SOS!!!

that's me, only not a boy.

So, like everyone else who is in the media course at BCU I have to work on a production project for the final year.  Only, unlike all of the rest of the students, (it seems!) I don’t have a group to work with!  Here is my idea (see below!) and any comments (not “it sucks”, please!) or people who’d like to work on it (just say yes!),  contact me!  I’ve listed it below, but I’d be able to work in Journalism areas or Public  Relations for a project.  Additionally, if you know someone who needs a team member for either area I’ve listed, let me know, I’m in!  I’m not against working on someone else’s project, I just thought I should post mine in case anyone is interested!

I’m dying to not have production nightmares anymore! Please help me make them stop!

To find me-

a) leave a comment here (because it’s easiest!)

b) email me:blondepinky3@hellokitty.com or kategraczyk@googlemail.com

c) twitter: blondepinky3 (which if that’s how you found this link, you knew that already!)

d) facebook me (I have no life, so I’ll respond quickly!)

FYI, if you are interested in working on my idea I’ve already run it past Vanessa Jackson and received a respectable grade on the proposal (although, if you have questions about the pitch, please ask!). It’s been given the pass go and get $200 approval for making it happen, if that helps!!!  Here it is!

My media enterprise

Work experience is marvellous, of course.

Over recent years work placements have become increasingly visible in the        curricula of universities, colleges and schools.  This development has             promoted a parallel expansion in supportive literature and web-based    resources available to students.  It is now widely recognizes not only that   placements are beneficial, but that, as competition for jobs intensifies, work            experience is becoming an essential component of an applicant’s CV within  the post-graduation employment market.

Fanthome 2004, 1

Birmingham City University isn’t the only school to recognize this, but they could be unique in becoming first to make a statement of how vital it is, where, and more importantly, how to get this invaluable experience.  With several universities and colleges throughout England adding/currently using placements in their curriculum, why shouldn’t Birmingham City University be the starting point and exemplary example of how to get those critical placements while simultaneously giving press to our school’s talent?  After all, getting experience is difficult and any support we could put forward to students would demonstrate how much we offer our students, the public, and what it takes to perform excellently on placements like BCU students have earned/completed already.

“The National Council for Work Experience estimates that in any one year         approximately 100,000 higher education students will undertake work             experience of some sort.  In addition, around 555,000 Key Stage 4 pupils  spend at least two weeks on work placement each year.  Of the funding for education business links via Local Learning and Skills Councils from the DfES, a contribution of about £10 million is allocated to provide support for work placements for those at school.”

Fanthome 2004, 1 What better way to achieve the aforementioned, while adding a visible internet resource for employers to witness potential, clever, and accomplished students that could become employees in their company?

What the site wants to achieve and why I’m interested…

The plan

The underlying theme of this idea is to create a website that is revolving which will focus on work placements for students within England and outside of it.  It will focus on during term placements and outside of term (since we allow students to do placement from home and while in England).  It will be a resource embedded within our Moodle structure but possibly could become a public resource (if possible).  It will seek to spread knowledge of placements to our students including where placements are available currently, and incorporate other professional studies assistance also.

Why do I want to be involved and what do I think about the project?  I stumbled on this topic when I was struggling to find placements for this school year.  Although, thankfully, I’ve found something, I realized that the school doesn’t offer a terrible amount of guidance for placements.  It isn’t to say that they don’t guide students, but there is a gap to be filled and we can certainly always strive to become better.  I feel it’s a relatively untouched area.  Since I had some difficulty as an International student, I thought it could be an interesting way of improving my school for future students (maybe they won’t be as lost as I am!)

Sure our school has a link to student placements and why they use them and who our students have worked with, but not much, if anything at all to say how to get these placements.

It aims to provide:

• A good sampling of previous student work placement work (what placement  they’ve done, who they’ve worked with, and obviously the success of our university’s work placement scheme
• Provide guidance in the professional studies arena (i.e. CV guidance, job interview tips, etc.)
• What we’re achieving in media and constantly update this-features and illustrations of work completed should be inputted BY students as part of work placement (**if possible-since working on a website’s articles, features, or design is gaining practical experience)
• Getting information to students about; who, what, where, when and WHY to get involved and secure a placement
• DEMONSTRATES fully for employers what we have to offer not only in work placements (students who could work for their company) but also what talent we can give to the workforce- which is also a great reflection for our school
• Links to other websites for work placements opportunities (our “must visit” list) this will constantly be revolving to keep fresh & informative
• Student written and updates/features written also by students (**again, if possible)
• **Student profiles-similar to our profile on our student Moodle account, this would serve to advertise to businesses what students are participating in, (modules currently in, ones that have been completed) so they can seek out potential students to work with them.
• Links to other student productions on campus such as Spaghetti Junction and Scratch radio
• Get a cap set for hours, but attempt to allow students’ participation/updating on this site to count as hours towards placement.  It would promote students to get on board, stay on board and add (like a placement outside the university would) to their media experience.
• notify students of things like the National Work Placement Exhibition
  29 October 2009 at NEC, Birmingham and the National Work Placement Exhibition on 8 October 2009 in Olympia 2, London

Working on a project like this will be beneficial-

Not only promoting the University but also-

• The students’ work
• Businesses can grow to rely on this site to assist them with finding suitable students for work placement
• A public resource for other students/parents/educators
• Gives students/businesses somewhere to go for this information…one site I found will find you a placement at COST! This would eliminate places like this from a competition standpoint, because we don’t charge!
• This is a site I’ve found which charges for their assistance!   http://www.nus.org.uk/Student-Life/Careers-Advice/Making-The-Most-Of-Work-Placements/

What’s out there?

Why is my idea better?

Looking at other Universities in the area, I did find some schools such as, Sheffield Hallam University, University of Kent, University of Westminster, and Bournemouth University who all had similar work placement information pages as our school on their school websites.  Sheffield Hallum offered frequently asked questions, student placement experience videos, and testimonials from previous employers who’d worked with their students (these students took on 48 week placements with this school though).  Additionally, I found one comparison site, The National Voice of Students (NUS) which provides a similar idea to mine but charges a fee.  They had advice about careers and placement and a student/visually friendly site, but were not mainly about work placement and showcasing student achievements as my site would strive to be.

Vinspired (http://www.vinspired.com/opportunities/featuredopp) is an independent charity site which is dedicated to getting students/volunteers aged 16-25 involved in interesting volunteer opportunities throughout England.  While it does include volunteer opportunities and it is free to sign up, they aren’t always media related choices.  It doesn’t offer any other linked sites to search for further placements or professional studies guidance.  Again, it is in the area of what I’d want to achieve, but isn’t as developed (and also not associated with our school or any others) in the work placement area as mine would be.

Looking at Shell Step (http://www.shellstep.org.uk/cms/content.php?c=1), they do offer assistance, but only during the months of July-August.  It doesn’t seem that they offer any other times for placements to be completed in.

In an article by Phil Baty, on the Times Higher Education website, he states that, “it is understood that the Government is eager to expand work placement programmes in higher education.”  Along with this he says, “Newly employed graduates with no work experience cost British business up to Pounds 2 billion a year, according to research which has been passed to Sir Ron Dearing in a bid to make work placements a prescribed part of all undergraduate courses.”  Although the article is from July 1997, it proves the value and necessity of work placements in England.

Evidence of my ability to meet the challenge

I’ve already attended Public Relations Techniques and am currently in News and Features both of which would significantly aid me undertaking this project.  PR Techniques would be beneficial with promotion of the site to our students, businesses in the area, and if possible, the public (those who we’d hope would be able to use this as a resource).  I’ve also retained samples of my work from that module which would demonstrate my abilities in this area.  The News and Features module would be helpful in writing for the site (as mentioned I’d write for the site and involve students in writing for it also).

This module would also help in coordination/management of the site/production because this class deals with deadlines and set tasks.  It also asks students in this class to be creative with features, writing styles, and get involved in research which would be beneficial skills for this website.

My individual role will be useful in my career because it will show the time management, management, writing skills, and my ability to work well in group scenarios.

Real world issues tackled would be a gap in, if not just the media world, definitely the university circuit also.  This is something that could be extremely beneficial to our university but also pave the way for other universities here and throughout the country.  We’ll be working on solving a problem in the media, a knowledge discrepancy, and will also get our school’s name out.

Who else would work on the task?

Outside of my role, I would need others to complete the task.  I’d probably need about three other people outside of myself for the production.  My first contact would be a web student (although I know they’re limited!) and if I couldn’t find someone who had the skills, I would attempt to find a student with some knowledge who was willing/interested in the area to work on the project.  That person would be in charge of design elements, initial setup, and working with the school’s contacts in the technology area (such as technology administrators for Moodle/school website) to get the project started.

My second person to find would be a television student (possibly two) to work on the testimonials from students/business who’ve worked with our students.  Additionally, they could get work with other video elements on the site (any television/film elements)  My third person to find would be a photography student would could be in charge of  design elements and also representing work from that area.  I’d work on public relations, journalism content, and management/overseeing the project, but I’d probably want a public relations specialist because I’m not a specialist in that area.  Preferably, I’d like a student who is also interested in journalism because I couldn’t do the entire content myself merely because I’d want the work on the site to represent more than myself.

We could come up with decisions based in the group by everyone, but also select a team leader to oversee all aspects of the production.  Along with their individual task it would be more work, but would help to organize thoughts and make decisions smoother.  Results of decisions would be made by whoever was chosen for this role.

After assembling the team, we’d contact school support for either IT work/aid and permission and outlines/guidelines for what the school would want included on the site.

Our process would also include-

• Step one: (as mentioned; developing the team)
• Step two: (as mentioned; speak with school and technical representatives)
• Step three: discuss/develop with team any further ideas for site and create a more refined task list for start up
• Step four: find students (outside of ourselves) who would be willing to write for the site in the future
• Step five: Speak with local businesses and companies to find out what they’d want on the site (their resource needs)
• Step six: Begin content layouts with web student/school technicians
• Step seven: Promotion of site (PR students/whole team)
• Step eight: After site is created, build up and continue content.
• Step nine: Continue with development of site-any tweaking which is necessary

Their skills (the team’s) for the project would be based on previous modules completed and their work from either those classes or work placements previously.

The project would be distributed to its intended audience through the internet/Moodle.  We also would have, as mentioned, a Public Relations student to assist with the project so that some additional awareness of this resource is available.

Will it be simulated or actually put into production?

This is a project that could be taken on by students and completed.  I should also mention that it could be continued and updated after we’ve left university to remain a beneficial resource.  It could also garner work for the students either in work placements, or careers with companies who like the students’ work posted on the site.

**If you made it this far, I’m happy!   Now, contact me!

this is where I'm headed...

Waving goodbye to a chocolate city and hello to a familiar city by the water.

My pink luggage (soon to be crammed with Americanness!) and my stuffed animal, yes I'm 23 and traveling with a toy!

It’s really random how 10 months have whizzed by and suddenly I’m staring at my suitcases, (pink, of course!) in my cozy English bedroom, ready to take their long passage back to New York, home.  Soon they’ll be chock-full (they’re nearly empty, it was an easy pack this time, mostly clothes and items headed back to Buffalo!) with all of my favorite American/Buffalo things.  I’ll shop my little heart out this summer and the result will probably be overweight baggage fines on the way back to England!  As cheesy as it sounds, it felt like I packed those pink bags up yesterday to come to Birmingham, England.  Surely when I booked my ticket if felt like there was more time before I’d fly, right?  Departure wasn’t supposed to arrive immediately, was it?

In September, all I could think was first, how jet lagged I was, and second, how much I missed Tim Hortons coffee and absolutely everything else about home (especially since it was the beginning of my favorite season at home, Fall-I know its “Autumn” here!).  “Straight away” I missed the traffic lights, red lipstick colored stop signs, yellow school buses, family, friends and everything from the life I stripped myself of.  The questions in public, “are you from America, are you on holiday, do you miss home?” and my favorite, “why would you come here?” all provoked my homesickness and made the transition seem impossible.

Thankfully, it soon became less about missing home and my old life and morphed into a home away from home.  Getting up for school, (on the days I had it, when my family wasn’t mocking me for the vacations I get at university!) and visiting with friends all became routine; my British life.  People and friends, some English and some foreign like me, my professors at college all challenged me; not to ignore being away from my comfort zone but to embrace and feel welcome in their world.  They’ve made me laugh (to the point of spitting out my drink!), dance on Broad Street, (Alice! and yes, I don’t have rhythm!) visit Londontown, learn how inept I am at pool AND bowling (giggling the whole time though!) and feel like I’ve known them for much longer than I actually have.  Although it never feels like America, the people I’m lucky enough to have supporting me and in my life, gave me a new and irreplaceable kind of comfort.

An employee at my train station makes me giggle and reminds me of home (he used to live in Western New York-where I’m from!).  I love walking into New Street station and seeing the police men in their uniforms and official hard top hats (not just because I love uniforms either!).  On the train home from college, (I feel so commuter-ish!  At home I drive, which at first was strange to not do here but now I like it!) I love to see the purple polls and signs signifying I’m in Bournville where everything chocolate and wonderful comes from!!  I’m the envy of American friends (the English ones aren’t really as Cadbury obsessed!) and family who’ve all asked me to bring some yummy chocolate back for them (which, of course, I’ll do!).  It isn’t that we don’t get it in America but it DOES not taste as delicious as British Cadbury!  My favorites (although its hard to chose!) are flake and the apricot crumble bars-yum!

On walks in my neighborhood, (which I still couldn’t tell you all the street names…even though I see them everyday!) I love that I know other regular walkers and their dogs now (especially a little wire fox terrier named Star!), the little kids in their uniforms walking home (I love it! It’s way better than public schools at home with no uniforms, these kids look adorable!), the shops in West Heath (and the salons!) and the owner of Buds and Woods who always sees me walking and says “hello darlin’, how are ya bab?”

Any day I can see how lush and green England is, (which is so different from my area where its all commercial and concrete!) smell the block in my neighborhood that always smells like pancakes, notice the double decker buses (my favorite, of course, is to sit on top!), see horses trotting along the side of the road and sometimes get the feeling I’m not in England but a little closer to home in Canada (it sometimes feels very beachy and smells like it does on Lake Erie, Ontario!).

At Christmas, I love how alive the city centre (I’m learning and adapting as my friends have told me to do-I’d say downtown!) became with the German market and Christmas shoppers.  In some ways it wasn’t much different to home (and next year I WILL slide down the big slide in town!).  I was like a little kid at the Brindley Place Christmas parade, even attempting to get a picture with Santa!

I’ve enjoyed seeing castles, such as Warwick, (which I know now isn’t pronounced with two “w’s” just say the first!) and feeling the buzz and charm in Stratford (by far my favorite place-tied with London, of course!).  The local farms are superb and I loved bottle feeding Emily the lamb at Ellenbee farm.  I got to snuggle her when she was small like a cat!!  Small things like what I’ve described and the Pershore fox hunt after Christmas have endeared me to England and shown me a little of what it means to be part of the British culture.

As much as I’ve enjoyed part one of my time here, I’m thrilled to be off to Brooklyn, Manhattan, North Carolina, Buffalo (home!) and Canada (yay, the beach!) this summer!  I’ll see people and do things I’ve missed for what feels like forever and I’ll capture it all to the fullest (especially since I’ve got a gangster difficult school year ahead-year three, eek!!!) Even with my excitment though, I’m leaving part of my heart in this green and welcoming country.

Preserving Birmingham’s buildings

Our team for conservation hadn’t done any articles on building and historic conservation in Birmingham.  I wanted to add an article on this topic to have our area more rounded in Birmingham conservation scoop.

The Conservation Trust for Birmingham have already had several different achievements including but not limited to Perrot’s Folly, Brewmaster’s house, Station Road Cottages in Erdington,  and 69 & 70 Great Hampton Street in Hockley.  These locations have been mapped on my google map below.

The Trust is a charity which seeks to “preserve and enhance Birmingham’s threatened architectural heritage” who works with Birmingham City Council.  You can read more about their charity goals from their link online.

According to Birmingham’s City Council site, we have nearly 2,000 listed buildings in Birmingham. These buildings are protected under the Birmingham Plan.  They also have program which through talks, lectures and open days provides education to the public about these historic buildings.

Currently, The Conservation Trust are working on two projects:  The Newman Brothers factory in the Jewellry Quarter and The Brandwood End Cemetery (both listed on my google map below).  These are the only projects listed on the site as current.  When visiting the page, you can see why projects may take a decent amount of time.  Several people must meet to coordinate funding, design elements and obtain planning permission for each site.

Once work has begun,  in the case of The Newman Brothers factory, every move has to be calculated.  Their site states the next steps in restoration including-

• raising £3.9 million for the project
• detailed design work
• Hope to start on the site by the end of this year
• 12 months on site
• open in 2011 to visitors

The same guidelines apply to the Brandwood End Cemetery project.  Their next steps in this project will be:

• Full conservation survey of buildings to assess corrections
• assess cost and building use options
• £ limit isn’t stated, but money will be fund raised to support the project

On the website you can listen to a podcast from the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery who are a charity working alongside the council and the Trust for this project.  The podcast discusses the progress of improving the Brandwood End Cemetery site and how the community feels about this location.  They additionally discuss the value of this victorian built area.  It also argues that this site should be worked on with the community and have “as many people as we can get involved”.  They want to spark historical interest in this area.

The projects are ongoing and will be updated through The Conservation Trust for Birmingham and The Birmingham City Council sites.

Below is my google map representing the areas that have been completed and the two locations which I’ve mentioned are in progress.

Saving Birmingham's Buildings

Clicking on the map will take you to the map that features the links in the left frame to direct you to the individual locations.

Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country

According to the Birmingham and Black Country trust website, there are several of what they call “practical project volunteer days” coming up!  The next one is Thursday May 14th at nine am.  It meets at the Wildlife Trust office (directions online).

You might ask, “what should I get myself into one of these ‘practical project volunteer’ days?”  They do is work with communities, schools, youth groups, and corporate groups to support them with

• simple project advice

• help with funding and training

• practical skills and project management

Group work on these days is usually under the category of green wood working.  That is basically converting green wood (tree trunks and logs) into usable things-

• benches

• tables

• shelters

They attempt to get woods from local woodlands to support local sustainability.

Our goal through working in this way is to create an economic value for our own woodlands increasing their importance as a resource giving another reason to look after them as promoting the planting of new ones.

Helping out may include:

• Create a pond to encourage frogs, toads and newts.
• Create a nature area for a local school.
• Manage woodland
• Survey the wildlife of ponds, meadows or woodland.
• Lay a hedge in the traditional way.
• Help with a management plan for a nature reserve or local greenspace.
• Run an event for a local school or community group.
• Make paths and facilities to help more people enjoy a local wildlife site.

Volunteer vacancies can be found on their site including an eco park assistant which is available now!  No skills necessary!  Just a desire to help out!  It could only be improved by distribution of Cadbury chocolate while volunteering (English Cadbury is very addictive!)

Love love loving Charlie and Lola’s Look after your Planet!!!

English author and illustrator Lauren Child, created world famous books about big brother Charlie, and vivacious little sister Lola, which are now adding an Eco friendly themed book.  Coinciding with World Environment Day (June 5th) and Recycle Now Week, the latest book is entitled, Look after your Planet.

The book looks at recycling issues and helps children understand why it matters to recycle.  Plus, if you’re reading to your kids (or if you just like Charlie and Lola!), Charlie and Lola will absolutely, certainly make it more fun!  Charlie and Lola encourage recycling in a kid friendly way, “If we just threw everything away then we’d all maybe be completely buried under a massive, huge pile of rubbish.”  Plus, the dog’s name is Sizzles, fantastically funny!

Puffin books, in celebration of the book, is launching a school recycling competition where students can win a £1000 green revamp for their school/nursery!  Runners up prizes are:

• a real tree

• love from Charlie and Lola

• exclusive class trip to the Natural History Museum

40,000 competition flyers have been sent out to schools throughout England and Ireland and registration can be done online.  Registration auntomatically gives you Charlie and Lola’s very completely special recycling pack including:

• extremely good recycling tips
• very fun lesson plans
• especially special acitivity sheets
• Charlie and Lola’s very own tree counter

The counter helps students keep track of what they’ve recycled and the more they do, the more leaves they get for their counter.  My students loved stuff like this when I worked in public schools (it gets them away from the math and journal writing they didn’t want to do!), so I hope this succeeds in the UK too!  After they’re done collecting leaves from their recycling efforts, they can enter to win the school makeover or other runner up prizes!

The Charlie and Lola website offers links, news, registration (for the Puffin recycling program), ways students can recycle (with a clip of Lola, of course, talking about recycling!), a recycling game, and “your results” page where you can post class photos to the tree gallery!

Yes, I played the recycling game, which is a lot harder than it looks (I only garnered 240 points on my first try! Embarrassing but true!)  I like that Lola says, “never mind” if you don’t get points or “thank you” if you do get points.  Manners…I was beginning to think kids weren’t going to learn those anymore!

Looking after your planet is “easy-peasy” so you must must must do all that you absolutely can!

Target and Anthropologie embrace Earth day on their selling floors

Target gets Greeny!

The Los Angeles Times printed a story about big chain Target and trendy- chic Anthropolgie stepping in to create eco friendly and affordable (eek the financial times we’re in!  everyone can’t be Bill Gates!) clothes to celebrate Earth Day-which is Wednesday April 22!

Anthropologie worked with Ireland company Edun to make Bee Tees.  These highlight lowering numbers/disappearing of honeybees, which according to their article pollinate a third of our food supply.  The women’s tees picture honeycombs or bees pollinating.

Loomstate is making a Target collection that boasts 100% organic cotton pieces.  On sale from April 19-May 16th collection the designer, Rogan Gregory, says of the collection-

“Organic doesn’t always equal more expensive — that’s why we have partnered with Target to share the beauty with more people, by making eco-fashions more affordable, it makes organic clothing more accessible, more of a way of life.”

Other events and going on for Earth Day can be found at the EPA website or these others!  It’s not always easy being green (Kermit said it best!) but  Earth Day gives us a reminder to take care of our planet!

Quirky Anthropologie shows some green love too!

Woodland Trust’s “Tree for All” campaign

Attempting to plant 12 million trees between the years of 2004-2009, The Woodland Trust created a big challenge, but already has been successful. They want to include one million children in the effort- from schools, community groups, public events or in their gardens.

4,049,615 trees have been planted so far, and more will continue throughout the campaign. Andy Beer, head of campaign development for the Trust says:

“Research shows that contact with woods and nature makes us feel better about ourselves. Because of modern lifestyles, many children are growing up with little connection with their natural environment. Tree For All is inspiring young people to become future guardians of the natural environment and to encourage people to become more in touch with nature, increasing their understanding and enjoyment of woodland. The simple act of planting a tree has the power to both restore our landscapes and inspire our children with a fresh love of nature and a determination to act on its behalf. We’d like to say a special thank you to everyone who has participated or supported the project so far.”

Other objectives outside of numbers include:

• Getting children out into the woods-a survey done by the Woodland Trust said that “19% of families with children had not visited a wood in the last year”

• Aims to keep/maintain irreplaceable wildlife habitats and woods

• Help children and families appreciate and feel pride in these areas by getting involved

Several things are going on within The Woodland Trust’s “Tree for All” site, including opportunities to get involved with other kid/family/community oriented events. They offer free trees for schools to plant on school grounds (outside of event plantings), community grants for planting trees, and ancient tree hunts. The next ancient tree hunt where participants “find and map all the old, fat trees across the UK” is happening April 30 at Shugborough Hall.  This topic is also mentioned on the UK Phenology website in their newsletter.

If you are aware of any other eco events or further kid/community/family activities going on please post a comment and I’ll add it to this or another article!

American Eagle Outfitters…I heart their clothes and what they do!!!

Entrance to AEO!

I’ve been an employee (and I love their music choices…where could you work that plays the Fratellis and other fun bands-it gives you something to dance to when you’re folding sweaters!) and a customer of American Eagle Outfitters for years and years now, probably since I was about 14-and am now 23.  I love what they’re all about, and now have another reason to love them.  Retail, I’ve found, is normally a really difficult job but I found a home at American Eagle during my time there, and am glad to report that not only are they a great company to work for, but also a company that thinks about the world they live in too.

As it happens they have objectives to make the world better under their ‘AE better world’ link. This area talks about the AEO charities and foundations.  It also talks about their involvement with Big Brothers and Big Sisters.  American Eagle is involved in the Student Conservation Association which aims to-

• be a force of high school and college students who protect our parks and restore our environment.
• these students serve as rangers, researchers, and educators.
• Annually they serve 1.5 million hours
• make contributions to America’s public lands

“AE is currently the presenting sponsor of SCA’s Alternative Spring Break program which sends dozens of college students from all over the country to Grand Canyon National Park for a week of conservation activities. AE is also the major sponsor of SCA’s recruiting activities on nearly 150 college campuses and in high schools nationwide.”

This along with other endeavors they have like Jumpstart reading program which helps get children more into reading but also become more prepared to succeed in school.  Although not a totally eco friendly based story, I love them and all that they do, so I thought it was important to give their company a shout out…and not just because I’m an ex-employee but because I think they do a great job at helping out in many ways!  Take a look at what they do and shop a little if you like, they have great stuffs!

Boxed is the new round.

In 2008 an idea emerged (from Benjamin Gott and Kevin Hockin’s brains!)  and as of Friday March 13, 2009, the Boxed Water Is Better company was launched publicly at the Grand Central Market in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  As they say on their website, about their launch site, ‘our favorite place to grab lunch’ showing how fun and easy going this company is!  Boxed water is exactly what it says, water contained not in round bottles, but in juice carton style boxes. Simple, yet after reading about it, fairly creative and earth conscious (sorry plastic bottle users, not trying to offend but you aren’t very earth friendly)

The water contained in the boxes is “carbon-filtered, purified water from Minnesota” which can be purchased at 9 Michigan locations (and more in the future!)  They wanted to make a product for the heavily popular water drinking market (think of how popular bottled water is now!) that was less stressful on the environment, and also gives something back.

What makes the Boxed water company unique (other than it being boxed, of course!)

• around 90% of the boxed water container is made from trees-which they claim are managed and harvested in a responsible and ethical way.
• They can be broken down to their original flat state for recycling
• 20% of profits will go back to the sources used for the product-water and trees
• 10% of profits are donated to world water relief foundations
• the other 10% is put back into reforestation foundations

“Our carbon footprint is dramatically lower as our boxes are shipped flat to our filler and filled only as demand is created, opposed to most bottled water companies that ship their empty bottles across the globe to be filled, then shipped back for consumption.  The flat, unfilled boxes we can fit on 2 pallets, or roughly 5% of a truckload, would require about 5 truckloads fr empty plastic or glass bottles.”

Boxed water has created quite a buzz, has been mentioned in-

• Fast Company/www.fastcompany.com
• GOOD/www.good.is
• Uncrate/www.uncrate.com
• Gizmodo/www.gizmodo.com
• NotCot/www.notcot.org
• Cool Hunting/www.coolhunting.com
• Creativity Online/www.creativity-online.com
• Lovely Package/www.lovelypackage.com
• ffffound/www.ffffound.com
• in a window display at Lamb/ www.lamblife.com
• The Dieline/www.thedieline.com
• The Good Life For Less/goodlifeforless.blogspot.com
• Your Just Lucky Blog/justlucky.tumblr.com
• Ambrose/www.joyandrevolution.com

What can I say, it may not be sweeping the nation yet (esp.since it is only available in one of the 50 states at a teeny number of locations!), but it seems to beat plastic bottles on some counts, it could end up taking over! Time will tell if boxed water really is better…

Timberland, not the rapper.

Efforts where they should be, boots where they should be.

I was watching television when a Timberland commercial came on (not for the rapper, although he does a hell of a job collaborating in One Republic’s “Apologize”!)  Of course, after watching the commercial I knew I had something to write about.  Who says watching t.v. is bad?

The commercial basically advertised Timberland’s eco friendly stance (specifically for their “EarthKeepers Boat Shoe”), which encouraged me to find out exactly what that was.

Under their Global Commitment link, you can learn about what they look at as their impact on the world and what they’re doing to lower that impact.  With a simple tag line they sum up the point.

“We’ve all been part of the cause. We can all be part of the solution.”

Their five step program to achieve carbon neutrality for their owned/operated facilities & employee travel is:

1. Verify our greenhuse gas inventoryby a third party
2. Reduce energy demand through improved efficiencies
3. Purchase whatever clean, renewable energy we can
4. Generate our own renewable energy on-site when we can’t purchase clean energy
5. Purchase renewable energy credits to offset emissions and help develop renewable energy projects

They wish to become carbon neutral by 2010.  A bold initiative, but something worthy to aspire to.

How they’re spent coin on renewable energy already-

• 400 kW solar power system which provides around 60%  power for Ontario, CA distribution center
• Distribution center in Enscede, Holland uses 100% renewable energy
• Corporate Headquarters/Dominican Republic factories have solar/wind power systems

What they do to help conserve forest resources-

• They’ve converted, last year, 100% of all footwear packaging from post-consumer recycled boxes/soy inks

Keeping the trees standing-

• Since around 2001, they’ve planted about 300,000 trees worldwide

Making responsible choices for product materials-

• They try to use reduced impact manufacturing processes
• they try to use recyclable and renewable materials at any opportunity
• Some examples of these materials are organic cotton, linen and hemp, recycled denim and shoelaces,  and Vibram EcoStep soles made of 30% recycled rubber.

Additionally, they’ve listed a small group of ways to lower your carbon footprint on their website for further awareness.  There’s also a link toThe New York Times article on their efforts.

Obviously Timberland hearts the outdoors and preserving it while creating their products, I’m sure the rapper does also (except his is a different product!)