Holidays

How Exchanges are Bringing Sustainable Design to Life

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While you might not have heard of Senator Gaylord Nelson, chances are you’re familiar with his legacy. Almost fifty years ago, Senator Nelson coordinated the first nationwide day focused on the environment, now known as Earth Day. In the years that followed that first Earth Day, several important pieces of environmental protection legislation were passed, cementing Senator Nelson’s legacy and spurring a new focus on environmental issues. Today, people in over 150 countries worldwide gather to celebrate Earth Day, raising awareness of critical issues like climate change and sharing ideas on how to be better stewards of our planet.

But did you know that exchange programs are also helping to make our environment a better place? Several of our J-1 exchange visitors have participated in programs that focused on sustainable art and architecture! In honor of Earth Day, we caught up with Caterina and Francesco, two exchange visitors who are changing the way we think about design and the environment.

While interning with EcoLogic Design Lab this past spring, J-1 intern Caterina has learned about sustainable architecture, green building standards, and environmentally-friendly ethics. Throughout her program with EcoLogic, Caterina has worked on remodeling residential construction projects in the Monterey Bay area. In addition, Caterina got to assist with the design process of building a sustainable mini-house, aptly named the MicroPod! After her J-1 program ends, Caterina hopes “to raise awareness and urgency to respect nature” when she returns to Italy.

In Philadelphia, J-1 intern Francesco spent six months with TerraCycle, a company that is “Eliminating the Idea of Waste®” by reusing, upcycling, and recycling waste instead of incinerating it or sending it to a landfill. TerraCycle offers free recycling programs that collect waste from consumers and either recycles it or turns it into a brand new product. Francesco learned all about using upcycled materials to both create new products and transform interior spaces. These final products are environmentally-friendly and drastically cut back on the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.

Caterina and Francesco’s J-1 programs prove that you don’t have to be a scientist to make our planet a better (and more green) place. Learn more about how design can be both innovative and eco-friendly by checking out the best sustainable projects of 2017 here. Want more? #ExpectExchange and look into internship programs with sustainable architecture and design firms!

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day

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No matter where you are on March 17th, chances are high that you’re close to one of the many St. Patrick’s Day celebrations! Honoring the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is observed in cities across the U.S. and around the world. The holiday has come to mean different things for different groups of people, whether it’s celebrating Irish heritage and identity, welcoming the beginning of the spring season, or just as an excuse to wear green. While new St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are happening every year, the traditions, myths, and meanings behind the holiday go back centuries.

You may associate the holiday with shamrocks and Guinness, but that wasn’t always the case. Historically, St. Patrick’s Day honored Maewyn Succat, an English priest from the fourth century who later became Saint Patrick. The Catholic Church established a feast day for Saint Patrick as a way to honor him as one of the patron saints of Ireland. This day is still observed centuries later around the world, with the addition of parades and parties celebrating the Irish spirit!

The holiday may have started as a way to honor Saint Patrick, but we have Irish-Americans to thank for starting some of the traditions we tend to associate with March 17th. The first official parade in honor of St. Patrick’s Day took place in eighteenth century New York, during the American Revolutionary War. At the time, Irish immigrants serving in the British Colonial Army took to the streets of New York to observe St. Patrick’s Day, thus establishing what is now America’s longest-running parade. Today, New York remains the most popular place for St. Patrick’s Day gatherings in the United States!

What about the tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green? Well, that ritual began in the 1960s when parade organizers noticed that a dye used to identify traces of pollution in the river actually turned the water a vibrant emerald green color! Since then, the river has been dyed each year on the morning before the St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Whether you’re celebrating the holiday by heading to a St. Patrick’s Day parade or by tasting some traditional Irish fare, remember to #ExpectExchange wherever you go!