The International Center of the Capital Region is looking for a four-member academic high school team to send to Washington DC in the Spring of 2015

ICCR wants to give area high schools plenty of notice so that they can start preparing… On Saturday, March 21, 2015 from 9:00 – 12:00 Noon, the International Center of the Capital Region will once again be sponsoring a local Academic WorldQuest competition at the Celtic Hall in Colonie with the anticipation of sending the winning four-member team and faculty coach down to Washington DC to represent our region in the national Academic WorldQuest competition taking place on Saturday, April 25th, 2015. There is no cost to participate. Additionally, ICCR will cover the costs of overnight accommodations and flights for the winning team plus faculty coach to attend the national competition.

Academic WorldQuest is the World Affairs Councils of America's flagship student education program. The main objective of the program is to inform and engage high school students and their teachers across the country in global affairs. Each year, over 4000 students, test their knowledge of international affairs, in regional Academic WorldQuest competitions.

Study guides are available.

 http://worldaffairscouncils.org/2011/images/insert/AWQ2015StudyGuide.pdf 

The 2014-2015 Topics assigned are as follows:

•  Russia / Eurasia

•  Youth, Jobs, and Social Unrest

•  Food and Water

•  Future of Energy

•  Africa Rising

•  Human Trafficking

•  Asia and the New Global Economy

•  Millennium Development Goals: 2015 and Beyond

•  Great Decisions

•  Current Events

Nine of the ten question rounds will feature a multiple-choice format. This year, the Current Events round in both the Local and National Competitions will include fill-in-the-blank, true/false, and open-ended questions. 

Schools can enter up to three (3) four-member student teams plus alternates in the Local Competition.

For further information or to register your school, please e-mail Fran@iccralbany.org or (518) 708-7608.

Rochester, NY - Nedloh Brewing opened its doors this past weekend, adding its name to the growing list of craft breweries in the Finger Lakes region. It is also on another list - a list of sustainably-built craft beverage buildings designed by Edge Architecture. Since 2008, Edge has been designing breweries, wineries and distilleries in the Finger Lakes and Northeast United States. They specialize in sustainable building, which is something many brewers, winemakers and distillers value. Sustainable building sounds fancy, but it is also a cost-saving measure for many of Edge's clients. Buildings like Nedloh are built to work with the surrounding environment, taking advantage of the resources and beauty, and minimizing negatives. For example, the Nedloh building is oriented so that a wall of windows faces north. This allows for daylight to enter the brewery from sunup to sundown, without suffering from direct heat from the sun. A roof overhang on the south side of the building also reduces heat by blocking direct sunlight. That same roof overhang was designed so that the sun can provide heat in the winter when the sun comes in at a lower angle. Beer coolers for breweries are very large - they can hold up to 5,000 gallons of beer - and need to be kept cold. By installing the coolers below the ground, they are protected from outside heat, costing less to keep the beer cold. Water is another element that can work for or against a building. Edge designed a stone parking lot for Nedloh to allow rain water to flow directly into the ground and a rain garden to collect run-off waters for decorative plants. On-site ponds also collect rain water and a green septic system reduces strain on the municipal system. Nedloh is also built with energy-saving building materials. High-performance insulation reduces energy use in winter and summer. A high-tech rainscreen system is part of the wall construction. It involves a moisture-resistant barrier underneath the siding, with a gap in between. Any water that manages to get through the siding is trapped by the barrier and either drains out or evaporates.

# # # About Edge Architecture, PLLC: Edge is located in Rochester, New York and specializes in craft beverage, winery and higher education architectural design. With winery, brewery and distillery work completed throughout the Northeast, the team at Edge has a combined experience of designing over 30 craft beverage facilities. An important aspect of their work is sustainable building, which lowers operating costs and keeps projects within budget. Edge services include building plans, building layout, architectural services, code review, building permits & agency approvals, cost estimating services and more. For more information, visit www.WineryDesigners.com or call (585) 461-3580.