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Vaga Lume Association is a Brazilian non-profit organization founded in 2001 grounded in the belief that investing in people is the best way to transform a reality. Its mission is to create opportunities for cultural exchange by reading, writing and orality, valuing the empowerment of people and rural communities of the Brazilian Legal Amazon region. Vaga Lume works in 160 rural communities (indigenous, riverside, roadside, rural settlement people or quilombolas - Brazilian with African descent) of 23 municipalities in the Brazilian Legal Amazon region, which encompasses nine federal states (Acre, Amapa, Amazonas, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia, Roraima and Tocantins), occupies 59% of the Brazilian territory and has 20 million people (12% of the Brazilian population). Despite the fact that education and culture are basic social rights, protected by the Brazilian Constitution and under human rights international treaties ratified by Brazil, its access and implementation in the Amazon region are very limited. It is one of the poverty zones in Brazil - with a GDP per capita 30% lower than the national value - where 42% of the population survives with less than US$ 5.00 a day. Due to the outstanding impact of Vaga Lume's work in the region, the organization is recognized by many international and national awards such as the Juscelino Kubitschek Award of Merit for Regional Development in Latin America and the Caribbean given by the Inter-American Development Bank (2009); the Millennium Development Goals Award, conferred by the United Nations and the Brazilian government (2005); the Vivaleitura Award, from the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education (2008); and the Chico Mendes Environment Award, given by the Ministry of Environment (2006 and 2008). In 2011, Vaga Lume received its most important recognition: the 4th place at the Intercultural Innovation Award, conferred by United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group. As an awardee, in 2012, Vaga Lume was welcomed to the World Intercultural Facility for Innovation (WIFI), a network formed by the UNAOC, the BMW Group and the ten 2011 winners. Through this network, the UNAOC and the BMW Group challenged all winners to replicate and scale up their actions to promote intercultural dialogue and offered training, consultancy and institutional support to assist organizations to accomplish such results.

The American Chestnut Foundation has one simple goal: to restore the American chestnut to its native forests. Destroyed by an imported blight many consider the worst environmental disaster of the twentieth century, the American chestnut was virtually eliminated from the eastern hardwood forest between 1904 and 1940. With its loss, wildlife populations plummeted; never to return to former levels. With recent developments in genetics, there is promise that this critically important wildlife food source and timber tree will again become part of our natural heritage. To make this possibility a reality, a group of prominent scientists, in 1983, established the non-profit research-oriented American Chestnut Foundation (TACF). The Foundation's mission is simple: to restore the American chestnut as an integral part of the eastern forest ecosystem. TACF is employing traditional plant breeding techniques, backed by advanced research methods, to develop a blight resistant American chestnut tree. TACF is restoring a species - and in the process, creating a template for restoration of other tree and plant species.

Founded in 1981 in Seattle, WA, the Trust is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to protect the snow leopard and its mountain ecosystem through a balanced approach that addresses the needs of the local people and the environment. Snow leopards range over two million square kilometers of mountain in Central Asia, including the formidable Himalayas. Experts currently estimate as few as 3,500 exist in the wild, fewer than the world's tiger population. As an "umbrella" or keystone species, snow leopard conservation has far-reaching importance as it leads to the protection of hundreds of other plants and animals sharing the cat's ecosystem. The International Snow Leopard Trust is the oldest and largest organization focused solely on saving this important species. The Trust works nationally and internationally to raise awareness about endangered species, and to empower people living within snow leopard range to become stewards of their environment. To this end, the Trust conducts educational outreach, scientific research, and community-based conservation.

Georgia Organics is a member supported, non-profit organization connecting organic food from Georgia farms to Georgia families. We believe food should be community-based, not commodity-based. An outgrowth of a grower’s association established in the 1970s, Georgia Organics is devoted to promoting sustainable foods and local farms in Georgia. A sustainable local food system is critical to the future of Georgia’s health, environment, and economy. Recognizing this vital need, Georgia organics builds supply through grower education and outreach, and grows demand on the consumer and business end by encouraging market opportunities for local food. We have three key goals: increase the number of organic and sustainable farmers in Georgia, increase the number of children participating in farm to school programs, and increase the number of Georgians eating local, organic food.

Our Mission: To spark curiosity, enhance understanding, and inspire conservation of our Blue Planet.Located within Odiorne Point State Park, Seacoast Science Center provides educational experiences on behalf of New Hampshire State Parks and have been connecting people to the wonders of our coast since 1992. Our live animal exhibits feature the amazing creatures that live in the rapidly changing Gulf of Maine ecosystem. Our engaging programs make learning about the ocean fun for everyone, from pre-K to senior rediscovery. Our hands-on science exhibits motivate families to become caretakers of our Blue Planet.We also operate the Seacoast Science Center Marine Mammal Rescue program, responding to marine mammals along the coast of NH and northern MA.

The GBCTA has three main program initiatives. The organization has successfully built two trails around the hamlet of Bragg Creek, and is pursuing the development of a trail connecting the hamlet to west Bragg Creek Kananaskis Country. In addition, the association is developing and maintaining summer and winter hiking, biking, snowshoeing and ski trails at west Bragg Creek. In addition to funding from private donations, the association also pursues corporate and foundation financing to build and maintain trails. The Association's volunteer activities have contributed to an improved visitor experience to the Bragg Creek area, generating economic activity for local business, while encouraging safe and healthy lifestyle opportunities. The development of an All-Season Trail network in west Bragg Creek will improve the recreational and tourism options for the businesses in the Hamlet.

Our mission is to promote dignity, community, and self-sufficiency by working with marginalized populations in rural Honduras on a long-term basis, facilitating access to health care, education, and livable wages. Our comprehensive approach to grassroots community development promotes local traditions, encourages community leadership, and emphasizes collective ownership. Un Mundo seeks to improve the present and future socio-economic conditions and the quality of life of the families in rural Honduras who are living in extreme poverty by providing them with tools and resources to be self-sufficient and unified. Our work began from spontaneous relief actions after Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras in 1998, and we grew to gain 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in 2001. Initially, the organization was sustained by the generosity of international volunteers, but we have gradually evolved such that more and more of our project work is managed by local Honduran leaders. Within a few years, we expect that we will be able to realize our vision of seeing equitable, fruitful, life-giving projects in the Cangrejal River Valley being 100% run by the local communities.

The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. (PA Wilds Center) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to integrate conservation and economic development in a way that strengthens and inspires communities in the Pennsylvania Wilds. The Pennsylvania Wilds, one of the state’s 11 official tourism regions, is a large rural area that covers about a quarter of the Commonwealth and is home to about 4 percent of the state’s population. The 12 1/2 –county landscape is known for its two million acres of public land — more than Yellowstone National Park. It also boasts two National Wild & Scenic Rivers, the largest wild elk herd in the Northeast and some of the darkest skies in the country. It has a rich oil and lumber heritage. Tourism currently accounts for about 11 percent of the region’s economy. It is not the only piece of the pie, but it is an important piece, because in addition to the jobs it creates, it also creates amenities that make it easier for our region’s larger employers to attract and retain talent, and improves quality of life for residents. Visitors currently spend an estimated $1.7 billion annually in the Pennsylvania Wilds

One Common Unity (OCU) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that breaks cycles of violence and builds compassionate, healthy communities through the transformative power of music, arts, and peace education. Youth in Washington, D.C. are four times more likely to die by homicide than by the next closest cause. Students (ages 11-18) in our programs grapple with community violence, crime, poverty, drugs and high rates of incarceration, all of which reinforce cyclical trauma. Structural violence and racism, enforced through housing policies, access to educational opportunities, and an unequal distribution of resources, adds further hurdles to the lives of youth and their families. Building upon their incredible resilience, One Common Unity provides safe, supportive spaces where youth discover their authentic selves, connect with nature, and are equipped with the skills, tools, and support to disrupt cycles of violence and poverty.

Founded in 2004, Quail Springs is a leading educational non-profit that resides on a 450-acre permaculture demonstration site on the traditional homelands of the Chumash people in Cuyama Valley, California. Our mission is to empower students of all ages and backgrounds with knowledge, skills, and inspiration essential to cultivating ecological and social health in a rapidly changing world. Quail Springs teaches strategies and techniques instrumental for designing and building resilient, affordable, and carbon-neutral housing as well as ecologically sound and sovereign food systems. We are connected to an expansive local and international network of leading-edge practitioners. We envision an equitable global community that shares the bounty of this living planet and the responsibility to tend to its health. We believe the most effective way to foster positive change is through our relationships, both with one another and our ecologies.

Since Its Establishment In 1967, The Association Has Acquired, Preserved And Maintained Over 800 Acres Of Local Native Landscapes Including Prairies, Savannas, Ravines, Woodlands And Wetlands For The Benefit And Enjoyment Of The Entire Community. We Continue Our Efforts To Restore The Land To Its Historical Landscape And Maintain These Critical Habitats. In Addition, To Promote A Connection Between The Community And The Land Within It, Our Preserves Are Home To Over 12 Miles Of Walking Trails Which Are Open To The Public Year Round.The Association Also Provides Naturalist-Led Environmental Education To School Children And Special Workshops Offered To Children, Adults And Families. Our Environmental Education Programs Are Designed To Develop An Understanding Of And A Love And Respect For The Natural World Around Us By Including Hands-On, Participatory Activities In A Natural Setting. Association Also Cooperates With Several Institutions Promote The Scientific Study Of Our Preserves.

The Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization #20-1702191 is dedicated to honoring the life of our inspiration, Jimmy Miller, by supporting the healing of mental and physical illness through surfing and ocean related activities. Through recreational, education, and mentoring programs, the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation enables surfers, educators, therapists, lifeguards and friends to help people affected by mental and physical illness feel the joy and healing power of the ocean and surfing. JMMF pioneered the formation of an adaptive surfing program titled Ocean Therapy, where surfing is used as a means to increase self-esteem and self-efficacy in individuals suffering from mental and/or physical illness. The Ocean Therapy program is currently working with at risk children in the Los Angeles foster care community, veterans from all branches of the military and injured Marines in the Wounded Warrior Battalion in Camp Pendleton. We are looking to expand our programming to the addiction/recovery populations, victims and survivors of mass public and terrorist attacks, those suffering from suicidal ideation and anxiety, depression and other mental health illnesses.