Awesome Foundation - Projects

North Minneapolis, MN – Get Lit & Let Go

2018-03-01T00:00:00Z

Hersilincey is focusing on cross-generational healing! This summer we are celebrating our Young Queens ages 15-18. We are committed to helping to foster these young queens self-care regimes early. Herslincey will be throwing a Lock-In workshop/celebration for them on Saturday, June 23rd from 8 pm to 8 am. During this time we will be discussing many things from breaking trauma cycles, holistic healing, and financial literacy. After the workshop, we will be celebrating with fun activities such as DIY Facials, Henna, Photobooths and more! This event will be completely free to Young Queens and the programs that support them. We also will be offering several small scholarships for some of these Young Queens to invest for their future. These scholarships can go toward college, trade school or even to starting a business for themselves! Dinner and Breakfast and many different giveaways will be offered during this even as well.

Antigonish, NS (Inactive) – Nest boxes for Tree Swallows

2018-02-28T00:00:00Z

Aerial insectivores (birds which feed on insects in flight) are declining for a variety of reasons, one of which is habitat loss. Although swallows are open country birds, Tree Swallows (unlike other swallows), need cavities in trees in which to nest. However, this species readily accepts nest boxes, even if placed on fence posts in the middle of a farmer's field. As a resource person working with 4H, I will direct this project and work with two of their groups, Woodworking and Great Outdoors to complete the building, erection and monitoring of the boxes. Each child will build and take home two or three nest boxes. The benefits of this project go beyond the helping of birds. Forty or so children will be involved, and take ownership of these boxes; they will learn about the swallows' life cycle and ecology. They will have the responsibility of maintaining the boxes from year to year. The nest box is designed to also accept use by the provincially very rare Eastern Bluebird.; because of its rarity, we are not targeting it, but do realize that this project may help it.. We anticipate documenting the project with photographs from early on, and with the first nestings, contacting the media to do a story. This would be our opportunity broadcast the news of the swallows, advertise for 4H and publicly thank The Awesome Foundation for their help.

Disability – Tactile Exhibit for DESCENT

2018-02-28T00:00:00Z

Performed on a custom-designed architectural ramp installation with hills, curves, and peaks, DESCENT explores the pleasures of wheeled movement and reckless abandon. This new evening-length duet takes audiences on a transformative ride and obliterates cultural assumptions of what disability, dance, and beauty can be. Because we believe art should be accessible to everyone, Kinetic Light is creating innovative accessibility elements in conjunction with our new work, DESCENT. We want all of our audience members to have a multifaceted aesthetic, artistic experience of the show. The tactile exhibit will include 3D printed versions of our ramped stage, samples of costuming, and other elements that can be explored visually and tactically, enabling an equitable immersive experiences for all audiences. While verbal description for visual art, film, and theatre is gaining popularity, dance continues to be behind the curve. With our work for DESCENT, we will be utilizing this exhibit, the dance on stage, and a specially designed app with multiple sound tracks to expand access. We will be developing the app, tactile exhibit, and other elements in conjunction with the New York premiere in March 2018. We'd love you to come and experience the show! What our grantee is saying: "Getting this grant is fantastic news for us. We are thrilled to be connected to New York Disability community. Thank you." Photo credit: Chris Cameron of MANCC Description: Set against the backdrop of a starry night and the curvaceous ramp, Laurel Lawson balances in her wheelchair on Alice Sheppard's wheelchair footplate. This image is from DESCENT.

Melbourne (Inactive) – Let's read

2018-02-28T00:00:00Z

We strive to ensure that every disadvantaged Victorian child has the opportunity to acquire literacy and reading skills to reach their full potential, succeed at school and beyond. We focus on children aged 0-5 with initiatives to develop school preparedness and seeing kids have a love and habit for reading in their early years. Nourishing a child’s mind in the first five years of life is as essential as feeding her body. Research confirms that what happens to children’s brains in their earliest years shapes the adults they become, the success they achieve, and the contributions they make to our economy and society. Unfortunately, too many of our kids from low income and migrant/refugee backgrounds today are not getting the nourishment they need. Many children who grow up in low-income families enter school with substantially smaller vocabularies than their classmates. And this disadvantage leads to further disparities in achievement and success over time, from academic performance and persistence to earnings and family stability even 20 and 30 years later. Coming to school without words is like coming to school without food or adequate health care. It makes it harder for kids to develop their creativity and imagination, to learn, excel, and live up to their full potential. It should spur us to action just like child hunger and child poverty. We are here to address this issue. We provide pop-libraries in playgroups, tutoring & literacy support, Read Aloud sessions, free children's books, parent mentoring & support....All targeted to children, families and communities where illiteracy is common.

Tallahassee, FL (Inactive) – Tallahassee Film Festival

2018-02-27T00:00:00Z

We are reviving the old Tallahassee Film Festival, which first launched a decade ago and fizzled out in a mere four years. Original artistic director Chris Faupel and I managed to produce some 25 one-off shows between 2013-15. Now we want to stage a full weekend festival (March 23-25) of new independent film, modeled on some of the many successful and beautifully idiosyncratic regional festivals that have become enduring and nurturing mainstays of their community's cultural life (Sidewalk in Birmingham; Indie Memphis; Cucalorus in Wilmington, N.C.; and many others). We have secured All Saints Cinema and FSU's Student Life Center cinema, and will partner with bars, clubs, galleries and other businesses in the All Saints/Gaines Street area. Films, mostly by undiscovered talents and festival faves, will include shorts, docs, fictional features, experimental and cult revivals. We'll be looking to spotlight as much regional flavor as possible, and introduce audiences to a wide and diverse array of styles, genres, perspectives and intentions. Mostly, it should be provocative, stimulating and fun – and unlike anything that's happened here before under a film festival banner.

Washington, DC – The Genesis Intergenerational Program

2018-02-27T00:00:00Z

Genesis is an intergenerational affordable housing initiative serving young mothers who have recently aged out of foster care, their children, and seniors living on fixed incomes, as well as other families interested in taking part in a collaborative community. The Genesis program uses affordable housing as a foundation upon which vulnerable residents of diverse ages can build mutually beneficial relationships and achieve personal goals. Genesis is based on a national model of intergenerational communities in which older adults provide meaningful care and social support to individuals and families facing particular vulnerabilities, who in turn, promote the well-being of the elders as they age. • At Genesis housing comes first; participants all have a quality, affordable place to call home that includes a library, community room, and other meeting spaces • Seniors and adult residents living at Genesis contribute set hours of service to the community each quarter • Community members contribute to the community and engage with each other through tutoring, meal preparation, help with transportation, companionship, help with shopping, babysitting, and much more. • Genesis emphasizes the power of connectivity and purpose to surmount challenges at every stage of life Genesis is housed in a 27-unit building developed by Mi Casa in partnership with city agencies. Specially designed to support the Intergenerational program, the building features a community kitchen, meeting room, garden, and library. Mi Casa’s Genesis program staff facilitate community engagement within the intergenerational community, and provide individual support to the families, children, and seniors living there, as well as linkages to outside social services.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Tonality

2018-02-26T00:00:00Z

Tonality is a new professional ensemble in Los Angeles. Formed a little more than a year ago, this new choral group was created to presents shows based on diversity, peace, and social justice. The basis of the choir was an increasing sense of awareness of our inability to see each other as humans trying to exist in one space. Whether it is race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics we use to distinguish groups, we have found that these identities have divided us. Through the programming of Tonality, our mission is to use the music to increase sensitivity and a greater sense of community. This year, Tonality has programmed different topics that we felt were very relevant in today's social and political environment. The first concert, titled "Put Your Guns Down", was a concert that dealt with the different themes related to gun violence. These included mass shooting, individual tragedies and living victims, and how we can all find an active way of peace to help combat the issues. Our holiday concert, "Stories of Home", used the original Nativity story to relate Mary and Joseph to issues of refugees, immigration, and homelessness. Our concert on gun violence will be repeated in January. With each of these concerts, we have either singers in the group or different community members give personal stories related to these topics in order to make the subjects more personal and to put a face to the issues. These stories help to bring the issues closer to the community. Furthermore, we invite organizations to be present at our concert so our audience members can discover ways to get involved in the issues presented in real time. Our last concert that we will present this season is called "Follow Her Lead", and it will be focusing on women's rights issues.

Alaska (Inactive) – Pottery Outreach

2018-02-26T00:00:00Z

The intent of the project is bring the experience of working with clay to more elementary schools. I get asked to volunteer to teach pottery for after school programs but am not always financially able to share pottery with them. The budget on these programs is very tight. Most of the elementary schools in this area have had to cut out pottery because of the cost of running an maintaining kilns and other studio equipment. Teachers frequently do not have the technical knowledge of safely firing kilns. As a private studio, I offer similar classes out of my studio but the children who might benefit the most do not have the means to attend. For these after school classes, I would assist the teacher at their location. Volunteering my time and cover the material costs from the Awesome Grant money.

Glasgow – Invisible (Glasgow)

2018-02-25T00:00:00Z

Invisible Cities trains people who have been affected by homelessmess to become walking tour guides of their own city, We believe that everyone has a story to tell and great skills that they can showcase. We focus on story telling, self confidence, public speaking, first aid and customer service. Each guide builds a tour that is focused on a story he/she wants to tell. They often include personal stories though we do not make it a mandatory point. We offer alternative tours of the city, with each of our guides taking you along the streets of THEIR city. So far, we operate in Edinburgh (where we started the project in 2016) and are exploring Manchester as a future city but we would like to start recruiting and training in Glasgow too. Homelessness is a global issue and unfortunately that exists in Glasgow too. As a result, we believe there would be many people interested in training and becoming guides. This experience provides a first step into employment and customer service, an opportunity to meet various people and be given a voice. If we get selected we would use the grant to start Invisible (Glasgow)!

New York City, NY – Computer1.0

2018-02-23T00:00:00Z

We are attempting to create a textile display for art installation. It will tell a story about the history of technology through the lens of weaving. The first computer was the Jacquard loom invented in 1804. Inspired by Jacquard, Charles Babbage designed the “difference engine” in 1822, the first mechanical computer capable of memory organization, instruction based operations, and input/output units. These functionalities trace back to the nuances of loom operation and weaving construction and have become the basis for our ubiquitous modern computers. We depend on these computers for everything from our social lives to our health care, yet this ancestor seems more distant than it actually is. By integrating antique weaving techniques and modern computer technologies, “computer1.0” is a visualization of the computer’s history from birth to the present day along with the pros and cons of our dependance upon them. We are developing storytelling for the textile display which will educate viewers about the gradient between utopian and dystopian visions of technology, and compare them to our reality, all through a historical lens. The "display" is a large scale ribbon woven from cotton and clear tubing. "Pixels" in the display are different colors of liquids pumped through the tubing weft. These pixels zooming back and forth along the width of the ribbon will suddenly and surprisingly coalesce into patterns and imagery, and we are hoping that these will in turn trigger augmented reality interactions to assist with the story utilizing our pocket born descendants of the loom. Computer1.0 will be on display at the AFA Gallery. Tickets to the opening event on March 1st, 2018 are available now. Follow the artists on Instagram at: * https://www.instagram.com/victoriamanganiello/ * https://www.instagram.com/juliansgees/

Gloucester, MA – Unsung Hero Award Winner: Sharon Lowe

2018-02-23T00:00:00Z

Baltimore, MD – DJ Skills Curriculum

2018-02-22T00:00:00Z
The DJ Skills Curriculum is a relevant, innovative and immersive music curriculum for youth in Baltimore. It will expose them to an increasingly popular creative art form that is accessible, expressive, and interactive. The curriculum will equip students with music skills, strengthen their confidence, and introduce them to a diverse and growing creative industry in this country. The Curriculum is designed to provide foundational knowledge of the craft to youth in Baltimore, within a time span of 7-8 week programming sessions. Through this program, youth will: 1) establish and value their own standards for their learning community; 2) create new relationships and build upon current relationships through learning together; 3) develop creative thinking and problem solving skills; 4) gain confidence in acquiring and practicing a new skill; and 5) be aware of local resources for digital audio education and production. While designed for replication at any potential site, presently, the program is to take place at 3 locations: the Lillian S. Jones recreation center, the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center, and the Community Studio at Baltimore Youth Arts. The class will meet at each respective site for 1-2 hours per week, with a class size of 6-12 students per session. I will visit each site once per week with DJ equipment for 2 workstations, music files, and other teaching tools, to give lessons on the following topics: the history of DJing; introduction to DJ software and a mixer; beat matching; volume, EQing, and transitions; and track selection and reading the crowd. The curriculum is designed to span 7-8 weeks, with 2 weeks dedicated to practicing and recording mixes. For Lillian S. Jones and Baltimore Youth Arts participants, the final week will be dedicated to a learning showcase event in the community. At the event, each of the program participants will have the opportunity to perform a DJ set for community members, and be compensated for their performance.

San Antonio, TX – Teatro San Antonio presents The Donkey Lady Lives!

2018-02-22T00:00:00Z
Once upon a time, there was a phone number that San Antonio folks could call to listen to a recording from The Donkey Lady. The Donkey Lady Lives! will bring the Donkey Lady back to life in a similar call-in format. Help me launch the start of Teatro San Antonio, a theater focused on San Antonio stories and legends. The Donkey Lady Lives! is Teatro San Antonio's first project. The recorded messages on the phone line will be linked like a series to encourage repeat callers. I will also use funds to culminate the phone line with a performance of La Burra, my one-woman version of the Donkey Lady, at Jump-Start Performance Co. Date TBD once funds are secured. I will utilize social media and flash videos at The Donkey Lady's traditional haunting grounds at the Applewhite Bridge on the Southside to help spread the word about The Donkey Lady's phone number. I will strive to log-in/transcribe caller messages for a possible future performance, because who knows --the messages may be hilarious. I hope to use this project as a model for additional urban legend characters.

Detroit, MI – Bike Bling

2018-02-22T00:00:00Z
Detroit is a city with a growing bike culture. From clubs, to large-scale weekly events like Slow Roll, there is a burgeoning interest in commuting by bicycle. With more cyclists on the road, there is a greater need for safety and rider visibility. Specialty garments and bike accessories can help prevent collisions and accidents, keeping riders safe. Fringe Society will hold Bike Bling, a free workshop exploring ways to add reflective materials to bikes in order to enhance visibility and style amongst cyclists of all ages in Detroit. Traditional techniques will be paired with high-tech materials to provide participants with skills in making while engaging their sense of wonder. Techniques in weaving, embroidery and pom-pom making will be taught to people of varying skill levels. Participants will take away a finished piece they can use to decorate their bicycle as well as a sample of material to continue to explore their new skills. The workshop will be held in conjunction with Detroit Fiber Works, a textile arts store and organization with an existing following in the Livernois & 7 mile community.

Annapolis, NS (Inactive) – CartographMe

2018-02-21T00:00:00Z
Mathieu Da Costa, Rose Fortune and Daurene Lewis hold immense significance in the history of Annapolis Royal. I have a vision to tell their stories in a new and engaging format by creating personalized maps to depict their lives. A personalized map combines geography with facts about their lives, accomplishments and historical significance. The contributions of these African Nova Scotians were integral to the development of our current diverse community. Mathieu Da Costa was born in Africa as a freed slave and was employed as a translator by the French, Dutch and Portuguese to communicate with tribes along coastal Africa as well as First Nations people in the Americas. He is recognized as the first known person of African descent to arrive in Canada. Rose Fortune came to Annapolis Royal with her family who were Black Loyalist from Virginia. Born a slave in Philadelphia, Rose Fortune is recognized as the first female police officer in Canada and was a successful entrepreneur, founding what would become the Lewis Transfer Company. Daurene Lewis, a direct descendent of Rose Fortune, was born and lived in Annapolis Royal. Daurene became mayor of Annapolis Royal in 1984, making her the first female Black mayor in Canada. Personalized maps offer numerous opportunities for display, and may be used as part of commemorations, celebrations, and as learning opportunities in educational institutions. A combination of art, geography, and history, personalized maps provide a creative perspective into the lives of individuals so that we consider them from a vantage point not available through the written word. Philip Bailey grew up in Lequille, graduated AWEC in 1984, and has recently moved back to Annapolis County having retired from government service. He grew up in a household that was and remains deeply rooted in service to their area.He is a descendant of the Black Loyalists. The combination of his ancestry, his upbringing and his commitment to community makes this project of great importance to him as he believes it will engage others to be curious and learn more about our local figures both past and present. Visit his website to learn more www.cartographme.com or pop into Tripp's gallery to view some of his work.

Dubai (Inactive) – Mocha Origins / Militant Moka

2018-02-20T00:00:00Z
We're a group of Harvard students who met through the Innovation Lab. We want to support Yemen's development by importing their coffee. Have you heard of Mocha? It's not only a Starbucks drink but the name of the port (Al Mokha) from which Yemen exported coffee 500 years ago. They were the first place in the world to cultivate and trade beans. Back in the day, Mocha was associated with Yemeni coffee, which is known for chocolate undertones. Times change, Mocha loses the Yemen connection but not that of chocolate. This is where we need you! We need to step on the gas. Your award and $1000 will provide much needed recognition and funds to purchase marketing material. We've applied elsewhere for funding and we're competing in a $100,000 challenge sponsored by the Harvard President's Office (Feb 9 deadline). But for big steps, we NEED small victories. Your recognition will put us on track. Other applications ask, "What publicity and what funding have you received." We are stuck. So your recognition will give us access to bigger things. But we must act immediately. And $$$. We're roasting eight types of Yemeni coffee this weekend (Dec 7). We've partnered with three Boston roasters (Barismo, Mystic, and Common Ground) and will put together 500 samples. You'll get some of course. But we must test out marketing material. How awesome are these coffee bags? http://www.roastar.com/ But small runs are $300. And we want to test various marketing strategies under two names "Mocha Origins" and "Militant Moka: Coffee going on the offensive". Your dollars will allow us to go vroom, as we test multiple gas pedals. Our project moves forward. I'll note, your prize is not between us and samples. It's bigger than that. It's between us and access to big funding, big coverage. We want to give you beautiful bags of the original Mocha. We want to speak to reporters and mention your name for believing in us. And we want to do this in January. Can you place us in the fast lane?

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Sycamore Community Garden

2018-02-19T00:00:00Z
Our mission is to the enhance opportunities for growing organic food within the greater Concord area. Our goal is to make gardening accessible to those whose limited income and lack of transportation would otherwise keep them from the chance to grow their own food. By having refugees from around the world garden side by side with members of the native Concord community and with gardeners from NHTI, we hope to increase cross cultural understanding and empathy. We have 138 garden plots, most of which are for low income families from Concord

Pittsburgh, PA – ReMasterpieces

2018-02-19T00:00:00Z
In 1937, a woman married to a Jewish artist loaned 16 works of modern art to the Provincial Museum of Hanover. As Nazi’s descended on the town, Sophie Lissitzky-Küppers and her family fled to Russia leaving their art behind. The invading Nazi’s stole the works, and many were destroyed for being “degenerate”. Only 4 of the paintings have been found to date. Sophie’s story is shared by many who were persecuted by Hitler’s regime. As more and more of the victims of the Holocaust pass away each year, their stories are lost, and the international pursuit of finding their art becomes more difficult. Using Artificial Intelligence techniques such as Convolutional Neural Networks, Deep Learning, and Computer Vision and Google’s Cultural Institute database of art, I am teaching a computer how an artist would have created the missing works of art. By combining color and topological data from Google with AI and 3D printing techniques, we can accurately recreate any painting. I hope this project can bring the stories of those who suffered back to life and spur citizens of the world to keep looking for the cultural heritage that defined the struggle underwent by a generation of people who were persecuted because of their beliefs and what they looked like. These paintings are not just images to place on a wall; they are a testament to the bravery of those who suffered at the hands of an evil regime. Despots of yesterday, today, and tomorrow can no longer control a people by destroying their heritage. I’ve set Pittsburgh as the home of ReMasterpieces as the city’s art and technology community is thriving and offers many opportunities to partner and further develop what I’ve started. From Carnegie Mellon to Google, the Carnegie Museum of Art to the Holocaust Center, ReMasterpieces will thrive in Pittsburgh. Whether in the shadow of Auschwitz or the ruins of Syria, ReMasterpieces will bring hope to the hopeless and freedom to the oppressed through arts and cultural heritage.

Sydney – The Monstrosities

2018-02-17T00:00:00Z
WHAT IS IT? The Monstrosities is a roaming performance created for Art Month, intended to liven up underappreciated, urban spaces in Sydney. Matriark Theatre will design and build a group of giant, colourful, roaming monstrous creatures to hang out in parks, basketball courts, skate-parks and bus stops around the city. Theses monsters are neon-coloured and shaggy. Think of them like a colourful, tripped out manifestation of Where the Wild Things Are and are inspired by prominent graffiti murals from around the South Sydney area. WHY? Waterloo and Green Square are areas with a deep history and a well-established community. They are also areas that have recently seen ginormous, tower blocks built to accommodate a growing population. With many new residents moving in, a clash of old and new is currently taking place. The old community looks at the new tower blocks as monstrosities and the new community regards the old buildings and community spaces with a similar attitude. The Monstrosities are a bridge between the old and the new. An expression of, and a thank you to the vibrant and quirky past of South Sydney, while also welcoming in a new South Sydney which will pioneer its own positive future. HOW WILL AUDIENCES FIND THEM? The first season of The Monstrosities will be promoted by the City of Sydney and Sydney Art Month. Art Month hosts walking tours of art projects in Sydney throughout the month of March. Our audiences will encounter these monsters as they walk around the city. Of course, Monstrosities is a public event, so even those not involved in an Art Month walking tour will encounter these monsters! FUTURE: The Monstrosities will officially be a part of Sydney Art Month and operate initially in the Green Square/Waterloo area, but we hope to bring them to life in other urban centres around Sydney at other times of the year. There will be five monstrosities initially, though we would love to expand the group for future iterations of the project.

Oahu, HI – Starting a Chess Program at Ewa Makai Middle

2018-02-16T00:00:00Z
There are a plethora of benefits associated with young students learning and playing chess, and my goal is to bring the love of the game and its attributed benefits to the students at Ewa Makai Middle School in Ewa Beach. To name a few, chess allows students to think critically, analytically, with intense focus, creativity, calculation, and responsibility. For every action, there is a reaction, and depending on the strength of the move, can be either beneficial or detrimental to your position on the board. It is a game of strategy, where every move is carefully determined and pre-planned. Success on the chess board echoes success in the classroom and beyond -- teaching the students to focus, work hard, and play fairly will create a positive domino effect in the students' lives. Hawai'i is a place that puts a large emphasis on competition, mainly in the sports arena. Students are constantly being challenged physically, with many of my students on after school sports teams. However, more often than not, students are not engaged in intellectual competition. There are few opportunities for students to compete off the courts and using their intellectual abilities in a game-like manner. Chess combines both of those worlds -- it allows intellectual competition to be made fun, and winning or losing is an incentive for students to practice and get better. Even when I assign content-relevant online games, students are much more eager to begin their work because they want to be on top of the leader boards. Additionally, chess is an inclusive game that allows people of all abilities to compete. Despite physical or mental disabilities, everyone can partake in the game. It breaks down barriers otherwise established based on ability, with the knowledge that every student can play and improve. Bringing chess to Ewa Makai is a dream of mine, and something that will have direct benefit on the student population and the Ewa Beach community.

Kingston – Gender Fair 2018

2018-02-16T00:00:00Z
The Gender Fair at St. Lawrence College started in 2016 as a student-run initiative with a vision to raise awareness about gender diversity. In 2017, the SLC Alliance took on the event in on an extremely limited budget; while the event was significantly smaller, it was still considered a success by attendees. Now, in 2018 the SLC Alliance has a vision to expand the three-hour community event into a full day fair with information booths, guest speakers, a panel and a movie night in the evening. The theme of the event is to educate on the diversity within the transgender community. All too often transgender individuals are lumped together into one box while the reality is that every transgender individual's experience is unique. The event aims to educate others about the varied experiences within the transgender community and celebrate the individuality of all transgender journeys. The event will be held at St. Lawrence College and will host a variety of community groups (to be confirmed) as well as food, games and thought-provoking speakers. Partnerships are being explored with LGBTQ community groups as well as College programs and services to offer a comprehensive and diverse program throughout the day. At the end of the event, a movie night will be held. The event will be open to the Kingston community.

Oahu, HI – Hydration

2018-02-16T00:00:00Z
I would like to provide ice cold water to students in P.E. for intermediate. We currently do not have a water fountain in the boy's locker room, on the football field, or even by the fitness room. I'd like to use the $1000 to purchase water fountains to be installed in these areas (or at least 2 of the 3) for our P.E. students to hydrate themselves during P.E. class. The least I could do if anything is to provide ice water in water coolers and station them at these areas as refillable stations for students to bring their own hydroflask. We need cold water and my students currently do not have access to that right now!

Cass Clay – Make it a Home

2018-02-15T00:00:00Z
There are two aspects to our Make it a Home program. The first assists people moving out of Churches United for the Homeless into independent shelter furnish their new homes. This includes furniture, household items, cleaning products, and toys for children. The second aspect is a mentoring program. We mentor one family a year. We have mentored two families so far and are looking to bring other faith communities on board. We believe faith communities are uniquely qualified to mentor families as they transition to independent housing. The support families need, obtaining furniture, rides to appointments, help with occasional expenses, are all things churches do to support one another. We have created a manual for our program with input from experts in the field, including a homeless advocate, a shelter director, a family therapist, several social workers, and several ministers. We believe we have gathered good wisdom for this program. This month we will present our manual to all of the churches who attend the Churches United for the Homeless annual meeting, inviting them to join us. We would like to follow this up with a training in the Spring. We believe having a date set and inviting churches to a training will encourage them to move on this project. Every faith organization we have spoken to expresses interest in participating in this program. We think they need more incentive to do so. There is a potential for 60 families to benefit from our program this year.

Chicago, IL – Afrofuturist mural in Englewood!

2018-02-14T00:00:00Z
South Side Mural Project (SSMP) was founded in 2016 after a successful community mural project in Greater Grand Crossing (intersection of 71st and Cottage Grove). Our first mural as SSMP was at Harrison Park in Englewood and involved over 50 community members who came out and painted with us. In 2017, we were connected with some community members in Englewood who are interested in a mural at 66th and Halsted to brighten the area with positive imagery. SSMP lead muralist - Joe Nelson (aka CUJO, https://www.instagram.com/cujodah/) has worked to develop an Afrofuturist concept that is at the same time classic and forward-facing. A local business owner has granted permission to paint on his building and 6th Ward Alderman Roderick Sawyer has endorsed the project.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Women's Media Summit

2018-02-12T00:00:00Z

Vegan (Inactive) – Jarné Vegánske hody Bratislava 2018

2018-02-12T00:00:00Z
Jarné Vegánske hody Bratislava 2018 is a spring edition of our vegan food festival, we are running since 2009 in Bratislava, Slovakia. We focus on giving people opportunities to explore sustainable and compassionate foods and goods and help them to move towards plant based diets. We also strive to develop an environment in which new sustainable and compassionate plant based enterprises will emerge and we help them thrive. Besides dozens of restaurants, shops and nonprofits, offering vegan foods and goods, we provide a full day of program consisting of lectures from activists and scientists, vegan cooking shows and documentary screenings. There is no entrance fee, because we want to make veganism as accessible to everyone as possible. This spring edition is a rather new addition to our project portfolio we"ve expanded last year, when we started new events in Košice and Žilina (two regional capitals) and this spring edition. Despite our best efforts, we've had bad luck with weather and barely survived last year. So this year we are struggling to stabilize our project and to become able to expand veganism to the rest of our regional capitals. We've been able to attract more than 20 000 visitors to our events last year, from which only one third were vegan. We've also gained a lot of media attention and our events got even to main TV news two times. Our work has also measurable impacts - during our events, google searches of word "vegan" surge by 50-100 %, and after 10 years of our work, 31% of Slovak population is open to reducing, or already reducing consumption of animal products. Therefore we see a great potential in expanding our projects, but our current primary goal is to stabilize our last year's expansion, in order to become capable of further growth and reaching more people with our message in the future.

Libraries (Inactive) – Kid's Storytelling Festival (ALA Midwinter Pitch)

2018-02-10T00:00:00Z
At the 2018 American Library Association Meeting in Denver, Colorado, the libraries chapter of the Awesome Foundation hosted its first ever Awesome Ideas Pitch for Libraries. Eight librarians from around the country were chosen to pitch short, inspiring ideas that could impact their community, demonstrate a new idea, or improve a tool or service. A panel of judges, comprised of chapter trustees, chose Kid’s Storytelling Festival by Christian Zabriskie from Yonkers Public Library as the winning pitch. Stories have impact for the individual telling them, the people who are hearing them, and the community they are all a part of. With the popularity of Story Corp and Moth Radio Hour people are becoming increasingly aware of the power inherent in storytelling. Kid’s Storytelling Festival wants to extend that to the youngest members of the Yonkers community. As Christian articulated during his pitch, kids have a unique perspective on the world they are in and have great observations, connections, and stories to tell. While lots of libraries offer variations of storytelling and oral history, Christian could not find any that focus on the youngest members of their community. This Festival is an opportunity to have a different twist on Storytime in the Library with the kids as the tellers of stories and the adults listening to what they have to say and recording it for future consideration. Kid’s Storytelling Festival will take place in the Yonkers Public Library's 300-seat auditorium and include performances, workshops, training on their recording equipment and plenty of food to keep the young storytellers going. Funding will cover costs for presenters, giveaways, print materials, and food. This inaugural activity is is designed to help Yonkers Public Library develop a child-centered community of practice around storytelling and oral history. What our grantee has to say: “At YPL we believe that kids have agency and power. We want to hear what they have to say and we want to know what they are seeing in the community around them. Children are incredibly observant, make extraordinary connections, and are often really really funny. We want to know what the youngest people in our community have to say and we want to get their perspectives on what it means to be part of our city. They have a perspective on history and society and we want to capture that. We will be working in partnership with students and faculty from Sarah Lawrence College on this grant as well as the local schools for community buy in across our city.” What our judges have to say: “The way children experience the world is very different from the way that adults reflect on the world they have experienced and the Kids Storytelling Project highlights this very fact. This project flips the script of archival work in libraries in a novel manner, ensuring that the stories of children are recorded for posterity, which in turn empowers them as storytellers themselves.”

Ann Arbor, MI – Black Men Read - Kids Club

2018-02-09T00:00:00Z
Black Men Read is a program that was started in the community by two Black mothers, Yodit Mesfin Johnson and Tamara Ibarisha. Drawing on their professional and lived experiences, these women saw a need for a literacy program that centered their cultural experiences and history in the stories their children heard. The intention is not to be exclusive, instead they set out to normalize the historical and cultural contributions of Black people through stories while uplifting and countering the narrative that Black men don’t engage in their families or communities. The program took shape during Black History month in 2016 when the women activated their networks and set out to host reading events for children on Saturday mornings. The events were well received and families consistently praised the mission of honoring and normalizing Blackness in our beloved community. The women believe that the stories told are important and essential so that students can “see” themselves in the stories that are read to them. They believe this is key to all children's cultural awareness and development. Professor Maulana Karenga, the creator of Kwanzaa, wrote, “History gives blacks an understanding of themselves by suggesting possibilities of future and national world achievement based on what they have achieved in the past.” Riding on the success of the program in the community, we now join with our fellow Mitchell Elementary School (A2) parent-friend, Cathleen Haglund, to offer this program to Mitchell students beginning in January 2018. We hope all students and families will see value in this initiative and choose to participate with encouragement from Mitchell school administrators and staff. Ultimately, we believe that inclusive stories, shared by men of color, are one powerful aid in supporting all students’ literacy.

Oakland, CA (Inactive) – Visiting Artists Program for Howard Elementary

2018-02-08T00:00:00Z
I am a School Social Worker at 2 different high-need Oakland Elementary schools (Howard Elementary, Allendale Elementary). As a part of my job, I facilitate skill development groups for 6-8 students at a time, focusing on skill building in areas of self esteem, social skills, and trauma-informed relationship building. As a part of this, I have started hosting "visiting artist" with Oakland-based artists who visit our groups and facilitate a small project. This has been successful in providing students with a creative outlet, as well as proving them with different role models in their community. The expenses for supplies for the projects has come out of my own paycheck, and I have been unable to provide artists with a stipend. With this grant, I will able to adequately fund the project and continue it through the end of the school year. The lessons include book-making, printmaking, and photography.

South Bend, IN – 2018 Spelling Bee Explosion

2018-02-07T00:00:00Z
Dear Sponsor, Thank you for taking the time to consider participating in the 2018 Spelling Bee Explosion presented by Gentlemen and Scholars Inc. This city wide competition will take place on Sunday, April 22,2018 in the Century Center’s Bendix Theater in South Bend, Indiana. Your sponsorship is needed to help make this event a success. The purpose of the Spelling Bee Explosion is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabulary, and learn correct grammar usage. This event will also contribute to the funding of Camp New Happenings, an outreach camp ministry for children who have experienced parental incarceration. Your donation of $500.00 or more will help us with the cost of advertising and promoting the event, provide participants with trophies and awards, and grant the winning students with a monetary scholarship prize. Our goal is to award the top spellers of our community with a combined scholarship award in the amount of $2,500.00 and to cover camp lodging expenses for 20 kids.

San Francisco, CA – This land was made for you and me

2018-02-07T00:00:00Z
I am compelled to create folk art Americana-inspired signs by the side of the highway in California (and hopefully later throughout the U.S.). These signs will say "This land was made for you and me" in different languages to promote the multicultural and multilingual America of 2018.

South Bend, IN – Best.Game Night.Ever

2018-02-07T00:00:00Z
In partnership with the YMCA of Michiana and Smoke Free St Joe, we plan to host a micro-experience during South Bend's Best.Week.Ever.2018. An effort coordinated by the South Bend Venues Parks and Arts, our project adds a fun family event to encourage spending time together playing. We can use the games to convey messages of healthy living (such as a note on a Jenga piece to "Have a drink of water" or reminding those playing Twister to stretch.) Our idea is a game night with oversized board games played outside (weather permitting with the Y's gym as backup). We plan to build large versions of Connect 4, Jenga, Twister (on the soccer field), Hungry Hippo, Scrabble, Kerplunk, and more. Once constructed, the games are available for reuse or lending to other groups to continue the game nights. To encourage more participation, there is to be no fee charged to join in the Best.Game Night.Ever, and competition is limited to each game (no cumulative points awarded) so players can simply enjoy the camaraderie of playing together.

South Bend, IN – Peace Bees Second Chance

2018-02-07T00:00:00Z
Peace Bees produces Honey, Hive Products (lotions, balms etc.), honey bee education and consulting services. We are located at 744 South Main Street, South Bend. This makes Peace Bees the only commercial beekeeping operation located in the city of South Bend. We are Certified Naturally Grown, which means we use Organic and Sustainable practices. We currently sell our honey at Purple Porch, Down To Earth, Common Goods Co-op, Urban Garden Farmers Market and South Bend Homestead located in the South Bend Farmers Market. Peace Bees collaborated with Goodwill Industries in their Second Chance program. Goodwill provides us disadvantaged works seeking real life job skills. Disadvantaged workers are anyone who lacks necessary skills to enter the workforce. This can be an ex-felon, homeless person or even a veteran. Goodwill provides wraparound counseling and support services along with pay and insurance coverage. We use honey bees as a catalyst for our mentoring program. We teach every aspect of a commercial beekeeping, including marketing and sales of product to wholesale and retail customers. Our employees build and repair equipment, which provides manufacturing experience. They care for bees, which require compassion, and emotional control. Employees process honey, wax, make products which is process-manufacturing and food processing. Among many other tasks, our employees will learn how to engage with customers, wholesale buyers of our products and finally retail customers at market stands. When appropriate we utilize our employees during our community beekeeping classes where the student becomes the teacher.

South Bend, IN – South Bend Block Party Toolkit

2018-02-07T00:00:00Z
Strong neighborhoods are the building blocks (literally! See what we did there?) of strong cities. We want to help neighbors come together and strengthen their neighborhoods. What better way to begin than with a good old-fashioned block party? A block party takes volunteer-power, but it also takes stuff.... stuff that some would-be block party organizers may not have easy access to. Think pop-up canopy tents... lawn games... maybe even a little PA system for tunes and announcements. A raffle drum here, a portable table there, that kind of stuff. You see where we're going with this. On Wednesday, May 30 at West Side Wednesday, Neighborhood Resources Connection (NRC) would like to launch the Best. Block Party Toolkit. Ever. In addition to a freshly-published Block Party How-To Guide, NRC will showcase the availability of the Block Party Toolkit items. The Toolkit would be available to any recognized neighborhood association or organizing group that would like to build their neighborhood-based organization with a block party. NRC is working with its insurer for the items to be insured, and is working with legal advisors to create a program that mitigates liability. For example, items such as bounce-houses or climbing walls would be excluded. Borrowers would be required to secure the items with a deposit, and complete a waiver/release form.

Adelaide – Let Them Know It's Christmas Day

2018-02-06T00:00:00Z
As the sole provider of advocacy and support services to over 1100 grandparent carers, GFGSA is acutely aware that many clients have trouble providing the basic necessities for the grandchildren in their care, and any extra cheer on Christmas Day is usually beyond their means. The vast majority of these grandparents receive no government assistance, and do what they do for love of their often traumatised and at-risk grandchildren. Every year, GFGSA manages to raise some funds for the purchase of Christmas food hampers from Foodbank SA, but each year it becomes harder to meet demand. As a fully volunteer organisation, GFGSA does not have access to much in the way of disposable funds, but we believe that, if for only one day a year, as many as possible of our clients deserve to enjoy a special meal with their grandchildren.

Adelaide – Asthma Colouring book - Ella's First Trip

2018-02-06T00:00:00Z
My awesome project was originally created as a school project although, the more i researched it, the more i discovered a need for something like it. I created a colouring in story book for young asthmatics entering hospital to hopefully help ease their anxiety concerning their admission. Through the story line of my book i walk young children through the typical things which happen in hospital and tried to make the situation not seem so scary because by being scared and anxious it can make their asthma worse. I decided to make this book a colouring in book so that it also gives the children activities to do whilst they are in hospital.

Adelaide – Preventing Punctures from Popping

2018-02-06T00:00:00Z

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – EARTHCARE Eco Kids

2018-02-05T00:00:00Z
EARTHCARE Eco Kids meet on weekends, learn about issues then go on a FUN field trip to reinforce the issue of the day. We are proud to boast that 85% of our students and volunteers are female.We really want to continue this exciting program. Many of our female students have gone on to become environmental professionals coming home after college to assist with conservation efforts in the Bahamas. EARTHCARE is an environmental education NGO (non-governmental organization) that works on current environmental issues facing the nation of the Bahamas and the World. Members visit schools to inform students and teachers about issues affecting the environment. Our mission is to empower students and teachers to get involved and be proactive with their voice. We encourage them to write to the Government of The Bahamas and express their views on current environmental issues. Specific topics that we constantly cover include Pollution, Climate Change, Habitat Destruction, Sustainable Fisheries, Humane Treatment of Animals, Invasive Species among others. Our goal is to continue our environmental education efforts teaching about issues such as habitat loss, invasive species, coastal management, pollution, unsustainable fishing methods and various aspects of biology, physics and chemistry that are seen in the Bahamian natural environment. The EARTHCARE Environmental Education program teaches students about the value of mangroves as well as, ground, air and water pollution, about Habitat Destruction, about Sustainable Fisheries, and Humane Treatment of Animals among others with field trips on the Glassbottom Boat, to the Lucayan National Park, the Pine Ridge Landfill, the Industrial Area of Grand Bahama, Paradise Cove where they are able to snorkel on the largest Reef Ball installation in the country, to name a few. EARTHCARE Eco Kids had funding for the past 3 years but not for 2017/2018 so we are hoping that Awesome Without Borders can help us.

Newcastle – Hunter Institute of Fashion - Help us help them

2018-02-04T00:00:00Z
Hi! My name is Gabe Robinson, I am the owner and director of Hunter Institute of Fashion, Newcastle's newest and only bespoke fashion business college offering nationally accredited training whilst mentoring the next generation of fashion lovers enter such a competitive industry. THE PROBLEM The fashion industry has changed dramatically over the past 15 years, with the influx of fast fashion retailers like Zara & H&M etc, the expansion of the internet/online buying space and the manufacturing boom of china/India/Bali has all lead to a very different fashion industry than the one that existed previously. The one thing that has not changed is how the next generation of workers for this industry are trained. To date, the avenue into fashion is through a qualification in fashion design, a very trade based training system of sewing and pattern making. But these trades have now moved off shore to other countries. meaning the requirement for these skills has also gone off shore. Now what we have is an industry requiring more business savvy minded multi skilled industry professionals to run the bigger picture business elements of the fashion industry, yet we keep training seamstresses and pattern makers... THE SOLUTION My college! which i have been working solely on funding, setting up and establishing over the past year. im are about to kick off my second intake of students, with our current students half way through their one year Diploma of business course. The entire reason i took on this project was basically to provide the institution and mentoring service I wished existed here when i was trying to establish my fashion career in Newcastle over 14 years ago. The premise of the college was to create an institution for the 18yo me, and the me with an 18yo- modern relevant training, diversified use of a qualification, mentoring, and connections to help young professionals make their way!

Twin Cities, MN (Inactive) – Blankets for REACH students that are homeless

2018-02-03T00:00:00Z
Every year, St. Paul Public School students that are experiencing homelessness do not have warm coats and blankets. Many of those students are sleeping overnight on the train or in cars. Project REACH seeks donations of new blankets and coats for students in need.

Singapore – Human Library Singapore

2018-02-03T00:00:00Z
In our busy society we often lack the opportunity and realisation of other communities around us, instead being trapped in our own social circles. Due to this lack of communication, we often form stereotypes about other communities and a general lack of understanding among Singaporeans and foreigners alike in Singapore. Through Human Library, we hope to bring about opportunities for open and honest conversations between the public and individuals whom they may not have the chance to talk to, ultimately cultivating a society respectful of one another. Since we started Human Library Singapore, we have observed that many different individuals and groups in our community share the same purpose. Over the past 1.5 years, we have received numerous requests to organise Human Library events in schools, non-profit organisations, as well as international organisations. Evidently, Human Library is part of the solution to the collective needs of different groups in Singapore. Because we are a 100% volunteer-run project, we lack the bandwidth to meet all these demands. Our goal for Human Library Singapore #4 is to provide the opportunity to train and empower leaders in the community to organise Human Library events in their respective communities. This March 2018, we hope to bring together yet again passionate leaders in the community, Human Books open and vulnerable to share their stories, and keen-eared and curious Readers who want to genuinely get to know others beyond their labels.

Washington, DC – Plants and Blooms ReImagined

2018-02-03T00:00:00Z
Plants and Blooms ReImagined (PBR) is based on two core premises – 1) that the beauty, joy, inspiration and healing power of nature’s connection, gifted by indoor plants and cut-flowers, should be accessible to all and 2) if we look with “new” eyes, there’s always something more to be expressed, to give or new expressions, new gifts to be realized -- applicable to plants and most importantly to people. Thus, PBR's mission is to increase access to and engagement with indoor plants and cut-flowers as accessible connections to nature and key contributors to enhanced quality of life, particularly for marginalized and under resourced groups who more often are disconnected from life enhancing nature based living. PBR’s second core principle underlies the means by which plants are sourced. It rescues and repurposes what would be prematurely discarded post-event arrangements, non-market sells and florist and growers’ surplus from florists, floral designers, event planners, market vendors, venue and hotel managers, bridal couples and more throughout the DC metro area. In collaboration, PBR raises awareness and provides a vehicle for facilitating a sustained commitment to socially impactful and environmentally responsible end-of-use practices. From many of these same sources, indoor plant donations are secured as well. Immediately post recovery, the critical preservation process ensues. The life affirming reimagining process follows, resulting in either the maximum number possible of small arrangements for direct delivery, or multiple larger scale arrangements for lobbies of service organizations or for facility unit floors, or various grouped florals for guided therapeutic flower arranging, or many potted up cuttings from indoor plant donations. PBR’s first year brought flowers and indoor plants into the lives and experience specifically of seniors in day programs, assisted living, nursing and rehabilitation communities, public housing and even health fairs.

Madison, WI (Inactive) – Kids Helping Kids

2018-02-02T00:00:00Z
The Kids Helping Kids program within Box of Balloons is a program that helps promote volunteerism for children at any age on a level they can understand. It's hard for a child to comprehend how another child can't have enough to eat or other basic needs, but when you tell them about a child just like them not having a birthday party or getting to eat cake and open presents on their birthday, something resonates with them. The Kids Helping Kids program promotes children's involvement in giving back to their communities and kids their age by working with a local chapter of Box of Balloons to help spread awareness of the organization and help ensure children are celebrated on their special day. Children can earn the title Kid Ambassador by completing at least three of the projects listed on our website. When the projects are completed they have become an example of kindness and volunteerism for all of the people in their life! By being a Kid Ambassador for Box of Balloons, the child can help spread the word about Box of Balloons, volunteering, show what it means to be kind and they can be an amazing mentor to other kids who are interested in doing the same!

Raleigh, NC (Inactive) – After School Circus

2018-02-01T00:00:00Z
Circus is not a well known or accessible creative outlet for Durham youth. I want to offer non exclusive, after school programs in circus arts to Title 1 schools and non profit organizations. There are many ways to express yourself, and circus could be one of them if only you knew it existed and were able to give it a try. (Did you know that circus is a thing?! It’s a thing! Try it!) By providing instruction and equipment in a variety of circus ground skills (Could include but not limited to: juggling, hooping, flower sticks, poi, diabolo, unicycle, spinning plates, stilt walking, partner acrobatics, tumbling, innovative manipulation), it opens a door to these benefits: - Promotes short and long term goal setting, dedication, and practice - Ignites creative expression that is physically and mentally challenging - Not competitive - Fosters verbal and nonverbal communication skills, friendships, and community building - Can be adapted with success to individual needs - Provides a safe space for exploration and self expression My project would start in the 3rd school quarter (January/ February) of 2018 and continue until everyone is sick of circus. (So hopefully, never.) Organizations that are already committed to having circus after school include Sandy Ridge Elementary, Merrick Moore Elementary, and Walltown Children’s Theater. So this is happening, but oh geeze it would it be easier, less stressful, and a more complete experience for participants if there was funding behind it. Once programs are routine at these locations, I’m looking to expand beyond Durham and into the rest of the Triangle.

Madison, WI (Inactive) – Art Flags for Safe Crossings

2018-02-01T00:00:00Z
Pedestrian flags boost safety and visibility for Madisonians young and old when crossing busy streets. Art Flags for Sage Crossings will create crossing flags that follow safety guidelines, but also increase visibility through novelty and creativity. Art flags will make it more fun and desirable to use a flag when crossing, while at the same time boosting driver awareness of pedestrians via eye-catching colors and design. Community Arts Specialist at John Michael Kohler Arts Center, educator, and screenprinter, Craig Grabhorn along with artist and founder of the For the One Who Finds Me project, Danika Brubaker, will lead community workshops to create art flags and distribute them at targeted high-traffic intersections throughout the city of Madison. Art flags and artists will be featured on social media to boost awareness of the project and pedestrian safety, and to build community.

Minas Gerais (Inactive) – Projeto Africânia

2018-02-01T00:00:00Z
O ***projeto Africânia*** visa interligar pautas, tendo como foco compartilhar questões relevantes para a comunidade negra. Parte do empoderamento, dentro do escopo da beleza, porque esse tem sido um forte meio de contato com a juventude negra de BH, não excluindo a existência de outros meios de articulação com este público. O empoderamento é principalmente um processo que corre de dentro pra fora. A estética pode ser o reflexo desse processo. ***“Nós somos parte de uma linha que segue cruzando indivíduos e discursos.”*** Diante disso, ***Africânia*** tem a intenção de fazer um passeio pela identidade, protagonismo, afro-moda, desenvolvimento, empreendedorismo e demais pautas relevantes para a manutenção da cultura e pelo desenvolvimento da juventude. O projeto pretende alcançar crianças a partir de 4 anos e jovens. Eles serão contemplados com atividades realizadas ao longo dos meses de abril a dezembro e poderão se inscrever no processo de seleção para o desfile Africânia, que acontece durante o evento de encerramento, a cada ano. Os jovens selecionados participam de um workshop de modelo/manequim e após a conclusão recebem um certificado. Além disso, haverá um segundo processo visando à formação profissional desses jovens, em parceria com profissionais e/ou empresas que oferecem oportunidades de atuação no mercado de trabalho. Entendendo a necessidade de que, cada vez mais, jovens assumam seus papéis enquanto agentes de mudança da sociedade e diante de questões que afastam os jovens de atividades em prol do compartilhamento da história e da cultura do nosso povo, o ***projeto Africânia*** surge como canal que interliga a juventude negra a sua atuação social.

Melbourne (Inactive) – Kids' Urban Dreaming

2018-02-01T00:00:00Z
A child-led project that embraces kids creative wackiness and allows them to take over spaces and install their own flavor. Kid's are given the tools to design and create their own amazing creations within public space. We have a series of projects coming up that really need funding out in Northern Geelong, in Corio to be exact. Corio is an extremely underfunded community with little in the way of creative outlets for kids. Over 12 months we are working at 4 different (2 primary schools and 2 community centers) locations to allow the kids of Corio to add their bit of spice to their community, some color and help them to make their mark. Based on the original concept of the adventure playground we are collaborating with local kids to create a series of pop up and permanent works. Kids will be the lead artists, we will give them both the skills and the tools to build cubby houses, skateboard ramps, create short films, cook up a storm in the kitchen or just host a community gathering. The kids are taking over. Our two schools are our permanent sites where kids will design and build structures i.e. they will be creating their very own adventure playgrounds on the school grounds. This may include the building of a cubby house, setting up a kitchen garden or just creating some cool outdoor structures from recycled timbers and whatever else we can get our hands on. The two community centers will work slightly differently, they will be more pop up projects. We have designated public spaces located at the back and front (respectively) at the two sites. We will host pop up junkyard playgrounds, mini-festivals, performance days the list goes on. The kids will decide on exactly what happens. This project is an extension of our original Pop Up Junkyard Playground project and is also being run as a research project (which unfortunately apart from my basic scholarship which covers living expenses they don't fund) and with the hope of extending further afield.

Madison, WI (Inactive) – You Are Beautiful!

2018-02-01T00:00:00Z
The YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL mural project on East Washington continues our ongoing effort to carve out opportunities for many different voices to be represented in public spaces. We will paint the YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL mural alongside LGBTQIA+ youth while participating in a global art initiative, memorializing a talented artist-alum of Madison East, and reminding everyone living in Madison that they are beautiful. When Madison East alum Brendan Scanlon—also known as street artist SOLVE—passed away in 2008, memorial art calling out YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL popped up around Madison, Chicago, and the world. SOLVE and others in his collective had painted the message around Chicago before his death, and it grows as a public art project 14 years in the making. Aesthetically diverse YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL murals have risen out of Illinois, Oregon, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, and California--and even beyond the states, such as Italy. When we create the YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL mural, we will be participating in a globally understood conversation that can be traced back to Madison. This mural project will live in both its history and its future simultaneously; it honors the art of those before us while optimistically anticipating what our community can do for each other in the years to come. ArtWrite artists will paint the mural alongside queer and trans teens. These youth, who will be recruited out of the queer and trans groups with which ArtWrite often partners, will be co-artists in the process of painting and designing. These youth will gain experience in public art making and find an outlet in creative expression. We’ll be partnering with programs of UW- Madison to develop a cascading model of mentorship, where professional artists will mentor college students who will then mentor teen artists as they explore their creative practice--although, from the outside, this will all look and feel like a bunch of artists hanging out, eating pizza, and reminding neighbors that they are beautiful.

North Minneapolis, MN – Curating Resistant Writing

2018-02-01T00:00:00Z
Curating Resistant Writing is an effort to expand the limited budget of North High’s library and curate a special collection of resistant literature that both challenges systems of oppression as well as expands the imagination around other possible futures. As the co founder of Ancestry Books, one of my fundamental objectives has been to take serious the existing and potential for literary excellence in North Minneapolis. I believe that often geographies like North Minneapolis, with a density of low-income and working class black, and brown, and immigrant communities, are foreclosed as sites of creative excellence from which the Toni Morrisons, and June Jordans, and Octavia Butlers emerge. But they do emerge from these geographies, and they are already here and in need of those who will set the expectations high along with the support and opportunity. So Curating Resistant Writing is about creating a site for the opportunity for the students at North High to see a selection of poetry and fiction, memoir and essays that is selected, organized, and activated with an immense amount of care. A part of this activation would be transportation to take North High Students to an off school campus Twin Cities literary event to engage work both on and off the page. As an artist in residence at North High through The Loft Literary Center’s Artist Residency Program I am well poised to facilitate this project with the partnership of North High’s Media Center and the financial contribution of the Awesome Foundation.

Minas Gerais (Inactive) – Se Essa Rua Fosse Minha

2018-01-31T00:00:00Z
***“Se Essa Rua Fosse Minha”*** nasceu da ideia de pintar uma amarelinha para seus filhos brincarem na porta de casa, em abril de 2017. No início, o objetivo era proporcionar às crianças a oportunidade de brincar na rua junto com os seus colegas do condomínio, com o tempo os jovens educadores observaram que as crianças que transitavam por aquela rua sempre passavam pulando pela amarelinha. Foi então que surgiu a primeira amarelinha desenvolvida pelos educadores Lumma Siqueira e Douglas Evangelista, na Rua Lion, Bairro Bethânia em Ipatinga, MG. ***Que tal levar as brincadeiras populares e suas histórias para as ruas dos bairros periféricos da cidade?!*** A ideia deu tanto certo que, já expandiram as ações para outras cidades do Vale do Aço. Recentemente, a dupla pintou um caracol que fez o maior sucesso entre a criançada na Praça Coliseu, no Bairro Timirim em Timóteo. A ação foi desenvolvida em parceria com o Espaço Cultural Casa Laboratório, em fomento à apropriação do espaço da pracinha pelas crianças do bairro e de outras regiões. O projeto reconhece os jogos de rua como patrimônio imaterial capaz de definir a identidade de um povo, e as brincadeiras populares estimulam as relações sócio afetivas, proporcionando a integração entre as crianças criadas em apartamento e regiões periféricas, oferecendo conhecimento histórico local e uma opção de lazer de fácil acesso.

New York City, NY – Gallery Gurls

2018-01-31T00:00:00Z
Gallery Gurls founder and EIC Jasmin Hernandez on her site: Gallery Gurls is the art site for Nasty Women, POC and QTPOC. I aim to celebrate and profile marginalized artists in NYC. I founded the site in 2012, with a deep focus on writing about women in the art world, particularly women of color. Gallery Gurls is intersectional and covers all women of all backgrounds, working across various disciplines. I scour the New York art landscape on a weekly basis and come across the most incredible, engaging, women who are driving and creating social impact in their work. It's an obligation and a pleasure to write about them. I don't have a traditional art background, I'm a former fashion show producer and photo editor who has worked at several magazines. As a native New Yorker and a downtown creative, I was constantly in creative circles and engaging in the art space. My voice on Gallery Gurls is fresh, fun, accessible and not rooted in academia. I want Gallery Gurls to be a space where if you want to learn about women in the art world and have a device and WIFI, I want you to visit and think of Gallery Gurls first. Visit gallerygurls.net, follow @gallerygurl1 on Twitter, and gallerygurls on Instagram.

North Minneapolis, MN – Hanson Northside Photography

2018-01-31T00:00:00Z
My awesome project is to be a community photographer! I want to establish myself as an independent photographer/ entrepreneur named Hanson NS ( Northside ) Photography, or HNSphoto in order to better the image of my amazing community. This program will start as a self run non-profit organization that provides photography exclusively for the Northside community members so I can become the photographer I aspire to be! I already spend hundreds of hours a year doing free photography for my school, North High and local paper, North News because these services are normally costly and out of reach on the Northside. I am a self taught photographer who has persevered into shooting cover photos for North News as a freelance photographer and already do the work needed to be successful, I just lack my own supplies. Photography is my way of giving back to my community. The photo is a canvas; my community, the Northside, is the art. A picture is documentation, Memories, and history. In its stillness, a picture captures emotion, action, and injustice. This is important to me because I can use my skills to better the atmosphere and create unity in my community. I have built my connections and potentially a lifelong career through photographing this community and it is only the beginning! Hanson NS Photography will push our positive image in the media, and continue to provide a fresh, young activist perspective.