Awesome Foundation - Projects

Liverpool – Thanks

2017-02-09T00:00:00Z

Thanks is a reward scheme that attempts to engage students in a way not achieved by any other. It does this by being built around thanking others for their help rather than on teachers deciding who should be rewarded. It allows students and teachers to decide who should be rewarded together by thanking those who have helped them. As a result it is not limited to just students who can be rewarded but teachers also. This can allow a school to gain a sense of community by bringing everyone together in an attempt to help each other out. The system is designed to display all thanks publicly for everyone in the school to see. This helps to stop misuse (on top of our sentiment analysis checks) as well as give people the public recognition they deserve for being a good member of the community. Not only does the system handle the giving and display of thanks but also has built in statistical and raffle systems. The raffle system allows those who have been thanked more frequently to have a higher chance of winning prizes that the school is offering. This all comes together to allow the school to reward those who help out the most within the school.

Ann Arbor, MI – SMILE

2017-02-08T00:00:00Z

I founded the SMILE program for the children in my low income neighborhood, Sycamore Meadows, along with another parent, Sentra. SMILE stands for Sycamore Meadows Introducing Literacy Engagement and is a reading group that I do at my house every other Wednesday where the children ages 2-8 are invited to eat a healthy snack along with my children and listen to a story. We do sight words, ask questions about the book and the children each get to pick out a book from the donated book shelf to take home with them. There are usually between 15-20 kids at every session. I track attendance each time (name and their age - and when they come 4 times they get to pick a prize from the treasure chest). If they read a book to the group then they automatically get to pick a prize and they get a Superstar Reader certificate.

Rio de Janeiro (Inactive) – Festival da Mulher Trabalhadora

2017-02-07T00:00:00Z

Fruto da experiência da CAMTRA com as comerciárias do Centro Comercial da SAARA, centro, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, onde realiza um trabalho desde 1999, nasce a proposta de realizar o Festival da Mulher Trabalhadora. Neste período, a CAMTRA acumulou experiência em desenvolver ações nas áreas de direitos, saúde sexual e reprodutiva e violência contra as mulheres, com estas trabalhadoras que têm uma jornada de trabalho de 8/9 horas diárias, enfrentam cerca de 2/3 horas entre casa-trabalho-casa e ainda arcam com a dupla jornada de trabalho. Desta forma, não possuem tempo e condições para participarem de oficinas, debates e seminários. Entre nossas estratégias de aproximação com as mulheres, destacamos a metodologia da Barraca de Direitos, realizada no meio da rua, com aulas públicas distribuídos preservativos masculinos e femininos, materiais informativos sobre direitos básicos, violência contra as mulheres e outros. Esta ação já beneficiou diretamente 48.274 pessoas, sendo na sua maioria mulheres. Em nosso site temos um documentário com estas trabalhadoras: www.camtra.org.br/index.php/midia/videos?ygstart=16 Porque no Centro Comercial da SAARA? Porque este é um um local privilegiado para dialogar com as mulheres trabalhadoras, visto que tem 1200 estabelecimentos comerciais, sendo 700 lojas, onde circulam diariamente cerca de 70.000 pessoas e a mão de obra empregada é constituída em sua maioria por mulheres. Como seria o Festival da Mulher Trabalhadora? Um dia de mobilização voltado para os direitos das trabalhadoras do Centro Comercial da SAARA, de forma a ampliar e aumentar o alcance das ações desenvolvidas pela CAMTRA. Assim, além de nossas ações com a Barraca de Direitos, haveria a participação de outros órgãos e instituições de atendimento às mulheres, como Delegacia Especial de Atendimento às Mulheres, Núcleo de Assistência Jurídica, além de apresentações culturais de mulheres e/ou grupos de mulheres, como grafitti, rap e outros.

Atlanta, GA – Christian Family Adoption Aid (CFAA)

2017-02-07T00:00:00Z

Christian Family Adoption Aid(CFAA) is a fairly new non-profit that was created to assist families financially with their adoption process by awarding adoption grants. CFAA also coordinates annual mission trips to assist rural communities in Jamaica by providing food, school supplies, Vacation Bible School, and other various resources to help improve the community.

Paris (Inactive) – Changer le monde en 2 heures - Chaîne Youtube

2017-02-06T00:00:00Z

Je rêve d’un monde ou chacun puisse s’engager sur les causes qui lui tiennent à cœur. Or personne ne nous a appris à changer les choses. Mon but est de mettre en avant des moyens faciles et rapides d'agir pour les autres et la planète : microdon, bénévolat de compétences, nettoyer la planète en une journée... Je souhaite lancer une chaîne Youtube pour démocratiser l'engagement citoyen, partager plus de micro engagements et aider un maximum de jeunes à agir à leur échelle. Il y aura 3 catégories de vidéos : des interviews décalées de citoyens ordinaires qui changent le monde, des exemples de micro engagements simples à réaliser, des questions qu'on se pose quand on veut changer les choses. A votre avis, combien de milliers de personnes passeraient à l'action si on leur montre par où commencer ? I dream of a world in which everyone is able to support causes that matter to him/her. But nobody taught us how to change things. My goal is to highlight easy and simple ways to act for others and for the planet : micro-gifts, volunteering, cleaning the planet in a day. I want to start a Youtube channel to open civic commitment to all, share more micro-initiatives, and help a maximum of young people to act around them. There will be 3 categories of videos : interviews of ordinary citizens who change the world, examples of micro initiatives that are easy to undertake, answers to questions that people ask themselves when they want to change things. How many people do you think will take the leap if we showed us where to start from ?

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Global Women's Water Initiative

2017-02-06T00:00:00Z

GWWI trains women in Sub-Saharan Africa to bring clean water and sanitation to their villages. Why women? Women and girls are the most affected by the lack of water in their villages because they can spend upwards of 8 hours a day fetching water and doing water-related chores so women can't work and girls can't go to school. They are also caretakers of their families, and when family members get sick, they spend money on clinic and medicine and lose productivity. The World Health Organization estimates that over half the hospital beds in the world are occupied by people with water related disease! In addition, 1 out of 10 girls drop out of school by the 8th grade because there are no sanitation facilities in school and they have no where to relieve or wash themselves when they have their periods. They are also at risk of being violently attacked and even raped when they have to fetch water or openly defecate. To make matters worse, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization found that the 'exclusion of women in water and sanitation projects, is the cause of their high rate of failure'. Despite their deep relationship with water, they aren't even included in decision making and so water projects fail because of it! GWWI is changing that. Not only are we training women to build water and sanitation technologies like rainwater harvesting systems, water storage tanks, toilets, clean water filters and more, we are making sure they know how to conduct water, health and hygiene workshops so people know how to reduce their risk of water related disease. The women earn money as water specialists building, training and making and selling hand made hygiene products. With our support, the women are also being asked to serve on their local water boards, ensuring that their voices are heard when it comes to issues that directly affect them. Our women are being transformed from passive recipients of failed water projects to water providers, trainers and leaders!

Singapore – MR HASSAN AND HIS SKETCHES

2017-02-05T00:00:00Z

Hello My name is Shaiful Risan. Mr Hassan is my father and I am writing this behind his back as a surprise. He is approaching retirement, and with an aging body he cannot do much physical work. However he is a great artist and i know deep down inside he would have loved to be an artist / illustrator. He had to shelf his dream and work regular jobs growing up to support his family; eventually marrying my mom and raising me. Fast forward, now I am 35, work in the arts/entertainment/education spectrum and roughing it out, but i wake up loving what i do. However being in Singapore is rather expensive and I also have a ton of debt to clear. Having said that this is not about me; this is about my father. I hope to get a kick start amount to get him going; by doing an exhibition for him that sells some prints/merchandize/shirts/tote bags based on his sketches. They are unique and are fast phasing out in an increasingly 'millenial dominated' world. His samples are here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AJeNmd2ewk I will be glad to show or detail more information if someone ends up being really interested in this.

Oakland, CA (Inactive) – Resistance is Love in Action

2017-02-03T00:00:00Z

I have been leading fabric banner making workshops for the Women's March and other actions to unite our collective energies to resist the current political regime that undermines the rights and humanity of so many. The intergenerational, interracial, multigendered, intersectional beauty and power of the Women's Marches across the globe have inspired me to reproduce large scale color images of the signs and banners made by everyday people and collaborate with a local art organization to wheat paste a mural to put on the facade of a large building so that our collective resistance can be made visible all day, every day for at least the first 100 days of Trump in office. I am also working with participants in the banner making workshops to rig them so that they can double as window curtains to face out on to our neighborhood streets, so that communities can feel unified in our efforts to support one another, to bolster our spirits and know that we are not alone, that we will not be swallowed by this wave of hate, but that we can build bridges and come together with love as a unifying force. I currently have proposals in to Kala as well as 100 Days of Action to determine the best site for this project.

Sarnia (Inactive) – Vision Buddies

2017-02-03T00:00:00Z

Annapolis, NS (Inactive) – Come Play with Us - Exploring Fibre Crafts

2017-02-03T00:00:00Z

April 22nd 2017, SOFAAR, the Society of Fibre Artists of the Annapolis River, will host a day long "Come Play with Us" event at the AR Firehall.  This event will invite members of the community for a full day of communal fibre crafting (knitting, hooking, weaving, embroidery, cross stitch, needlepoint, spinning, felting, beading, basketry, etc - if it is done with fibre, it will be there!). We will offer demonstrations of different techniques and a chance for visitors young and old to try their hands at these techniques and see what working with fibre is all about.  We would like to make this an inclusive event from school age children to seniors. A special visit will be made to area schools in advance of April 22nd to encourage participation. We will have some special hands-on projects designed especially for youth. Part of SOFAAR's mission is to promote and advance fibre-based art through educational activities and this community event will help us achieve this goal.

Adelaide – When Rosie Died

2017-02-01T00:00:00Z

My name is Stacey Hargroves and I am an independant filmmaker in Adelaide currently filming a short film about a young wife and mother of three who gets run down to the point where she literally turns into a Zombie... and nobody notices! This movie will hopefully give an insight into how it feels to live with post-natal depression or a mental illness and, similar to the movie 'Warm Bodies', show that there is hope at the end to return to the living. All who have read the script have related to Rosie and have been moved by her struggle and I am excited and determined to make something which will give others a new perspective on post-natal depression and mental illness.

Washington, DC – Women in Horror Month- D.C.

2017-01-31T00:00:00Z

Hello! I was shocked, maybe even *horrified* to recently discover there was no D.C. event for Women in Horror month! As of yesterday, I have secured a venue (Northeast Library, where I was a volunteer yoga instructor) and a locally-made, women-fronted horror film to screen. The event is February 28th. To go alongside the screening, I am working to compile short horror stories written by D.C. area women to go into an anthology. I want to represent as broad of a base of women as possible. The anthology would be an eBook which would be for sale for $5 leading up to the event and during. The proceed will be donated to Planned Parenthood Metropolitan Washington--of which I am volunteer. Readings from this anthology will serve as the "opener" for the film. For after the screening, I am working on a reception hosted at a local bar. There, patrons can enjoy discussion with the filmmakers, authors, and one another.

Melbourne (Inactive) – Audio Description in Victoria

2017-01-31T00:00:00Z

Firstly, and truly most importantly: Dinosaur. Audio description is the practice of making the visual verbal. It makes art and media more inclusive and accessible for people who are blind or vision impaired. Do you have Netflix? Go load up "Daredevil" and select "English - Audio Description" from the languages menu to hear an example! Audio Description can work across any medium, but my work is primarily in theatres. Describers prepare a script that we read in set changes and pauses in the dialogue to tell people what is happening on stage. Patrons have a small FM receiver and headset, and describers speak into a portable FM transmitter. We also run touch tours of the stage before the show and develop pre-show notes that are recorded for use on client's websites to market the show. I trained as an audio describer in South Australia in 2013, and have been working as a freelance professional describer since. I moved to Melbourne last year, and found that the practice hasn't developed professionally in Victoria. I want to be the catalyst for that development. I am working to establish a professional, best practice audio description service in Victoria. Working with Arts Access Victoria and other industry partners, I have a plan to bring on board some of the state's leading arts institutions and train up a new crew of professionally-trained describers. I'm also setting up an audience reference group of people who are vision impaired to become advocates for the service and have a voice in its development. Currently I have local artist Ross De Vent on board as a collaborator, and CEO of Arts Access Australia Emma Bennison is acting as an adviser. Currently, I have to beg, borrow or steal the FM transmitter gear required to offer this service. My goal is to acquire a full set of gear so I don't have to pass on significant hire costs to cash-strapped arts clients and can invest more in training new people to offer this service.

North Minneapolis, MN – W.A.G.E. Presents B.A.E.

2017-01-31T00:00:00Z

W.A.G.E. = We All Gone Eat B.A.E. = Body Art Experience WAGE is a new collective of artists seeking to change the damaging narrative of the "starving artist". B.A.E. is a showcase of artwork in various genres and mediums that amplify the beauty of the human body and what it can do. Imagine a soundscape that shifts the energy toward exploration of the artistic mind of each artist participating. The space will be curated to included elements such as body movement artistry, live body paint, live figure model drawings, live jewelry making and presentation, circus arts, etc. The hope is to bring together various genres exploring body art in a cohesive and entertaining way. No nudity, though some implied nudity may call for this to be an 18 plus event.

Jumbos (Inactive) – Storytelling For Youth Activists

2017-01-30T00:00:00Z

Latin American Youth Center’s (LAYC) DREAMER Committee is a group of LAYC staff who conduct immigration advocacy and administer a scholarship fund to offset immigration fees for youth, particularly DACA applications. With the uncertainty of the DACA program, the committee has switched focus to support our youth activists in telling their stories. Our aim is to embolden our youth to share their personal connection to immigration and to be vocal activists for immigration justice in their communities. In this vein, our committee plans to create a Storytelling for Youth Activists workshop series. Ten LAYC youth will be selected to participate in a series of storytelling workshops to gain leadership, community building, and public speaking skills. Youth will learn to powerfully share their personal stories in connection to the ongoing fight for immigrant justice. A spoken word or storytelling specialist will guide each youth through developing their narrative, connecting with an audience, and successfully conveying their point of view. Trained youth will be invited to participate in larger immigration advocacy through: public speaking at rallies, testifying before city council, and/or in speaking to the media. Partner organizations, including Story District, have expressed enthusiasm in partnering with LAYC on this project. Storytelling for Youth Activists will amplify youth voices to lead our local immigrant justice movement. This project is strategically aligned with Latin American Youth Center’s overall mission to empower a diverse population of youth to achieve a successful transition to adulthood, through multi-cultural, comprehensive, and innovative programs that address youths' social, academic, and career needs. LAYC provides services and opportunities to approximately 4,000 individuals annually to support academic achievement, promote healthy behaviors, and guide youth toward successful adulthood.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Services for Homeless Women in Portland, OR

2017-01-30T00:00:00Z

I want to support Laura Nees-Shugart, a residential case management supervisor at Transition Projects, a non-profit supported mainly by state and federal grants. They're mission is to help transition people from homelessness to housing - and they also provide severe weather shelter. In a given year, they help 10,000 people in the Portland area. But 2017 is off to a different start. Thanks to a winter storm and unseasonably cold weather for Portland, temperatures have been below freezing for 34 days since the first of December 2016. Severe weather shelters, normally open only 11 days in a year, have been open for 22 straight days. The team, including Laura, work around the clock to ensure there is a clean, safe, warm place for people to stay. And then they also do their normal jobs, helping people find permanent housing and providing other services. They need some help - supplies, staff and money - to meet the challenge this winter has posed. Let's get them a little extra relief!

Alaska (Inactive) – Stickers for Conservation!

2017-01-29T00:00:00Z

I've spent my entire life taking advantage of Alaska's wild lands, with very minimal effort to help preserve/conserve those lands. In light of the new Federal Administration, I'm getting proactive about conservation. I don't have many financial resources, but I do have a large group of friends and fans that appreciate my style of adventuring. I spend several months a year on wilderness trips, human-powered and creative. For example: we biked the Denali Park Road to climb Denali, then floated rivers out to Talkeetna. I've ice skated from Bethel to Goodnews Bay (150 miles), and skied from Yakutat to McCarthy over Mt. Logan, tallest peak in Canada (370 miles). These trips are all done on minimal budget, and presented in a way that is accessible to a lot of people. There isn't a lot of agro or ego involved. I'm leveraging the group of people that find my trips inspiring, sharing with them the need to get proactive about conservation. If those people step up their conservation game (by donating money to conservation campaigns, calling our Representatives, starting conversations, etc.), then I send them cool stickers. The stickers use artwork donated by various artist friends and connections who support this project. The stickers are unbranded, no hashtags or slogans, just clean art. This week I mailed 50 stickers. 10 people called their Reps. $5,000 has been donated to conservation groups.

San Francisco, CA – Resurrecting Lou Harrison's Lost Electronic Music

2017-01-28T00:00:00Z

Last year, I was handed a score for an electronic composition by American composer Lou Harrison. There were two peculiar things about this; 1. I had never heard of the piece (I am very familiar with Harrison’s work) and 2. Harrison famously hated electronics. After speaking to Larry Polansky, the composer who unearthed the score, I found that there is no record of it having ever been performed. The work requires that an acoustic ensemble perform the score, while electronic musicians record, and then play back these recordings at certain speeds that are specified in the score, as the acoustic instruments continue to play. I eventually contacted Daniel Steffey about performing the work with our trio Ctrl-Z. Dan, who has performed many of Harrison’s works before, examined the orchestration and found that there was only one collection of Harrison’s instruments capable of properly reproducing the piece. Amazingly, Dan is a member of an ensemble that has access to these instruments; The William Winant Percussion Group. After speaking with Mr. Winant, he agreed to perform the work as long as we could pay the performers in his group a minimal fee. The Harrison estate, has given us the rights to perform and record the work. We have a performance scheduled in Manhattan, NY, and are in talks with Bay Area colleges for local events. The only thing that is stopping us is a lack of funds. While I will be working on this project for free, this can only happen if we have concerts available and funds for the musicians. The centennial is our only chance to perform this work on a wide variety of concerts of Harrison's music and will allow us to offset some of the costs. We feel that the impact will be much greater as part of a retrospective of Harrison's work and this can only happen if we receive funding for this project now. Preparations for the concert will take at least a month, and if we are to make the deadline for our first concert, we need to start preparing in January.

Twin Cities, MN (Inactive) – The Free Black Table Open MIc

2017-01-26T00:00:00Z

BlackTableArts presents The Free Black Table Open Mic. Free of charge. All ages. Begun in January, 2015, The Free Black Table Open Mic is held at Illusion Theater in Minneapolis and is organized into three sections. First, The Open Mic: serving 500+ multigenerational artists as a free of charge all ages open mic. Dedicated to the writings of black artists and people of color, this open mic is open to the public, but only artists who identify as black and P.O.C can sign up to perform. Second, The Market and Social Hour Taking place in the lobby of Illusion Theater, The Social Hour is an event that offers free, catered food from a local restaurant—usually family owned—accompanied with music and conversation. It’s an opportunity to bring the artist community together to break bread and fellowship in an authentic way. The Market is designed to give access to entrepreneurs and community members looking to sell their products or spread information/resources. Nina Simone said "Freedom is no fear" come get free, and participate in the creation of another world through black art. "It has been amazing to watch the Free Black Table event grow. The first event felt so special, Keno Evol (Artist, poet and educator) established such an authentic and welcoming space of sharing and support. Since then it has grown; larger and more diverse audiences have attended and it continues to feel like a creative, vibrant and safe space. The thing I notice and enjoy the most about the Free Black Table is the support the event and attendees offer each other and the art being offered up. The work itself is fabulous—some of the performers are veterans of spoken word, and others are reading their work for the very first time—what a gift to be in the room for that!" —Ellen Fenster, Illusion Theater

Oahu, HI – 'Iliahi - Wahiawa's Giving Tree

2017-01-26T00:00:00Z

Wahiawa Community Church of the Nazarene, members of the Wahiawa Homeless Alliance and ALEA Bridge will be sponsoring the latest Joint Outreach Engagement, ‘Iliahi – The Wahiawa Giving Tree on December 18, 2016. This is a community Christmas event that will feature food, fun, fellowship and gift giving as our community comes together in the spirit of Christmas to help those who are less fortunate. The idea came from the members of the Nazarene Church who wanted to do something special for our homeless neighbors in the community. Beyond just providing meals and donated items, they wanted to provide a genuine Christmas experience to the homeless that will show how much the community cares about their struggles, and that the residents are committed to helping them through the process of transitioning out of homelessness. Wahiawa is a small rural community located in Central Oahu, with a rich and proud history in agriculture, and was once the focal point of the vibrant pineapple industry on Oahu. In the past few years, the Wahiawa community has experienced the largest increase of homeless population in the Hawaii, with a 17.5% increase from last year, and a staggering 123% increase from 2013. With the help of ALEA Bridge and member agencies of the Wahiawa, Homeless Alliance, we are working together to address the homelessness issues through open and inclusive participation, and develop coordinated and comprehensive solutions appropriate for the community of Wahiawa. In addition, we want to ensure that all of the at-risk and homeless persons are treated with dignity and respect, and valued as a member of the community. This event and will help to bring the community together to establish a support system that addresses the emotional and spiritual needs, as well as build a personal and meaningful relationship, with those that we aim to serve.

Oahu, HI – Bay of Dreams

2017-01-26T00:00:00Z

I give away free stand up paddling lessons. I have been doing it for 7 years. I share a story of how I overcame some health challenges by doing SUP surfing. I have a truck and trailer that I use to haul 28 boards to Pokai Bay in Waianae. To date I have given away over 11,000 free SUP lessons. You can find testimonies at my Bay of Dreams page.

Orlando, FL – Commemorative GDM 'From Broadway w/ Love' Painting

2017-01-25T00:00:00Z

On July 25, 2016, we produced an historical concert, 'From Broadway with Love', with a star-studded cast of Broadway talent to raise money for three Orlando organizations (The Center, Hope & Help & Zebra Coalition) in the wake of the Pulse tragedy. Together with a 100+ person local choir & the Orlando Philharmonic, we created our own piece of history in the name of love and community support...letting ART be our healer. As a former member of the Orlando arts community, NYC artist, Geoffrey Doig-Marx (www.gdmartist.com) has volunteered to create a one-of-kind, commemorative painting in the style of his "Subway" piece, including images of all the Broadway stars such as Chita Rivera, Jessie Mueller, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Kelli O'Hara and more. This piece will also include visual representation of the choir and Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. This concert not only represented the NYC arts community sending it's love and showing it's support for a grieving Orlando community, but also two arts communities creating their own piece of history together, as a team of one...ARTISTS! We want this piece to have a home & to be shared with the community it represents. It can be on a display rotation at all three organization's locations, but it can also tour the country to spread an overall energy of love & support. The only thing limiting the possibilities for this piece to have global impact is limiting our imaginations! :)

Portland, OR – Nightingale

2017-01-25T00:00:00Z

Where health and social justice intersect, nurses offer alternative modes of thinking. Nightingale is a web publication established by nurses and the populations they serve. We are a movement committed to social justice for nurses and those impacted by their care, within and beyond the healthcare system. This commitment extends across spheres of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, ability, socio-economic status, and health literacy. Nightingale is an emerging space for writers, artists, activists, healthcare workers, mothers, daughters, brothers, fathers, and Americans who want to help others as peers. We publish news, art, and features centered around health equity with the aim of connecting nurses to their communities. We are a group of women around the US from across disciplines that have connected to create a space for millenials working toward health equity. With various backgrounds our perspectives are diverse and cover a broad range of interests. Our work will speak to individuals from all levels of health literacy, and we are united in an effort to make healthcare more accessible and equitable for every person.

Orlando, FL – Dowtown Public Art Tour

2017-01-25T00:00:00Z

We want to initiate tours of public art in downtown Orlando by sponsoring a fleet of 8 to 10 electric carts that can be used for tours around Lake Eola Park and the Orange County Administration Center to view the growing number of public art sculptures and installations. The inaugural tour will showcase downtown’s public art to approximately 100 public art administrators and artists from around the state who will be in town for an industry conference. The knowledgeable guide will be Terry Olson, director of the Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs office, with help from SeeArt and members of the Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Council’s Public Art Review Board. Once established, these tours could become an opportunity that is promoted to local and visiting groups looking for such an off-beat and arts-rich experience.

Newmarket – Conversations With My Younger Self

2017-01-25T00:00:00Z

This awesome project allows art professionals and youth in the Newmarket Community to collaborate in designing and delivering high quality arts education outside of the traditional classroom. This 3-phased project emphasizes engagement by working with youth to co-create meaningful experiences that stretch their minds, bodies, and imaginations. Phase One - Three Spring Workshops • Workshops will have a minimum of 20 participants and two trainers Phase Two - Summer (Open) Rehearsals (25 hrs) • 12 to 15 youth will develop stories over the summer • The space will be ‘open’ for anyone who wants to observe the rehearsal process • Other youth may sit in as assistant directors, stage managers and dramaturges, offering and • sharing their perspectives and feedback Phase Three - Three Fall Public Performances in Public Spaces • Performances will be free for youth and a small ticket fee will be charged for adults ($5/$8) • All youth will have opportunities to share their talents and learn new skills, and be involved in some creative capacity • Youth may perform a song in between story-performances • Youth may host/introduce the new works • Youth may learn front of house or box office duties • Youth will participate in feedback and evaluation, collecting testimonials and blogging reviews Isolation is common for youth who feel they are tackling everything alone without the resources to connect to others. Performances will have interactive components where youth in the audience can share their concerns either publicly or anonymously. The end result is to develop skills and confidence in youth through the performing arts while working with experienced mentors. This project will foster a network for enriched creative exchange in thought and feelings whilst empowering youth participants to make difficult decisions.

Austin, TX – Wild Places

2017-01-24T00:00:00Z

Groundswell is a group of Austin theatre artists dedicated to making new plays with risk, rigor, and joy. Their latest project, WILD PLACES, is an immersive theatre experience about the ways we as Americans attempt to heal and control our minds and bodies, particularly through pharmaceutical medication, psychedelic drugs, gurus, and self-help. Running March 3-5, March 10-12, and March 17-19, each weekend's show will be unique. There might be trampolines, psychedelics, blood, snakes, and bouncy balls.

New York City, NY – The Itinerant Writing Workshop in Spanish

2017-01-23T00:00:00Z

The Itinerant Writing Workshop in Spanish is a group of poets and writers from the creative writing MFA in Spanish program at NYU who bring readings and short writing workshops to the Latino and hispanic populations in New York through cultural centers and bookstores such as Barco de Papel in Queens, Word Up in Washington Heights, and La Casa Azul in Harlem. The writing workshops bring these cultural experiences to communities that might not otherwise get the opportunity to participate due to language barriers. The idea of the Itinerant Writing Workshop in Spanish is to take literature outside the academy to build a bridge between writers and community. This group has already done 5 public readings (two at Word Up and three at Barco de Papel) and this Awesome Foundation grant will help fund their first round of free writing workshops that will give Latino communities the opportunity to tell their own stories, in their own words, and in their own languages, particularly in the current political climate in which stories of Latino immigrants need to be heard. The pilot program will include workshops in Fiction for Kids, Autobiographical Writing, and Poetry. In their own words: Writing and reading are very powerful tools, not only for learning. They improve people's reflexive capacity, stimulate their imaginations and give them an way to express and understand themselves and their stories. Most of the Latino community in the US struggles to make a life here. With this bridge to literature we want to give them the chance to dream, imagine and have a space for recreation too. We believe that will help in their self-esteem, self-empowerment and self-confidence.

Kingston – The ID Clinic

2017-01-22T00:00:00Z

Our awesome project is the ID Clinic, facilitated by Pro Bono Students Canada. The ID Clinic helps the homeless and marginally housed in Kingston obtain government-issued identification. In addition to assistance with identification, we provide free legal referrals if an individual requires legal assistance. Government issued identification is essential for individuals to access key community services such as health care and banking, and it is awesome when all members of society have an equal opportunity to access these services! The Clinic is run by six Queen's Law students and two lawyer supervisors from Cunningham Swan, and we conduct the clinic at Martha's Table in Kingston. This is the pilot year of the project in Kingston. Currently, we are able to assist with the paperwork for the Ontario Photo Card, which individuals can use for identification in place of a Driver's License. We hope to expand our services to assist with Health Cards as well in the future.The Clinic runs twice per month during the academic year, and we hope to continue the Clinic for years to come. We have run two sessions at Martha's Table so far, and have been approached by approximately 10-15 individuals who do not have a Photo Card or Driver's License, but would like to get a Photo Card. The major impediment for these individuals is the cost. They are very interested in getting the ID, but are unable to afford the $35 to get the card. Our clients come to learn about this service through word of mouth, and we estimate that once we are able to provide funding for these cards, interest will increase.

Santa Fe, NM (Inactive) – Foster Friends

2017-01-20T00:00:00Z

An alarming study published by New Mexico Voices for Children recently revealed that New Mexico has the highest rate of child poverty in the nation. Of children residing within Santa Fe County, nearly 34% live below the poverty line, 57% do not attend preschool programs, 75% wont be proficient in reading by the time they reach the 4th grade, and 15% will be reported as victims of child abuse. This data poses a real challenge to the children of our community and we find our work more relevant than ever. At the Santa Fe Children's Museum we believe it takes a village to raise a child and are launching a range of community-focused projects this year to help address the lack of support for at-risk youth. We've recently created a project benefiting a particularly vulnerable group in our community; the 80-100 children taken into short and long-term custody by the Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD) each year. Through two outlets, this program ensures free access to the Santa Fe Children's Museum and all of its supplemental programing for these at-risk children and their caregivers. The first outlet is through a Business Membership to be used by CYFD staff who are housing children on-site when they don't have foster placements or are pending investigations of abuse and neglect. The membership is valid for one year and provides an unlimited number of visits for an unlimited number of children and CYFD staff. This will allow the children in custody to leave the CYFD setting and visit the museum where they can engage in normal child behaviors in a supportive setting focused on creativity and play. The second outlet is through family passes to be distributed by CYFD to foster families. Each pass will allow the foster family free admission to the museum for the day. This is a valuable option for foster families because CYFD is unable to provide reimbursements for expenses such as museum admissions.

San Antonio, TX – Bexar County High School Film Festival

2017-01-20T00:00:00Z

The Right Light, San Antonio's only nonprofit video production company, is partnering with the San Antonio Area Foundation to produce the first-ever Bexar County high school film festival. Our goal is to give high school students a chance to try their hand at filmmaking while showcasing local nonprofit organizations. We're encouraging San Antonio students to learn more about communications and their community by connecting them with service organizations to tell the stories that change lives. Each high school team participating in the festival will be paired with a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in Bexar County. Then the teams will create a three-minute video supporting their nonprofit's mission. The students get the chance to explore careers in media production and the nonprofits get to tell the world about the work they do. Videos chosen by our panel of judges will be showcased at a premier night where we'll honor San Antonio's best young filmmakers. Then, all the videos produced during the festival will be donated to the featured nonprofit organizations to support their missions. Join us in giving high school students the opportunity to serve their community while learning valuable job skills and exploring career opportunities. By sponsoring the Bexar County High School Film Festival you're giving students and nonprofits a better future in San Antonio.

San Jose, CA – Dancing through the Decades

2017-01-20T00:00:00Z

We and Our Neighbors women's club, founded in 1892, will be celebrating our 125th Anniversary in 2017. In celebrating this great milestone we will introduce Dancing through the Decades inviting the community to learn a new dance from a different era every month. We have partnered with Dance Boulevard Professionals who will teach popular dances from the 1890s to the 2000s including everything from the Charleston to the Cupid Shuffle.

Newcastle – Mindfulness for men with pregnant partners

2017-01-19T00:00:00Z

This project, using mindfulness interventions for men with pregnant partners, provides the possibility to change emotions and behaviours that unchallenged might otherwise have the potential to manifest into stress, anger and violence. An improved ability to cope with stressors is postulated to improve wellbeing and decrease the chance of stress and anger becoming uncontrollable. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is increasingly gaining acceptance as a treatment option for a wide range of psychological health issues. Mindfulness based interventions such as MBSR have become recognised for their potential to reduce stress and increase the person’s ability to develop skills that improve psychological functioning. The aim of this project is: • To explore the possible benefits of a mindfulness intervention for men with pregnant partners • To trial an online intervention for men with pregnant partners to learn and practice mindfulness interventions • To train and support men in learning MBSR techniques to reduce stress and improve emotional wellbeing as part of the journey through parenthood

Tallahassee, FL (Inactive) – Making Light - Autism Movement Therapy dance floor

2017-01-19T00:00:00Z

The mission of Making Light Productions is two-fold: We want to provide high quality, inclusive arts education for kids of all abilities and job opportunities for adults with disabilities. This kind of program does not exist in Tallahassee. (We are a registered non-profit corporation in the State of Florida and our completed 501c3 application is currently being reviewed by the IRS.) Why is an Inclusive Theatre Arts Program Important? Other theatre arts programs in the area provide a barrier to kids with cognitive disabilities or developmental delays. Public school theatre programs tend to be audition-based and exclusive, rather than inclusive. Many local private programs require a threshold of independent functioning – requiring a child to participate independently of a parent or therapist – that many kids with disabilities are unable to meet. In addition, we want to provide Autism Movement Therapy as part of our dance schedule -- and we are the only licensed provider of that service in the region. At Making Light Theatre, we believe an inclusive model is essential not just for the kids with “special” needs – but also their “typical” peers. A neurotypical child who has worked side-by-side with another child with autism to produce a play never has to be taught that this child brings a worthy contribution to the world. This child has been educated in tolerance and acceptance by immersion. Often, in the arts, a typical child will meet a child with autism who can perform in some way – memorizing lines almost instantly, for instance, or having perfect pitch – that they, as the “normal” child, cannot. The whole concept of who is facing “challenges” and who is “gifted” gets turned on its head, opening their minds to the idea that every person has a legitimate contribution to make. They, in turn, take this experience into the world – a world of diverse people of diverse abilities and challenges – and act accordingly.

Chicago, IL – Empowering Teen Authors & Teen Publishers

2017-01-19T00:00:00Z

The Revolving Door Arts Teen Chapbook series publishes the creative writing of teens at the manuscript level. We are currently working with four Chicago teen poets to produce their first print and online publications in the form of chapbooks. This series includes peer-to-peer support and manuscript alongside mentor support of established writers. We believe that the creative arts remain an integral part of our society and that young people are critical to its sustainability and evolution. We also believe that creative workforce development can provide young creatives with new forms of exposure to sustainable, life-long careers in the arts. For this reason, we have a vision to grow this initiative into a teen-driven publishing house where teens are given the space to professionally produce teen creative work in fiction, poetry, memoir, essay, and more. Our youth publishing house will give teens an opportunity to serve as editors, graphic and layout designers, and PR personas as they curate, collaborate, produce, and promote small collections of creative writing by their peers. This will be the first teen-driven publishing house within the United States.

Yerevan – Քայլող կինոթատրոն

2017-01-19T00:00:00Z

Փոքր համայնքներում մարդիկ զուրկ են կինոդիտման հնարավորությունից:  Համայնքներում երիտասարդներն, առհասարակ, չունեն համատեղ հավաքվելու և շփվելու, ժամանակ անցկացնելու վայր, ինչի պատճառով դպրոցից և տոնական միջոցառումներից բացի իրար հանդիպելու առիթներ չեն ունենում:  Երևան այցելող համայնքաբնակ երիտասարդների, և ոչ միայն, ժամանցի հիմնական վայրերից է հանդիսանում կինոթատրոնը: Փաստացի, միայն Երևան այցելելու դեպքում են երիտասարդները կարողանում ծանոթանալ ժամանակակից կինոաշխարհի զարգացումներին: Ցանկանում եմ կցասայլի վրա հավաքել «Քայլող կինոթատրոն» որը կշրջի համայնքներով և կկազմակերպի կինոդիտումներ:  Վայոց Ձորի մարզում կազմակերպվում է 3 խոշոր փառատոն՝ Արենու գինու փառատոն, Էկոտուրիզմի փառատոն Գոմք գյուղում, Ձնեմարդուկ՝ ձնե արվեստների փառատոն Ջերմուկում, ինչը հնարավորություն կտա կազմակերպել նաև վճարովի ծառայություն, իսկ գյուղական համայքներում կինոդիտումները կկազմակերպվեն անվճար հիմունքներով:

Birmingham, AL (Inactive) – Team Alabama Solar Decathlon SURVIV(AL) House

2017-01-19T00:00:00Z

University of Alabama at Birmingham, in partnership with Calhoun Community College, is one of 14 collegiate teams from around the world selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon 2017 competition. Over the next year, an interdisciplinary team of students from across the university will be engaged in designing and building a house that is completely solar powered. The process of designing, constructing and testing s u r v i v ( A L ), a net-zero energy, solar-powered home is now underway. Inspired by the devastating impact of the 2011 tornado super outbreak on Alabama communities, s u r v i v ( A L ) house will serve as a model for sustainable, resilient housing for tornado-prone communities. When team UAB has finished competing in Denver, our house will return to Birmingham and will be rebuilt at UAB’s Sustainable Microgrid Demonstration Site. The site will be the first neighborhood of its kind in Alabama, and the only living lab of its kind at a college or university in the region. The s u r v i v ( A L ) house will be joined by four tiny homes recovered from the 5th Avenue Alagasco site and repurposed as small-scale net-zero housing. The Sustainable Microgrid Demonstration Site will apply a whole-systems design approach to transform a high energy and water dependent area into an energy independent island that presents the smallest footprint possible. The block will feature an orchard, a community garden, and functioning solar, wind, and other renewable-sourced energy installations that will power a microgrid — the neighborhood will provide all of its own energy! The model site will be studied and managed by resident-researchers who will conduct tours, collect data, and maintain the living spaces and gardens.

Bend, OR (Inactive) – Project YOU ARE AWESOME

2017-01-18T00:00:00Z

IF giving 500 people a rose and a bumper sticker to BLAST the news that they are AWESOME could actually change the brain wave patterns of 74,750+ people in a positive way in Bend Oregon shouldn't it happen? YES!! I will start by sharing what a single yellow rose did for me and why it lead me to wanting others to have the same feeling! I googled away on the history and psychological effects of flowers and found super interesting and exciting studies that have been done and I can't wait to share all of it in my pitch! The "YOU ARE AWESOME" sticker is the "gold star" the recipients have to share that they truly are fantastic people! We all know the marketing power of stickers and more people deserve to know about the "Awesome Foundation" and all the great things that are happening all over the world because of the good work of so many that are making their communities better places! 100 roses with stickers will be given out to unsuspecting people throughout town for 5 weeks. The receptionist at the dentist that was super nice to you 6 months ago or the checker at the grocery store that always makes your day! It might be your sons teacher or your daughters coach? The roses will be available for anyone to be the giver by signing up on the "PYAA" (Project You Are Awesome) Facebook page. 1 rose or 10 anyone can pick them up once a week to share! Sooooo exciting isn't it?!

Minas Gerais (Inactive) – FLORESTA DE PEDRA

2017-01-18T00:00:00Z

Sou artista plastico graffiteiro, morador de Belo Horizonte, com 36 anos. A ideia de meu projeto é sair pelas ruas de Belo Horizonte e cidades de Minas Gerais pintando animais das regiões e animais em extinção! O objetivo do projeto é chamar a atenção de pessoas de todas as idades para a reflexão e para o interesse na arte, no respeito a vida das plantas e dos animais, pois isso se perde a cada dia. Na minha opinião, o graffiti sendo feito em lugares de muita visibilidade com cores, animais e plantas exóticos vai causar muito impacto, pois já tive muitas experiências similares e sei o que chama a pessoa para a reflexão. RELEASE ARTÍSTICO: Sergio Luiz do Amaral, conhecido no graffiti como "Iron", nascido em julho de 1981 em Belo Horizonte, onde reside e desenvolve seus trabalhos. Como artista autodidata, desenha desde os 8 anos de idade e foi em 2001 que começou a fazer graffiti, desde então realizando trabalhos em várias capitais do Brasil e na Argentina. Em seu trabalho autoral característico, o artista apresenta estilo surrealista, usando como principal temática os animais, criando assim fusões entre eles.

Gloucester, MA – Gloucester's Civil War coat display case

2017-01-17T00:00:00Z

Dear Awesome Gloucester: This is our third time applying for a grant to aid Gloucester's Civil War coat. The second time we applied, we were honored to be invited to give a presentation. Since your committee was encouraging and enthusiastic about our lecture, we hope the third time is a charm. But this time things are different. We have a new update and mission regarding the coat. The restoration is a thing of the past! Thanks to many generous donors and support from a few great organizations like the Gloucester fund and the Office of Veterans Affairs and the city we are excited to report that from the fall of 2015 through the spring of 2016 we led a successful fundraising drive. We raised $4600 which was used to restore this precious Civil War artifact relating in many ways to Gloucester and the county. Gloucester may have one of the only existing articles of clothing that was formerly owned by a slave. The cry to save the coat originated with an appeal that made its way to the Office of Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken; Jim Destino sent it to the Committee for the Arts and gave the first donation. The committee arranged for a conservator that was able to fix the coat once enough money was raised. The coat was stabilized and completely restored by November 2016. Now it awaits a secure display case: that's our new mission! We spoke with Principal Cook about this whole thing and he agreed with us that the coat needs its own display case. We did a public survey and spoke with many others, too. The original estimate to repair the coat did not include the display case and it was under by about $1000 which is why we have no leftover money from the $4600 we raised. (During the fundraising the scope of the conservator’s original job was changed to have her make it safe enough to stand up 3D and for transport.) All the money raised went to the conservator.

Boulder, CO (Inactive) – "Pain Management" (a theatrical happening)

2017-01-17T00:00:00Z

"Pain Management" derives its name (and inspiration) from the sign on the side of the building we are currently officing in: the former Boulder Community Hospital Mapleton Center, 311 Mapleton Ave. A deserted hospital- we now know- has a very peculiar character. Part ghost town, part playground, stories of hope and pain seem to be lurking in our peripheral vision in every empty hallway, each abandoned examination room. As theater makers, we're, of course, drawn to voice those stories. We wish to build a site-specific show (eg, using the hospital itself as a venue) devised by both a team of artists AND audience volunteers. This unusual artist/audience collaboration is something we've experimented with once before: The accompanying photos are from "Tone." (punctuation intended), our artist/audience collaboration at the 2016 Local Lab new play festival at eTown Hall. Using 1/3 actors and 2/3 volunteer audience members, we spent 8 hours over the course of the 3-day festival developing very short plays on the subject of making ourselves understood (or misunderstood) over digital mediums. The group presented two scenes from their devised play in front of a sold-out house on the festival's final day. The experience was so popular and fruitful, that we decided to further develop this artist/audience collaboration at the 2017 Local Lab with "Pain Management". Casting from our "Theatricians Collective" --a diverse team of actors, directors, dancers, singers, photographers and other sundry artists who've been studying theater together once a month since February of 2015-- we will invite the Lab audience to join 12 artists in developing short theater pieces on the theme of "pain management". The plays will then be performed at the hospital (the owner has given approval) on Sunday, March 19.

Northern Virginia (NOVA) (Inactive) – Averia-Cheap and Accurate Concussion Screening

2017-01-16T00:00:00Z

According to the CDC more than 3 million student athletes receive concussions every year, but an estimated 86% go undiagnosed. In order to address this major problem in our community, my club, TJ Bioengineering, has built a tool for trainers and coaches to use for a more portable, affordable, and faster screening of concussions. We used a common diagnostic methodology, the tracking of patient's eye movements in response to stimuli. The main difference? Cost and portability. Hospital equipment to perform such tests range from $9,000 to $20,000, while our device, because of the materials used, can be built for less $80 by leveraging recent developments in inexpensive hardware. We mounted two PS3 Eye Cameras to Google Cardboard and wired the input to an Raspberry Pi attached to the headset. Four LEDs were wired and positioned around the frame of the headset. We use OpenCV (Computer Vision library) to track the user’s eyes as the LEDs are turned on and off. As previous studies have shown, erratic eye movements are a reliable biomarker for concussions and the results are communicated via Bluetooth to an iPhone app used by a sideline trainer. Our club has built and tested a working prototype that carries out these functions. Importantly, our system is not technically a diagnosis tool but rather an investigational screening tool for athletic trainers to use on the sidelines. Last spring we beta tested our device at my high school in Fairfax County and with 12 different concussions diagnosed over a month, 78% of students who were screened positive with our device on the sideline, later also tested positive with traditional tests in the clinic. This fall season, we have collaborated with athletic trainers to have organized a more large scale test with Fairfax County Public Schools where we can collect data over the football season. By funding this project, we can dramatically make participating sports safer by reducing potential for further damage when playing.

Pittsburgh, PA – Global Minds

2017-01-16T00:00:00Z

Global Minds is a program created by a group of Allderdice High School students to combat the issues of cultural intolerance, ignorance and discrimination, through a one on one after school tutoring program. In a time when these issues are at their peak, Global Minds was developed to create meaningful relationships between American and ESL (English as a second Language) students. This program will serve as an educational support system for ESL students and will further educate American students about other cultures, in the hope of creating globally minded young leaders. The student body is working to create a safe and engaging learning environment for all students. We anticipate more intercultural friendships and alliances between ESL and local students. Not only will this program positively impact the Allderdice student body, but allow for ESL students to find an important place within our school community. There have been several instances of cultural intolerance and bullying within our classrooms and hallways. This is unacceptable and disciplinary measures have been taken, but that’s simply not enough. This program is a student driven response to these actions, to ensure all students are welcomed and respected. We need to have the resources to stand up and fight for our fellow students with education and knowledge. Instead of isolation and alienation, Global Minds will link all students together, encouraging trust and friendship among the teens. This program is unique and has never been done before. Due to recent events, this type of program is what our community is in need of most. It is our job as Global Citizens to stand up for those who do not have a voice or the means to communicate. It is our job to take initiative and make sure our differences are appreciated, welcomed, understood and cherished, so our future leaders will see diversity as a strength.

Singapore – Intuition

2017-01-16T00:00:00Z

Our documentary, Intuition, follows a young woman on her mission to transform learning in classrooms. It is a never-before-seen insight into the lives of teenagers at the bottom rung of the academic ladder in Singapore. Deemed "unteachable", they struggle to survive, while their teachers labour tirelessly to help them thrive. Convinced that the best way to master a subject is to take ownership of both learning and teaching, Meixi Ng, a dedicated teacher of these students, introduces Tutoriá (Tutorial Relationships) into Singapore classrooms. Originally from Mexico, Tutoriá redefines everything students and teachers think they know about learning in school. Will this be a passing phase or a game-changer? How will this deviation from the norm impact the lives of these students, their teachers, and beyond? There has always been an obsession with academic performance in Singapore, where my Producer Lisa and I grew up. Education has become a hotly debated topic recently in Singapore. In 2013, Prime Minister Lee recognised the issue in his National Day Rally speech, saying "We have an excellent education system. But our society is getting more stratified. Competition is intensifying amongst our students and the focus, unfortunately I think, is too much on examination performance and not enough on learning." Earlier this year, an 11 year old boy committed suicide because he was too afraid to tell his parents that he had failed his school test. This incident made headlines and brought the national debate about the Singapore education system to new heights. The film will be released as part of a comprehensive impact campaign to achieve a few goals: 1. Change mindsets: No one is "unteachable". 2. Change behaviors: Shift the focus away from grades, towards the love for learning instead. 3. Build community: Bring together teachers and parents who want to champion cultivating the natural love for learning in their kids, so they can exchange resources and support each other.

Ottawa – In Search of Batman: Amazing Bats of Sibuyan

2017-01-16T00:00:00Z

The second of Awesome Ottawa's two January awards goes to James Alvarez, who lives in the Philippines, to spread his love of bats there. James’ project is an exploration of the world of bats on Sibuyan Island, including the Philippine tube-nosed fruit bat — found nowhere else in the world but a few Philippine islands. “This bat is unique among all other Philippine bats,” James explains. “The looks, the face, the coloration. And at an angle, it looks a lot like Shrek!” With support from Awesome Ottawa, James will document these and other bats on the island. “We will also discover amazing things about their lives,” he says. “What they eat, where they feed, and the role they play in the forest.” James also wants to introduce the bats to the residents. “Locally,” he explains, “bats are perceived as evil, and I'd like to change that attitude. One way is to present to the people how diverse they are and how helpful they are to humans.” He will produce materials to educate people about the bats in their area, and conduct a short training to teach them to find bats, identify them, and plan for programs to protect them and their habitat. “In the long term,” James says, “I envision to promote bat ecotourism in the Philippines, much like bird-watching. It is my passion to make bats known to the people so they won't kill them but appreciate them.” James is a graduate student at the University of the Philippines, studying bats and their parasites.

Boston, MA (Inactive) – Girl's One Stop Shop

2017-01-16T00:00:00Z

I am a seventh-grader at Inverness Elementary School. I celebrate my birthday each year by throwing a party honoring children that I feel deserves a better Christmas, so I started giving them gifts I collect from my birthday party, businesses, local organizations and community members. When I was 8 years old, I noticed that a girl in my school wore shoes with holes in them. Children made fun of her. I told my mother that I wanted to buy her a pair of new shoes. At that moment, I realized that many other kids were in need of help, too, while every year I was “overwhelmed” with birthday gifts. So I decided that I could put on a smile on my face and theirs by giving my gifts away to youth within my community during the holidays. I did not stop there, after receiving an award from Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, I started a “Girls One Stop Shop” at a local junior high school which gave youth an opportunity to receive personal hygiene supplies for free as needed. Items include sanitary napkins, belts, soap, deodorant, towels, wipes, etc. I keep items stock by soliciting donations from community members and having my friend keep check on items to keep them in stock. School staff members also provides a place in the school for the items and help keep everything organized.

Ottawa – 2017 Ottawa Improv Festival

2017-01-16T00:00:00Z

The first of Awesome Ottawa's two January awards goes to Dani Alon, Chris Hannay, and Val Perelshtein to support the 2017 Ottawa Improv Festival. “The 2017 Ottawa Improv Festival,” explains Dani, “will be a four-day-long celebration of improvised comedy, an art form that’s all about positivity and teamwork.” The first night of the festival, Wednesday, March 8, falls on International Women’s Day and will showcase exclusively female talent. The other days will feature a lineup of local and visiting talent. “Improv is awesome,” says Dani, “because it's a gateway to more and better ideas, confidence in public, and being part of a hilarious and supportive community. Our festival will give those curious about improv a chance to be exposed to as many different facets as possible — from slapstick and silly to dramatic and theatrical.” The festival will also offer workshops taught by visiting performers, giving locals a chance to learn fresh new skills. Dani, Chris, and Val are the three directors of The Improv Embassy, a registered non-profit that opened in September and whose mission is to create more comedy in our capital city.

Cass Clay – Project Help: GRANTED

2017-01-15T00:00:00Z

The Self Sufficiency Department at SENDCAA began looking for funds to "fill the gaps in services" that SENDCAA sees every day. Currently, our state and federal grants only allow us to assist those who are at or below 125% of Federal Poverty Guidelines (an individual must earn less than $14,850 per year and a family of four must earn less than $30,375 per year). In 2015 alone, SENDCAA denied services to 600 individuals and families in our service area because their requests did not fit the parameters of our current funding streams or their earned income was too great. The idea of having independent money to assist an individual or family became a need SENDCAA wanted to find a way to fill. Once the idea was developed, Project Help was born. By obtaining this grant, Project Help would allow SENDCAA to have the flexibility to assist those who otherwise would slip through the cracks of our restricted federal/state grants. This grant would serve those who are up to 200% above the federal poverty level (a family of four would be able to earn up to $48,600.00). This amounts to serving an additional 300 individuals/families living paycheck to paycheck with needed financial help. SENDCAA currently does not have independent, unrestricted money that can help with the discretionary and miscellaneous needs of our clients. The number one unmet need SENDCAA encountered was assistance in paying for a city bill, which includes water, sewer, and garbage. Other requests were for rental deposits, housing application fees, rent or lot rent, employment related costs (i.e., uniforms, work boots, scrubs, etc.), gas money, car repairs, motel stays, toiletries, and more.

Rockport, MA – Cooking Club

2017-01-13T00:00:00Z

In the 2015-2016 School year I was approached by middle and high school students about a cooking club here on campus. Thankfully, we still had working kitchens in the Health room and the students absolutely love creating, cooking and of course, eating. We were able to meet after school on Thursdays about once a month. We did not have a budget for this club and decided to ask for donations and for members to pay a 3-5 dollar fee to be able to purchase supplies. We found that this process didn't always work, as some students simply couldn't afford an extra 3 dollars on top of their other needs, such as lunch money. We still let students participate, as to not leave anyone out, but it became costly. Choosing nutritious foods, preparing and creating meals is an important life skill for everyone, especially adolescents. Students truly enjoy this experience, but we could not continue without support and funding assistance. We would love to get this up going again! Thank you for your consideration.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – "MarchingForward" video

2017-01-13T00:00:00Z

“Marching Forward” is a dramatic, inspiring video for girls and women that shares a message of optimism and boldly encourages girls to use their innate power and courage to carry on the work of feminist pioneers of the past. To be released within days of the Presidential Inauguration in January, 2017, this video is critical now. We’re all concerned about the current wave of antifeminist, misogynistic, and hateful messaging facing women and girls. Our coalition of female filmmakers, producers, and activists is taking all of this negative energy and turning it into a beautiful new beginning. Produced by GlobalGirl Media and The Representation Project, “Marching Forward” will address the turbulent age we live in with a call to action to all girls and women not just to march in unity on January 21st, but to march forward to create a better future for all (girls and women!). The story pairs teenage girls from diverse backgrounds and locations with women whose courage and grit we admire most. The video will reference the pioneering work of female leaders, including Suffragettes, Rosa Parks, Dolores Huerta, Hillary Clinton and Malala. Ultimately, this high production value video defines the anxiety girls and women are facing today, builds on the breakthroughs of pioneering women throughout history, and inspires everyone to take a specific action to support the cause.

Philadelphia, PA – Our Diverse Community Mural

2017-01-11T00:00:00Z

The high school I teach at is working hard to improve its image in the community. After a difficult year, we were lucky to gain an amazing new principal who has turned our school around. As an art teacher, I would like to do my part to change the negative perception of our school, and enhance the positive aspects. One of the best qualities of our school is the diversity of the staff and student population. More than 50 nationalities are represented at our school, and that has inspired the theme of our mural. Despite the wonderful things happening inside the building, the outside of the building has a stark, institutional look. To change this, and change the face we are presenting to the community, my students will design and paint a mural that represents the diversity and individuality of the students at Washington High School. The mural will be designed and painted on canvas in the classroom, and then permanently affixed to the front wall of the school. It will create a bright, positive, and proud appearance to the community, and will give the students enormous pride.

Philadelphia, PA – The Urban Farming Project (UFP)

2017-01-11T00:00:00Z

We at STEMcityPHL and US2020 PHL are looking to grow our Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) mentoring programs by developing the Urban Farming Project (UFP), an after school program for students attending Dr. Ethel Allen School in North Philadelphia. In this neighborhood, there is limited access to healthy and locally-produced food options. We plan to address this issue by building an oasis in a food desert. After receiving an enthusiastic approval from Ms. Eberhardt, Ethel Allen’s Principal, we will implement the UFP by utilizing our partnerships with the City of Philadelphia, Salvation Army’s 21st Century program, Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC), and Saul Agricultural High School. We will launch the UFP on Martin Luther King Day, where volunteers will build the raised garden beds and distribute soil. When the program begins in February, students will be separated into two groups (K-5 and 6-8). All forty students will learn how to grow fruits and vegetables, types of equipment to use, and the factors that promote growth through mentorships with agriculture professionals and volunteers from the community. We will supplement what is being taught during the school day by covering topics like life science, earth science, physical science, and mathematics. The specialized curriculum of this program will be designed in collaboration with Saul High School’s Dean of Agriculture, Jessica McAtamney. The UFP will connect an entire school from kindergarten through eighth grade. Students, staff, teachers, parents, and community members will all participate in a collective project in order to make an impact on both their school and their community. We hope that the implementation of this project will strengthen the school's climate and culture by teaching all participants innovative aspects of healthy eating and urban farming while building a sense of empowerment and accomplishment among everyone involved.

Ann Arbor, MI – Ypsi March for Love, Resilience, and Action

2017-01-10T00:00:00Z

We are a group of citizens planning a March in Ypsilanti on Inauguration Day as we grieve, resist, create, & celebrate our ability to flourish, using strengths from our diverse ancestors. We’ll march to mobilize, to prepare creatively for what’s to come, to focus on local issues and build local resilience, and to develop the interconnections between isolated silos in Ypsi. In the face of the coming administration, we plan to begin as we mean to go on. Monday Jan 16, Marchers will support Ypsilanti Community Schools' teens in their plan for a Martin Luther King Jr Day silent procession and art show commemorating Frederick Douglass. Our group will stand to support and witness the teens’ expression of grief, resistance, and creativity. Friday Jan 20, we will have an evening coffee-house to join and prepare for the march, share music, make banners and signs, and express our response to the election. With food and song, we’ll join together in an accessible space. Saturday Jan 21, our March route will pass by Ypsilanti locales that honor abolitionists, women of color, and others from targeted communities who have lived and thrived with bravery and creativity. A community art performance will celebrate our people power as WE inaugurate OUR vision for an interconnected future. We then offer a community gathering space weaving a web between resources like: voter registration and education; unions sharing their stories and educating on how folks can mobilize in their workplaces; a cozy space for breast-feeding and access to W.I.C.; NOW Washtenaw County; our local farmers and permaculture community sharing knowledge and seeds; a supervised child-play area; Planned Parenthood's project "Share your story about reproductive justice"; the Ypsi Hour Exchange; the Ypsilanti Sidewalk Project; and more.