Awesome Foundation - Projects

Portland, OR – No Really, We Want You to Laugh

2015-01-28T00:00:00Z

I have bipolar disorder and have worked with folks with a mental illness the last five years. Oh yeah, and I teach stand up comedy to folks with a mental illness and family members. We then perform in the community. Average audience size per performance is 130. The performances raise the self esteem and self confidence of the underserved comics who perform and help to break the stigma against mental illness. And the shows are flat out funny. Our work is unique, funny and inspiring and I want to bring it into the city of Portland. Every show we have had has been a rousing success. This is the kind of project that continues to make Portland awesome. It is unique and forward thinking. It combines social justice with mental health. With proper marketing we can reach hundreds of people. Once they see the performance they will never look at mental illness in the same light again. In the 13 week classes I teach, we look at our hardest struggles and challenges. We talk about it and explore it. Then we turn things around and start looking at these experience through the lens of finding the humor in them. We convert this humor into stand up comedy. This process is transformative. Class members gain control over experiences that used to control their lives. They get tools for living with a mental illness. We this happens and then we perform, magic happens. Audiences sense that magic and leave knowing that they have seen something special. All our shows are clean and classified as PG. It is a refreshing change from the standard stand up comedy show. Any additional costs above the $1000 level for venue or marketing, (We expect to get some earned media), will be funded by other nonprofits or individual contributions.

Melbourne (Inactive) – Australian Ichthyosis Meet

2015-01-28T00:00:00Z

I have a rare, severe skin condition called Ichthyosis. I am creating a meet for others affected by this condition - Melbourne, May 2015. When I was a child, I hadn't met anyone else with the rare, severe genetic skin condition Ichthyosis. I thought I was all alone. Ichthyosis can be medically and socially challenging, and in some cases, fatal. What is Ichthyosis? "Ichthyosis is a rare genetic or acquired skin condition affecting an estimated 10-20 individuals per Million. Ichthyosis is characterised by persistently dry, thickened, rough, fish scale skin. There are at least 20 varieties of ichthyosis, including inherited and acquired forms. People with ichthyosis have a normal lifespan. However those with very severe ichthyosis may need to spend several hours each day caring for their skin so they can lead as much of a normal life as possible." (Source ) Since I have been blogging , I've come to meet many, many people with Ichthyosis - many overseas and a few in Australia. And it's been wonderful. We've been able to share advice, lean on each other in times of difficulties, and offer hope and happiness to individuals and families. We also share common interests outside of our Ichthyosis. I've had wonderful experiences meeting these patients and their families. And I wanted to give this same opportunity to Australians (and anyone who wants to travel to Australia). I am hosting the first official Australian Ichthyosis Meet – scheduled in Melbourne for Saturday 9 May 2015, as a part of Ichthyosis Awareness Month. This event will give adults, children and families affected by Ichthyosis the chance to meet others with this rare condition. I hope some strong friendships will form, as well boosting the self confidence of all attendees. And the event will also be showcased on my blog for Ichthyosis Awareness Month. The day will feature three sessions: an informal meet and greet, a tour of the zoo, and a dinner for those who want to socialise.

South Shore – Baby-friendly floors for awesome pajama party

2015-01-28T00:00:00Z

Better Together Family Resource Centre walked away with a $1000 CASH to install baby-friendly floors so they could do awesome events like pajama parties!

Washington, DC – Just Be

2015-01-26T00:00:00Z

ReVision dance company, a resident company of Dance Place, is currently working on a full length concert, Just Be, to be presented at Dance Place February 21-22, 2015. In Just Be, Artistic Director Shannon Quinn leads ReVision dance company in exploring the raw emotions and life experiences of working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The audience joins the company in focusing on the abilities of individuals, instead of the challenges and stereotypes associated with disability. The performance will feature guest performers from the Mamie D. Lee School, a DC Public School serving children with special needs. ReVision dance company is currently teaching 3 days/week at the Mamie D. Lee School engaging students with I/DD in physical fitness, artistic expression, and kinesthetic learning. ReVision believes that dance is an inclusive art form that can help illustrate the shared artistry of people of all backgrounds and abilities. Mamie students will be performing in a featured section of Just Be as part of ReVision's professional performance at Dance Place. The students will be learning the choreography in their classes during the school year. They will experience a dress rehearsal on stage with the company members and will perform in both Saturday and Sunday's shows. ReVision will provide transportation for each of the students to the theater to ensure full participation. Artistic Director Shannon Quinn is working closely with Mamie Principal, Dr. Aimee Pressley to coordinate with parents and teachers to make the Just Be project happen. The goal of engaging the Mamie students is to challenge audience members' preconceptions about individuals with I/DD and demonstrate the positive power that dance has on everyone's lives.

Portland, OR – Dignity Village Computer Lab + Storage Shed

2015-01-26T00:00:00Z

Dignity Village wants to build two new structures on their site: a storage building and a new computer lab. Dignity Village is composed of many individual one-room living structures and several common spaces. Over the years, most structures have been improved significantly, but there is still work to do. The Village has been working with ACE Charter School, an alternative vo-tech high school that teaches architecture, construction, and engineering skills to young Portlanders. From design to construction, building the storage space and the computer lab will be learning opportunities for students. The 11th grade construction class will be donating labor on this project to put their learning into practice. We also hope to spark a conversation with them about homelessness. The computer lab currently on site at Dignity Village is a makeshift structure, repurposed from an off-the-shelf shed. The dark, cramped space doesn’t function well. Members use computers to search for jobs and housing, connect with friends and family, and access other resources. We’d like to have a better lab space so that we can offer on-site workshops to build the skills of Villagers-- which will make them more qualified candidates for jobs. With the help of ACE’s students, we can provide the village with a fully secured, insulated, bright facility. Currently, we have a 3-walled shack where we store donated goods. We use what we need from donations, and organize the rest into our annual yard sale fundraiser. Unfortunately, the condition of some donations suffers because they are exposed to the elements. Enclosing the storage in a new structure would solve this problem. We also need space to store pet food for the dogs and cats that residents keep as companions. When we receive a large pet food donation, uninvited critters infiltrate the stash. Our new storage shed will be protected from the elements, secure, and constructed to keep rodents away, to better manage the food for our animals.

Portland, OR – The Abundance Project

2015-01-26T00:00:00Z

We will give away gold glittered grant money to passersby in $20 bundles. Eleven to twelve bundles will be handed out in each quadrant of the city (NE, NW, SE, SW). The event will take place on Awesome Day to commemorate Portland’s awesomeness. Each bundle will have four five dollar bills. The initial recipients of the bundle will receive instructions to keep five and give away fifteen. They will be asked to invite the recipients of the fifteen to keep five and give away ten. The third recipient will be asked to keep five and give away the final five. Each initial $20 bundle will also come with written instructions and the money portioned out. It will be entirely up to each recipient to do what they please with the money but we forecast a fair amount of people will follow through with giving it away. We will invite recipients to find people to give to whom they don’t know and to have the exchange free of any kind of purchase. We will film the event and present the video on facebook, youtube, and twitter. We will be transparent with recipients of our intention to spread abundance and enhance the awesomeness of Portland and we will ask permission to film the exchange (we will still give them the money if they decline being filmed). We hope some of the participants will be open to us filming the whole chain reaction. Although the photos show handwritten instructions for the money exchange, we plan to type out the instructions with an old-fashioned typewriter. On the opposite side of the instructions we will type: ‘The Awesome Project.’ We aim to contact Kboo, Street Roots, the Willamette Weekly, The Skanner, and broadcasted news channels to see if they would like to report our event. We emphasize the use of cash with this project because it is fading from circulation and its depletion symbolizes the lessening of physical interaction on a grander scale. Reinstating that interaction with free money will connect people with a sense of real abundance.

Yerevan – Չաո ՍՍՀՄ

2015-01-25T00:00:00Z

Հայաստանում և, մասնավորապես, Երևանում վերջին 20 տարվա ընթացքում շատ արագ քանդվեցին և ոչնչացվեցին շատ պատմամշակութային արժեք հանդիսացող շենքեր: Ականատես լինելով այդ ամենին և գիտակցելով կորստի անդառնալիությունը, ցանկացա որևէ կերպ պահպանել այդ շենքերի հիշողությունը և լուսանկարեցի շենքերի քանդման գործընթացը: Միաժամանակ, գիտակցելով, որ միայն լուսանկարելով չի պահպանվի պատմությունը, սկսեցի նաև հավաքել տարբեր տեսակի արխիվային նյութեր, կենցաղային իրեր, որոնք այսօր կարող են պատմել մեր քաղաքի խորհրդային պատմության մասին: Այդ պատնությունը ամփոփվել է «Չաո ՍՍՀՄ» նախագծում, որը նկարահանվում է արդեն 7 տարի շարունակ, և հանդիսանում է իմ անձնական հավաքածուի միայն փոքր մաս: «Չաո ՍՍՀՄ» ցուցահանդես-նախագիծը պատմում է Խորհրդային Հայաստանի մասին, որը ՍՍՀՄ փլուզումից հետո դարձավ հիշողություն: Այն փորձ է պահպանել հիշողությունը լուսանկարների և իրերի միջոցով, որոնք գտնվել են լքված և ժամանակին շատ հայտնի շենքերում, կինոթատրոններում և գործարաններում: Հավաքածուի յուրաքանչյուր առարկա իր մեջ պարունակում է մի ամբողջ սերնդի հիշողություն: Բացի լուսանկարներից, որտեղ ներկայացված կլինեն պատմություն դարձած գործերի և շենքերի խրոնիկան, կներկայացվեն նաև այն իրերը, որոնք ես գտել եմ հին կրկեսից, Դվին հյուրանոցից, Արագիլ ռեստորանից, Զվարթնոց կինոթատրոնից, Երիտասարդականի գետնանցումից և Փակ շուկայից: Լուսանկարների և ցուցադրված իրերի, ինչպես նաև ձայնային սարքավորումների օգնությամբ փորձ կարվի մարդկանց վերադարցնել իրենցից խլված հիշողությունը, որը կարծում եմ իրավունք ունի պահպանվելու ոչ միայն արխիվային նյութերի և լուսանկարների մեջ, այլ նաև իրական կյանքում: Իսկ ավելի երիտասարդ սերնդի համար, ցուցահանդեսը կհանդիսանա աննախադեպ հնարավորություն ծանոթանալու Խորհրդային Հայաստանին ոչ միայն ծնողների պատմություններով, այլ նաև տեսնելով այդ ժամանակի մշակույթն ու առօրյան:

Connecticut – Raspberry Pi in an Urban MIddle School

2015-01-25T00:00:00Z

I want to take my STEM club to the next level by moving from Scratch computer programming to Raspberry Pi mother board programming. This would be an authentic hands-on STEM experience for my talented and diverse group of 8th graders that are ready for a new challenge. There is no finding for this innovative program at SPS but you can help! I believe that this opportunity might turn some of my kids into future scientists and engineers.

Oahu, HI – YMCA Camp Erdman Nature Room

2015-01-23T00:00:00Z

Our camp is located in Ke'ana Point State Park on the North Shore of Oahu and a Nature Room would share the immense value of parks with kids. Parks, like camps are safe places for kids to go, are some of the best places for discovery and play, provide places for families to connect and a sense of adventure, and are close-to-home nature places. A Nature Room would allow us to show the importance of this specific area of the island with our guests. We would like to turn an unused indoor space into an interactive nature center to use with all of the clients we serve at camp. The most important thing we teach during our environmental education classes for school programs is the connection between people and the islands. We have classes about native plants and animals, the albatross, beach ecology, the mountains, zoology, and even a nature art class. The Nature Room would provide an easy way for kids to visualize, connect, and interpret the environment. It is a perfect sensory experience for all learners. The biggest appeal for our school programs students is that we provide outdoor education which is a welcome alternative to the classroom experience they get on a daily basis. Having the nature center would allow us to further the depth of some of our classes by having concrete specimens to show the kids following their outdoor experience. Many of the classes we teach involve us instructing about the plants, animals, and creatures of Hawaii but we are not always fortunate enough to have anything more visual to show than a picture. Our nature center would have taxidermy animal specimens, hands-on and interactive activities, coral, shells, an albatross station for bolus dissection, sea turtle shells, and native/endangered plants. During Summer Camp, we get many children that are not from the islands. A culturally significant nature center would allow those campers to learn about Hawaiian environment.

Oahu, HI – Restoration of the Historic Shiroma Saimin Stand

2015-01-23T00:00:00Z

On our grounds is a recreation of the Shiroma Saimin Stand, a historically accurate food stand of a bygone era. The Shiroma Saimin Stand is part of our school-age educational tours and is a launching point from which our docents discuss how early immigrant families earned monies and created businesses in Hawaii's plantation era. It is the only Saimin Stand that has been preserved on Oahu, and includes donations from the Shiroma familiy such as historic photos, noodle maker, and other cooking implements actually used by the family. Originally built under the guidance of the original Shiroma family whose stand was located in Waipahu's Japanese camp, the Saimin Stand has fallen victim to the elements and termites. Awesome Foundation monies would be used to restore the structural elements of the shrine as well as restore and recreate the signage that adorned the original structure. Our hope is to be able to restore the Stand to be used again as a Saimin serving structure that can be used during our ethnic festivals: New Year's Festival in Spring, Obon dance in summer, Korean Celebration, and/or Keiki Festival. Food is a touchstone of cultural remembrance and preservation in many Island families, and the Shiroma Saimin Stand is a part of our preservation efforts. We would like to be able to allow the public and school groups that visit us daily to return to visiting the Saimin Stand and allowing them to view the interior and the historic objects inside, rather than viewing the stand from a distance.

Connecticut – Norwalk Mentor Program

2015-01-23T00:00:00Z

The Norwalk Mentor Program is one of the longest running and most acclaimed mentoring programs in the country. This school-based program matches a student in the Norwalk Public Schools (grades K-12) with an adult volunteer who can meet for one hour each week at school, during the school day. The program has more than 200 mentor/mentee matches in our 19 public schools! The mission of the Norwalk Mentor Program is to encourage the social, academic and mental growth of Norwalk’s youth through a one-on-one mentoring relationship, where a caring adult serves as a role model to a student as he or she goes through a difficult period or faces new challenges. Twice a year we organize events for the mentors and mentees to get together outside of the school setting. At the end of January, the Norwalk Mentor Program will invite all of its mentors and mentees to an evening of fun to celebrate National Mentoring Month. All mentors, mentees and mentees’ families are invited to attend as well as supporters, funders, local and state officials. This event is an opportunity for mentors and mentees to see each other outside of school, and for parents to meet the mentors. Over 400 people will be invited to celebrate and enjoy each other's company at a local children's museum.

Kingston – Froid'art - Art on Ice - An outdoor ice exhibit.

2015-01-22T00:00:00Z

"Froid'art - Art on Ice" - An public outdoor ice exhibit. That's my idea. It's new and has not been done here before. Think of a clear paperweight. Embedded in it is a piece of art on a sheet of Mylar. Now imagine that paperweight as a block of ice, 20" x 40" weighing 300 pounds, sitting outside on a platform, illuminated by tube LED lights. Now picture several of these blocks of ice - each featuring art by a different local artist. In future these blocks of ice could be located in Confederation Park, in the market square, on the un-ploughed boulevard portions of the sidewalks in front of downtown bars and restaurants. But this year my goal is to have them in front of the old homes close to the downtown. Froid'art - Art on Ice outdoor art gallery is not just a concept. It can be done. I had one of these blocks made with my art and it is on display now on my front lawn on King Street at Sir John A. I posted pictures and information on my Facebook page and the reaction has been amazing. "Wow" is the general reaction, especially to the night pictures. Take a look! This is a special kind of project. To get a large, solid block of crystal-clear ice and have my art suspended in it I had to go to a company that specializes in this kind of thing. That company is called IceCulture and they are located in Hensall Ontario. They are experts at this. It takes special equipment and a precise and slow process to make crystal-clear ice. They are the folks who provided the ice and expertise for many special projects including the Chill nightclub in downtown Toronto, the Canadian Tire Ice Truck, and the special ice bullets for NASA to test the shield on the Space Shuttle. A block of ice costs $80. To suspend the Mylar in it is an additional $80. Delivery of the block was $125. The total cost would drop to approximately $250 per block for ten of these blocks. Of course, all who help, especially the Awesome Foundation, will be given due credit and thanks!

London (Inactive) – CommuniKate

2015-01-21T00:00:00Z

My little brother Richard has never been able to speak. Until he was 19, my family managed to communicate with him on fewer than 100 signs. At 19 he received a Voice Output Communication Aid (VOCA) like the one used by Stephen Hawking. Richard's VOCA has a simple set of folders and icons. If you press the folder for animal, and then press the picture of the dog, the VOCA will say "dog". Now Richard can use hundreds of words and it's not just me, mum and dad who can understand: it's everybody. The VOCA changed his life. But he's not alone. Approximately 32,000 people in the UK require VOCA but only 8,900 (28%) can access one (http://goo.gl/8OQuTr). This leaves 21,000 people without a voice. The main barrier is that VOCA cost an average of £2000 (http://goo.gl/3KlLcP), which is unaffordable for families already stretched by more immediate disability needs. I believe that 21,000 people in the UK alone who can't explain illness to a doctor, choose dinner, or tell their family they love them is 21,000 too many. In 2014, Occupational Therapist Kate McCallum and I developed CommuniKate, the first completely free, web accessible VOCA. This allows anyone with an internet-ready device to communicate by providing a free alternative to expensive VOCA. CommuniKate is released under a GNU General Public License, the pagesets are released under Creative Commons and we only use free icon sets. These licenses encourage others to remix, tweak and build upon the work and make communication a reality for everyone worldwide. CommuniKate was launched in November 2014 and has been accessed by users from 20 countries to date. Initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Currently volunteer teams are translating it into Spanish, French, Swedish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Urdu. In 2015, I will continue to develop CommuniKate through volunteer contributions, organise training sessions for speech therapists and VOCA users, and improve the quality of the speech output.

New York City, NY – The Rockaway Dye Garden

2015-01-20T00:00:00Z

The Rockaway Dye Garden hopes to grow flowers for natural dyeing and textile arts. Isabella Scott, an artist and fashion designer who has foraged around Rockaway Beach for wild plants for her work, dreams of a garden where she can grow beautiful flowers for natural dyes while sparking conversations on textile production, water and soil quality, and natural pigments. Edgemere Farm has just donated her a plot to make this dream a reality, and our January grant will support her efforts to cultivate this land. How will this be different from any other garden? Imagine a space bursting with all blends of color, with different foliage putting out dizzying arrays of shades throughout the seasons. But that's not all. From each and every one of those plants, you can extract a color from its root or its flower, and then repurpose them for other uses like medicinal benefits. The garden will be continuously growing, flowering, and dyeing throughout the spring, summer, and fall. At the same time, it will also run community workshops on foraging and extracting dye, as well as sewing and crocheting. We're excited that our January grant will help turn over a new leaf: the garden is an empty plot of land now, and our funding will go towards lumber to construct grow boxes, as well as seeds and plant starters. There are so many possibilities for how spaces in New York can be reimagined, and we're thrilled to support artists that are daring to dream about them. The current plan is as follows:

Isabella will be collecting dirt from Syracuse in mid-February
By mid-march, everything should be in the ground as long as there is no frost
In June/July, we'll start to extract dyes!

We can't wait!

Gloucester, MA – Raising Our Voices

2015-01-20T00:00:00Z

The Gloucester Writers Center is working to help the people of Gloucester find their voices and tell their stories. Through a series of classes, workshops and readings the GWC is working to encourage those members of our community who otherwise may not be heard. We offer a free weekly writers group for women with limited resources and another for poets. Our Veterans Writers Group, co-sponsored by the Gloucester Office of Veterans Services, helps writers tell the important and sometimes difficult stories of their service. JoeAnn Hart coordinates volunteers to help GHS seniors with their college essays. This fall we are starting a writing group in collaboration with Maritime Gloucester to try to catch stories of our working waterfront. Aside from offering classes and workshops, we encourage people to share their writing by hosting free public readings. Our monthly open mic draws a variety of writers from poets to novelists to memoirs of growing up in Gloucester. Fish Tales, the GWC version of the Moth, lets people tell stories in front of an audience. We also hold open mics and readings for kids. What about the voices from the past? In our Diggers series local researchers present the slightly underground histories of Gloucester. So far we have heard about the disappearance of native people from our history, Gloucester’s role in slavery and the hiring and dismissal of a black teacher in 1956. This fall we will hear about Gloucester women accused of witchcraft in 1692 and have a discussion about the effort to stop the plague of gun violence in America. Through all of these programs and events our mission has been to find the hidden voices of Gloucester. We are beginning to work with Pathways and the Cape Ann Museum to get even more people writing and telling their stories, as well as an oral history project with Maritime Gloucester. Funding from Awesome Gloucester would let us continue our project of helping the stories of Gloucester get written and heard.

Ottawa – Ottawa Sports Officials

2015-01-20T00:00:00Z

January’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Wendy Liang and Tanveer Mostafa, to support the training of soccer referees from Ottawa’s homeless population. Working with Enactus uOttawa and Ottawa Street Soccer (OSS), a non-profit that offers an opportunity for homeless people in the city to play soccer recreationally, Wendy and Tanveer will help participants obtain certification and work as referees. They also mean to deliver an associated financial literacy workshop. “The Ottawa Sports Officials project will help participants funnel their passion and turn their lives around,” says Wendy, “and the program will be an incentive to recover from drug and alcohol abuse. After the participants obtain their referee certifications, we will help them find refereeing job opportunities, giving them a source of income and valuable work experience. In the upcoming spring season,” she says, “we plan to have two waves of the project — and will strive to expand the project every year thereafter.” Wendy and Tanveer are students at the University of Ottawa.

Pittsburgh, PA – Design by Veterans, for Veterans

2015-01-19T00:00:00Z

Operation Valor Arts is a new veterans’ nonprofit in Pittsburgh. We give teams of veterans the tools they need to design and build public art pieces that honor those who served. There are two awesome things about this: first, the projects are done by veterans, for veterans. In the history of American monuments, only professional designers have had the privilege of interpreting the experience of the American soldier. We put that power in the hands of the people who’ve lived it, by giving veteran volunteers access to education and guidance from people experienced in design, fabrication, documentation, etc. And that’s the second awesome thing: OVArts helps veterans transition to meaningful civilian careers. Veterans who participate get hands-on experience in a lot of potential new career fields; they make connections with professionals in Pittsburgh; they get a “built work” to add to their résumés; AND we pay them a stipend for the hours spent in training. More than anything, I am dedicated to OVArts because it highlights the incredible skill and strength of our nation’s veterans. There is no monument to OEF/OIF veterans. As the yellow ribbons come down, and the negative press about veterans’ issues abounds, I want to have big, fat public art pieces all over Pittsburgh, and eventually nationally, that say, “Look at what our veterans are capable of!” I want a positive reminder of their service, a denial that all veterans are broken or in need of handouts, and a strong message to employers that veterans have a singular ability to accomplish new or difficult assignments. There’s no handout, no pity; we ask veterans to accomplish a mission and continue to serve their country.

Newmarket – Say my name Canada

2015-01-19T00:00:00Z

My project is a multi-level campaign, designed to be an effective counter-action to the growing problem of bullying. Much attention has been brought to this problem in the media and through campaigns and programs, however our program features young people acting in a music video for a song I wrote called, "Say My Name", that illustrates the damage done by bullying and how uniting together can help and it is focused on engaging youth in positive acts of giving across Canada in a 30 day challenge that they can do and post on social media, that will create positive change. I feel strongly that we need to lead with action based programs that engage our young people in the power and beauty of positive change, rather than lecturing them on the negative aspects of bullying. Our campaign will be fun, engaging and effectively offer positive, immediate solutions to help prevent social isolation and bullying. I am working on putting together a team of like-minded individuals to help support this campaign in addition to my partner in Positive Classrooms, Lynnette Rumble. Positive Classrooms presents “Say my name Canada-30 days of Change” Join us on Jan.25th for 30 days of giving. Keep track of how many acts of giving you, your company, school, business, family can do and send your totals to us at www.positiveclassrooms.ca We are asking every single person in Canada to collect acts of giving leading up to Pink Shirt Day on Feb.25/2015. At exactly 12:00 P.M. Feb.25/2015 the International release of the video for the song “Say my Name” by the Glenn Marais Band will stream around the world. This video will bring awareness and help to anyone who has been hurt by the scourge of bullying. When one person is bullied we all become victims The time for change is now Send us your total acts of giving and we will announce to the world, “How Kind Canada can be on Pink Shirt Day”. On Wed.Feb.25th/2015 “Let’s show the world how kind Canada can be!”

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Atlanta FREE Store

2015-01-19T00:00:00Z

Imagine you are a recent college graduate who has just landed his first job. Student loans are due and you are paying them on time every month but you don't have enough money for food or clothing. The Atlanta FREE Store is for YOU. Imagine you are a divorced dad who faithfully pays child support, but you eat Ramen Noodles everyday for lunch. The Atlanta FREE Store is for YOU. Sometimes people with jobs need help too. The Atlanta FREE Store is for EVERYONE. Although the Atlanta FREE Store will help homeless and low income people. we realize that the homeless and working poor are not the only ones who need help. Sometimes people above the poverty line need help too. We share food, clothing, toiletries and household items with anyone who needs them.

Seattle, WA – The HIstory Bomb

2015-01-18T00:00:00Z

I want to History Bomb the streets. But not with real bombs; with images and words. What average Joe knows that 70 years ago a bunch of bomber boys risked life, limb, and dinner to end World War II in Europe? Who knows that Operation Bingo shut down the rail line between northern Italy and Austria? But most of all, do people know why? Not many. That’s why the guardians of the KBL Family Collection of World War II images and ephemera have granted permission to let us bomb the streets with visual media to create a Strategic Top Secret History Bomb extravaganza. The project uses digitized images from the collection to create a series of slide shows that commemorate the 70th anniversary of the war’s end. But these aren’t just any slide shows. Geared to particular dates and locations around Seattle-Tacoma, the slide shows would appear mysteriously from January to May, cast against building walls as darkness falls. Images and words will combine to connect locations to events during World War II and their international implications. We’ll use a mini-projector with a long-range throw that is strapped to the roof rack of my car. It can be controlled remotely so that there need not be any lurking nearby to make it work. One of the locations we plan to bomb (shhh please, this a Top Secret mission) is the bricked-up site of a ski rental shop in Puyallup once operated by a boy who served in the Air Corps. Other locations in high-foot-traffic areas will be determined as the project progresses. Flexibility and spontaneity is key to success. These history bombings will focus on the war’s end and invite people to contemplate what life at war was like and what peace is. They will combine images, quotations, and period poetry to invite passersby into the story. And as quickly and silently as they appeared, the history bombings will disappear, leaving no trace except the impact on the hearts and minds of those they touched.

Antigonish, NS (Inactive) – J2J: Stories, Actions, and Learning Together

2015-01-17T00:00:00Z

Antigonish is a community rich in innovative development projects and dedicated social justice organizers. The 4th annual Youth Activism Conference (YAC), (March 6th-8th, 2015), honors these assets, while engaging youth in the community. This years theme, ‘Journeys to Justice: Stories, Actions, and Learning Together,’ connects local community youth and activists with Nova Scotian initiatives to build the momentum of social justice organizing in Antigonish town and county. Particularly, we hope to engage local high school students who are often uninvited to these important discussions, to open their eyes to the plethora of opportunities for youth engagement at the community level. The YAC is a weekend long event connecting our local communities to global issues of social justice. It seeks to foster a new generation of activists in Antigonish. Through inspiring keynotes, local activists, and panel and plenary discussions, we hope to connect community youth to the wide range of social justice organizations and youth-led efforts in Antigonish. Participating in the YAC is an educational experience like no other. By stretching the boundaries of experiential education, we open the eyes, hearts and minds of local youth by engaging them in how they can participate in global issues in their own communities. The opportunity acts as a catalyst for social change in this community, inspiring a new generation of socially engaged youth to pave the way for Antigonish town and county. Also, this provides a space for relationship building with more seasoned activists and initiate mentorship opportunities. After establishing relationships between StFX students, community youth and organizations, we will create a virtual platform to stay connected on events and opportunities for community engagement. This will stretch the impact of the YAC beyond the weekend itself by continuing to provide opportunities for youth engagement in Antigonish.

Detroit, MI (Inactive) – Caprice Connects With...Detroit!

2015-01-15T00:00:00Z

Caprice Connects With… film is a documentary about community, collaboration and connectivity. The goal of the documentary is showcase the power of collective work of community organizers, artists, entrepreneurs, and innovative thinkers creating transformation through building community, thus assisting with city revitalization Caprice Connects With… takes a closer look at the revitalization of neighborhoods that have narratives of “broken” communities within Detroit and 10 additional cities; Baltimore, Houston, Dallas, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Albuquerque, Seattle, Portland, St. Louis, and Oakland. Understanding that broken narratives do not reflect the heartbeat of these cities; We plan use our film to showcase the resilience, creativity and uplifting stories of hope and courage often overlooked by other media. Recently I interviewed Audra Carson of De-tread, a company who works in communities in Detroit to remove illegally dumped tires. De-tread's goal is to remove tires for neighborhoods, provide eco friendly solutions for recycling tires and employ residents within the sites of illegal dumping to engage them in green technology . Audra Carson collaborated with Ben Falker of Repair the World for their 2nd clean up day at the B'nai David Cemetery on the east side of Detroit in the beginning of November. We removed over 400 tires from the cemetery and filled two dumpsters of trash & debris. I was utterly amazed how small of a crew we had to clear the 2 city block site. Detroiters are displaying how different communities across the city are creating avenues of opportunity by using modest means. Showcase these narratives has the power to motivate other communities to pursue creative avenues in serving their own community members’ needs through collaborating across the nation.

Philadelphia, PA – My graduation project!! (An Awesome Dinosaur)

2015-01-15T00:00:00Z

I'm graduating this year and i love my school, so i was thinking to myself how can i leave my mark on my school? Why not a giant T-Rex right in the middle of the lobby?? So i went to my engineering teachers to see what he thought and he told me its a great idea but ill never get it approved by the principle. The following week i set up an appointment with my principle and got it approved!! I got the spot in the lobby picked out, and all the files ready to go! And the more i think about this dinosaur the more i want to finish it, then my principle came up with the idea to put the class of 2015 names on it and I'm extremely excited to get my awesome project on the road!

Philadelphia, PA – Philly #popscope: Public Astronomy Education

2015-01-15T00:00:00Z

Philly #popscope is the newest incarnation of #popscope, a public astronomy movement launched in Canada’s national capital, Ottawa, last year with support from the Awesome Ottawa Foundation. #Popscope aims to bring astronomy to urban residents and bring communities together by hosting free, “pop-up” astronomy sessions. Having achieved success in Ottawa last year by hosting dozen events that engaged diverse populations across the city, we hope to expand this movement to Philadelphia. Philadelphia #popscope would build on the Ottawa model, but with a stronger emphasis on science education for Philadelphia public high school students. Severe funding cuts have hurt enrichment and extra-curricular programs at Philadelphia public schools. Low-income students in the United States also receive limited science education compared to their more affluent peers. Four monthly #popscope events are planned for 2015, beginning beginning in March. Through Twitter and Facebook, we will announce the location and date of each public #popscope session. The majority of pop-up astronomy events will be held during the night; however, to permit families and children to participate, we will also host day-time events using a solar filter. Our monthly #popscope events be held in a variety of locations across the city so that that all Philadelphians are given an opportunity to come together and learn about astronomy. The second, complementary part of Philly #popscope is an astronomy education partnership between faculty and students of Penn Astronomy department and Sayre High School in West Philadelphia. We will organize visits from astronomy faculty and students to meet with teachers and their students. The visits may inspire students to engage in amateur astronomy and consider academic and career options in STEM fields. Around these visits, #popscope will donate astronomy education materials, and, as weather permits, will organize an after school day-time solar observation session.

San Antonio, TX – AME Collaborative Pop Up Art Space

2015-01-15T00:00:00Z

The AME Collaborative was established by Michele Jacob, who worked with the OPEN initiative to activate downtown and raise awareness of the vacant properties available during the month of December. Alongside 8 other artists, we were able to attract downtown residents, visitors to San Antonio and those that work downtown will have an exciting opportunity to support local artists and help authenticate downtown as a vibrant urban space for art in public spaces while eliminating the emptiness of these vacant buildings. AME Collaborative wishes to establish themselves at 115. E. Travis in the Milam Buildings until the space is rented out. The pop-up space will be open at set hours and offer receptions and programming throughout the duration of the exhibitions, offering amenities and experiences in spaces which would otherwise be left vacant during this time. AME will act as a working collaborative studio and art space featuring local artists with art to sell as well. A time-lapse of the work produced in the space will be on view at the storefront window for bystanders to view, engaging them at all times. This space will be activated with free programming, public events: artists talks, zine parties, music, and more. The partnership is between the landlords, the participants and exhibiting artists. There will be media coverage and we would love to share the Awesome SA message and support through all of our outlets and in our space as this initiative is truly awesome for activating downtown and addressing the issues of Vacancy in our most significant parts of our downtown core. Travis Park will be steps away, as well as the river walk. With this grant we will be able to activate vacant downtown storefronts and underutilized spaces by introducing visually dynamic art installations and happenings to attract the public downtown to experience art. We would love to be a stop for Contemporary Art month happening in March 2015 offering programming the entire month!!

Boulder, CO (Inactive) – The Untitled Book

2015-01-13T00:00:00Z

Wonderbound is delighted to be engaging in a new partnership with the Highland City Club to offer Boulder residents a new artistic experience. Wonderbound and the Highland City Club will present an innovative, audience-participatory work titled "The Untitled Book" in the Highland City Club’s foyer. Inspired by the art of Edward Gorey, the work is choreographed by Wonderbound Artistic Director Garrett Ammon and features music by The Tiger Lilies and Kronos Quartet.

Boulder, CO (Inactive) – Queen Christina of Sweden Concert

2015-01-13T00:00:00Z

Seicento presents the story of Queen Christina of Sweden through narration and music. Declared a boy at birth, relabeled as a girl the following day, then raised to be “king” of Sweden during the mid-1600s, flamboyant Christina left a trail of ambiguous controversy that persisted throughout her life: dressing, talking and comporting herself as a man; spawning rampant rumors of trysts with both female subjects and robed clergymen; appropriating her nation’s riches for her own use; and betraying the religion for which her father and countless countrymen died. But the music, art and scholarship Christina inspired and commissioned remains a pure testament to her multi-faceted life and journey from austere, frigid Lutheran Sweden to lush, warm Catholic Rome. In this project, we weave contemporary conjecture with historical fact in an original script by Boulder’s Becca Tice. The story will be accompanied by gorgeous musical works by composers Christina knew and loved: Scarlatti, Corelli, Gesualdo, Albrici. This fascinating queen ended the 30 Years War, but was called the "naughty daughter" and remembered for controversies-- her abdication, sexual preferences, attempts to become queen of Naples and Poland, and her sexual identity (her body was exhumed in 1965 and tested for signs of intersexuality with inconclusive results). The story is narrated by Jean Hodges, retired drama teacher for Boulder H.S. and the National President of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians & Gays). Alto Marjorie Bunday will be the voice of Christina; Soprano Abbi Chapman is "Belle" Sparre, Christina’s lady-in-waiting and lover; and internationally known tenor, Steven Soph, a Boulder resident, plays Christina’s confidant, advisor and male lover, Cardinal Azozlino. A pre-concert talk will consider the implications of a LGBTQ life in the 1600s, contrasted with the experience today. We will also offer academic insights o the music of the period and Christina's place in history.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Art Barter Mexico

2015-01-12T00:00:00Z

Art Barter is based in London but along the years we have created projects and exhibitions in various locations such as NY, Berlin, London, Istanbul and Madrid. We now would like to take our concept to Mexico to discover its vibrant art scene and talents. The Art Barter project evolves around the concept of bartering for art. The artists, ranging from emerging to established, are all presented as equals with one piece of art each exhibited anonymously.The public are then invited to offer anything for the artworks except for money. In London in 2009, Tracey Emin exchanged 30 hours of French lessons for her monoprint and other creative, romantic or practical exchanges have taken place, from a week-long retreat in South of France; a hand made remote control toy made by a 5 year old; and an undeveloped roll of film. Please do check our website to see all the barters and exchanges made in previous shows. www.artbarter.co.uk. At the end of the exhibition you can find out whose artwork belongs to which artist and all participating artists become part of our worldwide network permanently. The project's aim is to promote younger artists, giving them the opportunity to exhibit their work alongside established names of the contemporary art scene as well as giving the viewers the chance to think about what they have that is unique to offer. Each city that we have taken our concept to has reacted in different ways to the challenge. We have been invited by local artists Laureana Toledo to organise an Art Barter show in Mexico City in February to coincide with the art fair there and we are looking for funding to make this happen. It is important to us to carry on with the Art Barter project and to take it to new destination as it allows us to discover the local art scene, young and established and to widen the community of artists related to the project.

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactive) – מרכז צעירים רחובות (שם זמני)

2015-01-12T00:00:00Z

הדבר הראשון והמרכזי ביותר כדי להגביר את האחריות של האנשים על סביבתם היא חיזוק תחושת השייכות. הקמת מעגלי שייכות מתרחבים שבסופם יחברו את בן האדם לקהילה הגדולה. אם בעבר הקשר בין היחיד למשפחה ובין המשפחה לקהילה היה מאוד ברור, כיום ברור לנו שהקשר הזה נחלש עד נעלם. כראיה לכך, איש או אישה צעירים (25-35) ברחובות, יכולים להעביר שבועות שלמים בין הלימודים לעבודה לבית לבית הקפה\פאב. יוצא מכך, ששום דבר לא מאמת אותם או מפגיש אותם עם מעגל שייכות אמיתי (שהוא יותר רחב מהבית שלהם). השאלה שעולה היא מהו התוכן של אותו מעגל שייכות. אנחנו מאמינים שבן אדם צריך להיפגש עם אנשים מהקהילה שלו סביב האחריות המשותפת על הקהילה, סביב תוכן הומני, סביבתי, חברתי. להתמודד עם שאלות של אי צדק. החלטנו להקים מרכז צעירים במרכזה של רחובות. שכרנו חנות במדרחוב קטן אך מאוד מאוד מרכזי ובימים הקרובים נתחיל לשפץ אותה. מטרת המרכז היא להוות לצעירים מקום מפגש וחיזוק השייכות והאחריות שלהם על הקהילה. הדרך לעשות זאת היא מתן מענה לצורך הבסיסי להיפגש, לצאת מהבית, לשמוע מוזיקה או הופעה אקוטסית טובה, לשתות קפה, להחליף רעיונות, להחליף ספרים, לחפש קצת שקט, לקנות בגדים יד שניה פעם בכמה זמן וכו'. אנחנו ניתן את המקום, את התנאים, את הליווי האנושי ולא נחפש רווח. אנחנו מניחים שהיתרון של לא לחפש רווח, יאפשר לנו לתת מענה אמיתי לצורכי הקהילה. מרכז הצעירים יהיה פתוח רוב השבוע (עוד לא ברור כמה ימים) יהיו בו תנאים לעבודה וללימודים. במקום יתקיימו מפגשים מסודרים של קבוצות לפי נושאים. תתקיימנה הרצאות, הופעות קטנות ומפגשים גדולים בימי שישי בצהריים.

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactive) – Gan Levinsky & Escuelita Girls Group

2015-01-12T00:00:00Z

ספרייתגןלוינסקיוהאסקוליטה הם שני ארגונים אשר הפכו עם השנים למרכזים חברתיים משמעותיים לשתי קבוצות של נערות אשר חיות בדרום בת"א. לספרייה מגיעות נערות פליטות ומהגרות ממדיניות אפריקה, ולאסקוליטה נערות להורים מהגרים מאמריקה הלטינית. הנערות פוקדות את כל אחד מהארגונים בקביעות, מספר פעמיים בשבוע וניתן לומר שהוא משמש להם כמסגרת בטוחה, מכילה ומקבלת לאחר שעות הלימודים. ביולי 2013 פנתה אלינו האמנית לוסיאנה קפלון והציעה לעשות פרויקט משותף לשני הארגונים עם הנערות שמגיעות לכל ארגון. הגשנו יחד איתה בקשה למלגת "אמן בהקהילה" ולשמחתנו הבקשה התקבלה. מנובמבר החלה לוסיאנה לעבוד עם הנערות. מטרתו של הפרויקט היא לתת מקום לכל אחת מהנערות לבוא לידי ביטוי עצמי דרך כלים אמנותיים, תוך כדי גיבושן של הבנות סביב מטרה קבוצתית משותפת. הקבוצה מעניקה למשתתפות חוויה תומכת ומחזקת, ובמהלך המפגשים מתאפשר לנערות לבחון נושאים ומושגים שונים כמו פרטיות, מגדר, פמיניזם, קהילה, זהות (זהות היברידית אפריקאית/לטינית-ישראלית), המרחב הסובב אותי, הגוף והריקוד כביטוי תרבותי-פוליטי ועוד. דרך הכלים האמנותיים מצליחה לוסיאנה ליצור קבוצה שפועל יחד כ"צוות הפקה", כשהמטרה הסופית שלהן היא לצלם ולהפיק ווידיאו קליפ אשר משקף את תחומי העניין של הבנות. עבודת הווידיאו שלהן תוצג בתערוכה במרכז לאמנות עכשווית בת"א בחודשי הקיץ. במהלך הפרויקט כל משתתפת בקבוצה מתמקדת בתחום אחר בהפקה: צילום, תאורה, תפאורה, סטיילינג, ריקוד, ארט וכו', זאת על מנת לעודד את הביטוי העצמי של כל אחת מן הנערות בקבוצה ומתן מענה לתחומים שמעניינים ומסקרנים אותה. בחודשים הראשונים של הפעילות התמקדה הקבוצה ביצירת אמון וסולידריות קבוצתית בין הבנות. בנוסף, נערכו מספר מפגשים וסדנאות עם אמנים מתחומים שונים: גלעד רטמן (סדנת תאורה), יוחאי מטוס (סדנת אמנות רחוב וגרפיטי), הגר אופיר (סדנת סטייליניג ועיצוב תלבושות) ועלמה יצחקי (ציירת, סדנת רישום). בנוסף, ביקרו הבנות במרכז לאמנות עכשווית וצפו ב"דקה דאנס" של להקת המחול בת שבע. המפגשים מתקיימים פעמיים בשבוע ובמהלכן הבנות לומדות ומתרגלות טכניקות בצילום ווידאו/סטילס, ריקוד, כריאוגרפיה, עיצוב תלבושות, רישום ועוד. במהלך המפגשים נחשפות הבנות למגוון רחב של פרקטיקות, במטרה להרחיב ולחשוף אותם לאפשרויות חדשות ודרכים נוספות להבעה עצמית.

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactive) – 'כנפיים של קרמבו' – טיול סניף אופקים

2015-01-12T00:00:00Z

עפ"י הדירוג החברתי-כלכלי של הלמ"ס שפורסם בשנת 2013, משתייכת אופקים לאשכול השלישי (מתוך עשרה). העיר סובלת מתת שירותים חברתיים וחינוכיים, במיוחד כאלו שמותאמים לילדים עם צרכים מיוחדים. המצוקות הכלכליות והחברתיות שקיימות ממילא בקרב האוכלוסייה באזור, מועצמות בגין צרכיו של הילד המיוחד והיעדר השירותים עבורו. המשפחות והילדים משוועים למסגרת חברתית כלשהי, בה יוכלו לחוות זמן של כיף וליהנות מחברת בני גילם, עם ובלי צרכים מיוחדים. זהו צורך הכרחי למען התפתחותם הרגשית התקינה של הילדים ולמען ההורים והמשפחות שכורעים תחת הנטל הכלכלי, הפיזי והרגשי. סניף 'כנפיים של קרמבו' באופקים פועל כבר שלוש שנים. פועלים בו 22 חניכים עם מגוון נכויות (CP, אוטיזם, פיגור ותסמונות שונות), ו-55 בני נוער וצעירים מהעיר ומסביבותיה שממלאים תפקידי חונכים וצוות מוביל. חברי הסניף מתכנסים לפעילות מדי יום שני אחה"צ במתנ"ס רבין שבעיר (תרומה של הרשות המקומית) ומקיימים בה פעילות במודל קבוצתי משולב בחונכות אישית. רכזי ההדרכה מתכננים ומעבירים את הפעילות לקבוצה כולה, והחונכים מתווכים את הפעילות לחניכים (לכל חניך שני חונכים קבועים). הפעילויות הן בעלות אופי חברתי, חווייתי וחינוכי, כבכל תנועות הנוער. החניכים מגיעים לפעילות ומוחזרים ממנה באמצעות מערכת היסעים מותאמת ומונגשת במימון התנועה. כל הפעילים, חונכים וחניכים, נדרשים לדמי השתתפות שנתיים סמליים של 200 ₪. התנועה מסבסדת את הפעילים שאין ביכולתם לשלם. בני הנוער אשר פועלים בסניף כחונכים וכחברי צוות מוביל, בחלקם הינם צעירים אשר נשרו ממערכת החינוך ועובדים במהלך שעות הבוקר, אחרים מוגדרים ע"י הרשויות כ"נוער בסיכון". דרך החיבור שלהם לתנועה, הפעילות בסניף, הקשר עם החניכים ובינם לבין עצמם, מתחברים הצעירים הללו חזרה לקהילה בתוכה הם חיים, חווים נתינה מעצמם והעצמה אישית, לומדים מנהיגות ועשייה חברתית וסופגים ערכים של סובלנות, מעורבות קהילתית ושיוויון. הפעילות שלהם כחונכים, משנה את חייהם ומעשירה אותם במידה שאינה פחותה מזו בה היא משפיעה ותורמת לילדים עם הצרכים המיוחדים. תקציב הפעילות השנתי של הסניף הוא 172,811 ₪. הוא נשען בעיקר על תרומות ממקורות שונים (גופים עסקיים, תורמים פרטיים וקרנות) הסניף פועל ללא גוף שתומך בו באופן רציף.

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactive) – הקניון החברתי הראשון

2015-01-12T00:00:00Z

הקניון החברתי הראשון הוא פלטפורמה שמסייעת לעסקים חברתיים ועמותות שיש להם מוצרים ושירותיים סופר איכותיים, להיחשף ו"לקבל הזדמנות" בחברות עסקיות גדולות. החברות הללו מחפשות את האפשרות לרכוש מתנות וציוד מארגונים שיש להם ערך מוסף - אבל שני הצדדים מדברים בשפה שונה, נמצאים בפורומים שונים ומתקשים לתקשר. הקניון החברתי הראשון מציע לעסקים חברתיים ועמותות חשיפה, שיווק וכל המעטפת שנדרשת כך שכל מה שהם צריכים לעשות זה לספק את הסחורה לאחר סגירת העסקה. הדבר חוסך מהם עלויות משמעותיות ומגדיל מאוד את פוטנציאל ההכנסות שלהם. עבור הארגונים העסקיים הקניון מהווה one stop shop למגוון עצום של מוצרים ושירותים, והכל תוך ניהול הקשר עם אדם אחד בלבד ולא עם ארגונים רבים ושונים. הקניון החברתי הראשון מאפשר גם לאנשים פרטיים לבצע קניה חברתית ולרכוש מוצרים איכותיים שיש להם ערך מוסף. בעיננו - הקניון הוא פלטפורמה לשינוי תודעתי רחב ועמוק בחברה הישראלית ולשינוי כלכלי משמעותי בעולם החברתי - עולם המתנות ותווי השי שרוכשים ארגונים עסקיים עבור עובדיהם מגלגל 2.2 מיליארד ש"ח בשנה. אם נצליח להסיט אפילו חלק קטן מכך לעולם החברתי - האימפקט לכך יהיה עצום - ויאפשר לארגונים שמספקים תעסוקה לאוכלוסיות מודרות, לארגונים המקדמים מטרות של סחר הוגן, העצמת נשים, סיוע לבני נוער בסיכון, קידום נושאים סביבתיים ועוד, לממש בצורה טובה הרבה יותר את מטרותיהם. הקניון החברתי הראשון הוקם על ידי, בשיתוף עם מינגה - הזירה לעסקים חברתיים, והושק בספטמבר האחרון. למרות שזהו מיזם בתחילת דרכו ורבות מההנחות שלנו התבררו כלא מדויקות, הצלחנו לייצר עשייה משמעותית בטווח של 10 חודשים. במקביל אנו פועלים במרץ להבין טוב יותר את רצונות השוק, ואנו מרגישים כי כעת אנחנו מוכנים לקפיצת מדרגה - לאחר שהבנו טוב יותר מה מתאים ונדרש - בפרט בפניה לארגונים העסקיים, שרוצים לקבל מענה תפור אישית ומקסימום איכות במינימום מחיר. הדבר דורש מאיתנו הרבה התאמות - ובשל כך אנו פונים אליכם :)

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactive) – חינוך עם חיוך

2015-01-12T00:00:00Z

"חוק חינוך חובה" מקנה זכות לחינוך לכל ילדי ישראל, אך הקריטריונים שנקבעו לחינוך חינם – אינם תואמים לצרכי הילדים. ילדים הסובלים מד"מ מפסידים ימי לימודים רבים ושוהים לא מעט ב"אישפוז ביתי " כפוי ,רוב ימי ההחלמה התקף דיסאוטונומי וההתאששות ממנו יכולים להגיע לשישים יום רצוף . הבידוד מהב"ס , מהחברים , מהסביבה הלימודית המוכרת יוצר פערים גדולים בין התלמיד החולה לשאר הכתה . לבידוד זה השפעה רבה הן מבחינה לימודית והן מבחינה פסיכולוגית חברתית (פגיעה בביטחון העצמי, במודעות העצמית , בהתמודדות הפרט מול החברה ) . פרויקט "חינוך עם חיוך" נותן מענה לימודי, חינוכי וחברתי המתאים לצרכי הילדים בהתחשב בפיזור הארצי ובמצבם הרפואי המשתנה מיום ליום.פרויקט זה כולל מימון תגבור השיעורים הפרטים ( מעבר למה שמסבסדת המדינה), הצמדת מורה פרטי במגוון נושאים לימודיים – ולא במקצוע בודד, מימון שרות פסיכולוגי או טיפולם פרה רפואיים בהתאם להתקדמות וצרכי הילד ועוד מטרות מרכזיות: 1. הקניית ידע וכלים בתחום לימודי לצמצום פערים הנוצרים במסגרת לימודית. 2. חיזוק וטיפוח דימוי עצמי, בטחון אישי והעצמה אישית. 3. הקניית כלים להתמודדות במצבי לחץ ומשבר. 4. פיתוח כישורי חיים ומיומנויות חברתיו

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactive) – Tsevet Lohamim

2015-01-12T00:00:00Z

Tsevet Lohamim is an organization designed to prepare immigrants & potential lone soldiers physically and mentally to join combat units in the IDF. We provide several things: hardcore combat fitness training and a supporting network and community of former lone soldiers and current ones to help new immigrants and provide guidance and personal example to become the best soldiers they can be in the IDF. Today Tsevet Lohamim is an official non for profit organization runned by 13 volunteers who are all former lone soldiers, dedicating their free time every week to provide professional training and a supporting community for drafting lone soldiers in Israel. We train between 40 -60 lone soldiers every year. Our activities take place mostly in Tel Aviv, (ramat aviv beach area). Our members have a very high rate of joining Israels most elite combat units, and they also enjoy being part of a community of friends that stays with them through their service and beyond!

Orlando, FL – Artists for Autism Mural project

2015-01-09T00:00:00Z

Why is creating or connecting art and autism so important? The children have a difficult time expressing what's happening inside of them as a result causes them to become frustrated, throwing their hands, screaming, or hitting. At times, the response from others is confusion and misunderstanding, as to why the child is behaving this way, often causing others to feel as if the child is misbehaving. But through art, the children have an opportunity, a chance to use art as an outlet for proper expression of their feelings. 1. Its a form of therapy, it can provide healing. Art can also play a huge role in the development of language, expression, confidence, motor planning, and fine motor skills. 2.Expression of imagination. For children who have difficulty learning, art can open up a new way to access the curriculum. The creative process can trigger a sense of achievement and an increase in self-esteem. For children with autism or other learning disabilities, art can provide a nonverbal outlet for feelings and emotions. The idea is hand painted murals. They are safer and could last more than pictures. The images and colors can be selected together with the children, designing the mural with their favorite theme. Allow hands-on interaction with the staff and children to take part in the process of each mural. Allow us to make something special for these children to enjoy every day they go to school. These children come from low income living situations and their families can't always afford education luxuries, such as private schools, expensive learning tools, and tutors, each of these elements help them gain Independence and growth. Something simple as a mural will increase the visual sensory and allow them to feel at home and instead of an institute, let us relieve some of the tensions theses children are dealing with inside. "Lets make the outside beautiful and comfortable, so they can work on the inside" - Ashlie Lawson

San Francisco, CA – Oakland students make the future!

2015-01-08T00:00:00Z

Oakland middle school students build wild projects to develop skills, discover their own potential, and explore the possibilities of the wider world. It's hard for many people to imagine how limiting the life of a low-income Oakland kid can be. While teenagers everywhere complain about not having control over their lives, many students at our school experience an entirely different kind of confinement. They have been born into a system that leaves them without safe places to play, without chances to learn what matters to them, without access to clean air and nature, and without even basic nutrition. This sucks. But here's what sucks even more- sooner or later, many of these kids start thinking that there is nothing they can do to change their circumstances and the world they live in. We are teachers at Bret Harte Middle school in Oakland. After school, we volunteer to run a new club we call the Radical Constructivists. The idea is simple: kids build things that matter to them. They work in small or large groups, on teeny or long-term projects, but they all work, and they all use their hands as much as they use their brains. Every student's first challenge is to build a rocket that can fly higher than our school building. Their next project is largely up to them. Our job is to point them toward the right tools and get out of their way. We believe strongly that by making things - by turning ideas and dreams into real, concrete objects - our students are changing the way they see the world and their role in it. Slated projects include compost tumblers, catapults, solar powered water purifiers, land sailors (wind powered buggies), a skin-on-frame canoe, and just maybe an aquaponic herb garden. In so far as possible, we build everything out of scrap, discards, and salvaged material. Turning “trash” into beautiful creations is as powerful an experience as anything we can offer our kids. However, sometimes our student’s dreams exceed the materials we can find in a dumpster. Before receiving this grant, we had no funding for any extra expenses. Here's how we will use the money: First: we want to respond to wildly creative student ideas with “yes”, even when a proposed project requires purchases. We will reserve $600 of the award as a fund for materials. This money should fund 6-12 good sized projects, each involving 3-5 students. Then: we need to acquire more comfortable safety equipment. All we’ve got are horrible 70’s era lab goggles. We will buy 100 comfortable safety glasses at $2.20 each. Finally: we will spend $180 on a locking tool chest to protect donated tools. James Kealey teaches science to 152 seventh graders. He is passionate about designing great curriculum and getting kids as many hands-on experiences as possible. Before teaching, he worked as a carpenter, scientific SCUBA diver, and researcher. Nicholas Gilpinwright teaches special education classes in math and science. He teaches his students by appealing to every sense and learning style. Nick is a maker superstar. If it exists, he can fix it. If it doesn’t exist, he can build it.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Street Symphony

2015-01-05T00:00:00Z

Street Symphony is a collective of musical humanitarians, dedicated to bringing the healing presence of great music to people living in extreme poverty and disenfranchisement. Since 2011, Street Symphony has performed 160 free, on-site events at homeless shelters, VA's, and County Jails in Los Angeles. Our musicians are some of the best in Los Angeles - members of the LA Phil, singers from the LA Master Chorale, and jazz musicians like Putter Smith (who used to play for Thelonius Monk and Duke Ellington). WIth the great music comes a deeply genuine, profound human connection with people who have been criminalized, ostracized and largely forgotten by our world. At the core, Street Symphony is an act of human service. Street Symphony is more than powerful, beautiful music – it’s an invitation for human connection for those who live on the fringes of our society. Music reminds us all that we still have the capacity to experience something beautiful, and for those who live in the most dehumanized conditions, this can be the beginning of hope. Each Street Symphony event is a dialogue with audience members in the context of a safe, vulnerable space created through music. Street Symphony is a call to action, a call to awareness. We want it to become a vehicle for activism and change - to give voice to marginalized, estranged people who are a very real part of our world. We want Street Symphony to become a bridge to connect deeply caring musicians to the source of their gift - the power to communicate a message of real healing in a world filled with pain. We find that we need this message as much as any of our audiences, that society itself needs this message. In that way, we find ourselves healed by the work of Street Symphony. We want to heal the world. We made the front page of the LA Times California Section in this article by Steve Lopez last month: http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1123-lopez-gupta-20141123-column.html

Atlanta, GA – BioLogue STEM Adventures

2015-01-02T00:00:00Z

The mission of the BioLogue STEM Adventures is to provide girls with the opportunity to engage in free hands-on Science Technology Engineering and Math activities that will spark their interests in the world around them. Youth will have opportunity to explore forensic science, physics, microbiology, chemistry, earth science, microscopy and breast cancer awareness for adults.

Tel Aviv - קרן בקטנה (Inactive) – Equality is the Goal

2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

Equality is the Goal is a boys group focusing on utilizing soccer as a mean for advancing values of an equal and shared society while also promoting education among a group of boys who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. This new group, comprised of 16 boys between the ages 10-12, the boys that will participate in the group are characterized as children at risk; they spend many hours unattended at the Levinski Park exposed to different criminal activity as well as to direct violence, which they are a target of. As a result, it has been extremely difficult for the Garden Library’s volunteers to create meaningful relationships with them, as for the most part these children communicate using violence. Having worked with them during the past few years it became evident that one of the means to establish healthy relationships with these boys is through soccer. Hence the Garden Library teamed up with 'The Equalizer' Israel Sport and Education Initiative, which has been working in numerous marginalized communities across the country, with the goal of utilizing soccer as a mean for advancing values of an equal and shared society. The program consists of soccer practice twice a week with a trained coach, participation in an after school study-center once a week and in a social-political workshop once a week with a trained facilitator, which will focus on issues of their identities, personal stories, rights, etc. In order for the children to participate in the soccer practice and in the monthly national tournaments it is mandatory for them to attend the study-center and the social-political group. Essentially 'The Equalizer' brings into this cooperation all aspects that have to do with soccer while the Garden Library puts forth the facilities and framework for both the study-center and the social-political group. In effect this program will offer these boys a full week of activities, thereby steering them away from spending their time on the streets.

Austin, TX – The Gay Wax Museum

2014-12-31T00:00:00Z

The Gay Wax Museum is a group art show of life-size diorama-style installations depicting moments in queer history — the marvels, despairs, ecstasies, triumphs, bloopers, experiments, possibilities, and cummings-together. The show invites artists from Austin and around the country to explore our stories of past, present, future, real and imagined. The Gay Wax Museum grows from a desire to celebrate the many profound and often ephemeral moments of this lineage and, especially, to honor the stories that often escape representation in mainstream narratives of queer life. Artists are asked to create work that portrays the moments in time that shape and define something of our queer selves. The Gay Wax Museum will happen as part of OUTsider Film & Arts Fest at Salvage Vanguard Theater, February 18-22, 2015. The imagery will be subjective, actual, anecdotal, mythical, iconic, tender, obscene, absurd, ugly, fantastical, and more and more! Artists were chosen because they create work that inhabits this magical continuum and will contribute authentic beauty and radical vision to the project.

Rio de Janeiro (Inactive) – Tão Complexo - Jogo de tabuleiro sobre a Favela

2014-12-31T00:00:00Z

Tão Complexo é um jogo de tabuleiro estratégico e interativo que projeta uma favela típica do Rio de Janeiro, admirada pela sua cultura rica e temida pela violência do que a comunidade sofre. O jogo convida jogadores à conhecer as estruturas locais, aprender delas e pensar em soluções para os problemas do território. 3-6 Jogadores competirão de forma lúdica em 'construir' a favela com melhor qualidade de vida. Uma corrida pelo recém-construído e controverso teleférico na comunidade gera diferentes tipos de situações típicas com quais os jogadores precisam lidar. É óbvio que ao decorrer do jogo diferentes desafios e problemas típicos da Favela ocorrem, dificultando o desenvolvimento da favela. O objetivo do jogo é, de forma lúdica, envolver estudantes de colégio e de universidade, tanto da favela quanto de bairros de classe média e rica, e discutir as potencialidades, os problemas e as soluções destes territórios. ---------- "So Complex" is an interactive and strategic board game about a typical Rio de Janeiro favela, admired for its rich culture and feared because of the violence that assails the community. The game invites players to learn about local structures and think about possible solutions for local problems. Three to six players playfully compete to 'build' the favela, trying to improve its quality of life. A ride on the newly-built and controversial cable car in the community generates different types of typical situations for players to deal with. During the game, different challenges and problems occur in the favela, posing obstacles to its development. The game's objective is to involve high school and university students from the favela and from middle- and upper-class neighborhoods, and get them to discuss the potential, problems and solutions applicable to informal settlements.

Paris (Inactive) – Résidence Artistes au College Balzac

2014-12-31T00:00:00Z

Les artistes de la compagnie de theatre "La fabrique des petits hasards" s’installeront durant 2 semaines dans les murs du collège Balzac, situé en Zone Urbaine Sensible, pour une résidence de création ouverte à tous les élèves de 4 ème. Cet échange artistique, permettra d’intégrer les jeunes dans un véritable processus de création. Ils auront l’opportunité d'échanger avec des artistes professionnels, et l’occasion d’assister à des formes artistiques nouvelles grâce à un atelier du spectateur. A l’issu de cette résidence, nous prolongerons le travail durant l’année avec une classe de 4ème, qui aura l’opportunité de présenter son travail en collaboration avec les artistes de la compagnie dans le cadre du Forum des dynamiques culturelles du territoire au Cent Quatre. The actors of the theatre company "La fabrique des petits hasards" will spend two weeks working with the 8th grade students of the College Balzac, located in an "Sensitive Urban Area". This artistic exchange will allow the students to be part of a real creative process. They will have the opportunity to exchange with professionnal artists, and will witness new art forms through a dedicated workshop. After this residency, we will extend the work with one of the classes during the whole year. The students will present its work in collaboration with the artists of the company at the Cent-Quatre, during the Forum des Dynamiques Culturelles des Territoires.

Boston, MA (Inactive) – Holographic praxinoscope

2014-12-29T00:00:00Z

We want to explore holographic moving images using pre-cinema animation techniques developed in the ninetieth century. By combining seemingly archaic animation techniques with the futuristic illusions of holography we can create a whole new art form and bring to the world something brand new: holographic animated films, or “holopraxiscopes” (working title). We’d like to develop the idea of holographic moving images by creating a praxinoscope using holographic images instead of photographs or drawings. This will give the amazing illusion of a moving 3D image! These pre-cinema machines used to capture the imagination of viewers a the turn of the century who would flock to see images move before their eyes. Spectacle and display are still things that fascinate us today and inspire us to still attend a circus. The holopraxinoscope has the same old world charm but with a modern twist. In the images attached, we've depicted a holographic image of a butterfly and an image of a 2-D praxinoscope. Neither of these are our own work but we have presented these images as representative of our intent. We hope to build a praxinoscope with 3-D holograms in place of the conventional 2-D image; the imagery presented would present the illusion of a train moving from far in the background into the foreground in depth. This would be reflective of the first 2-D film ever portrayed to an audience.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Bibliobandido Starter Kit

2014-12-29T00:00:00Z

El Bibliobandido is a living legend and literacy initiative I created in collaboration with the community of El Pital, a village in Northern Honduras where illiteracy rates average 80%. In 2008, I taught a successful book making and creative writing workshop to several hundred kids. I left with the question of how to make this workshop ‘sticky” so that kids would continue teaching each other. Two years later, I returned to collaborate with a group of preteens (the town’s “library committee”) to invent “El Biblibandido.” As the legend goes, El Bibliobandido (or 'story thief') is a masked bandit who, ravenous for stories, terrorizes little kids until they offer him stories they've written — a prompt that invariably sends kids into a bookmaking frenzy. This literacy initiative has become the most successful program in the region. On the third week of every month is Bibliobandido Week, the library committee collaborates with one of 19 neighboring villages to enact and rehearse a new Bibliobanddio 'episode,' reinventing and transmitting the tale as they go. Today, many of the 500 kids living in the region grow up 'believing in' El Bibliobandido, a character whose fame rivals Santa Claus. A video I produced about the project has been shown at libraries, museums, schools, and film festivals abroad, casting a wide net of believers, storytellers, and fellow book-fiends eagerly anticipating more. I now seek your support which will allow me the time to create a Bibliobandido Starter Kit that includes step-by-step instructions for making books out of everyday materials, 20 creative storytelling exercises, and suggestions for educators + parents. In Miami, I produced a first, simple version of this illustrated curriculum which was used to teach 600 kids to create delectable stories to lure (or appease) BB. I now seek to create a full-fledged Starter Kit in English/Spanish that will allow anyone to instigate and unleash the legend of El Bibliobandido.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Middle East Film Initiative

2014-12-25T00:00:00Z

In 2013, I launched the Middle East Film Initiative (MEFI). The MEFI provides interdisciplinary training, as well as an ongoing forum to connect the mainstream with the independent film market, with the purpose of building audiences and creating opportunities for a highly skilled group of local entertainment and media professionals, who have largely been off the radar of the mainstream US film market. Participants actively immerse themselves in a film's or screenplay's language, music, imagery and acting technique, and discover how styles and experiences are interconnected. The communities’ presence and insights are at the heart of the program. No ongoing forum for film professionals and audiences interested in the filmic language of the Middle East existed in NYC prior to the MEFI. The uniquely cooperative, interactive, and non-hierarchical approach of the MEFI challenges mainstream film-related organizations. By taking the purposely low-tech sessions to the communities around town, I reach them where they are, far from high-cost, seasonal, and often mission-based events presented by established organizations. As participants follow the project and meet more participants with similar needs from other backgrounds, momentum grows. Through capacity building among audiences and media professionals, the MEFI generates a network able to sustain long-term civic and artistic engagement. It is not a place for political or religious activism. The fact that it exists is a statement in itself. The group is particularly attentive to the role women play both behind and in front of the camera and aims to diversify the representation of women in film, TV and new media. Fiscal Sponsor: NYWIFT. Partners include: NYU Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, Writers Guild of America East (WGAE).

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Empowering Epilepsy

2014-12-25T00:00:00Z

I have created a non profit 501c3 called Empowering Epilepsy to allow people with epilepsy to take charge of their lives. We currently hold support groups for people with epilepsy, parents of children with epilepsy and coming soon - spouses and children of people with epilepsy. The goal is to let people with epilepsy and their loved ones meet each other and erase the stigma affiliated with seizures. Anyone with epilepsy is a regular, ordinary person. I came up with the idea because I wanted to help people like me. While I have been seizure free for over 20 years thanks to brain surgery, I remember the struggles, limitations, and learned helplessness that I had experienced growing up with epilepsy. Not being able to drive, losing friends and boyfriends, limiting where I could work and what I could do affected the roads I took in my life for a long time. I always wondered what it would have been like if someone I had known had experienced seizures. Then I realized they did and I just didn't know about it. One day last summer, I posted a message on Facebook asking - "If you or someone you know has been affected by epilepsy, can you message me? I have a new project idea and would love to talk with them." 39 friends came forward telling me their stories or stories of people they knew. I sent them questionnaires to complete or pass on to the people they knew blindly and ask them to complete them. 26 people completed them and they all said the same things I was thinking - stigmas and limitations with epilepsy affected their entire life. They had the support of their doctors, but outside, they felt alone. My support groups will provide the realization that they are not alone. They will help answer questions that they have about medications and their side effects, exercise and it's benefits, depression and epilepsy (50% of people w/epilepsy experience it.) and more. My goal is to address any barriers that get in their way of living a normal, successful life.

Baltimore, MD (Inactive) – Operator Baltimore

2014-12-23T00:00:00Z

I would like to attempt a game of Telephone that stretches across the entire city of Baltimore. I believe it will be possible to link neighborhoods across the inner harbor and beat the previous world record of 1330 people in 2008. A game of telephone would not hold up traffic - participants could simply cross the road at appropriate moments, and volunteer block patrols would make sure that, and roads like Pratt Street, Charles Street or North Ave have extensive continuous sidewalks that travel through numerous diverse neighborhoods. There's no other particular reason to do this other than the fact that it would be fun and Baltimore could hold a record that reflected positively on the entire city in a unifying way.

Gloucester, MA – Gloucester History Sharing Project

2014-12-23T00:00:00Z

The Gloucester History Sharing Program (which ran from 2010-2013) was a free monthly presentation of old images of Gloucester with historical background at the Rose Baker Senior Center. During the program, the audience was encouraged to share their own knowledge and memories of the topic. Our seniors have a wealth of information about Gloucester’s history, and showing these old images sparked all kinds of stories and memories that they enjoyed sharing. As a result, this program was not only a researched presentation but also an oral history project. During its last year, Cape Ann TV heard about this program and started filming it to show on the local cable station. Some of these broadcasts are still being shown and can also be seen on their website. In addition, during its last year, the program was also brought to Seacoast Nursing Home, and I was looking into expanding to the other nursing homes as well. However, this all abruptly stopped in Oct 2013. This program was part of Schooner Adventure’s outreach programming, but the funding was pulled a year ago so the program had to stop. When I applied to the Awesome Gloucester last year, I thought I had lined up the needed sponsors and funding to restart then, but it unfortunately didn't all fall into place. Now a year later, the Phyllis A. Marine Association has stepped up to sponsor this program so now I am starting the fund raising process again.

Newmarket – Newmarket Outdoor Hockey rink

2014-12-23T00:00:00Z

Hello Awesome Foundation Team, Growing up in Newmarket we had several outdoor rinks available for learning to skate and to learn how to play hockey. As you may know the only outdoor rink in Newmarket at Riverwalk Commons does not permit Hockey due to liability and the rink not being designed for hockey. It is unfortunate that Youths are coming to Riverwalk to play hockey after school or in the evenings and they are being told that they cannot play or being told to leave the premises. There have been arguments between Youth and Families...not an ideal situation for a rink that is supposed to bring the Community together. I have approached the Town to allow a Community Group of Volunteers to operate an outdoor hockey rink on the tennis courts at Lions Park where there was a hockey rink until it was closed due to repairs being needed (and with the budget being moved to Riverwalk). The plan is to offer Youth access to play and learn hockey at prime times: afterschool until the early evening for girls hockey and boys hockey then the late evening can be mens hockey with family hockey and possibly Youth figure skating on weekends. Thank you for your consideration of this project and it would be great to have your support!

Detroit, MI (Inactive) – A Conversation With Our Sons

2014-12-23T00:00:00Z

As a result of the unrest in Ferguson, New York and around the country, our foundation has decided to offer a program in 2015 that addresses how to teach young Black men to behave around law enforcement to avoid escalating an encounter and being harmed as a result. We want to film these sessions in which we expect there to be some very passionate exchanges between law enforcement and citizens and create a documentary film that can be used as a training tool for law enforcement and citizens around the country.

Miami, FL – Childrens' Books incorporating 3D scans and prints

2014-12-21T00:00:00Z

Sunny The (3D) Bear is a new children's book series authored by local 9th grade student, Daniel Freedline. The books are designed to be quick, bedtime stories read by parents to their children, ages 3-7. The books can be downloaded via the website. The website also has a large and growing gallery of 3D scans (characters and scenery from each book), allowing kids to play with these objects on their computer or tablet. The 3D files are downloadable and can be printed, allowing kids to create their own toys.

Ottawa – Awesome Tenners

2014-12-19T00:00:00Z

December’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Ashley Cabecinha, who plans to give the $1000 away to 100 lucky strangers, encouraging each to do something awesome with the money. Ashley plans to hand out bright pink envelopes around the city the weekend before Christmas, each containing a fresh ten dollar bill and a short letter encouraging the recipient to “make this awesome tenner count.” The letters will offer up some ideas, including:

Hide it in your favourite book at the library
Buy a bag of dog biscuits and go make some new friends at the dog park
Give it to someone you see doing a good deed
Add some items to a suspended coffee program
Buy a bouquet of flowers and randomly give them away
Do whatever you think would be awesome

The letter will also encourage recipients to tweet about their experience of spreading awesome using the hashtag #AwesomeTenners. “I saw the Liverpool chapter's #AwesomeFivers campaign,” explains Ashley, “and thought it was brilliant! Why not do the same thing here, to help spread our awesome award even further? I hope this will inspire many people beyond the lucky 100 to perform their own random act of kindness, and up Ottawa's level of awesome to new heights.” Ashley is a scientist with the federal government, a co-founder of The Meeples Republic, and an Awesome Ottawa trustee.