Fair Trade in the Classroom: Empowering Youth as Global Citizens

By Elisa Arond

How can young people learn about injustice in the world and feel empowered to change it? How can youth be inspired to identify ways in which they truly can make a difference?

Students in the United States are connected to people across the globe in many different ways – from the clothes we wear daily, to the banana we munch at breakfast, to the hot cocoa we sip on an icy winter afternoon. Youth represent an important and growing chunk of the consumer market, and are constantly bombarded by marketing campaigns to buy the latest brand, the hottest new product. As budding global citizens, students also have the power to learn about their connections with the people behind the labels, the hard work and many costs of producing the items we buy, and to take responsibility for the impact of their consumer choices on people and the environment around the world.

But how can students begin to relate to people half way across the world, to have an inkling of what it is like to work on a cocoa farm, at a t-shirt factory, a banana plantation?

ANNOUNCING TRANSFAIR’S K-12 CURRICULUM: FOCUS ON FAIR TRADE

The Focus on Fair Trade Curriculum offers an accessible way to introduce students of all ages to the concept of global interdependence through an exploration of familiar foods produced outside the USA: chocolate, bananas and coffee; and an introduction to Fair Trade.

TransFair's curriculum is divided into three units for different age groups: Chocolate Explorers (K-2), Banana Bonanza (3-6), and Coffee Connections (7-12).  Each unit includes lesson plans with ideas for accessible, interactive activities on topics ranging from geography, economics, social studies, history, environmental studies, and marketing.   Also includes a comprehensive list of additional resources and recommended links. 

Check out the curriculum here!
 

Introduce students to Fair Trade and help them become educated global citizens!