PROGRAMS Foresight upholds that Design--be it compelling graphics or socially transforming policy--is fundamental to the pursuit of greater social, economic and environmental sustainability. However, Design does not exist in a vacuum, but is integral to the areas of society in which it is employed. Foresight's organizational strategy calls for pursuing sustainability issues in three distinct, yet related sectors: general public, business, and design. Fostering sustainability also requires the creation of community, education, and implementation. All of Foresight's initiatives strive to embody at least two of these three primary activities. Chicago Sustainability Hub and Sustainable Business Hub Email List(s) Email List Sign Up Foresight provides a centralized source for sustainability related events, jobs and news relevant to the Chicagoland area, including announcements of upcoming Chicago Green Drinks gatherings. Postings are moderated and compiled so as to keep them as useful as possible with minimal volume. Most information is collected and distributed via the biweekly e-newsletter that contains the comprehensive Greening Chicago calendar. You will be given the opportunity to indicate your interest areas after submitting your email address. Our list is spam free. We never exchange, sell or share our contacts with anyone. Addresses beginning with "info" cannot be used. Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance www.sustainablechicago.biz The Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance is a network of enterprises dedicated to realizing the benefits of incorporating sustainability principles into their products, services, and practices. It is dedicated to providing the necessary resources, connections, and support for these companies to thrive thereby creating a healthier physical environment, more robust and stable economy, and fair and equitable city. Chicago Green Business Directory www.sustainablechicago.biz The most comprehensive screened list of its kind in Chicago, Foresight's Green Business directory is easily searchable by category or business name and includes members of the Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance as well as many others. Chicago Sustainability Action Guide www.believechicago.org/guide Want to know how you can shop, live and work with environmental and social justice concerns in mind? This searchable, annotated guide, part of the BelieveChicago.org website, includes over 130 resources for Chicago-area residents, including non-profit organizations, directories, informative websites, etc. Chicago Sustainability Events Calendar www.believechicago.org/calendar A comprehensive online calendar listing a range of sustainability-related events in the Chicago metropolitan area. Events for the upcoming week are included in Foresight's weekly Believe Chicago e-newsletter. Chicago Green Drinks (Business Edition) www.chicagogreendrinks.org A bimonthly networking and educational event for people with an interest in sustainability issues, the gathering regularly attracts a diverse audience of 75-140 people and has become the de facto hub of "Green Chicago." Moderated panel discussions on pertinent topics provide information and spur further conversation. Green Drinks-Business Edition, held toward the beginning of each month, targets topics and people related to sustainable business in Chicago, while "regular" Green Drinks, held later, addresses more general sustainability issues. Explorago www.explorago.com Foresight’s annual neo-scavenger hunt sends teams to locations around Chicago seeking local sustainability-related sites and information. In the process, they raise awareness about local sustainability efforts and funds for the organization. The winners are announced at the Sustainable Convergence gathering (see below). Held each September since 2005, it will next be run in Spring of 2008. Sustainable Convergence www.sustainableconvergence.org More than a party, Sustainable Convergence brings together members of the business, design communities and the general public who share an interest in sustainability issues. Past Convergences have included live music, free magazines, dancing, door prizes, food, and drink and a sustainable enterprise fair. Connections are made, community built, and change fostered by the several hundred attendees. Sustainable Convergence has been produced annually for the past 4 years. Sustainable Convergence '07 was held on September 27, 2007, at the Notebaert Nature Museum. The 2008 version is tentatively slated for late September. Foresight Consulting and Design Studio www.foresightstudio.net Dedicated to creating more socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable products, services, and systems, this multi-disciplinary studio undertakes a range of challenges. These include work for businesses, government agencies, projects for members of society most in need of good design and least able to afford it, and internally-generated initiatives. The scope of work includes graphic, product and universal design; policy research and market assessments; and unique interdisciplinary assignments. Foresight Eco-Office Initiative www.foresightdesign.org/ecooffice An education-driven consulting service that helps local businesses and non-profits improve the environmental impact of their office activities, thereby creating demand for eco-sensitive office solutions. Urban Sustainable Design Studio www.foresightstudio.org Inspired by the renowned Rural Studio program at Auburn University, this initiative fosters a new type of leader, one who integrates the systems thinking, design skills, and entrepreneurial abilities necessary to initiate and direct visionary sustainability initiatives. Open to participants college-age or older serious about gaining experience in how to research, devise and implement more sustainable solutions, this experiential learning opportunity includes students from a variety of backgrounds. A month-long program was held annually in January from 2002 to 2006. In the summer of 2006, an eight-week summer session was launched which will now succeed the shorter winter term. Foresight is working to develop semester-long, fall and spring terms in association with an accredited university. Internships www.foresightdesign.org/internships An on-going program to mutually benefit students interested in sustainability and design and the Foresight Design Initiative through hands-on research, program development and educational opportunities. Resource Section www.foresightdesign.org/resources A collection of information resources to supplement the Chicago Sustainability Action Guide. IN ACTIVE DEVELOPMENT Foresight's Green City Studio A two-week long summer program for high school juniors and seniors, Foresight's Green City Studio provides students interested in sustainability issues an intensive introduction to how these influences are shaping Chicago. It will be launched in the summer of 2007. Field trips around the city, meetings with local business, government and nonprofit leaders, relevant readings, regular discussions, and a group project form the curriculum. Students will gain an understanding of how sustainability issues are impacting the city, as well as what type of skills and knowledge are necessary to pursue a sustainability-related career. Foresight International Sustainable Design Working Conference (in association with the o2 Global Network) Tentatively scheduled for April 2008 in Chicago, this working conference is modeled after the o2 Challenge held in Rotterdam in 1998. It will bring together designers and related others interested in sustainable design to learn from invited speakers, one another, local tours, a participating "virtual community," and from taking part in issue-focused working groups. Highlights from the conference and the products of the working groups will be made available via the Web. They will also be compiled into a dynamic and interactive presentation that will serve as the basis for "Foresight Weekends." These gatherings will be hosted at other cities and conferences to further propagate the outcomes of the conference and to provide a wider audience with the opportunity to learn about and engage the principles of sustainable design. Chicago Green Drinks--Design Nights www.chicagogreendrinks.org An extension of Chicago Green Drinks, this bimonthly series provides an opportunity for sustainability-minded designers from different disciplines to socialize, network and learn about and possibliy engaged in relevant issues and projects. To be launched in 2008.   LONG -TERM DEVELOPMENT Foresight Sustainability Tours While Foresight is locally focused, gaining global perspective is essential to establishing an understanding of issues and best practices in sustainability. This service would facilitate small group trips to foreign locations (e.g. Northern Europe, India, Japan/Asia) with the goal of networking, engaging new ideas and broadening perspectives. (International) Sustainable Designers Exchange A program to foster the international exchange and implementation of sustainability—related ideas and strategies. Small teams of designers and other interested parties will participate by hosting one another for meaningful periods of time. Chicago Sustainable Office Center www.foresightdesign.org/center/ Inspired by the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center in Portland (OR), among other such centers, the Center will provide office space to non-profits, businesses, and designers working in sustainability related fields. It could also include green furnishings showrooms, seminar facilities, retail space, and a gallery/theater. Foresight House www.foresighthouse.org As a center for sustainable urban living and community development, Foresight House fulfills three purposes -- to publicly demonstrate a range of affordable, high-efficiency, eco-friendly building features and products; to provide low-cost housing and an educational focus for participants of Foresight’s Urban Sustainable Design Studio; and to partner with community organizations and individuals to generate innovative models for sustainable community development. Project partners include the City of Chicago Departments of Housing and Environment and the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.