Found Awesome.

This is a new experiment in consolidating all the great news we get on a week to week basis in the Awesome universe. If I missed something, send me a note! Likewise, would love to hear what you all are reading that’s relevant to the Awesome Foundation.

Awesome Announcements

• An AF Boston-backed Kickstarter project to create Biochemies (magnetic DNA molecule plush dolls) is up and running!
• Awesome Chicago’s October grant is making science cheaper with an Open Source Scanning Tunneling Microscope project.
• Awesome NYC’s October grant goes to Bushwick City Farms, a network of open spaces run by neighborhood volunteers that provides free food, clothing and educational programs for the community.
• AF Sydney reveals that they gave their June grant to surfer Chris Anderson to prototype a more environmentally-friendly surfboard.
• AF-SF interviews Awesome Fellow Kristina Kearns, the creator of Ourshelves, a more intimate public space for reading.
• Christina Xu of IHAS/AF-Boston is giving a (free) (comes with lunch) talk about Awesomeness at the Center for Civic Media at MIT. 

Awesome in the News

• “Every once in a while, I come across something that leads me to believe that humankind is going to survive the current malaise and meshugas.” - The Pink Slip reacts to AF-Boston’s Boston Globe article.
• Awesome Foundation Calgary is namechecked in this Calgary Herald piece about visionary philanthropists helped make the city a “cultural capital”. 
• CreatEquity summarizes Awesome Foundation founder Tim Hwang’s talk at the Grantmakers in the Arts conference.
• “All of the members are really excited that we can help unleash the altruistic creativity of the city.” - La Fondation Formidable Montreal is covered in the Montreal Gazette.
• Awesome Foundation Grand Rapids’ first grant, a youth writing center, is written up in the Grand Rapids Press.
• Watch this great Global TV news story on Awesome Foundation Toronto  and their insidious plans to shake up municipal law, one guerilla fish taco stand at a time.
• “Any leftover cash will be spent on mini-apple grinders and juices to make cider and fruit trees to plant in public places that could be tapped for future picks.” - Creative Loafing Atlanta on urban fruit scavengers Concrete Jungle, Awesome Food’s latest fellow.
• Awesome Kingston (Ontario) gets their deadline reminder into the Whig.

and, in a super epic move,

• Awesome Foundation founder Tim Hwang is featured as one of 12 innovative philanthropists in the Globe and Mail, alongside Bill Gates, George Soros, and Bono.

What We’re Reading

• Stop Blaming the Stars - Panthea Lee of the Reboot’s great talk on the man-made nature of disasters and how to design effective recoveries.
• Money Pools Float Immigrant Dreams - on informal immigrant money pools that enable small business and creative projects.
• Without Community We Are Nothing - WDET’s excellent piece on why they started their “Crossing the Lines” series, showcasing opportunities to cross difficult boundaries in Detroit.

via awesomestudies