A course full of Fair Trade

The Xarxa Escoles project is already underway this academic year, and we continue with great enthusiasm and novelties to continue transforming citizens into agents of change to achieve a fairer and more supportive world. In June the Montnegre school (La Batlloria, Sant Celoni) and the three schools of ZER Baix Montseny finished a course full of Fair Trade.

Objectives of the Xarxa Escoles project

The four schools in Baix Montseny have been working on it throughout the school year through the Xarxa Escoles pel Comerç Just project. The aim of this project is to introduce Fair Trade in the curriculum or in the annual programme of the schools. The aim is to generate critical awareness of the consequences of current international trade and, at the same time, to offer an alternative: Fair Trade. Activities and awareness-raising activities and dynamics are included with the pupils and activities where Catalan schools can directly relate to schools in Nicaragua in order to share realities and experiences. In this way, the roots and involvement of the educational community are enriched.

Service-Learning: An Educational Perspective

A total of 27 training activities have been carried out with a Learning and Service perspective. The students have made Fair Trade T-shirts and chocolates and, at the same time, they have learnt about the benefits of responsible consumption for everyone. This theme has also been worked on in the subjects and has also been present in the school's traditional festivities.

We have been able to see how the students of Montnegre explained to their mayor what Fair Trade is, every morning a song about Fair Trade was sung in Pont Trencat and l'Alzinar. In Puig Drau they taught the younger age groups what Fair Trade is.

One of the most exciting activities has been the exchange of letters between schools in Nicaragua and Catalonia, an activity that has brought Fair Trade closer to everyone, has allowed them to have a cultural exchange and, at the same time, to work on writing and writing.

This project is coordinated by AlterNative3with the support of the Agència Catalana de Cooperació and the Diputació de Barcelona.