ATXawesome

We have basically moved to our chapter page at the excellent...

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 12:29:44 -0500

We have basically moved to our chapter page at the excellent main site for The Awesome Foundation. You can find us there and on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks!

Austin Awesome Foundation, June 2012: “Astronomy for Underserved Populations”

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 02:14:41 -0500

Another month, another grant…

The Austin Awesome Foundation board of trustees have selected the project “Astronomy for Underserved Populations” as the recipient of June 2012 $1,000 grant. Congrats to Amy Jackson of Starry Sky Austin.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

My experience as an educator is that families with the financial means and time can provide their children with enriching educational opportunities such as a trip to the McDonald Observatory for example. I want to provide an opportunity for underserved communities to look through telescopes who wouldn’t normally. Seeing Saturn for example for the first time is an eye-opening experience. I have heard adults giggle when they see it and ask me if it is real or not. Understanding our place in the universe brings about a sense of peace and deep knowing that we are all part of the same stuff… we are all in this together. Peace through astronomy, if you will.

This project was selected from a batch of around 20 applications that we received in May alone. While all projects are unique, this month’s selection was based on the impact to underserved populations, including children, the project’s focused-mission, and the great passion by the project’s leader.

The Austin Awesome Foundation is getting an increased number of applications each month, and the applications themselves are getting better and more interesting; it is very exciting to be part of this.

Remember to submit your applications at the Austin Awesome Foundation website.

MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan had a crew covering SXSW. They...

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 18:40:06 -0500

MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan had a crew covering SXSW. They joined the Awesome Foundation party and interviewed Christina Xu, Tim Hwang, and Peyton Wimmer. See the full story here.

We are excited to announce our first grantee — the...

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 18:36:35 -0500

We are excited to announce our first grantee — the Payphone Revival Project. Bridget Quinn is bringing the awesome.

It was great to meet Bridget this weekend at the Awesome Foundation’s SXSW Party and to give her the $1,000. She’s pictured here with Peyton Wimmer, Jacqueline Hughes, and Joel Bush.

Y’all keep applying. This is fun.

We gathered at Threadgill’s on N Lamar in February to hang...

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 17:49:00 -0500

We gathered at Threadgill’s on N Lamar in February to hang out, exchange ideas, and set plans. It was a blast.

Eddie Wilson, Armadillo World Headquarters founder and Threadgill’s proprietor, joined us. He shared great stories about Austin and the Armadillo community, and we got to see some of the amazing items he has collected.

Thanks to Rodney for taking these photos.

Awesome Austin micro-trustee Sunni Brown spoke at TED last year....

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:00:00 -0600

Awesome Austin micro-trustee Sunni Brown spoke at TED last year. Check it.

The Awesome Foundation Launches in Austin February 6,...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0600

The Awesome Foundation Launches in Austin

February 6, 2012 aka Awesome Day (Austin, Texas)

Would you like to do or create something that makes Austin more awesome? We want to help you.

Each month, we will give $1,000 to a project we pick because it forwards the interest of awesome in Austin and in the universe. We prefer projects that lead us somewhere new, that bridge communities, that bring to light new possibilities.

Your idea is your own. We want no ownership, and we will attach no strings. We just want to help you make it happen.

It’s really simple. Start by applying here. We will review applications received by February 28 to make our first selection by March 12.

We are excited to bring the Awesome Foundation to this great town. Begun in Boston in 2009, this network has gone global with 20+ chapters in places like San Francisco, London, New York City, Ottawa, Seattle, Berlin, Sydney, and Zurich. Funded projects have included a giant hammock in Boston, random swings of joy, and the wonderful Big Dipper project.

We will gather periodically to celebrate awesome projects like these. A fun night at The Alamo Drafthouse sounds about right. Keep a lookout.

Austin’s founding members are:

[image via boston.com, project via Awesome Foundation]

February 6, 2012 is Awesome Day in Austin, Texas, y’all.

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:29:00 -0600

February 6, 2012 is Awesome Day in Austin, Texas, y’all.

The Awesome Foundation is saddling up in Austin, y’all....

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:19:39 -0600

The Awesome Foundation is saddling up in Austin, y’all. It’s on. It’s so on.

[photo by Trey Ratcliff]