In honor of World Disaster Risk Reduction Day, The Noun Project is working with the experts from the Global Disaster Preparedness Center and the American Red Cross to host an Iconathon on the topic of Urban Disaster Preparedness. The icon set that will be developed will be used for any number of applications including mapping, websites and publications.  These icons will help the American Red Cross and the rest of the humanitarian community communicate important Disaster Preparedness ideas graphically.   

The Iconathon will be hosted at the historic American Red Cross National Headquarters on Saturday, October 13th to coincide with the International Day for Disaster Reduction and the official launch of the Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC).  This event is free and open to the public, anyone is welcome to participate - no design skills required.  Space is limited and an RSVP is required to attend due to security reasons, since we'll be just blocks away from the White House.  Please RSVP by October 8th.

Tentative Schedule of the Day

What to Bring

We'll have an assortment of essential art materials, but if you have art supplies that you can't live without (special pencils, notebooks, laptop, etc), please bring them.  Laptops are also very helpful for researching symbols during the event.

Please visit Iconathon.org for more information.

Who Should Attend

If you have a passion for designing, getting engaged with your community, helping build a better planet, and being creative while collaborating with great people - you should come!

One of the great benefits of Iconathons is that not only do they contribute much-needed civic minded symbols to the public domain, they also bring together people from all aspects of the community. Participants include educators, non-profits, civic leaders & volunteers, government officials and designers.  Iconathons are specifically designed to let the public participate in the design process and to further increase their understanding of the civic topics they engage with.  You do not need to know how to design or draw in order to participate.

About the American Red Cross

Responding to the increased frequency of disasters, global climate change and urbanization, the American Red Cross works with communities to build resiliency to future disasters, from training local first responders to helping mitigate common hazards. In 2011, their disaster preparedness programs spanned more than 30 countries. The American Red Cross is part of the world’s largest humanitarian network with 13 million volunteers in 187 countries. Working together, they help respond to disasters, build safer communities, and educate future humanitarians. Each year, they reach millions across the globe.

About the Global Disaster Preparedness Center

The American Red Cross, together with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, has established the Global Disaster Preparedness Center—a resource hub on disaster preparedness oriented toward the Red Cross network that will support learning and knowledge sharing for disaster preparedness practitioners worldwide.

This new Center, which will launch on October 12^th, will offer a range of new services and initiatives in the coming year, including 1) an interactive website aimed at offering analysis, tools, best practices  and other resources in disaster preparedness, 2) a research program that will fund a variety of studies that will build the evidence base for disaster preparedness, and 3) an array of options for tailored technical assistance.

Image of The American Red Cross National Headquarters by AgnosticPreachersKid at en.wikipedia