On May 2, 2026, The Trade Collective launched Skilled Trades Expo Week with a community-wide Iron Pour that drew more than 350 attendees. The event showcased a collaboration between ETHS students and students from Northwestern University’s Segal Institute of Design. Participating students designed objects using design software, which were then sent to a sand-casting mold company to produce the molds. Students also constructed the furnace used to heat the metal on-site, giving them end-to-end experience with metal casting technology — from concept and design through fabrication and pour.