What do you get when you put together some kids, sugar, glitter glue and video cameras? This year's Bring Your Kids To Work Day in SF!  We had 16 kids join us and the age group was under 10 years old.  
 
The day started off with a photo op of the kids with their parents. The kids were amped up and ready to let their creative juices flow after indulging in chocolate chip muffins and OJ.
 
Next, kids were given a blank canvas in the form of a photo frame. They decorated using glitter glue pens, stickers and markers. The finished product included a printed photo with their parents to insert into their personally designed frames. They also captured their own experience using hand-held video cameras (which will later come in handy for these future Organics at Camp O). The kids also got a better look around the office through a scavenger hunt for items such as employee business cards and office supplies, that ultimately led them to an awesome Organic prize....laser pens!  This led to a free laser light show for Organics passing through our lobby.
 
The day ended with kids leaving with some Organic swag, hand-crafted artwork and tired, but happy faces.  Here's what one of the parents had to say:
 
"I wanted to thank you again for organizing yesterday's fun day at work with the children. My girls were absolutely thrilled. The following day was show-and-tell at my girls' school and they brought their Organic bag, decorated photo frame and list of scavenger hunt items to tell their friends about it. It was so fun (for me) that I posted on my blog about it!" 

The entire day was captured on video and we will be compiling the kid's footage for a short video.  Stay tuned!

- Yehji Yi

Typical Bring Your Kids to Work day schedule:
9 am:  Breakfast: Juice box and confetti-sprinkled donut
9:15 am Sticky face and fingers clean-up
9:30 am Sugar buzz while coloring on recycled office paper
10:30 am Steep sugar crash accompanied with complaints that all Dad does is "stare at a computer screen all day."

During this year's Bring Your Kids To Work Day, a group of Detroit Organics wanted to make sure that the 70+ visiting kids not only left understanding what mom and dad do at work all day, but that they had an interactive experience of their own. So, they set out to make sure every kid left with a personally designed website.  
 
First, all kids above third grade were asked to complete a profile and participated in a photo session to create an image of themselves for use on their site. Organic technology staff helped kids actually write code for their site to select their background color. Then, using the "Mad Libs" approach, kids worked one-on-one with an Organic writer to create content by filling-in-the-blanks of a pre-created paragraph. Finally, Organic designers helped kids accessorize a Dodge Ram with their choice of color, tires, and hood.
 
Kids below third grade were invited to design their own website with crayons - which was later uploaded as its own URL.
 
The day's activities also included guest speakers from Experience Architecture, Engagement Management, Technology, Quality Assurance and Creative to describe their jobs. Plus, a business card creation workshop was held, courtesy of HR.
 
In the end, Organic kids received a link to their own website and left with a fairly accurate representation of the cool place mom or dad work.  And, best of all, the talent acquisition team took advantage of the visit by scouting for future exceptional Organic hires - for sometime around 2024.
 
- Traci Armstrong

As part of Toronto's Earth Day 20-Minute Makeover, last Friday, Toronto Organics rolled up their sleeves, donned latex gloves and set upon the filthy streets to do our part for the environment.  

The task was small but the results were astonishing, after 20 minutes the team had collected more than 10 garbage bags full of junk!  When I asked about the most memorable findings, here is a sampling of what I heard: "Starbucks coffee cups by the handful"; "Some homeless dude asked for my number..."; "An old rotting bicycle tire"; "A resume..."; "waaaaay too many cigarette butts";  "A Wool Sweater and a sock"; "a full size Scanner--right next to a dumpster lol"; "BONES... Gross!!!"; and the most festive... "An empty vodka bottle and Christmas tree! (happy holidays)".

This exercise begs the question or at the very least, a passing thought, Why the heck are people so lazy?  Come on... WHY???  We don't have to be a counterculture eco terrorist, zero foot print, hemp wearin' tree hugger to do our part.  BUT, we have to think consciously about the impact of our actions and make a contribution every day, however small that may be.   

10 VERY EASY things we can all do:

1.    Put garbage in the garbage can, recycling in the blue box
2.    Turn off lights when you leave a room
3.    Don't buy bottled water
4.    Buy and use only recycled paper (definitely toilet paper)
5.    Support local Farmer's Markets
6.    Use cold water to wash your clothes and hang on a line to dry
7.    Buy bulk
8.    Stop using plastic grocery bags
9.    Ride your bike or carpool to work
10.    Educate yourself and your children on sustainability

Earth Day was a fun way to get together with colleagues and look at the environment around us.  Much of what we found was gross, unnecessary and sometimes comical.  I leave you with an example of how the exercise carried forward into green goodwill and social responsibility... ;)

Email between a certain person in this office and me:

(Name withheld to protect identify) "I didn't find anything too exciting when we did the 20-minute makeover, just a gazillion cigarette buts, but on the weekend I saw an empty Viagra pack on the sidewalk in Little Italy."
Me: "Ok - the question that had to be asked... Did you pick it up?!"
(Name still withheld to protect identify) "Just to see that it was empty. "

</end of environmental rant, much peace, love and even Viagra to all.>

Nicole Russell

 

The jobs@organic.com alias usually acts as an alternate avenue for job seekers to connect with the Talent Acquisition team, but recently, a very well written and unexpected inquiry came through that was unlike any we've received before:

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Marsalis Fowlkes and I am writing on behalf of myself, Dareno Johnson, Julian Johnson, Aaron Thomas, and Zhehao Wang.  We are all friends and 8th graders at University Preparatory Academy Middle School in Detroit.  

 

To celebrate Earth Day community-style, Organic's offices have organized several green activities in a joint effort around the country.

Toronto
Organic Toronto will be participating in the 20 Minute Toronto Makeover on April 24th from 2:00pm - 2:20pm.  Join them in making a difference in the community by lending a hand! The event is registered on the Earth Day Canada's website.

Detroit
Organic Detroit will be working with three organizations for recycling items such as batteries, books, CDs and cell phones.  They'll also be working with the local nature center later in the month to do some park cleanup.  On "Bring your kids to work day," Detroit's kids will be painting Canvas tote bags to use for grocery shopping with their parents while a couple Organic employees talk to them about ways to use them.

New York
Organic New York will do project work with New York City Volunteer Services.

San Francisco
Our West-Coasters are finalizing details with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy to organize a weekend beach clean-up or habitat restoration. We're also working with the San Francisco Recreation & Parks department to set up a weekday clean-up activity close to the office.
 
The more the greener!
 
 Laure Latham Guyot

Shopping for Organic goods just got easier -- and cheaper -- with a new iPhone app put together by the major national collaboration of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), Earth Day Network, and MusicMatters.

Once you download the app, just plug in your ZIP code and you get a list of stores where you can pick up a coupon book full of savings on organic foods and products. It includes CLIF Bar, Van's, R.W. Knudsen Family and more. You can also find local Earth Day events through the app.

If you don't have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can look up nearby stores and events on the website. And follow the organization on twitter too (@OrganicEarthDay).

Earth Day is April 22. How will you celebrate this year?

Simple as this...

It's hard to believe that the frigid cold temperatures we have experienced these last months in Michigan can actually inspire someone.  But it inspired me and many in the Detroit office by hosting our first Beer Bash "with a purpose."  A "Party with a Purpose" so to speak.  We decided to clean out our overstuffed closets with multiple coats, hats, gloves and scarves and share them with those in need.  Most importantly our young Michiganders many of whom walk to school on these frigid days with nothing more than a sweater or jacket because it's all they have.  As the official collector, I left the office that day with about 20 bags full of warm outerwear for our selected recipients - the children of O. W. Holmes Elementary School.  As much fun as it was collecting the donations, nothing compared to delivering them and meeting so many of the grateful kids.  I'll never look at my closet the same way again.  Included are pictures of the wonderful young boys who helped me carry in all the donations and the many recipients dressed in our donated garb. 

It's noon pacific time and that means April Fool's jokes are officially passe'. So we'll let you in on our little prank.

We're sorry to inform you that the Senior Re-tweeter position is no longer available. Interestingly enough, we did have lots of tweets and retweets and a few applicants. Four on the latter, to be exact. Here's some of the other stats it garnered:

Hits to job posting:  1569
Rickrolled viewers:  309
Appeared on:
Agency Spy's list of pranks 
TechCrunch (scroll down the page)
Tribble 

But hey, while you're in the neighborhood, feel free to check out the REAL jobs we do have open at Organic. 

Special shout out to Sam Cannon, Scott Lange and Dan Sicko for crafting this faux job. 
Thanks to all who retweeted, posted to their Facebook page and spread the word -- either knowingly or unknowingly. 

Now back to work. 

#Organic is hiring a Senior #Re-Tweeter. Is this #job right for you or someone you know? http://cli.gs/Retweeter


Read job description and apply here.