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ARTS BEHIND BARS (ArtSouth) Over 85% of Florida prisoners are eventually released, yet 25% are re-incarcerated. Inmates with more disciplinary reports have higher recidivism rates. Research demonstrates, inmates who engage in art-making have better attitudes and behavior; consequently, less disciplinary violations. The Arts Behind Bars program incorporates an unprecedented creative arts curriculum into Everglades Correctional Institution’s educational courses. By helping inmates discover art talents, we will witness improved statistics in attitude, temperament and compliance with prison rules, resulting in reduced infractions. Through healthier socialization and decreased recidivism rates, we will safeguard the welfare of the general prison population as well as the wider community.
AWKWARD DINNER (South Florida People of Color (SFPoC)) Pass the peas and the privilege. Pour the gravy and the guilt. Imagine a dinner where strangers - People of Color and whites - talk racism and whiteness. Awkward? Yes. Yet no conversation is more fearless or vital because destroying racism starts within individuals. We will use the grant to subsidize our Awkward Dinner Series, create vibrant marketing and educational tools, and hire facilitators adept at managing conflict and dialogue flow. The diners will swallow their fears one fork at a time, debunk stereotypes, and develop empathy. Diners could then join our Unity360 Community Race Dialogues to continue their journey.
FRESKO LAKAY - REVITALIZING LITTLE HAITI (Little Haiti Cultural Complex/Caribbean Marketplace) We are requesting $5,000 to launch a social enterprise called Fresko Lakay. We seek to launch a chain of vending carts, enabling Afro-Caribbean entrepreneurs to start their own business, serving Artisanal Caribbean shaved ice. This initiative will provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to remain in Little Haiti, retain the Caribbean culture of the neighborhood and provide a legacy business that will transform the community. People fail to start new projects or initiatives because of the fear of failing. This initiative will equip and empower Afro-Caribbean entrepreneurs to become their own bosses, preserve the culture and truly transform the Little Haiti community.
INSIDE JOKE (Comic Cure) Inside Joke with Host Billy Corben is a monthly late-night style entertainment show that humorously highlights Miami's important issues and community changemakers. Filmed in front of a live audience, the show features interviews with local politicians, non-profit leaders, and civic activists and provides a performance platform for local musicians, comedians, and spoken word poets. House band Guitars Over Guns sets the stage for this ongoing event that fearlessly tackles themes like housing, transit, climate, gender equity, LGBTQ equality, immigration and more. Action on these issues is amplified through voter enrollment with Engage Miami and a variety of non-profit partnerships.
MAVEN RISING (Maven Leadership Collective) Maven Rising is a new year-long call to action for 150 diverse local social impact leaders to champion a compelling issue facing our community. Our goal is to inspire 1 million actions through community programming, service delivery, activating democracy, and social media interactions. We will convene for one day using collaborative learning, technology, and artistic expression to illuminate an issue selected by Mavens This campaign challenges communities to not only voice opinions, but to act! Together, we will design a customizable action plan (community engagement, public policy/advocacy, capacity-building, storytelling, and resourcing) for organizations/neighborhoods and track progress.
MEKANIKOS REPRAP - RAPID PROTOTYPING AND MANUFACTURING (Code Explorers, Inc.) IMAGINE, CREATE, CODE. Code Explorers is preparing the next generation by providing hands-on career exploration education in engineering and computer science to PK-8 students from the standpoint of field professionals. A cornerstone strategy is for students to keep STEM kits at the end of programs and continue their learning. Currently, products don’t exist or don’t meet our curriculum needs. This funding will allow us to purchase equipment to manufacture products that meet curriculum objectives enabling students to keep their kits, increasing community engagement and participation. Help us create the first Miami rapid prototyping and manufacturing educational technology product venture.
MIAMI MURALS: CLIMATE AWAKENING (Before It’s Too Late) Miami is ground zero for climate change in America, yet we’re largely unengaged and divided. We propose “Miami Murals: Climate Awakening” - a FEARLESS augmented reality mural series to rally over “1 Million Actions” to tip our city’s future and ignite a movement that inspires America. A team of extraordinary local artists will deliver this series, helping us to see into the future, reconnect to each other and our Mother Earth and change before it’s too late. Using your phone, embark on an empathetic narrative journey through 12 communities of Miami-Dade County that are addressing climate change, and TAKE ACTION.
WEST KENDALL ARTS DISTRICT (South Florida Center for Percussive Arts) West Kendall is home to over 200,000 residents, yet it lacks a cultural core. The South Florida Center for Percussive Arts seeks to unite the growing number of artists, organizations, entrepreneurs, and patrons in our area to revitalize the warehouses east of Tamiami Airport into an Arts District and Community Cultural Center. We will invest in tools that help us formalize, promote, and consciously grow together. The impact on this community is access to new businesses, performances, galleries, and open-air restaurants by trolley, cycling, and walking. An “urban core” fearlessly different in nature than any image of West Kendall before.
