Started in 1971 by the EPA, this awards program “…recognizes young people across America for projects which demonstrate their commitment to the environment.” Awards are given for one project in each of the EPA’s ten regions. After 38 years, the winning projects have run the gamut — everything from peer environmental education to recycling efforts to wetlands restoration. Recent winners have included

• The Green Books Project in Lewisville, NC: Student Cory Adkins saw textbooks being thrown away at his school, and started his program to sell these books… and use the funds generated to support recycling in his community.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/11/20/presidents-environmental-youth-awards-recognizes-green-student-leaders/feed/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/11/03/talent-search-be-a-green-writing-star/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/11/03/talent-search-be-a-green-writing-star/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:30:40 +0000 Kelly Rand http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/11/03/talent-search-be-a-green-writing-star/ Do you like crafts? Do you like learning and making greener crafts? Do you constantly refresh Crafting a Green World, eagerly awaiting our next post?

Well, why not join the team and be a part of the green crafting blogosphere?

Crafting a Green World is on the hunt for a couple of super awesome crafters that want to share their green crafting knowledge with the world. That’s right, we are on a talent search and could be looking for you!

If you feel like you have what it takes to be a part of our team we want to hear from you! Specifically if you specialize in yarn, paper crafts, jewelry or body care we extra-specially want to hear from you. Also we’d love to diversify, so if you are in possession of an x and a y chromosome and can lend your voice to the green craft movement, we doubly want to hear from you!!

So what are you waiting for? Send us your name, contact information and at least one relevant writing sample to cagreenworld [at] gmail [dot] com. We can’t wait to meet you!

[Photo by sara_kate under a Creative Commons license] ]]> http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/11/03/talent-search-be-a-green-writing-star/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/10/18/checking-out-the-treasure-island-music-festival-green-flavor/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/10/18/checking-out-the-treasure-island-music-festival-green-flavor/#comments Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:27:50 +0000 Keith Rockmael http://sustainablog.org/2009/10/18/checking-out-the-treasure-island-music-festival-green-flavor/ It’s getting to be almost a cliché here in San Francisco with large music festivals that have either a green backbone or a heck of lot of social justice behind it. Both Outside Lands and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass sit only slightly in the rear view mirror but this weekend we hit the Treasure Island Music Festival to check out the music, happenings and the overall Green flavor.

Considering that several thousand people crammed into the festival space on Treasure Island we think that overall they handled the transportation issue in a pretty Green way. We made our way to the festival via zero-emission Bauer buses that picked most of the masses up at AT&T Park. The only real griping we heard came from East Bay attendees who said that they had to drive or take BART to SF instead of having shuttle buses come to the East Bay as well.

Upon entering the festival we couldn’t help but noticing the Ferris wheel but then after that we spied a pair of decent size solar panels that sat near the entrance. Unfortunately, we couldn’t determine or find anyone who knew what the solar power generated. We’re sure it the energy went toward something beneficial.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/10/18/checking-out-the-treasure-island-music-festival-green-flavor/feed/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/09/25/national-alpaca-farm-days/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/09/25/national-alpaca-farm-days/#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:30:09 +0000 Kelly Rand http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/09/25/national-alpaca-farm-days/ Who knew such a thing existed, but this weekend is National Alpaca Farm Days!

Sponsored by the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA), Saturday and Sunday you can visit a local Alpaca farm and learn more about these animals. Why would one want to learn more about them?



Well, if you haven’t been paying attention, Alpacas produce a super soft fiber that is perfect for spinning up into so, much, amazing yarn. And the AOBA wants you to know just how green these animals are.

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]]> http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/09/25/national-alpaca-farm-days/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/09/18/green-porno/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/09/18/green-porno/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:08:51 +0000 Jeff McIntire-Strasburg http://sustainablog.org/2009/09/18/green-porno/ If you’re a fan of the Sundance Channel’s series Green Porno with Isabella Rossellini, you’re probably already aware that the acclaimed show launched its third season on Monday (with a focus on marine animals). But how well do you really know the mating habits of various animal species?

In order to celebrate the new season, we’ve agreed to host another event with the show… this time a quiz (which you’ll find below the jump). Answer the questions below in the comments; if you score 80% or above (that is, only miss two questions), you’ll be entered into a drawing for a Sundance Channel prize package that includes:

• Ella Vickers bags, made out of recycled sails
• 1 Bag at a Time farmers market bags
• A Boku journal made from recycled paper
• Sundance pen
• Sundance Channel t-shirt (made from organic cotton)
• Sundance Channel hat (made from organic cotton)

Ready to get started? Here’s the quiz (and links to videos with the answers… this isn’t that hard)

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/09/18/green-porno/feed/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/09/09/yoga-for-crafters-the-knit-and-crochet-edition/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/09/09/yoga-for-crafters-the-knit-and-crochet-edition/#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:30:04 +0000 Becky Striepe http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/09/09/yoga-for-crafters-the-knit-and-crochet-edition/
Craft show season is getting close, and that means all of you green crafty biz owners are probably working overtime to get merch ready for the upcoming fall shows! Any sort of repetitive action is tough on your body, and crafting is no different. Rather than pop an over the counter pain medication, why not take some time to relax and stretch the soreness away with some yoga poses targeted at the places that take the most abuse?

As with any new exercise, please be cautious and consult your doctor before trying anything too terribly strenuous.

This week we’re taking a look at the aches and pains that come with hours of knitting or crochet. From what you guys had to say on Twitter, it sounds like all that yarn work hits ravelers hardest in the wrists, fingers, neck and chest. Never fear! Here are some poses to help you recoop a little bit.

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]]> http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/09/09/yoga-for-crafters-the-knit-and-crochet-edition/feed/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/28/new-online-natural-marketplace-seeking-vendors/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/28/new-online-natural-marketplace-seeking-vendors/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:30:25 +0000 Kelly Rand http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/28/new-online-natural-marketplace-seeking-vendors/ Abe’s Market, a new online natural marketplace, is about to launch and is looking for the latest and greatest natural products to create the best array of products for the site.

Abe’s will offer a comprehensive selection of all natural products, with the best and latest in health, beauty, food, home and consumer goods with the ease and convenience of the most modern e-commerce services. The site aims to be a place for customers to find their favorite natural brands as well as a place to discover some of the newest and unique undiscovered lines, as well as “meet” the creators of the brands and gain knowledge about the ingredients, processes and stories behind these products.

In addition to being the source for purchasing all-natural goods, Abe’s Market will be the place and opportunity for up and coming producers of natural products to feature, market, and grow their brands. Abe’s will continually seek out new brands and welcome new sellers to the site. Additionally, the Abe’s Market management team led by co-founders Richard Demb and Jon Polin, who have their professional experience in both natural businesses and the retail environment, will help these newer brands gain exposure with natural retailers to establish distribution.

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]]> http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/28/new-online-natural-marketplace-seeking-vendors/feed/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/18/fab-fabrics-betz-white-spoonflower-and-a-contest/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/18/fab-fabrics-betz-white-spoonflower-and-a-contest/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:30:32 +0000 Becky Striepe http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/18/fab-fabrics-betz-white-spoonflower-and-a-contest/

Betz White and Spoonflower are teaming up, and they want to see how you Sew Green!

To celebrate the release of her book Sewing Green, Betz white designed a special Sewing Green print on organic cotton just for Spoonflower. Not only are they running a deal on the fabric itself, they’re holding a contest where you can win your choice of book from STC Craft, the company that publishes Sewing Green. Here are the deets!

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]]> http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/18/fab-fabrics-betz-white-spoonflower-and-a-contest/feed/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/17/bags-for-the-people/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/17/bags-for-the-people/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:01:19 +0000 Kelly Rand http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/17/bags-for-the-people/ If you frequent your local farmer’s market, being a crafty person that you are, you bring along your very own handmade bags to carry home your produce, right? Right. In fact no matter the market, I bet you have a handmade tote bag that is at hand to carry home your loot.

Well, what about the non crafty people? Should they be relegated to using plastic bags? What if everyone was given a free handmade bag to carry home their fresh produce instead of those plastic bags? And what if these bags were made out of fabric left overs such as outgrown t-shirts and scraps?



Bags for the People was formed in reaction to when Glenn Robinson would work at his local farmers market in Union Square in New York and hand out hundreds of hundreds of plastics bags every day. He would see people that would bring their own bags, but they would still rely on some plastic, too.

Having some free time on his hands Robinson used some old clothing to create bags that he then gave away at the farmers market to help curb plastic bag use. The simple idea was received very well and people thought they were being given a gift with their purchase. “People were so excited to get these bags,” Robinson said.

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]]> http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/17/bags-for-the-people/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/08/17/modeling-agents-green-model/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/08/17/modeling-agents-green-model/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:37:55 +0000 Jeff McIntire-Strasburg http://sustainablog.org/2009/08/17/modeling-agents-green-model/ Are you a treehugging fashionista? A green glamor girl? A photogenic fan of photovoltaics? Summer Rayne Oakes has had this space to herself for quite some time, but now GreenLoop is hoping to give her some company. As a part of the launch of its Project Green Search, GreenLoop and its partners invite you to enter the first green model competition, and take your shot at a host of prizes… including a modeling contract.

So, what’s Project Green Search? It’s an educational platform designed to “… [inspire] young people to start thinking about how to align their careers with their environmental ethics.” As Greenloop sells sustainable fashion, a model search seemed like a natural fit: not only can fashion models have quite an impact on other young people, but the fashion industry has a pretty heavy environmental footprint. The sector badly needs great young minds with a sense of style to ensure that it addresses environmental challenges while still producing couture people want to wear.

Started on August 7th, the entry period for the model competition will run through September 16th. On the 17th, the public can vote on entrants, and ten finalists will be invited to Portland Fashion Week for interviews with judges, and a photo shoot with fashion photographer Courtney Daily. After a runway show, judge will choose the winner. She will receive:

• a contract with Option Model Management;
• a complete make-over and eco-fashion wardrobe;
• a professional photography session with Courtney Dailey; and
• a natural & organic beauty shopping spree.

Sound like the opportunity you’ve needed to break into the business? Head over to Project Green Search to enter.

]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/08/17/modeling-agents-green-model/feed/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/14/tinnovations/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/14/tinnovations/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:30:04 +0000 Kelly Rand http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/14/tinnovations/ Tin can reuse is a popular topic here at Crafting a Green World. We’ve gone over tin can reuse, general metal reuse, and eight simple to advanced projects having to do with the reuse of tin. Well we’re not done yet!



August is National Inventors Month and in celebration of this imaginative occasion, Altoids has partnered with HowStuffWorks.com to honor creative citizens they call “Tinnovators.” These inventors have found ingenious uses for their Altoids tins once the mints are gone.

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]]> http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/14/tinnovations/feed/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/10/american-craft-council-lecture-crafting-a-sustainable-world-bamboo-bicycles/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/10/american-craft-council-lecture-crafting-a-sustainable-world-bamboo-bicycles/#comments Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:01:17 +0000 Lucille Chi http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/10/american-craft-council-lecture-crafting-a-sustainable-world-bamboo-bicycles/

The Bamboo Bike Project is a project by Scientists and Engineers at The Earth Institute, Columbia University, and aims to examine the feasibility of implementing cargo bikes made of bamboo as a sustainable form of transportation in Africa.

What? American Craft Council Salon Series: Craft’s Contribution to a Sustainable World - Bamboo Bicycles

Where? American Craft Council Library (6th Floor) 72 Spring Street, New York, New York

When? This upcoming Wednesday, August 12, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

How? $10; $5 for students with current ID. To rsvp, contact Kate at intern@craftcouncil.org or call (212) 274–0630 x272.

What Else? “Join us in the Council’s library for this summer’s Salons exploring Craft’s Contribution to a Sustainable World. This Bamboo Bike Project is creating a new model for social entrepreneurship and development, using craft, DIY techniques, and natural resources.”

Specific speakers include Marty Odlin (of Bamboo Bikes) & Justin Aguinaldo (biking expert). Marty Odlin is co-founder and engineer of the Bamboo Bike Studio and assistant director of the Education Center for Sustainable Engineering at Columbia University, and he will discuss the history of this project, as well as its implications in other fields. Marty will be joined by Justin Aguinaldo, a New York bike messenger who brings his expertise of bike mechanics to the project.

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]]> http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/08/10/american-craft-council-lecture-crafting-a-sustainable-world-bamboo-bicycles/feed/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/07/28/american-lifestyle-magazine-holds-diy-upholstery-contest/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/07/28/american-lifestyle-magazine-holds-diy-upholstery-contest/#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:34:08 +0000 Julie Finn http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/07/28/american-lifestyle-magazine-holds-diy-upholstery-contest/ If you are crafty with upholstery (who wouldn’t love those huge tacks? That gorgeous upholstery fabric?), or were thinking about learning how to reupholster a couch or slipcover an ottoman, or perhaps if you just have some ratty old furniture that could use a good makeover, take note.

American Lifestyle magazine (”Celebrating Life in America”) has announced its first ever DIY contest. The theme for this first year is “upholstery,” and the emphasis is eco-friendly, on the refurbishing of a piece of furniture instead of discarding it.

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]]> http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/07/28/american-lifestyle-magazine-holds-diy-upholstery-contest/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/12/sustainablog-turns-six/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/12/sustainablog-turns-six/#comments Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:54:04 +0000 Jeff McIntire-Strasburg http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/12/sustainablog-turns-six/ Ever forget your wedding anniversary? Your spouse’s/partner’s birthday? Perhaps forgetting the anniversary on which you started blogging isn’t quite the same, but after six years and thousands of posts, I felt like a total dolt when I realized today that July 10th (not today, the 12th) was sustainablog’s “birthday.”

That’s right: six years (and two days) ago, I created a new Blogger account, and started wrestling with this concept of sustainability that I’d only recently discovered. There’ve been lots of twists and turns since then, but it’s really gratifying to look back and see the growth and development of my little blog in that time.

While most of us associate birthdays/anniversaries with gifts and celebrations, these dates are also the perfect time for expressing gratitude, and looking forward (as well as back). I owe many people thanks for their support, including

The folks at Green Options: sustainablog’s always been a little unique in the GO network: rather than narrowly focusing on a niche within the green world, we’ve always done a little bit of everything. That has its ups and down, and I’m grateful to my friends at GO (and new parent company Virgance) for their patience with and support of our model.

The green blogosphere: You can’t blog in a vacuum… or, at least, you can’t blog in a vacuum and expect to build much of an audience. From early on, sustainablog’s received a ton of support from both big and small players within the green online media space. Special hat tips to Grist (one of the first big sites to link to us), Treehugger (for the writing gig and frequent linkage), Worldchanging (for frequent early linkage and some guest posting opportunities), Triplepundit, HuffPo Green, Green, Inc., Greenbiz, Lighter Footstep… I’m just getting started. Whether you’re listed or not, know that I appreciate your support.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/07/12/sustainablog-turns-six/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/24/greening-hollywood-produced-by/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/24/greening-hollywood-produced-by/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:38:09 +0000 Paige Donner http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/24/greening-hollywood-produced-by/ Saving the planet through story is how Arianna shaped the green panel she moderated at the Produced By Conference held at Sony Picture Studios over the weekend.  The Conference was put on by the Producer’s Guild of America and co-helmed by the legendary Gale Anne Hurd.

If a person’s clout can be measured by the resources they can commandeer, then Hurd is most certainly still at the top of the Hollywood heap.  Not only was the Sony Pictures Studio lot supremely pleasant to stroll around, but volunteers were everywhere to assist with even small things like fetching water. Seriously.

And Sunday’s complimentary lunch featured no less than 10 honey wagons set up to serve the likes of lobster rolls, shrimp tempura and teriyaki flank steak.  Hurd commented to me that people were already asking her when next year’s conference was going to happen and said that “we didn’t even think we’d pull this one off!”  They expected 600 attendees - 900 paying producers showed up.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/24/greening-hollywood-produced-by/feed/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/06/22/one-week-left-to-enter-in-yahoo-greens-make-it-green-contest/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/06/22/one-week-left-to-enter-in-yahoo-greens-make-it-green-contest/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:45:31 +0000 Lucille Chi http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/06/22/one-week-left-to-enter-in-yahoo-greens-make-it-green-contest/

In the Spring on Ecolocalizer we featured the start of the Yahoo! Green “Make it Green” Competition. Now with only one week left, the possibilities for new entries are endless. If you have a brilliant eco-creative idea, and want to see it manufactured for real, then enter now. Yahoo! Green explains:

“the best ideas will be made into real products and stocked on real shelves. The innovator will get a share of the sales for 20 years, plus $2,500 and possibly an appearance on PBS’s Everyday Edisons.  It’s a great way to turn an idea into reality.  For this last week, we’re waiving the submission fee.   We’ve had more than 110 ideas submitted and 10,000 votes from the community.”

So what is most popular idea so far? Well,

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]]> http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/06/22/one-week-left-to-enter-in-yahoo-greens-make-it-green-contest/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/09/you-named-that-schlong-we-picked-a-winner/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/09/you-named-that-schlong-we-picked-a-winner/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:25:59 +0000 Jeff McIntire-Strasburg http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/09/you-named-that-schlong-we-picked-a-winner/ Apparently, the pine wood snake has a very distinctive schlong: no one who entered our “Name that Schlong” contest confused it with the penis of, say, a blesbok or a dragonfly, or any of the other “members” of the Grand Gallery of Penises. Well done, schlong-namers!

Now, on to the important stuff…

We have a winner!

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/09/you-named-that-schlong-we-picked-a-winner/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/02/help-your-favorite-local-farmers-market-win-5000/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/02/help-your-favorite-local-farmers-market-win-5000/#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:07:52 +0000 Levi Novey http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/02/help-your-favorite-local-farmers-market-win-5000/ It’s an experience many of us relish– taking a weekend stroll through the colors, sounds, and smells of a local farmers market and then choosing fresh items to take back to our homes, as well crafts, or maybe a cd from a local band. We know that the food will eventually fill our stomachs contently, or that another item we found will be a perfect and unique gift for a special friend or family member.



This summer you can show your support for your favorite farmers market, by helping it win a $5000 reward. Care2.com and Localharvest.org are sponsoring this great online contest. The $5000 top prize will be awarded to the farmer’s market that is voted the most popular by internet users like you.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/02/help-your-favorite-local-farmers-market-win-5000/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/02/can-you-name-that-schlong/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/02/can-you-name-that-schlong/#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:45:48 +0000 Jeff McIntire-Strasburg http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/02/can-you-name-that-schlong/

UPDATE: We’ve got a new Green Porno contest running… check it out.

If you’ve had dreams about Isabella Rossellini wandering through a forest of enlarged animal penises (peni?), either you need to get to the shrink quickly, or you’ve been watching Sundance Channel’s Green Porno series very regularly. If the latter’s the case, let’s see how much you’ve picked up…

Name that Schlong

Take a look at the picture above. The arrow in the picture is pointing out a specific species’ penis. Know what it is?  Name it… in the comments. Need help?  Check out the main contest post at Sundance’s SUNfiltered blog (disclosure: I’m a blogger there).

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/06/02/can-you-name-that-schlong/feed/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/05/26/design-for-a-dollar-upcycling-contest-at-pratt-in-nyc/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/05/26/design-for-a-dollar-upcycling-contest-at-pratt-in-nyc/#comments Tue, 26 May 2009 18:12:34 +0000 Lucille Chi http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/05/26/design-for-a-dollar-upcycling-contest-at-pratt-in-nyc/  



Pratt was the star of this year’s ICFF Design Schools’ Exhibition with their Design for a Dollar contest. Amazingly, with the design constraint of using a buck or less, the Pratt students invented brilliant eco home ideas (many upcycled from totally discarded items). The competition required students to create designs that include manufacturing costs, transportation, energy, material, labor and waste issues.

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]]> http://craftingagreenworld.com/2009/05/26/design-for-a-dollar-upcycling-contest-at-pratt-in-nyc/feed/