Become a Fairtrade school!

The Fairtrade Schools Award was recently launched by The Fairtrade Foundation, offering an opportunity for schools to gain official recognition for the work they do in promoting Fairtrade to the school community.

Why do it?
There are many benefits to becoming a Fairtrade School:

For the whole school…

• Local and national recognition; there’s a certificate to display in the school entrance
• Provides an exciting and meaningful project for School Councils
• Supports and links in with lots of other initiatives such as Eco-Schools, International Schools, Healthy Schools
• Enables the school to have a positive influence on the wider school/local community
• Links with an important country wide and international movement for a fairer world
  

For pupils and students…

• Enables pupils to engage in active citizenship; contributes to making the world a fairer place
• Capitalises on young people’s enthusiasm for Fairtrade
• Helps pupils to understand interdependence; how their choices and actions can impact on others
  Helps pupils develop and use skills - taking responsibility, making positive choices, planning and implementing a campaign
• Encourages critical thinking
  Offers opportunities for challenge and confidence building
• Promoting Fairtrade is fun!

For teachers…

• provides opportunities to enhance many areas of the curriculum and explore citizenship from a global perspective
• gives pupils an opportunity to participate and take responsibility for their decisions encourages critical thinking, and offers opportunities for challenge and confidence building.
• contributes to 'Every Child Matters' and 'Education for Sustainable Development' (England and Wales), the 'Curriculum for Excellence' and 'Education for Citizenship' (Scotland) and 'Global Citizenship' (Wales)

What do you need to do to achieve this?

• Your school needs to set up a Fairtrade School Steering Group (or committee)
• Your school needs to write and adopt a whole-school Fairtrade Policy
• Your school must commit to selling, promoting and using Fairtrade products as much as possible.
• Your whole school must learn about Fairtrade in at least three subjects in each of two year groups.
• Your school must promote and take action for Fairtrade at least once a term in the school and once a year in the wider community

You won't have to do this alone!

• This website produced by The Fairtrade Foundation www.fairtradeschools.net/schools will signpost you to all the information you need, including a schools action guide at: www.fairtradeschools.net/schools/support_resources/downloads.spx
• Visit: www.papapaa.org for an excellent interactive teaching resource on Fairtrade and Cocoa
  
• Devon Development Education based in the Global Centre can assist schools who want to work towards this Fairtrade award. Contact us through: www.globalcentredevon.org.uk