Baltimore, MD USA — July 17, 2016
CSX has provided a $1,000 grant to Rotterdam’s Avalanche Arts via Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister Cities for the “Operation Trash” exchange project in spring 2017 designed to educate high school students at Baltimore’s Benjamin Franklin High School (BFHS) and connect them with Wolfert van Borselen high school in the Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Improvisational theatre techniques and remote learning techniques will be used to teach students about sustainability, trash reduction, recycling, and to inspire them to become environment stewards for their communities.
About CSX
CSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a premier transportation company. It provides rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services and solutions to customers across a broad array of markets, including energy, industrial, construction, agricultural, and consumer products.
CSX aims to create a positive influence “Beyond Our Rails” within the communities where its employees live and work.
Sustainability is at the core of CSX’s value proposition, as freight rail is the most environmentally-friendly way to move freight over land. CSX is committed to making the community greener and cleaner by:
- Teaching environmental stewardship
- Planting eco-friendly trees and plants
- Leading and supporting environmental clean-ups
CSX is a proud partner of Baltimore’s Benjamin Franklin High School in many ways, including a mentorship program between students and CSX employees at CSX’s Chesapeake Bay Coal Piers.
About Avalanche Arts
Avalanche Arts, an organization based in Rotterdam (Dutch name: “Stichting Lawine”), initiated the project concept. Theatre artist/educator and project coordinator Kathie diStefano from Avalanche Arts is designing the program together with the partnering schools and facilitating theatre workshops at the schools.
Avalanche Arts / Stichting Lawine
About Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister Cities
Baltimore, Maryland and Rotterdam, the Netherlands started their sister city relationship in 1985. The Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC) is a volunteer-run non-profit committee based in Baltimore that conducts the sister city affairs. The committee encourages engagement between the two cities to creatively learn, work, and solve problems together through reciprocal exchanges and projects.
Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC) is part of Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc., a 501c3 organization incorporated in the State of Maryland.