The ICCC (International Collaboration Consortium Conference) was first contemplated at the Pacific Basin Consortium Conference in Hawaii in July 2000. The schools started the trip to raise awareness about wetlands; however, in 2008 it changed to focus on sustainability. In the same year, the name changed from ICP (International Collaboration Project) to ICCC. The purpose of the program is to inform students about being eco-friendly and to make connections with people all over the globe. The leaders want their students to make goals to become more sustainable and to take these goals back to their schools and communities.

The ICCC takes place in different locations every year. Three schools are currently participating: Goulburn Valley Grammar School from Shepparton, Australia; Oregon Episcopal School from Portland, Oregon; and Turning Point School from Culver City, California. Forty middle-school students are participating in the ICCC- eight from Goulburn Valley, eight from Oregon Episcopal, and twenty-four from Turning Point. This year we are also lucky to have a representative, Mr. McDougall, from Hutcheson's Grammar School in Scotland. Hopefully, in the future, Hutcheson's will be a part of the ICCC!

The trip is divided into two parts; the first of which is school based. The students go on many field trips and learn about sustainability through focus groups and workshops. The focus groups look at issues related to energy, water, transportation, waste management, and biodiversity. During the workshops, students dig deeper into conservation, but they have a little more fun through participating in journalism, a garbage band, photography, eco-fashion, and the creation of public service announcements. At the end of the week, all forty students will take a trip to Monterey Bay in California. Students will continue to work together as they kayak, visit an organic farm, conquer a ropes course, and learn more about one another.
Some of the goals that the students will take back to their schools and communities are listed below.

• Energy: Make sure the temperature is set to an energy-efficient level. Shut down and unplug appliances at the end of the school day.

• Water: Minimize water usage. This can be done by individual schools/people using dual-flush toilets, shortening showers, and turning off the tap while brushing teeth.

• Waste Management: Encourage recycling, reduce waste, and create compost bins.

• Transportation: Carpool often and collect data about transportation.

• Biodiversity: Raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity, and educate the community about threats to the ecosystem.

Although we come from different parts of the Earth, we only have one, and we need to take care of it.