Trade School Milan: to share knowledge without spending 1 cent!!

by Valeria Rocca

 “The School of Barter", as we define the Trade School Milan, is a school where the slogan is to share knowledge to make education accessible to all. The distinctive elements of this reality is the duplicity of the figure teacher / student, who now is teaching, tomorrow may be a student, and to the opposite, the timing, that is to say that classes are limited in time and the proposal of a different economic paradigm, that of barter on a small scale. You do not pay, but you exchange something: an object, an idea, an experience. Easy, isn’t it? The project was born in New York in 2010 and has spread in many world cities, including Milan. In 2011, three guys that have in common, besides enterprise, a job in the world of design, have created the first edition of the Italian Trade School. 
They are Danila Pelicans, product designer, Schimd Serena, interior designer and Alessandro Contini , interaction designer. After the first edition of the project, Elèna Beatriz, from Olavarria, joint the team. She is a student designer and a project manager. Following the success, in May, just concluded, there was the II edition of the Milan Trade School. 

The premises of a former tailor shop, guests of the agency ACCURAT / 3, was born a co-working space in which, for 3 weeks, have followed all kinds of lessons. Themes are varied: from writing, the Japanese sewing, electronic music, to continue with the vegan food, yoga and much more. In short, a babel of appointments. 

To know how it went, we contacted the founders of the Milan Trade School, where we asked some questions. 

">First, what were the news of this second edition? 
«During the first edition of the Milan Trade School, we have experienced almost by accident a few lessons off-site, directly in the studios of two artists. Students are entered in the laboratories, in private spaces (usually inaccessible) of teachers and this has meant that it would create a nice atmosphere, almost intimate, all much more relaxed and at ease. This thing really loved so much to us as participants, so this year we decided to revive the initiative for two Saturdays in special classes, hosted by prominent Milanese reality in various fields artistic / cultural directly into their spaces. The first Saturday we were guests of writing lessons with Rockit themed music, the Saturday after the boys Vectorealism taught us how to design an object and cut with a laser. ›› 

Are you happy with the achievements? 
«We are very happy with the results achieved in this second edition, we were prepared to the enthusiasm of students and teachers, who have already had swept past us, but we did not expect a participation as active and intense. The classes were filled in a few hours and word of mouth has meant that the number of people involved grew a lot.›› 

What's new for the future? When is a new initiative? 
«The second edition has just ended and we are already working to understand how the project can evolve. For the moment we do not want to reveal anything, we know for sure that we really want to, how and where you will find out soon.›› 

Are you interest? Then follow them on the site where, as we have promised, we will soon be news. And if you share the values of the Trade School and are interested to open and operate, voluntarily, a home in your town, visit the American Site, click on "Trade School everywhere" and you will find all useful information. The future goal is to open new offices around the world. Find the Milan Trade School on Facebook and Twitter. Keep in touch!

More...

Summary only...

Turning waste into a resource. It happens to the EWWR 2011 markets

by Eleonora Anello

It’s really rewarding getting rid of the objects we do not use anymore. It's good for the spirit and... for the environment! For this reason, the barter and used markets have become a must among the actions dedicated to the European Week for Waste Reduction.

This weekend, across the Milan’s hinterland, and more precisely in Mesero and Albairate, two important markets of barter, reuse and repair will be held. It’s important because they build up a relationship across the area and are part of a more complex process, as told us the President of the Consorzio dei Comuni dei Navigli, Carlo Ferrè: «We started on the occasion of the EWWR 2010, organizing in Vittuone the NoTrash Mob in the schools. We went on with the campaign “Il primato della leggerezza” ("The primacy of light"), seeking to decrease the amount of waste produced and at the same time to improve the separate waste collection and the quality of life of our citizens. On this Monday the educational phase of our operation will start. With the help of some volunteer groups, we're going to assess family by family the quality of separate collection applying different tags on waste bags. This tags are red, yellow and green depending on the quality and will be motivated to make clear to citizens what they are doing wrong if they're wrong».

Among stands of books, toys, kitchenware and jewelry we also met the deputy mayor of Mesero, Giuseppe Fusè. «As soon as the Consortium proposed these initiatives we immediately responded with enthusiasm. The action has a strong impact on the environment because it removes from the disposal a large number of goods which may be still used instead of becoming waste. Furthermore, it has a social impact creating a virtuous circle involving all citizens and inviting to reflect on the possibility to repair some items instead of throwing them away. To be more sustainable, we advertised the event mostly by mail and through word-of-mouth, avoiding an excessive production of leaflets».

The Mesero market was also a place of education through the information point in which were distributed the campaign’s bags and the “Centalogo”, a guide to the correct disposal of waste. The plumber who gave useful advices on how solving small housework and taught domestic water saving has been particularly appreciated by participants. The highlight of the day was the construction of a recumbent bike from salvaged parts of old bicycles, managed by Ecobent. The market has been constantly monitored using recording sheets of occurred trade, in order to get an effective estimation of saved waste.

In the meanwhile, today Sunday, November 27, in L'Aquila, a city that has always cared a lot about the EWWR despite the hard time it lived during the launching days of the first European edition, the barter Market is being held on - Exchanging not Throwing, initiative coordinated by the Environment Office and ASM Spa. The president of the multi-service company Luigi Fagiani said: «We wait for citizens in this important event in the Dante Alighieri school, on Onna Street. To be a good example is first and foremost our responsibility as administrators. In fact we will be bringing some objects there and actively participating in the initiative. A smart way for getting rid of no longer useful items and for replacing them with others we need without creating waste. The goal is to transform waste into resources».

So... have a good bargain at all!

More...

Summary only...