Awesome Foundation - Projects

North Minneapolis, MN – Man Up Minneapolis Street Outreach

2018-05-01T00:00:00Z

We have put out an inquiry out to the North Minneapolis community to come together to launch a Urban Youth Outreach entitled “Man Up Minneapolis” Community Street Outreach that will consist of an open air outreach in North MPLS where organizations can come along side us to show love and compassion to young African American males and males of color. The vision for this outreach is to have suits donated to give to young boys of color ages 15 to 21, vendor booths of community youth resources, an inspirational hip hop concert, 100 fathers to give hugs to fatherless young men, 10 off duty police officers to hang out and fellowship with boys of color, food provided for the young men, 3 on 3 basketball and a message of love from Korey “XROSS” Dean. This is an outreach for the whole family and free of charge. We believe the term Man Up from a community standpoint simply means for all to “Show Up”! Show up with your family, friends, resources and compassion. We are now executing on the vision above. We have a date set Saturday, June 9th from 4pm to 9pm. Sanctuary Field located at 711 W. Broadway has partnered with us and has offered their facility, parking lot and front lawn free of charge for this youth outreach. I will also meet to mentor 15 African American high school males once a week for 3 hours in North MPLS at the North YMCA.

Seattle, WA – Telescope Kits

2018-05-01T00:00:00Z

I work for a public library. A few years ago we partnered with our local astronomy groups to loan telescopes to the public. We acquired 3 kits with a telescope, a star finder and an astronomy guide, packed them into a tote and have been lending to the public since December 2016. The astronomy groups maintain the kits and provide training. The kits are hugely popular. They steer kids to a STEM focus and they’re great for life-long learning. They circulate for 3 weeks. We have 50 reservations which translates to over a year wait to get the kit. If we had 3 more kits that wait time would be reduced to 3 months.

Austin, TX – LGBTQIA+ Youth Summit for Austin ISD

2018-04-30T00:00:00Z

The Austin Awesome Foundation is excited to contribute $1000 to fund an Austin Independent School District (AISD) - wide LGBTQIA+ student summit that coincides with AISD Pride Week in October 2018. The summit will take place at Fulmore Middle School. The summit will have six educational tracks: Drag, LGBTQIA+ Elementary Students, LGBTQIA+ Elementary & High School Students, Parents, and AISD Teachers & Staff. The elementary track will include drag queen reading hour, gender dress, makeup time, little kid yoga, different types of families, and LGBTQIA+ elementary reading. Topics for middle and high school students include LGBTQIA+ language, how to start a Gay/Straight Alliance, LGBTQIA+ history, safe social media use, healthy relationships, the science of transition, different types of families, intersections of race and identity, a writing workshop, LGBTQ young adult literature, and political activism. Allies will attend a four-hour ally training. The parent track will include a PFLAG panel, LGBTQIA+ language, how to address LGBTQIA+ bullying, safe social media use, healthy relationships, LGBTQIA+ public policy, the science of transition, different types of families, intersections of race and identity, LGBTQIA+ books for parents, and political activism. The teacher/school staff track will include LGBTQIA+ language, how to start a Gay/Straight Alliance, addressing LGBTQIA+ bullying, public policy, intersections of race and identity, LGBTQIA+ books and resources for educators, incorporating LGBTQIA+ topics into Social Emotional Learning, and political activism. The drag track will be specifically for students interested in learning the history and art of drag. They will work individually with a drag queen from the Austin area to prepare a drag performance for the drag show at the end of the summit.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – AsylumConnect

2018-04-30T00:00:00Z

Although LGBTQ equality and safety are increasing in some countries, they’re decreasing in others. 73 countries continue to criminalize homosexuality. LGBTQ people in these countries are imprisoned and subjected to “corrective action” (rape, public humiliation). In 10 countries, identifying as LGBTQ is still punishable by death. As a result, ever year, thousands of LGBTQ immigrants and asylum seekers flee persecution in their home countries based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Co-founded by a lesbian and gay asylum seeker in 2014 at the University of Pennsylvania, AsylumConnect is a tech nonprofit on a mission to provide LGBTQ asylum seekers with the verified information and sense of community they need to safely integrate in their new home. The organization’s vision is to serve as the go-to information hub for persecuted LGBTQ people and the organizations who serve them. Since our founding, we’ve received recognition and support from the UN, MCJ/Amelior Foundation, Clinton Foundation, Harvard Social Enterprise Conference, Trevor Project, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) and others. To-date, we’ve fulfilled our mission through creating the AsylumConnect catalog, the first ever online resource database for LGBTQ asylum seekers in the U.S. In November 2017, in partnership with nonprofit One Degree, we released a national version of our resource catalog. The new catalog currently helps LGBTQ asylum seekers find safe resources in Seattle, Philadelphia, NYC, Washington D.C., San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Nonprofits, immigration attorneys, and other providers also use our free, online database to gather verified resource referrals for their clients. Now, building upon One Degree's powerful resource search and management platform, we will scale our service across the U.S. At scale, our catalog will streamline the safe integration of persecuted LGBTQ people in their new home. Everyone deserves the safety to live authentically.

Disability – TeleMental Health Services for the Deaf Community

2018-04-30T00:00:00Z

National Deaf Therapy is a Deaf-owned and Deaf operated company. NDT offers Deaf counseling in American Sign Language through web-based counseling services and through our secure HIPAA complaint eTherapy video platform. NDT aims to gain access to Mental Health services for the Deaf community, knowing that it comes with multiple challenges. Communication barriers and cultural understanding between the client and therapists often makes finding help hard for the Deaf. That’s why we created an eTherapy solution, so we can provide increased access to Deaf (DDBDDHH) therapists for our Deaf clients. All mental health professionals at National Deaf Therapy are Deaf themselves and are independent providers with a variety of state business licenses with unique requirements. DDBDDHH Definitions: DEAF DEAFBLIND DEAFDISABLED HARD-OF-HEARING What our grantee is saying: "We want all of our audience to have access to mental health resources nationwide. It is our goal to increase access to Mental Health services for the Deaf community but it comes with multiple challenges. With this award, we will be developing more resources. We'd love you to come and check out our website!"

Alaska (Inactive) – Yup’ik Masks – Unfolding the Past to Our Present G

2018-04-30T00:00:00Z

The goal of Yup’ik Masks – Unfolding the Past to Our Present Generation is educate stakeholders in the YK Delta the importance of Yup’ik masks and the stories behind them. Ten (10) to fifteen (15) participants will learn to carve using both traditional and modern techniques, assembly of appendages, and stories behind certain types of masks. However, applicants and registrants will be open to the public with preference to Alaska Native and American Indian residents. Each participant will take with them knowledge they themselves can practice and pass on to others. Two types of masks will be carved, a human spirit and owl spirit. The importance of each type and the techniques on carving each will be taught. Several assembly methods of appendages, hoops and prongs will be taught so that each student can choose their preference and individual style. Stories of why these types of masks were made will be taught to have the participants learn the meaning of such masks. Finally, they will learn, how after they are carved, why they were used and the ceremonies that made them an important part of dance and song. By encompassing all aspects of carving from beginning to end, I hope will encourage the participant’s continuance of the Yup’ik culture and tradition. Through these traditions our culture will live on for generations to come by encouraging them to pass on what they have learned. Thus, completing the Yup’ik heritage of passing on knowledge to one another.

Washington, DC – Gourmet Symphony’s Taste Your Music Project

2018-04-30T00:00:00Z

Gourmet Symphony is a nonprofit organization founded in 2014 with a mission to reimagine the classical music experience by presenting concert programs that creatively pair music, food, and drink. Each public event features a chamber or symphonic ensemble, a chef or culinary hotspot, and a winery, brewery, or distillery from the D.C.-area.The organization unites these local artists and artisans through a collaborative process, furthering appreciation of the classical arts by providing a viable alternative to the traditional concert. We fulfill our mission through four main programs, including full-orchestra concerts, our Saloon Concert Series, and curatorial services. The fourth program titled, Taste Your Music, is where we request your support. Gourmet Symphony recognizes the power of music to change lives for the better and make this a core part of its ongoing programming. In 2015, the organization launched a community outreach project called Taste Your Music, with support from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The project brings musical, educational, and therapeutic concert programs free-of-charge to local food and service organizations like So Others Might Eat. Taste Your Music explores the intersection of music, food, and fellowship—offering meaningful opportunities for D.C. residents-in-need to enjoy the classical arts and to benefit from them. We hope you’ll support us in feeding the souls, and stomachs, of our neighbors-in-need.

Northern Virginia (NOVA) (Inactive) – CES Farmer's Market: From School Yard to Table

2018-04-29T00:00:00Z

At CES we are a Green School. We have been recognized by the National Wildlife Federation as one of the Top 10 Green Schools in the US, as well as have our Green Ribbon Status with the US Department of Education. Taking care of our environment and our communities is a major focus for our school. Each grade level has their own garden space. Some are for learning (VA Garden, Butterfly Garden), and others are for growing produce. We wanted to turn our gardens into a Green STEAM project. We have started our own Farmer's Market, right at our school, at dismissal to give our families easy access to farm fresh, organic food. We have partnered with a local organic farmer to help us have the volume of produce needed. The students completely run the market. They are in charge of the gardens, from planting to harvest, they have to keep the books, used a cash register, scales, work with the customers, set it up, take it down etc...They have even researched what grows best in NOVA for each seasion. It is amazing to watch them take ownership of this project.

Asheville, NC (Inactive) – The AMC's SHOW TRUCK

2018-04-27T00:00:00Z

It is with great hope and excitement that I am writing this grant for the American Myth Center's mobile stage, or as we affectionately call it, our Show Truck. This will be the tool we use to bring our particular brand of inclusive storytelling to as diverse an audience as possible here in the Asheville area. It will not only facilitate the completion our 2018 initiative, it will also enable us, in the years to come, to continue bringing theatre to our community, instead of asking them to come to us. The AMC's next event is 'The Ballad of R & J,' which will play downtown Asheville in the lot at 68 Haywood on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays during the month of June. This bluegrass-infused, Shakespearean adaptation is a new American Myth that was created to focus on the issues of tribalism, inherited hate, and fear of the other. Its aim is not to provide answers, but to spark conversation around these themes, which we believe are central to both Asheville and the nation at large. The location of this event was chosen as a way to introduce the company and this Myth to Asheville, but we know a show downtown provides a limited invitation. With our Show Truck, we can not only create a stage in the downtown lot, but also take the show out into underserved communities for our Sunday matinees. This event, however, is only the beginning. The next step is to use the connections made and knowledge gained this summer to put together future tours and/or installations of 'The Ballad of R & J,' whether they be to schools, community centers, or the like. This will be an ongoing, evolutionary project with this and other American Myths, but the delivery system will be what enables us to accomplish it. The Show Truck will give us the means to our end.

Gloucester, MA – Handicapped accessible swing

2018-04-27T00:00:00Z

Sofia (Inactive) – София - цветна градина

2018-04-27T00:00:00Z

Здравейте, Awesome Foundation. На моята идея точно сега й е времето :) Защо ли? Защото е пролет и аз бих купил с парите цветя в саксии, които ще оставя по первазите на прозорците на целия център на София. Просто така, като подарък-напомняне за всеки, че градът ни може да изглежда много по-красив, отколкото сме свикнали да го виждаме, и от нас също зависи това да се случи. Правило ми е впечатление колко добре изглеждат градове като Дъблин, в който цветята са част от всяка фасада или заведение; Гърция, в която хората се надпреварват да направят къщата си по-красива и цветна, или Италия, в която няма дом, пред който да не цъфтят малки градинки. В София не е така. Вероятно е част от народопсихологията ни (не си мий колата, че някой ще я забележи и ще ти я разбие; не си украсявай къщата и т.н.), но е факт, че в града ни цветята по прозорците са много малко. Затова реших да купя много цветя и да ги оставя на балконите на хората, по витрини, стълбища, придружени от визитка, обясняваща идеята. Надявам се, че много хора ще се почувстват вдъхновени не само да отгледат подареното цвете, но и да украсят фасадите на домовете си с още цветя, така че един ден, скоро, да живеем в много по-цветен и радващ окото град. А сега е момента, защото точно сега цветните борси продават разсад от петунии - красиви, ефирни и бързо преливащи от саксиите цветя, които ще ни радват цяло лято. Тази цветна акция ще популяризирам допълнително, заснемайки кадри от нея, които ще включа във видеоклипа на песента "Чужди цветя", която предстои да представя до месец. Клипът ще заснема и монтирам със свои средства и вярвам, че ще даде допълнителен живот на идеята, така че за за нея да се заговори за много повече от ден. :)

Sarnia (Inactive) – Project Sensory

2018-04-26T00:00:00Z

I’d like to make planters with the White Cane Society. Because they’re visually impaired it would be best to use plants that offer both touch and smell - lavender, zebra plant.. planting does not require eyesight, just a guild. With help from volunteers we could assist in making planters for them to care for. *Benefit, if the plants die they won’t be able to see it so they’ll just keep taking care of them - no angry customers to deal with.

Baltimore, MD – PIVOT Women's Reentry Pilot Program

2018-04-26T00:00:00Z

PIVOT is a program designed to help women rebuild their lives after being released from prison. Today, when women are released, they walk out the doors with nothing but the clothes on their backs and are expected to find housing, a job, and provide for their families. For many women, no transition or reentry services are available at all. At least one in four women will become homeless after release, and after being rejected by countless employers and landlords due to their criminal records, more than 70% will give up hope and re-offend. However, this statistic drops to less than 9% for people participating in reentry programs. The long term vision of PIVOT is to be the go-to resource for all women being released from incarceration in Maryland - providing access to basic needs like food, clothing, housing and medical care, and helping women rebuild their lives through supportive programming that focuses on job readiness, financial literacy, parenting, health and wellness and more. In the short term, PIVOT will begin with a pilot program that will walk 10 women through the reentry process, providing community and peer mentors along with the services mentioned above - culminating in employment through one of our employer partners or acceptance into a higher education program. The pilot will launch in June, meeting 2x per week for 12 weeks.

Leiden – Schaken op de Beestenmarkt #1

2018-04-25T00:00:00Z

Hoe gaaf zou het zijn als er op de Beestenmarkt een groot schaakbord zou komen waar jong en oud met elkaar in contact komt. Over de gehele wereld kom je deze schaakborden tegen echter in Leiden hebben wij deze nog niet.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Mile-High Greenhouses

2018-04-23T00:00:00Z

From 2010-2016, I conducted an in-depth analysis of climate change patterns in the western highlands of Guatemala, and investigated how these rapid changes are affecting family agriculture in the ecologically diverse and fragile region. I discovered a pattern of factors related to increased UV radiation, changing rainfall, unpredictable seasons, heavy hail and frosts, and an unfathomable increase of insect and organism pests and plagues- all influenced by climate driven issues and lack of human capacity to effectively deal with them. The areas most severely affected were over 8000' in altitude- between 8000-14,000 above sea level ,where yearly agricultural losses to small farmers often topped 75% or more in my data. Many farmers with some support are turning to a hoop-style greenhouse design, that is expensive and poorly adapted to the conditions at high altitudes- decaying within 1-3 years due to UV rays, wind, and hail, and with no ability to irrigate, tendency to overheat during the day, and freeze at night. Our team discovered an amazing greenhouse design by the Indigenous population of Bolivia that overcomes all of these factors by sinking the greenhouse 1.5 meters underground- using the soil as a natural insulation, with a low profile peaked roof resistant to sun, wind and hail. With this design, valuable crops such as nutrient dense vegetables, crops with high export value, fruits, herbs and medicinal plants- can be grown year-round, with water capture, cistern and simple irrigation, as high as 14,500' or more above sea level. Our project would install a demo greenhouse with innovative cistern/ graywater recycling on site at about 8500, open to the public and agriculturally productive year-round.

Glasgow – Recycle Mobility Centre CIC

2018-04-23T00:00:00Z

Recycle Mobility Centre (RMC) is a social enterprise trading since 2014 within the Market Village In-shop Clydebank moving to its present location in October 2017, at 470 Dumbarton Road G81 4DN which contains a shop and a workshop area for repairs. RMC aim is to offer a community affected by disability benefit changes, where re assessment has resulted in a substantial reduction of their disposable income or where a member of the ageing population may not have the income, savings or inclination to purchase new equipment. The company is able to provide a wide range of mobility equipment including mobility scooters, power-chairs, wheelchairs, rise and recliner chairs, walking and bath aids alongside other accessories. We also offer a repair and maintenance service all equipment repaired has a quality assurance guarantee along with a three months warranty. RMC provides an alternative to the purchase of new equipment that can be up to two thirds of the original price, also offering opportunity to a pay-up scheme with no interest charges. We look to raise awareness of our services through our website, social media, hospital advertising, leaflet drops, word of mouth and by partnering with organisations which share interest or outcome with ourselves. Through good support from the public, who donate mobility equipment that is no longer required so that someone else may benefit; the income generated from this source allows the company to extend employment, volunteering and training opportunities to as wide a sector of the community as possible. This would embrace sections that might find accessing employment challenging and would include young people applying through community jobs, older retired adults and those affected by disabilities or refugee status. For example in the care sector with community care choice – in the training sector with Strathclyde university, or in the environmental protection sector with Zero Waste Scotland.

Boston, MA – Tell Your Story; GIANT PUPPETS

2018-04-22T00:00:00Z

I'd like to introduce Living Art, a non-profit aiming to help Boston's teenagers and adults view civic life through a new prism. Teens and young adults draw, paint, and construct sculptures, realistic and imaginative. Works are usually full size images. Their size attracts attention which helps build the participants self esteem. The intergenerational community connections and celebrations are an essential part of our aims and goals. This semesters program, "Tell Your Story "is focused on making Giant Puppets to be part of the Dorchester Day Parade, and hopefully First Night. The enjoyment students feel, also they are always amazed at how much the public enjoys the puppets, and how much fun we all had. During the program students gain experience in intensive art making and real life work as they collaboratively manage a busy studio, while presenting their artworks in public exhibitions that powerfully and positively impact our community. In order to tell their stories the young people often need to consult the relatives and adults in their lives and others in the community. This process broadens the perspective of everyone involved and encourages active engagement in civic life and service. Another program usually offered in the summer "Portraits,People and Places," started seventeen years ago and continues with a timely new focus on First Responders through our new non profit, Living Art. You can see some work from last summer on our web site. We are interested in process vs product and as this involves lots of discussions during classes, practice at expressing themselves comes about quite naturally.

Moscow (Inactive) – Это нужно не мертвым, это нужно живым

2018-04-22T00:00:00Z

В 2017 году открыли Аллею славы, посвященную участникам ВОв. Обучающиеся школы и жители деревни посадили около 100 кустов деревьев (рябины, березы). Подрастающее поколение нашей деревни не помнят своих героев. С этой целью мы решили сделать вывески с ФИО ветеранов (23 ), поставить скамейки. Наша Аллея славы станет местом встреч родственников, жителей деревни и местом проведения массовых мероприятий.

New York City, NY – WinC Con 2018

2018-04-22T00:00:00Z

AwesomeNYC is excited to support WinC-Con 2018, being held on June 30th at the Central Library branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. Tickets are free and can be reserved online! The Women in Comics Collective focuses on highlighting the merit and craft work of women working in the comic book industry and beyond. We are women collective of story creators, inking artists, coloring artists, graphic novelists, manga artists, filmmakers, educators, translators, animators, and writers. We host panel discussions, gallery exhibitions and workshops all over New York, with expanding reach across the country. WinC-Con is an annual comic and arts convention in the heart of America's cultural center: New York. We are a gathering of writers, artists, and other content creators coming together to celebrate women in the creative arts! Join us for engaging panel discussions, browsing vendors, and expanding your knowledge base of creators and works available; diverse creators and characters alike! WinC-Con is a fast-growing convention that puts marginalized voices on the forefront. Get access to hard to find comics and vendors, and add to your collection of books, comics, art, and collectibles! We've got the content that you want! Our audiences are people who don't have access to the larger shows such as the NY Comic Con or San Diego Comic Con International, so we decided to bring the "Con" experience to our community. People have full access to professionals that they may not ordinarily would have been able to talk to.

Moscow (Inactive) – Хутор Milka

2018-04-22T00:00:00Z

3 года назад я выкупила старинный дом 1914 года постройки для создания в нем краеведческого центра Карельского перешейка. Более 20 лет собирая предметы культуры нескольких веков, получив образование культуролога, работая педагогом, я приняла решение рассказать о своих знаниях людям, которым это интересно. НО в 2016 году шло под снос другое старейшее здание нашей местности, спроектированное Гронхольмом. Я не смогла пройти мимо и выкупила его. На тот момент сумма перевоза здания оценивалась в 500 т.. Я взяла кредит, но строители не выполнили своих обязательств. Сейчас взяв еще кредитов, я уже собрала стены и начала выставлять в этом здании экспонаты ( временно, только на приезд гостей). Сейчас мне очень нужна крыша. Мои финансовые возможности исчерпаны. Экскурсии, которые я провожу по округе, в первом доме и во дворе, где сделаны уличные стенды - бесплатны, поскольку я считаю, что культура, знания, должны быть доступными людям, в том числе в провинции. Я пишу статьи, собираю вещи, читаю книги, общаюсь с архивами.. я верю в себя и свои силы. Мне просто надо немного помочь, я буду бесконечно за это благодарна. Паблик всего моего проекта https://vk.com/hutormilka

Moscow (Inactive) – Музейный дворик

2018-04-22T00:00:00Z

Проект направлен на создание альтернативной площадки культурного отдыха в Хвалынске. Летний кинотеатр и лекторий под открытым небом ориентирован на всех жителей города- от мала до велика - и позволит проводить различные бесплатные мероприятия для хвалынцев. Проект имеет целью постепенную интеграцию местных жителей в активное и инициативное сообщество, которое может самостоятельно решать несложные вопросы благоустройства, досуга, просвещения, самоуправления и т.д. Такое объединение людей начнется с совместного просмотра кино, дворовых праздников, мастер-классов, а со временем такое времяпровождение должно вызвать желание людей самим организовывать свои интересы. Музейный дворик может стать хорошей площадкой для сбора людей и обсуждения насущных дел, проведения дискуссий и просто местом приятного отдыха под стенами старинного купеческого особняка XIX века.

Raleigh, NC (Inactive) – Bixels - Interactive Colorful & Musical Button Mat

2018-04-20T00:00:00Z

Maniacal Labs has brought a wide array of crazy LED displays to the public for several years with an overwhelmingly positive response from the public! The most popular pieces? Once that the public can interact with. Better yet, those that could be touched. So now we want to take all our experience and build something that people can touch, change, see, and hear. We call it the “Bixel Matrix”. “Button” plus “Pixel” equals “Bixel”. A large matrix of these Bixels would make up an LED display in which every pixel can be pressed, changing the animation in real-time. The types of interactivity are practically endless and we would have the display programmed with a multitude of different options of course.

Oahu, HI – SNAP Enhancement

2018-04-20T00:00:00Z

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is an economic stimulus that allows low-income families to spend federal funds on food. Vendors that accept SNAP benefits allow recipients to purchase fresh or prepared foods. Waimanalo Market Co-op (WMC) has initiated use of the SNAP interface, the Electronic Benefits Terminal (EBT), Since implementing EBT for SNAP, WMC has averaged approximately $1,000.00 in SNAP benefits redeemed per month by those shopping at the Co-op. Approximately 1/3 of the SNAP funds are used to purchase fresh, locally grown vegetables and fruits. These purchases are paid through to farmers as consignment income on their vegetables and fruits. In an effort to increase consumption of locally sourced, healthy fresh vegetables and fruits among SNAP beneficiaries, the WMC has committed to the goal of doubling the amount of fresh, health vegetables and fruits consumed by SNAP recipients during 2018. This will be accomplished by issuing "matching" funds via certificates redeemable only at the WMC for fresh vegetables and fruits. These dollar-for-dollar matching certificates will be in increments of $5 or $10 and can only be redeemed at the time of the EBT purchase and only for fresh vegetables and fruits. Other federal grant funds received by WMC are being used to encourage farmers to grow and sell produce locally with the goal of enhancing economic development and healthy nutrition. Local produce needs to get into the shopping bags of consumers, and WMC is committed to encouraging improved nutrition among local EBT users, who are often most nutritionally compromised members of our community. Funds awarded by The Awesome Foundation would serve as in-kind matching contribution required by our federal grant, and will be paid through to local farmers who have grown the produce.

Oahu, HI – Hui Peer-to-Peer Parenting Support Program

2018-04-20T00:00:00Z

The Zero to Three Parent Survey in 2016 (National) reports a high need and desire of parents to learn parenting strategies and have peer support of other parents to raise healthy children and prevent child abuse and neglect from occuring in their home. The Hui Peer-to-Peer Parenting Support Program is parents helping parents (with a researched based curriculum) through the journey of parenting. The goals of the Hui program are to: " Help families raise healthy children " Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect The objectives of the Hui Peer Parenting Support Programs are to: " Provide parents with the supports they need so that their children can grow to their optimal development " Help parents develop their own parenting style recognizing the highly significant impact that their actions have during the early childhood years, prenatal to age 5, where brain development is at its peak and is most vulnerable; " Provide parents knowledge of typical early childhood development " Provide parents knowledge and access to child development screenings to detect concerns of possible developmental delays while early intervention is most effective as well as resources and referrals to support them " Providing parents science based parenting strategies that are appropriate for their child's age " Help parents develop social connections with other families in their neighborhood that naturally become a families' network of support that may continue well beyond the formal Family Hui program into their children's adolescent years. " Develop leaders within communities by training volunteer parents participating in a Hui group to facilitate the 10-12 weeks of content discussion. " Expand the Hui program reach to serve more families on Maui and Lanai and begin outreach efforts on Kauai, Molokai, and Hawaii to bring Hui to these communities. Hui is the only FREE peer-to-peer parenting program in Hawaii. We ask families to give back by volunteering to run a new Hui in their community.

Kingston – Dandelion Initiative's Safer Bars - Kingston Pilot

2018-04-20T00:00:00Z

The Dandelion Initiative began in 2015 under the name the Sexual Assault Action Coalition, founded by Viktoria Belle, a survivor and educator. Through community collaboration, we continued to work with a small group of survivors and allies to create the Dandelion Initiative. We are led by survivors for survivors. We are rooted in feminist, intersectional, anti-oppressive and harm reduction frameworks that prioritize the lived experiences of women and other marginalized people. The Safer Bars Project is one of our initiatives to create systemic change by putting education and leadership tools in the hands of the community itself. We founded the project after months of community consultation and collaboration, unifying stories and perspectives from survivors and allies in the Bar and Service industry. This training will help employees understand Bill 132, which enforced changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, while empowering employers to build policies and protocols that will create safe and equitable working environments. Our training also provides bars and restaurants with an opportunity to challenge the status quo, break the cycle of normalized sexual violence and rebuild the bar and service community by becoming leaders in creating safe spaces with zero tolerance for sexual assault and sexual harassment. We have developed this training with an emphasis on community and accessibility while being informed by the lived experiences of survivors in the bar and service industry, and current research and policy developments. Our training includes: - 3 hour in-person training session - Participant workbook/zine - Sample policies and educational toolkit - Certificate of completion - Dandelion sticker for your window - Listing on #SafeBarsON public registry (available on our website) - Monthly support calls from The Dandelion Initiative - Access to all our resources

Ottawa – Robot Missions Municipal Trials

2018-04-19T00:00:00Z

April’s Awesome Ottawa award – the 100th award given out – goes to Erin “RobotGrrl” Kennedy to support municipal trials of open source beach-cleaning robots. Robot Missions, Erin’s social enterprise, empowers communities to embark on environmental missions with the use of robots. Last summer, they brought their beach-cleaning robot to Westboro Beach, Mooney's Bay Beach, and Petrie Island on field tests, with the community joining in and assisting with the testing of the robot. This summer, they start municipal trials, deploying three robots on Westboro Beach and Mooney's Bay Beach, cleaning up in specific zones and running baseline assessments along the shoreline. “The objective of our robot,” explains Erin, “is to improve our environment by collecting tiny-trash pollution found on beaches. This type of pollution (3-25 mm) poses a threat to our ecosystems, but is often ignored by manual efforts, and large machinery does not collect it.” University of Ottawa engineering students are also developing new modules for the robot for environmental restoration – for example, using the robot to plant wildflower seeds to increase pollinating plants, and retrieving water samples. The public will be invited to join in every Saturday morning through the summer, operating the robots and interacting with the team. You can learn more at robotmissions.org, or follow the project on Facebook and Twitter. Erin is both a maker and an inventor of robots, having built her first robots at age 13. She is the creator of RoboBrrd, an animatronic character designed to help kids learn about robotics, and started the Robot Party, a weekly online video hangout that brings together robot builders from around the world to share their robots and knowledge.

Orlando, FL – Luminosities: A Nighttime, Outdoor Art Experience

2018-04-19T00:00:00Z

I have created an awesome outdoor nighttime art experience to exhibit my newest art series: Luminosities. Upon arrival, each attendee will walk along a winding boardwalk trail through Mead Botanical Garden's wetlands. This calming, dimly lit walk will culminate in the butterfly garden where patrons will discover a grouping of illuminated paintings. After experiencing Luminosities, patrons are invited to add words about their experience in the reflection book. This series celebrates the truly awesome and transformative moments that awaken our connections to the natural world and allow us to find light within the darkness. Those unexpected, magical instances that deepen the understanding of ourselves and the peaceful feeling of being connected to something larger than any one individual. My own experiences of connection to nature came unexpectedly while on a solo night walk, which I have attempted to capture in this series. I have translated these feelings into fourteen new paintings which showcase wild, luminous, supernatural night skies set against the grounded and ghostly silhouettes of trees. The event coincides with the end of Earth Week and will be both a celebration of Art and Nature, Art in Nature. In total contrast with plein air artwork which are typically executed during the daytime, Luminosities will present artworks in the dark of the woods. Stunning, unusual and unexpected, we have a great vision for the event. The purpose of this experience is to convey the sense of communion with nature and art, which both leave you with a sense of awe. We are hoping that both the concept and the execution of the event will make people remember it forever and that they'll literally go: "Wow! that's awesome!" We need your help to make this happen. As an emerging artist I have little funds to turn this concept into a memorable experience, which brings art out of the gallery walls and into the world.

Twin Cities, MN (Inactive) – Random Kindness Relay

2018-04-18T00:00:00Z

Print the Love is hosting its 1st Annual Random Kindness Relay on Sunday, April 29, 2018 from 1-3pm. Participants will join us for Random Act of Kindness fun on the Greenway in Uptown, spreading ripples of compassion! Participants will deliver already-assembled Kits of Kindness and gather afterwards for prizes, food, and drinks. Each participant will receive a t-shirt and ideas to do random acts of kindness on their own. At Print the Love, we see first hand how profound it is for someone to receive an instant photo who does not have access to photos in the international under-resourced communities we travel to. We wanted to bring this same infectious joy to our own community - simple small gift, a random act of kindness, to say "You matter!" to each person we encounter here or abroad. Some examples of Random Acts of Kindness that participants will do: *Pick up litter; *Leave a gas gift card at a gas pump; *Donate old towels or blankets to an animal shelter; *Leave letters of encouragement in random places; *Hand out flowers with instructions to "give this to someone you love"; *Give a stranger a compliment; *Leave $ on vending machine or hide in random places; *Tweet or post an encouraging note; *Message a genuine compliment to 3 people; *Text a friend that you are thinking of them; *Leave a nice comment on a post or blog; *Write encouraging chalk notes on the sidewalk; *Tape microwave popcorn to a Redbox; *Paint and place encouraging rocks; *Put positive sticky notes on mirrors; *Post "please take a compliment" sheets; *Take treats to a nursing home; *Make cards for senior center; *Encounter someone in customer service who is especially kind and take time to tell their manager; *Smile at five strangers; *Put a plant in a terracotta pot, write positive words on the pot and give it away; *and more!

Chicago, IL – Glass Case Mini Art Gallery at The WasteShed

2018-04-18T00:00:00Z

The Glass Case Mini Art Gallery is a new project of The WasteShed, Chicago's only creative reuse center. The WasteShed is a nonprofit thrift store that keeps reusable art and educational materials out of the landfill, and turns them into an accessible, affordable resource for artists, teachers, and anyone who needs them. The Glass Case in question is a handsome midcentury jewelry case salvaged from the Marshall Fields in Evanston. Anything that goes in it must fit through a 15" square door in the back. Every month, we are showcasing a different local artist who works with 60% or more repurposed materials, with a particular focus on emerging artists, people of color, and makers who have never or rarely shown their work before. All our featured artists will have the opportunity to hold an art opening or workshop in the store. The goals of the Glass Case Mini Art Gallery are: - To provide a platform for the many amazing, diverse artists and craftspeople who come through our store, and to encourage them to apply their ingenuity to transforming discarded materials into small art, and to earn some money from so doing (artists get 75% of sales of their work), - To inspire our customers and demonstrate the awesome power and potential of so-called trash, - To create conversation, collaboration, and connection among the folks who we currently mostly know as customers and neighbors, but who will form the basis of a new kind of creative community.

Asheville, NC (Inactive) – Booth Fairy Project (Sh#%ty Advice $1.00 booth)

2018-04-17T00:00:00Z

Hi. My project is SO FREAKING AWESOME! I started popping up a few years back with a 'free advice' booth around Asheville. No charge and a full menu (free hugs, free advice, glitter, high fives, free compliments, etc) It is a beautiful and very healing and fun way to heal and inspire.I am called the Booth Fairy. I have made positive changes in my life like quitting ciggarettes and eating healthy and I help people get motivated to take better care of their bodies. I especially love talking to young people about making empowering choices. People around town LOVE it! Running the booth inspired me to organize events called 'Bliss Mobs' where we meet in downtown asheville and do super high vibe, much needed events like the Free Hug Flash Mob. This is where we come together and give out free hugs, free high fives...get more deeply connected to the one another. It is such an easy way to break down the walls we've created and making people feel ALIVE again! My goal is to build a free advice booth, and a slow clap (mini stage to receive applause on) to be permanently placed somewhere in asheville and surrounding cities. And to have bliss mobs occurring regularly in each city in the US, starting with Asheville. There is no reason why we shouldn't be doing this.

Newmarket – Healthy Snack Program for Kids

2018-04-17T00:00:00Z

Our awesome project aims to feed over 640 kids at Our Public School. We have 645 students in our school that come from middle-low income families and are always looking to have healthy and nutritious snacks and food such as apples, carrots, and other fruits and veggies. We work hard as a team to feed the students but have found that the food is gobbled up quite quickly due to hunger. When the children are faced with an option of a granola bar vs an apple, the children choose the apple but fresh produce is quite pricey for us to provide to kids. We would love to be able to feed the students so that they are able to learn, grow and develop healthy lifestyles because we feel its important that they are provided these healthy options even if their families are unable to provide it to them, at least we can!

Pittsburgh, PA – Stories That Heal

2018-04-16T00:00:00Z

At the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Keystone Pennsylvania, we know that one of the most effective ways to educate people about mental health conditions and overcome the stigma associated with them is for people to hear or tell stories of lived experience. Stories That Heal is a unique twist on this concept and will consist of pop-up events that feature stories of lived experience through various artistic means. The first stage is our Stories That Heal author series, a partnership between NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania and City of Asylum in which we will be hosting four special events that will highlight four local authors who live with mental health conditions at the City of Asylum Bookstore. At each of the events, all of which will be free to attend, one of our featured authors will read an excerpt from their book, followed by a moderated question and answer portion in which the author will be able to discuss their lived experience and answer audience questions. Our goal for Stories That Heal is to host social events that fight stigma, spread hopeful messages of recovery and resiliency, and foster connections. Living with mental health conditions can feel isolating, so we want to provide the opportunity for people to meet others whose lives have also been touched by mental health conditions. We also hope to inspire people who aren’t as aware about these conditions to become more empathetic and supportive toward those who have them. Every time someone shares or hears a story of lived experience, we are that much closer to ending the stigma and discrimination that people who live with mental health conditions face.

Sydney – Riverwood Reaching

2018-04-16T00:00:00Z

We have many children, out of our 120 students that live at or below the poverty line. Our preschool though has been rated as one of the best in NSW due to the love, respect and experience of our teachers, who are fabulous. We need a coat of paint and a fix up of our play area, that may sound simple, but is not cheap. $1000 would help us so much towards our goal, at Riverwood Public School we believe that we need to make a place that is like a home and safe place, as home is often,mot that way.

San Jose, CA – Communi-TEA

2018-04-16T00:00:00Z

Communi-TEA provides an afternoon of pampering just for women who are homeless, extremely low income, victims of domestic violence and sheltered. This is the 2nd year that the San Jose Woman's Club (SJWC) will be inviting women clients of local agencies such as InnVision, Downtown Streets Team. Next Door Solutions for Domestic Violence and Sacred Heart Community Service to a luncheon and bra distribution event by Be a Dear and Donate a Brassiere. There will be inspirational speakers, music and other surprises. The host in 2018 is SCC Supervisor Cindy Chavez who will greet the women and share her personal story. This year we will also add a resource fair to help women make linkages to services in the community that they may not be aware of. There will be Woman of Impact sitting at each table to share the meal. I've seen first-hand how the women appreciate when other women take the time to listen and share their stories. Many of the women who come are in survival mode; living in shelters, cars and the streets. Most have experienced trauma and abuse either as children or adults. The Communi-TEA’s goal is to provide them with something to look forward to, a break from the stress they experience daily, and the awareness that there are women from all walks of life who support them. It's a fun afternoon and the women leave with a swag bag, bras and panties, a portrait and a smile. The SJWC is volunteer run and the event is a collaboration of members from the club and other caring women. We are asking for your SUPPORT in helping to ensure that every woman leaves with 2 sets of undergarments. If you look at the attached images you will clearly see just how happy the women are to find a bra that fits. Having a bra is a matter of dignity and hygiene.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Natural Shocks National Project

2018-04-16T00:00:00Z

Lauren Gunderson is America's most-produced playwright. She's written a wide range of plays that often feature complex female protagonists, scientists, storylines inspired by Shakespeare, and various combinations thereof. She's also no stranger to activism-by-theater and offered her play The Taming royalty-free for any theaters who wanted to stage a reading on the day of Trump's inauguration as a form of protest. In January she sat down and wrote Natural Shocks, a gripping, yet hilarious one woman play about gun violence. Then February 14 happened in Parkland, Florida. And we decided to leverage this extremely flexible play to create a national play project on April 20, the 19th anniversary of Columbine (and in conjunction with the walk-outs organized by the MDS students for that day). Based on Hamlet's "To be or not to be", this one-woman tour-de-force play bursts to life when we meet a woman waiting out an imminent tornado in her basement. She overflows with quirks, stories, and a final secret that puts the reality of guns in America in your very lap. The play is part confessional, part stand up, and part reckoning. Lauren is offering this play royalty-free for anyone who wants to stage a reading the weekend of April 19-23,with all proceeds from ticket sales (or related fundraising activity) to be directed to domestic violence and gun violence-related nonprofits. We have over 80 readings in 41 states and a flagship reading Off-Broadway in NYC starring Kathy Najimy, benefitting the Ms. Foundation.

Cass Clay – Busy Hands

2018-04-15T00:00:00Z

For many Alzheimer's, Dementia, and even Stroke patients the gradual regression of their memory often leads to unintended habits of agitated movement and fidgeting with their hands. A person with Dementia may pull on their clothing or bedding, or rub their hands up and down a surface. Many patients deal with this habit by carrying around small objects such as beads, zippers, buttons, or any other textured textiles. The simple solution to this is a fidget pillow, something with different textures and material sewn in for patients in order to keep their hands busy. This not only keeps them busy but it also induces unique forms of brain activity. Busy Hands is local nonprofit organization grown out of Fargo by two juniors at Davies High from 2016. We work towards helping the many patients not only in the Fargo Moorhead area, but across the state and even into Minnesota, by donating these pillows. Much of our work goes directly into involving the youth in the community and encouraging many of them to get involved and volunteer from early ages. Through our volunteer events we have had over kids from the age of 7 to 18 help out in making these pillows for our patients. Our pillows get directly donated to many senior centers and many Alzheimer's/ Dementia care facilities across the state, some in the past have been Mapleview, Villa Maria, Touchmark, and even Bethany Retirement Centers. Currently we have been working closely with the North Dakota Alzheimer's Association, who have put our pillows in care consultations across the state, but our mission is to serve the over 14,000 patients in our state with these pillows. What specifically goes into our pillows is a variety of textured fabrics alongside with materials such as ribbons, buttons, zippers, pockets, and small materials sewn in the front. They are colorful and more importantly every pillow is different. We hope that our pillows represent the hope and encouragement that we send to these patients and their families.

Almere (Inactive) – Drijf-in bioscoop

2018-04-10T00:00:00Z

Een drijf in bioscoop op het water. Voor bootjes lekker een avond film kijken.

Ann Arbor, MI – Shakespeare in Prison

2018-04-09T00:00:00Z

Shakespeare in Prison, Detroit Public Theatre’s signature community program, has been going gangbusters at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility for six years! Our ensembles use Shakespeare to empower themselves, develop crucial skills, and smash society’s expectations. As one woman said, “Things I didn’t think were in me, I could see within myself and in the characters. Seeing things in different ways has helped me become a better woman. When I came here, I was really angry and didn’t care about anything but myself. Now I see things differently.” We see people in their totality--not as defined by their worst mistakes. Incarcerated people are disconnected from their humanity and that of others. Labeled by their crimes and prison ID numbers, most have survived trauma and addiction. They have been disempowered; made to feel worthless, stupid; shells of who they once were or could have been. The SIP experience profoundly alters this. In our ensembles, people find comrades and a safe space; their ideas are valued; they improve communication; and they accomplish something totally radical. More than 90% of incarcerated people will go home. The values and skills learned in SIP help ensemble members constructively reintegrate into society, making them less likely to re-offend. Several alumni are pursuing goals developed in SIP; we get glowing reports about reconnecting with family and having real jobs--things they never thought possible. Those still in prison use what they’ve learned not only for their own benefit, but to positively affect their community. The WHV ensemble works for 9 months, performing at season’s end. Our pilot at Parnall Correctional Facility, a men’s prison in Jackson, has so far comprised a two-week intensive and a 12-week workshop. Ensemble members, audiences, and prison staff are extremely excited and supportive. A second 12-week workshop is underway; this fall, we’ll modify the program to be even more impactful in a 30-week format.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Native Women's Business Summit Childcare Support

2018-04-09T00:00:00Z

The Native Women’s Business Summit is a 1.5 day workshop April 13-14, 2018, to be held at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in the heart of Albuquerque, NM, to bring together 200+ Native American women in business to share our collective experiences, grow our social capital and create a network that is reflective of our own cultures and communities. We will bring recognized Native business and tribal leaders to share their knowledge and experience to speak and lead key skill-building workshops and informative sessions on everything from finance and taxes to licensing a company and hiring people. We will also have professionals from the investment and financing world attend, learn and share their practices for accessing capital. The entire experience will be designed so that all levels of business expertise can connect and find the tools they need to move to the next level.

Vegan (Inactive) – Cornell PEACE Talks

2018-04-08T00:00:00Z

Cornell PEACE Talks is a lecture series that aims to bring conversations about Plant-based nutrition, Ethics, Academic freedom and Environmentalism to Cornell University and beyond. It was conceived as a response to the blatant shunning of plant-based nutrition in the Nutritional Science curriculum at Cornell and the unexplained removal of Dr. T. Colin Campbell's class on plant-based nutrition because it conflicted with the interests of the dairy industry, which has a grotesquely immense influence on campus. The series has 3 lectures and one movie screening (with Q&A) and includes speakers such as Dr. Milton Mills and Dr. T. Colin Campbell. We feel that such a series is necessary because Cornell is supposed to have one of the top nutrition programs in the country and yet, more than 90% of all the nutrition courses fail to mention veganism or plant-based lifestyles at all. In fact, there is a class on Nutrition and Disease that I took where the the word plant-based was only mentioned once, and that too was in reference to a sea-food based Mediterranean diet. It is absolutely disgraceful that information about this life-saving lifestyle is withheld from students in order to appease industry interests and pump out graduates brainwashed with corporate propaganda. We had our first talk on Life Beyond Genetics a few weeks ago where Dr. Latham delivered a critique on the unwarranted importance of genetics in health discussions, which serves to detract from people's eating habits. Our next event is a What the Health screening and a skype Q&A with Dr. Klaper. Dr. Campbell will talk about his research and share his experience about how Cornell treated him. Dr. Mills will deliver a presentation about racial and ethic biases in the US dietary guidelines.

Newcastle – Unity in Diversity

2018-04-06T00:00:00Z

The Unity in Diversity Festival Newcastle celebrates the Cultural Diversity of Newcastle in the spirit of inclusiveness and welcome. The festival is held to coincide with National Refugee week. Building upon the capacities of the refugee, multicultural, indigenous and the more established Newcastle communities, the festival engages communities to come together to celebrate. The festival involves community member performances, food stalls, entertainment, unity activities, and cultural exchange. The 2018 Unity in Diversity Festival will take place on Saturday 23rd June. The Mayor of Newcastle takes part in the opening parade alongside community leaders from a vast array of cultural groups which helps set the seen for an inclusive day. It is an opportunity for diverse communities to connect with the wider Newcastle Community in a day of celebration and inclusiveness. Civic Park will be the public space utilised for the festival. It is a well known, safe and accessible public space with good public transport links. This accessibility encourages attendance and provides a safe space to build upon social connections. The festival celebrates the value of diversity in the Newcastle area and is the coming together of local communities, schools, the TAFE and the University. The coming together of diverse refugee, multicultural and already established Newcastle communities builds relationships and provides a welcome space for new arrivals. The benefit will be the sharing of cultures, building connections, the community capacity building of refugee and diverse communities and an opportunity to celebrate together.

Minas Gerais (Inactive) – Guaracy

2018-04-05T00:00:00Z

A Guaracy é um ideal que está em seu estágio inicial. Bem, trata-se de um empreendimento social que visa tornar a vida dos agricultores familiares do meu assentamento mais digna. Queremos ser chave pra conectar essas famílias produtoras ao crescente mercado da alimentação saudável, ao mesmo passo em que criamos meios para que nosso protifolio de produtos possam aumentar perspectivamente com o tempo. Almejamos consolidar um modelo de negócio que torne o produtor uma figura chave do desenvolvimento socio-economico nesse assentamento. Nosso principal objetivo é poder produzir a partir de agroflorestas e é claro nos conectar ao mercado de produtos orgânicos, ao mesmo passo que somos exemplo e tornamos mais pessoas nossas parceiras de produção conforme a demanda for aumentando. Bem, hoje estamos dando pequenos passos para atender a agricultura urbana de Belo Horizonte, fornecendo nossos serviços e cuidados para hortas e jardins das pessoas que moram na cidade. Desse modo estamos espalhando nossa mensagem e aos poucos captando fundos pra podermos fazer nossa primeira agrofloresta. A Guaracy, tem perspectivamente de que futuramente possamos oferecer cursos e vivências sobre agroecologia e até mesmo fortalecer nossa infraestrutura para ofertar jornadas de ecoturismo, tudo de forma a diversificar nossas formas de renda para que todos possam trabalhar dignamente e gerar desenvolvi te comunitário.

Annapolis, NS (Inactive) – Umbrellas for Annapolis Royal!

2018-04-05T00:00:00Z

This one's easy: Umbrellas for town! How awesome will it be to have 100 umbrellas made available at locations throughout Annapolis Royal for anyone and everyone to use? Imagine spotting 100 brightly coloured umbrellas on our streets, in the Historic Gardens, on the grounds of Fort Anne or our waterfront boardwalk, knowing that we've made it easy for visitors to be here, no matter the weather. It's true what they say, a little rain must fall, but it's no reason to stop folks from discovering all we have to offer! You'll find the umbrellas at 20 locations around town. Each location will have a simple poster encouraging folks to borrow an umbrella, enjoy our town, and reminding them to return it when they're done. Yep - the umbrellas will get all mixed up (and that's just fine!). Yep - more might end up at one end of town (easily managed). Some might even get stolen - great! we'll be promoted wherever it ends up! Awesome loved this idea because it's simple, it's visual, will be ready in time for the May long weekend, it's inclusive to absolutely everyone, and it's a thoughtful gesture to visitors (and locals!) that Annapolis Royal is a pretty special place.

San Antonio, TX – Shoes for Kids

2018-04-05T00:00:00Z

Having a sister who taught for over 30 years and speaking with teachers and social workers, I realized there was an acute need for footwear among the poor. Many teachers purchase shoes for their students who do not want to participate in activities because of the lack of footwear. In many cases students will not attend their graduation because they do not have shoes to wear. My vision for the next five years is to grow large enough so that no student, within our reach, will go without proper footwear. What makes Zapatos special is that with our all-volunteer staff of eight, we are able to deliver each pair of shoes to the school within one or two days after the request. Zapatos was founded in 2015 and started providing shoes in 2016 when we got our 501c3. Over 300 students were served in 2016, 703 in 2017, and approximately 200 pairs of shoes in the first two months of 2018. Zapatos, Inc. works with SAISD and all surrounding school districts to reach out to children that have a need for footwear. Most of our referrals come from teachers, counselors, social workers and the PFLs. Our goal is to help put footwear on approximately 850 or more needy children in the 2018-1019 school year.

Singapore – LONTAR 10: Southeast Asian Speculative Fiction

2018-04-05T00:00:00Z

Of all forms of literature, Speculative Fiction is the only one that primarily concerns itself with imagining the future and the fantastical. As a recent article in Smithsonian Magazine pointed out, it deals with “thinking about what’s possible for humanity and for civilization”. LONTAR: The Journal of Southeast Asian Speculative Fiction is the world’s only biannual literary journal focusing on Southeast Asian speculative fiction. The journal was founded in 2012, in order to spread awareness of this literature to readers who might not normally be exposed to it, and to celebrate its existence and diversity within the region. “Lontar” is the Indonesian word for a bound palm-leaf manuscript, which is among the oldest forms of written media, dating as far back as the fifth century BCE (and possibly earlier). As such, this ancient form of writing is the perfect symbol for the curation of Southeast Asian speculative fiction: it is an early technology that revolutionised the dissemination of knowledge, and it was used predominantly in India, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos. Despite nine issues with contributors from writers and artists who have won major literary and genre awards—such as the Hugo, Nebula, Palanca and Seiun Awards, and the Singapore Literature Prize—the double-sized 10th issue needs your help. The magazine is actually ready for printing but our team ran out of funding after the National Arts Council stopped funding regional publications,. We had raised money through Patreon but we are short SG$1,000 to start printing. Your contribution to LONTAR for this publication supports the growth of a literary scene in Singapore and Southeast Asia that is all about the implications of change in Arts and Science on human lives.

Oakland, CA (Inactive) – Graffiti Camp for Girls

2018-04-05T00:00:00Z

Girl Mobb created Graffiti Camp for Girls in 2017 in response to the dearth of public art by women and girls. Oakland Art Murmur commissioned her to create a list of all the murals painted by female artists in downtown Oakland. "There are hundreds of murals in this area and I could only find 20 done by females, which is just ridiculous," she says. "I just wanted to figure out what I could do about it." She started Graffiti Camp for Girls to develop the talents and create opportunities for girls to create public art. The week long camp gives them a place to learn the process and skills to collaboratively create a mural based on themes they decide. Our artists provide creative counsel, image planning, understanding of tools and application, and safety precautions necessary to create murals with spray paint. The end result is a mural designed and executed by the girls themselves. The biggest sustainability challenge of Graffiti Camp for Girls is making the class available in any city at no or low cost. At least 20% of all campers received full or partial scholarships. Graffiti Camp for Girls has garnered significant media coverage and is well known among youth of Oakland. Outreach is not our challenge. Our pain point is making the class available to those who cannot pay. Girl Mobb would like to partner with the Awesome Foundation to make a Free to All Comers Oakland camp in 2018. A grant from the Awesome Foundation would fund a week-long entirely free intensive murals workshop in Oakland for 7–10 young women between the ages of 12–18. The primary audience for this project is these participants. The secondary audience will be every girl who walks, bikes, or drives past the site. We especially intend for female artists and girls to see the work, learn about a supportive and thriving women’s street art scene, and imagine their place within it. Finally, residents of the city of Oakland and the greater Bay Area will experience this collaborative work.

Miami, FL – Financial Literacy at Lulu's

2018-04-04T00:00:00Z

During my senior year of undergrad I founded Lulu’s Nitrogen Ice Cream. From our founding, part of my vision for the company has been to create a community of empowerment through which all Lulu’s team members are trained in financial literacy. I currently host workshops taught by community leaders in this space which team members are paid to attend. In the last 12 months, we had three team members between the ages of 18 and 20 open Roth IRA’s and set up automatic contributions. The importance of early exposure to financial literacy is best demonstrated by the following scenario: assuming 8% annual return, person 1 starts saving at age 25 and saves $3,000 for ten years and person 2 starts saving at age 35 and saves $3,000 for thirty years. At age 65, person 1 will have $472,000 and person 2 will have $367,000. By providing financial literacy training to my team members I am creating a world with a lot more people in the first category. People with low financial literacy are more likely to have problems with debt (Lusardi and Tufano 2009), less likely to accumulate wealth and manage wealth effectively (Stango and Zin-man 2007), and less likely to plan for retirement (Lusardi and Mitchell 2006, 2009). Increased levels of financial literacy not only empower individuals but can have significant impact on our well-being as a nation. Through Lulu’s I have the unique opportunity to positively and concretely impact the lives of the young people we happen to employ. With the Awesome foundation’s help, we can continue to equip young minds with tools that will empower them for the rest of their lives.

Miami, FL – Beyond Literacy Pop-Up (B-LIT Pop-Up)

2018-04-04T00:00:00Z

The Beyond Literacy Pop-Up (B Lit Pop-Up) is the first of its kind. The pop-up book cart is a wooden library on wheels. It brings literacy to children and parents where they are, by sharing the art of language through history, culture, stories and books. The book cart features painted shelves (the artwork of 13-year- old local artist Valentina Elao Gonalez), inspirational quotes and publications by local writers, as well as a tablet for kids to read e-books. The first unveiling of the pop-up took place at the Little Haiti Cultural Center, the central hub of Haitian art, history, and culture in Miami. The mission of the pop-up is to raise awareness of multicultural authors, artists, innovators and entrepreneurs in South Florida. Our goal is to work close with literacy organizations and Miami Dade Public Library System to get kids and parents access to resources to help them become amazing citizens in our community and all over the world. This year we would like to place more murals and book booths in communities using the art of words. We plan to continue the tour with pop-ups at libraries, parks, colleges and other public spaces, and we hope to partner with larger organizations to expand the initiative.

Liverpool (Inactive) – Dirty Beach Club

2018-04-03T00:00:00Z

Simply, we clean the beach. I was walking Formby Beach one day, when I managed to fill a bag full of plastic rubbish after five minutes. Outraged I took to Facebook to see if any friends would join me in trying to collect more plastics the following week. Only my friend, Bertie King, and my Nan came forward to help. But now two months in, we have over 100 volunteers turning up to our monthly events! To date we've collected over 30 bin bags full of rubbish and single-use plastics from our beaches, our oceans and in turn the bellies of our fish. Plastic consumption is currently becoming an internationally recognised disaster. We aim not only to tackle to physical waste, but the wasteful lifestyles that we have come to live. With each event we are discussing change.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Culture and Its Discontents: A Public Conversation

2018-04-02T00:00:00Z

On April 6, keynote speaker Sally Kohn, author of The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity (forthcoming), will kick-off the conversation. She will be joined by Alyssa Mastromonaco, former White House Deputy of Staff for President Barack Obama, New York Times best-selling author of Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?, and contributor to Crooked Media, and Hank Willis Thomas, a conceptual artist whose work focuses on themes related to perspective identity and commodity, media, and popular culture. On April 7, we will convene two panels moderated by NPR’s Brian Lehrer. One panel will explore how museums can balance the conflicts between free expression and hate speech, and creative provocation and moral righteousness. Panelists include Kurt Bardella, columnist for HuffPost, USA Today, and NBC THINK and former spokesperson for Breitbart, Representative Darrell Issa, and Senator Olympia Snowe; Jehmu Greene, TV commentator, social justice champion, and Distinguished Fellow at Barnard College’s Athena Center for Leadership; Angela Nagle, contributing writer for The Baffler and author of Kill All Normies: Online Culture Wars from 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the Alt-Right; and Suzanne Nossel, Executive Director, PEN America, who will look at the issues shaping cultural, social, and political polarization across U.S. campuses, media, and cultural institutions. The next panel will discuss how digital revolution has altered the nature of protest and how institutions can manage conversations around political and social justice issues when faced with digital swarming, fake news and mistruth. Confirmed panelists include Danielle Citron, author of Hate Crimes in Cyberspace and Professor of Law at University of Maryland Carey School of Law and Molly Crocket, Yale University Assistant Professor of Psychology and neuroscientist; and Melissa Ryan, founder of the newsletter Ctrl Alt-Right Delete and partner on the newsletter with HOPE not hate.

North Minneapolis, MN – New Rules Collective – Signage

2018-04-01T00:00:00Z

NEW RULES is a minority owned, Northside – Minneapolis, Benefit Corporation (social enterprise) and collective that builds ecosystems & solutions for Black & Brown communities where economic, health & wellness and education disparities breed. We activate unproductive buildings in overlooked communities to co-create innovative spaces that are designed by the community to solve problems they have identified for themselves, both personally & professionally. NEW RULES develops much more than a physical space – we are a nexus between arts, culture, community, and technology. In 2015, we organized and conducted a design thinking workshop to learn more about key issues that attribute to the economic, education and health/wellness issues within the community, drawing out over 200 people in and outside of N. Minneapolis. In the results, people shared their need for accessibility to food, affordable workspace, places to network and commune, and business & professional training. Our response was to purchase the historic commercial complex located at 2015 North Lowry. Over the course of 18 months, we have invested over 5,000 hours in sweat equity and nearly $200k in personal savings to restore the building to what it is today — New Rules, a new legacy for North Minneapolis. On October 15th 2016 New Rules on Lowry opened its doors to the public providing workspace, retail and event space the with mission to contribute to the growth of individuals and communities by providing space and holistic resources that expand their creative and professional pursuits. We are seeking $1,000 to help us cover the cost of New Signage. Since launching we have received feedback such as “I always wondered what you all do here – because theres no sign!” Or people navigating to our space have shared our building isn’t visible and hard to locate. Lowry is the second highest street on the Northside and we are currently missing the opportunity to let the community know that there is this great resource here in the community to help them in the pursuits of their passion.

Disability – Disabled Writers Writing Fellowships

2018-03-31T00:00:00Z

Last year in partnership with Alice Wong and Vilissa Thompson, I started Disabled Writers — a project with the goal of increasing newsroom diversity by maintaining a database of disabled writers and sources for editors and journalists to use. Maintaining a database is a tremendous amount of work, but this year, we're upping our goals with a newsroom fellowship project: Writers will be working with media organizations to produce three stories, developing useful journalistic skills, clips, and connections along the way. We already have a commitment from the Daily Dot — and a few more publications are lined up and considering with tentative interest. Here's how it's going to work: We'll have applications open for each publication for one month, and they are open to all disabled writers who wish to apply — regardless of whether they're in our database or not. (No preference will be given to members of the database.) Once we've received all the applications, Alice, Vilissa, and I will go through them to develop a shortlist to forward to the publication so they can select a fellow. We'll connect the two, and the publication will take it from there. After each fellowship, we'll have an exit interview with both parties to learn more about what worked and what didn't and how we can improve the program; my hope is that publications will have a positive experience and want to take on another fellow! What our grantee is saying: "Disabled Writers was founded in response to concerns that disabled journalists are underrepresented in media overall, and particularly in coverage of disability issues. In the words of Talila Lewis, we need to #PassthePublication, but that's hard to do when journalists can't access the experience they need to advance in the industry. Our fellowships are working to create opportunity, one aspiring journalist at a time, and financial support allows us to expand the number of fellowship partners we work with. I'm thrilled that Awesome Disability is supporting us this month!"