՝ որոշեցի մեր համայնքում իրականացնել մի ակցիա, որի շրջանակներում համայնքի անդամները մեր հասարակական կազմակերպությանը տրամադրեցին իրենց ոչ պետքական , սակայն նորմալ վիճակում գտնվող հագուստն ու չոր մթերքներ՝ կռուպեղեն, շաքարավազ, ալյուր, ձիթայուղ և այլն: Այդպիսով տարեմուտին անակնկալ մատուցեցինք համայնքի 10 բազմանդամ և ծայրահեղ անապահով ընտանիքներին՝ նրանց տրամադրելով մեկական տուփ մթերք և մեկ փաթեթ բարվոք վիճակում գտնվող հագուստ: Այս ակցիան իրականացնելու ընթացքում պարզ դարձավ, որ համայնքի գրեթե ամեն մի երկրորդ ընտանիք ունի քիչ օգտագործված հագուստ, որն այլևս անհրաժեշտ չէ իրենց, սակայն ափսոսում են դրանք դեն նետել կամ էլ ամաչում են ինչ-որ մեկին նվիրել: Այդպիսով հագուստ տրամադրողների քանակը շատ մեծ էր և մենք ստպված էինք նրանցից շատերին մերժել՝ չնայած նրան որ անապահով ընտանիքներն իսկապես այդ հագուստների կարիքը շատ ունեին և մեծ հաճույքով դրանք ընդունում էին մեզնից: Ուստի ակցիայի ավարտին մի միտք հղացավ: Ցանկանում եմ, մեր քաղաքի կենտրոնում գտնվող մթերային խանութում տեղադրել մի մեծ երկաթե տուփ, որտեղ բոլոր ցանկացողները կկարողանան դնել իրենց ոչ պետքական, սակայն բարվոք վիճակում գտնվող հագուստները՝ դրանով գիտակցելով իրենց՝ համայնքի մի մասնիկը լինու փաստն ու կատարած քայլի կարևորությունը : Մեր հասրակական կազմակերպությունը պատրաստ է ամեն ամիս այդ հագուստները տարբերակել , լվանալ և պատշաճ տեսքի բերելով դրանք տրամադրել քաղաքի և ինչու չէ նաև կից համայնքների անպահով ընտանիքներին: Համոզմած եմ, որ այս փոքրիկ , սակայն շատ կարևոր քայլն իրականցնելով մենք մեծապես կօգնենք անապահով ընտանիքներին ձեռք բերել իրենց համար շատ անհրաժեշտ հագուստի մասերը: Հետագայում ընկերներիցս տեղեկացա , որ նման հաջողված փորձ կա արտերկրում: Ուստի կցում եմ այս նպատակով որոշ քաղաքներում դրված երկաթյա տուփի լուսանկարը:

Oahu, HI – EOLA ( EAST OAHU LIFEGUARD ASSOCIATION) 501c apply

2015-03-13T00:00:00Z

The Lifeguards of East Oahu have a upstart chapter to provide free Ocean Safety in the form of a Junior Lifeguard program. We are looking to gain access to a lawyer to draft 501c paperwork so we can take donations and equipment support from various willing parties. We are already active in the community with off duty lifeguards giving time to community projects and doing Ocean Safety Awareness.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Hope on a String - Drumline/Marching Band

2015-03-13T00:00:00Z

Music is a powerful, unifying force in Haitian culture. Hope on a String operates a community center in the micro-region of Arcahaie, Haiti that is a physical space for community engagement and empowerment through music. At Hope on a String, individuals can participate in music classes, performance groups, theater and dance initiatives, as well as skill-building workshops and participatory development initiatives that enrich and empower. Our 90+ hours of weekly programming serve an average of 500 participants per 14- 16 week session, and we have enrolled over 3,500 unique individuals over the last 4 years. Through individual confidence building, our grassroots model leads to group and community progress.

Chicago, IL – The Scarlet "S" Project

2015-03-10T00:00:00Z

The Scarlet “S” (TSS) is an original, ensemble-devised play and extended community project about the intersections of consent, technology, hyper masculinity, and shame when it comes to groupthink sexual assaults like Steubenville, Maryville, Vanderbilt, and others. The story is familiar: an epidemic spread across our news outlets and Facebook feeds. As artists and activists, we must ask, WHAT NOW? Our mission is this: We want to use art and activism to support survivors of assault, examine the larger culture that perpetuates violence, and increase empathy in our community for all men and women adversely impacted by systems of silence and shame. Conceived in 2014 by theatre artist and sexuality educator Alyssa Vera Ramos (TSS director) & mental health worker Cathy Muskett (TSS head writer), The Scarlet “S” Project, in addition to ensemble-devised playmaking, encompasses youth workshops and “social norms” social media and bar culture campaigns about the issues of consent and “slut”-shaming. TSS also invites our community to join our process of collecting stories and dialoguing with people of all kinds at our #WHATNOWSeries, which houses community building and difficult dialogues around current events, rape culture and the role we play, and what we can do NOW to make our world safer and more consensual. The Scarlet “S” aims to create safe space in our rehearsals and for our audiences as we explore these complicated, emotional topics together, always keeping pleasure, humor and open dialogue at the forefront. We’re currently in the process of honing the play script after a public workshop performance in November 2014, Join us for the full-length production of The Scarlet “S,” which will premiere in April 2015 at Free Street Theater during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Nairobi (Inactive) – my mind, my funk

2015-03-10T00:00:00Z

Sitawa is a mental health & epilepsy superhero. By telling her story through her award winning blog (http://sitawa.blogspot.com) she has helped many people learn more about mental health. She runs a mental health info and support hub called My Mind, My Funk, which is reaching out to schools and businesses across Nairobi to improve awareness and treatment of mental health. She has also set-up a free mental health helpline, with funds she received from Google in recognition of her awardwinning blog. The grant will help her continue to expand her centre, allowing her to spread her message about mental health and to help more people get the support they need.

Boston, MA (Inactive) – Lowell Girls - a local & gentle garment collection

2015-03-09T00:00:00Z

Every day in Lowell, MA, the Boott Cotton Mills museum operates a 1920s weave room, in which 100 year old looms produce rolls of cotton canvas, as a demonstration of the inner workings of a textile mill. This fabric is then sold by the yard at the visitor center. I wish to create a small clothing collection, with this fabric made 30 miles away from home, as a prototype of what a re-industrialized but socially conscious american society could produce. The collection is a tribute to the working women of Lowell, past and present: functional spring-summer workwear with short sleeves, aprons and pockets. The patterns are based on rectangles, to accomodate the small widths of the fabric, and waste as little as possible. These techniques are inspired by ancient folk costume traditions from accross the globe, and call for very simple sewing and cutting skills. Thus, both knowledge and process can easily be passed on to a wide audience, encouraging the making of one's own clothes. Ideally the project becomes a collaboration with the Lowell Historic Park, by highlighting and giving a contemporary purpose to the great production capacity they represent. Its final form may be a series of prototypes, photographs and sewing patterns - and if possible a runway presentation. The 'brand' or 'house' I am creating for this is called Habeas Corpus - for the body is truly the center of my interests, and the best gauge to determine and assess our material world.

Oklahoma City, OK (Inactive) – St. Louis-- journey to greatness

2015-03-05T00:00:00Z

Our project is for the students of the Northwest Classen Orchestra. Our students are trying to get money for room, board, and miscellaneous activity in St. Louis. By making this trip happen, our orchestra students will be able to compete in a nationally ajudicated festival contest, see the St. Louis symphony perform as well as sight see. Because we are in a high poverty area, Many students will never get to travel otherwise. The students will spend months in preparation of their performance and this opportunity will allow them to grow as musicians as well as be a representative of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City Public Schools. This trip will provide much opportunity for the musicians to achieve a higher level of music as well as rise towards leadership abilities in the ensemble. The students have spent time competing here in the local area, it is now time to take their talents to bigger horizons.

Austin, TX – Ballenarca: The Whale Ark

2015-03-04T00:00:00Z

Ballenarca is a life size, glowing whale puppet touring as a mobile stage and giant interactive sculpture. This portable puppet experience was created by a team of ten artists, using mostly salvaged materials. The 30-foot long female sperm whale has been designed as the ultimate puppet, with all parts of her body mechanically operational. Her massive head opens up with a bicycle-powered pulley system, to reveal her moveable tongue and teeth. She swallows underwater creatures and children allowing them into her majestic inner-lit belly. Inside you see the large metal springs that open and close by a hand pulley and act as the atmospheric sound to her movements. The show consists of homemade instruments, dance, and an assortment of transformational puppets that all build up the environment and narrative surrounding Ballenarca and her travels. She will continue to be a very active member of the Austin community, delivering free shows for everyone.

South Shore – Lunenburg Folk

2015-03-04T00:00:00Z

Theo & Chris pitched their awesome idea to create 3 pilot episodes of ‘Lunenburg Folk’ – a series of mini-documentaries about the interesting characters living in Lunenburg County, the things they make, the stuff they do, and the places they live. Now that sounds awesome!

Orlando, FL – Jim Leatherman's Greatest Hits 1984-2014.

2015-03-03T00:00:00Z

I have been taking photographs for 30 years. I especially love shooting rock 'n' roll bands and shows. I am known in the Central Florida music community as the go-to-guy when it comes to shooting band portraits, "album" covers and live shows. I also shoot other subjects -- street scenes, kids, animals; anything that catches my eye. My images have been published in "Spin" magazine, "Vanity Fair" magazine and several local newspapers and magazines. I have never had the opportunity to show my best work in one place, so to celebrate 30 years of photography, I am planning a retrospective show (working title: Jim Leatherman's Greatest Hits: 30 Years of Rock 'n' Roll photography 1984-2014). I have been accepted by City Arts Factory for a month-long showing April 16-May 15. I am lucky to be surrounded by several friends in the music and art community who are helping me plan this show. It truly feels like a family project. Now, I just need to raise the money to make it a dream come true.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Menstrual Pad Project for girls in Nepal

2015-03-03T00:00:00Z

In 2010 my friend Sita and I decided to build a clinic in her village of Baseri, Nepal. A village that had never had healthcare. We built the clinic, trained a young woman from the village in nursing and they have treated 10 people every day ever since! Next we dreamed of one day starting a small women's economic development project in Baseri! In 2012 my business started raising money to keep 180 girls in school. We called the program the Power of 5. (see www.ganeshhimaltrading.com/powerof5.) We have raised $18,000 for the past two years. In August of 2014 we created the non-profit Conscious Connections Foundation EIN 47-1602190. Now the Clinic and Scholarship program are programs of CCF. Our next step is to link the 2 programs. CCF helps send girls to school but often girls stay home because they don't have menstrual supplies. We want to change that! We want to train & pay women in Baseri to sew 180 menstrual pad kits (developed by daysforgirls.org) for the girls receiving the scholarships to stay in school. Then we would expand to provide kits and reproductive health care training to the girls in the Baseri region and beyond. Our plan is to hire a woman (we know who we want) from the region to oversee the project and train her to make the kits so she can train the women in the village. We will introduce her to the girls receiving scholarships and have her deliver completed kits to them as they are finished. We have the pattern for the kits and training materials which we are presently having translated into Nepali. We go to Nepal Feb 25-March 20 and will be starting this project. We have 30 years of experience working in Nepal and the connections to make this happen we just need $1000 to start it. The CCF website is not finished but you can read about the scholarships at www.consciousconnectionsfoundation.org. The clinic at https://ganeshhimaltrading.com/fair-trade-more/baseri-health-clinic/

Lusaka (Inactive) – Special Hope Network

2015-03-03T00:00:00Z

SHN is a faith-based, non-governmental organization working to care for children with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Lusaka. SHN works to equip parents and caregivers to provide these children with a loving home, health and nutritional care, and exceptional education and therapies. In Zambia, there is a significant lack of accessibility to care for children who have intellectual disabilities. Facilities and programs offering necessary therapies and education are few and far between in Lusaka, and therefore kids who have disabilities are often left incredibly marginalized and vulnerable. In 2012, Special Hope Network set up its first two Community Care Centers in order to address these issues. Focusing on the core principles of quality and safety, we are working to see these children receive the care they need. Community Care Centers are hyper-local- within walking distance of children’s homes, therefore decreasing the significant costs of transportation. The Centers are multi-modal, multi-disciplinary- using various therapeutic and educational models so that the Center becomes a “one-stop-shop” for care. And finally, the Centers are holistic- considering every aspect of the child’s health and well-being critical to their growth and development. Once a child is assessed and connected with a sponsor, they receive at their local Community Care Center over 24 hours per month of specialized care. Currently, the two Community Care Centers (one in Ng'ombe and one in Garden) serve over 90 children and their families. We have seen tremendous growth in each child! SHN is still in the start-up phase, and is looking to move forward to increase in organizational maturity and community impact.

Atlanta, GA – Art to Heart Outreach Initiative for Kids (K-ZAP)

2015-03-03T00:00:00Z

K-Zap or The “Kid Zenith Art Program” is a 3-week art program designed in partnership between Zenith Multimedia and the Global Charity organization Soles4Souls. Students from the Drew Charter Art school and The Blade Academy will design and customize 2 pairs of Bob’s shoes, which will be donated to children in need this summer. At the end of the 3 week art program there will be a premiere night showcasing the children’s creations along with original artwork created by notable Atlanta Artist. Zenith is defined as the highest point reached by a celestial or other object, and the time at which something is most powerful or successful.

New Orleans, LA (Inactive) – #MakePennyProud Billboard

2015-03-03T00:00:00Z

BreakOUT! was working on a public statement after 6 transgender and gender non-conforming people of color were murdered in the U.S. less than two months into the New Year. The statement was to launch our social media campaign, #BlackTransLivesMatter, which had already been picked up by other social justice organizations around the country, including queer founders of #BlackLivesMatter. We were wrapping up a meeting about how little value is placed on the lives of Black and Latina transgender women when the issue suddenly hit much, much closer to home. Penny Proud, a 21 year old Black transgender woman had just been found dead in New Orleans and already misgendered in the media. In less than 24 hours, BreakOUT! had a response plan in place. We held a vigil in the community, contacted federal monitors for the NOPD Consent Decree (since the misgendering of Penny was due to poor police reporting), supported our LGBTQ youth members and Penny's family, and fielded several media requests. And then…two more transgender people were murdered in the U.S. Then, another- raising the death toll to 8 in just under 2 months. According the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, transgender women of color were the majority (72%) of victims of reporting hate violence in 2013 and 7x more likely to experience police violence and physical violence from police. And yet, aside from a few local stories and independent media reporting, where is the national outcry? Of all the media requests BreakOUT! received following her death, only 2 were from local reporters. In fact, just last week, BreakOUT! spoke with the editors of the largest gay newspaper in New Orleans; they had never heard of Penny Proud. As one of BreakOUT!’s trans youth organizers said, “How many more of us will have to die??” BreakOUT!'s solution? Make our own media. Develop our own message. Make it so big (nearly 14 feet high, in fact), we can't be ignored.

Stockholm (Inactive) – Alfaponny Express

2015-03-02T00:00:00Z

We are more than proud to announce that our forth Awesome Foundation Stockholm grant goes to Alfaponny Express! A project that we find both innovative and exciting, filled with passion and purpose. Simply awesome! Alfaponny Express is a self-organized bike courier company run by professional dancers. They’ve learned all you need to know about bikes and the transport business in order to become a collective of dancers/artist that bike and deliver goods, in-between artistic works. Not only do we get inspired to send different packages, we also see that by using their services you support dance and culture!

Liverpool – Liverpool Small Cinema

2015-03-02T00:00:00Z
Ok, so, we are building a small cinema in Liverpool. An independent, artist-led, volunteer run screening space in city. A place for local film-makers to share work, A space for people to find alternative films, explore repertory cinema and get involved in the programming. This isnt as daft as it sounds. Berlin has nearly 50 small independent cinemas housed in all kinds of strange spaces across the city. Across the UK, film clubs are starting to make their own cinemas. We follow in the footsteps of Newcastle's Star and Shadow and Bristol's Cube Cinema - both run by artists as not for profit co-operatives. Who are 'we'? We are artist collective Re-Dock, along with a band of liverpool based film programmers including the Liverpool Radical Film Festival, Think cinema, Elswhere Cinema, Food for Real Fest, Adam Scovell (Celluloid Wickerman) and Chris Brown of the Video Nasties Podcast. Expect challenging documentaries, uplifting world cinema, surreal artist film, local filmmakers, 1970s folk horror, schlock horror as well as recent and classic repertory cinema. We are also joined by a number of volunteers and contributors who have donated time, materials and and skills. Since the launch of the project we have collected contributions of timber, timber, more timber, screws, nails, a drill, cables, an amp. We've also been working with local artists, furniture makers, businesses, and electrician, and even a pilot (in his spare time) to build the cinema. Weve been adding people to our Roll of Honour (see the site). The cinema space is based in a former Magistrate's Court on Victoria St. There are lots of other things starting to happen in the building - its pretty exciting. So, we have a space. that's one key part of the jigsaw. And we have programmers - thats another. And we even have actual cinema seats - they came from the Stockport Plaza - a generous donation of lush blue velvet seats with golden legs. We just need....

Austin, TX – RE/CONNECT: Examining intimacy in a digital age

2015-02-28T00:00:00Z
I am creating two proximity-sensing LED costumes for a theatrical performance that will be presented in the Cohen New Works Festival in April 2015. The LED-covered costumes have three functions that serve to remind us of the importance of physical touch and human connection in an age of digital communication. I am seeking additional opportunities to showcase the costumes outside of the festival. When the two costumes reach a distance of ten feet, they will begin to glow, and increase in brightness as they near. Once within arms-length, the glow will disappear, replaced by a reactive, localized glow that follows the movement of another human's hand across their body. Finally, when touched, the costumes with light in a variety of blinking patterns. Through this design solution, I hope to literally showcase the importance of physical interaction. The production of RE/CONNECT is a theatrical performance paired with an interactive “behind-the-scenes” educational exhibit. The performance incorporates all original computerized Wearable costumes, projected media, live music, dance, dialogue, and video. In response to MIT psychologist Sherry Turkle’s statement, “We’re lonely, but afraid of intimacy,” this performance explores the question: “How has communication technology changed human intimacy and interaction?” I hope that it will remind people of the importance of human touch and connection, while proving that the traditional techniques of the arts can be beautifully synthesized with the emerging ideas of the sciences.

Rio de Janeiro (Inactive) – Café na Roda

2015-02-28T00:00:00Z
Café na Roda é um projeto social que visa promover o empreendedorismo acessível principalmente às classes menos favorecidas. Os triciclos Café na Roda por serem movidos à tração humana, não emitem gases poluentes e nem aumentam a poluição sonora. Sua alimentação Elétrica é oriunda de baterias que tem sua recarga otimizada com painéis de energia solar e / ou aquecedores solares. Nossa proposta de trabalho traz soluções de materiais naturais e reaproveitados, criando um ambiente de baixo impacto ambiental. Nosso protótipo foi construído para ser uma cafeteria móvel. Podemos obter uma potência diária de até 2500W e uma capacidade de carga de até 400kg com equilíbrio através de feixes de molas. O triciclo possui reservatório circular superior de água garantindo estabilidade no momento de inércia, mas pode também ser ligado à qualquer rede hidráulica. Da mesma forma, pode-se usar energia de baterias convertidas em corrente alternada, ou alimentar o mesmo com rede elétrica local através de tomada de segurança instaladas na parte exterior. O Objetivo de nosso projeto é expandir o empreendedorismo a partir de comércios moveis sobre rodas não motorizadas. Queremos patrocinar através do financiamento coletivo, crowdfunding, triciclos para todos os fins como por exemplo livrarias, sorveterias, boutiques e tudo o que pintar de bom. Assim, uma pessoa com um produto ou serviço em potencial poderá tornar-se sustentável e ainda ser uma bike a mais enfeitando nossa cidade. O apoio financeiro da Awesome será investido em melhorias de nosso protótipo tornando-o mais leve e mais customizável. Rebaixaremos o teto pois assim possibilita a entrada em algumas galerias e espaços com altura limitada , trocaremos a ferragem por alumínio para reduzir o peso do conjunto e tornar mais fácil de se pedalar e por fim, colocaremos painéis removíveis para padronizar o acesso às partes internas sem a necessidade de portas etc. Assim o projeto pode ficar mais barato e de mobilidade e manuseio mais simples.Acreditamos ser possível um mundo que gire mais saudável e queremos fazer parte dessa mudança. ---- Café na Roda, or Coffee on Wheels, is a social project to promote low-cost entrepreneurship. Since the Coffee on Wheels tricycles are moved by humans, they emit no polluting gases and create no noise pollution. They run on batteries charged by solar panels and/or solar heaters. Our project offers solutions using natural and recycled materials, with low environmental impact. Our prototype was built to function as a mobile coffee dispenser. We can achieve daily power of up to 2500W and a cargo capacity of up to 400 kilos, distributed by way of leaf springs. The tricycle has a upper-level circular water reservoir that guarantees stability when at a standstill, which can be connected to any hydraulic system. Similarly, battery energy can be converted to alternating current or the cart can run plugged into a local electric grid. Our goal is to foster mobile entrepreneurship, on non-motorized wheels. Using crowdfunding, we want to sponsor tricycles for different purposes, such as bookstores, ice cream sales, and boutiques. This way, entrepreneurs with a potential product or service can become sustainable and add one more bike to the city's landscape. Awesome's financial support will be invested to improve our prototype, making it lighter and easier to adapt for a variety of uses. We plan to lower the roof so it can fit in spaces with low ceilings, replace metal parts with aluminum to reduce the overall weight and make it easier to pedal, and install removable panels to systematize access to inner parts without the use of doors. Thus the project will be cheaper, more flexible and easier to pedal. We believe that a world on cycle wheels is healthier and we want to be part of this change.

Paris (Inactive) – Rue-stick

2015-02-28T00:00:00Z
Rue-Stick, est une exposition collective qui s’invite, par surprise, sur les murs de Paris ! Evénement itinérant qui détourne les interdits pour se réapproprier l’espace public et rendre la parole aux citoyens, Rue-Stick réunit les amoureux de la création libre et du street-art. Chacun est invité à créer librement. Les rendez-vous – dont le lieu n’est dévoilé qu’au dernier moment – réunissent novices, illustrateurs, photographes, peintres, pochoiristes… D’édition en édition, Rue-Stick rassemble un nombre croissant d’adeptes du collage et déclenche des rencontres créatives spontanées. Armés de leurs visuels – de toutes tailles, formes et couleurs – ces artistes urbains rhabillent nos tristes façades, transforment nos rues et réinventent l’affichage libre. In situ, les œuvres se côtoient, s’approprient l’espace et nous racontent une autre Ville. Rue-Stick is a collective exhibition that invites itself, by surprise, on the walls of Paris ! A travelling event that goes around prohibitions to reconquer the public space and give voice to the citizens. Everyone is invited to create freely. The meetings – the location of which is recealed at the last minute – gather beginners, illustrators, photographers, painters… From meeting to meeting, Rue-Stick brings together more and more sticking enthousiasts and generates spontaneous creative meetings. Armed with their visuals – of all sizes, forms and colors – these urban artists dress up our sad walls, transform our streets and reinvent free billsticking. The artworks live together, take other the public space and tell us about another City.