Becoming a Fair Trade School: St. Martin of Tours Academy
Congratulations to Fair Trade Ambassador Anne Pacheco who worked to help her school, St. Martin of Tours Academy in La Mesa, California, become the first Catholic Fair Trade elementary school in the country! Continue reading to learn more about her story and the efforts made to gain this designation.
There are hundreds of schools in Europe that are designated Fair Trade schools. Why is the United States so lagging with only 40 Fair Trade designated schools? The fact is that many lack the awareness and education of what fair trade is and the call to do justice to the people who grow our food and sew our clothes.
There are many certifiers that follow fair trade principles. If Catholic or public schools across the U.S. would consider simply switching their staff lounge coffee to a certified fair trade brand, think of the impact that would give farmers! What if your local school offered fair trade coffee, hot cocoa, tea or chocolate at the next Open House? What if a high school began using fair trade soccer balls or a college campus store would sell fair trade sports wear? All this is happening around the globe but not so much here in the U.S.
Fair Trade Campaigns has designed criteria for schools to begin a movement to support the well being and dignity of thousands of farmers, artisans and their families. Out of 30 declared universities across the U.S., 15 are Catholic. Out of 21 declared elementary and middle schools, 6 are Catholic. We, as Catholics, are making strides to look beyond our borders and follow the call of Pope Francis.
Fair Trade Committee: Top left: Anne Pacheco, Chair, Diane Hartley Vice Principal, Alicia Crockett, Room Parent Nan Soto, 5th Grade Teacher, Toni Dimuzio, Principal Bottom left: Cory McMahon, School Board Member, Presley McMahon, Zachary Crockett, Isabella Giordano, Students, Tracy Giordano, School Board Member
St. Martin of Tours Academy recently became the first designated Catholic Fair Trade elementary school in the nation. Being a CRS Fair trade Ambassador, along with Nancy Ryan, we became involved with Fair Trade Campaigns, whose mission it is to increase the awareness of fair trade in towns, congregations, schools and universities (as such in Europe). Criteria must be reached in several areas to reach this goal.
- Our team consisted of staff, students and parents.
Commit to Fair Trade Education & Events
- Download the Win Win Solutions: An Introduction to Fair Trade and Cooperative Economics by Equal Exchange. Teachers committed to teaching about fair trade at each grade level. In addition, students tabled at the parish sponsored Fair Trade Gift Faire selling products from Serrv and Equal Exchange.
- Our school began using fair trade coffee, tea and sugar in the teacher’s lounge, soccer balls were switched to fair trade (Senda Athletics) and fundraisers were changed to offer fair trade products. At Open Houses we now serve fair trade hot cocoa, coffee and tea. In March we will show off our new fair trade, organic, dye free t-shirts from Hae Now with our “Walk with Francis” Walkathon.
This is what it takes. From the stats listed above, our Catholic schools represent more than half of the schools in the nation as being fair trade schools. We have this to be proud of but there is so much more to be done.
