Fuel Up For Finals With Fair Trade – Spring 2017

Kylie Nealis March 3, 2017

Spring 2017 – Program Highlights

We worked with 65 campaigns on college and high school campuses across the country who have strong relationships with retailers and food service and are influential voices in their communities.

Over 8,000 people were reached through campus events including students, staff and faculty.

Schools with the largest turnout were Academy of Our Lady of Peace High School in San Diego, CA (750 attendees), Texas A&M University in College Station, TX (500 attendees), UC San Diego (250 attendees) and Arizona State University (200 attendees)

“For our Fair Trade Finals event, we participated in the Aggie Culture Cook Off at Texas A&M by hosting a table that provided samples and information about Fair Trade. We estimated that 500 students attended the event. Chartwells, Texas A&M’s dining vendor, ran the table. We found one of our Fair Trade committee members at this event and could provide information to students who had never heard of Fair Trade. We were also able to tell students where they could go on campus to purchase Fair Trade products.”

Here’s your chance to get some great, free materials for that final Fair Trade event of the semester! Donations from a few generous Fair Trade partners make it possible for us to support campaigns hosting a Fair Trade study break.

 

UVA-FTYF-2016

Participate with four easy steps:

1. Sign up. Fill out the Registration Form to sign up for the program. Registration deadline is April 3rd.

2. Register your event. Add your event to the events page on our website.

3. Host your event!

4. Post about your event on social media using the hashtag #FTCampaigns

 

Here’s what you’ll receive in your event kit:

* Fair Trade Coffee from Doi Chaang Coffee Co. 

* Fair Trade Chocolate from Lake Champlain Chocolates 

* Fair Trade Tea from Numi Tea 

* Fair Trade Apparel from HAE Now 

* Fair Trade Artisan Goods from Y’abal 

* Informational 1-Pagers on Fair Trade Coffee, TeaChocolate, Apparel and Fair Trade 101

Want more Fair Trade 101 fact-sheets? Visit our resource library and search ‘101’. 

Not sure how to Fair Trade Your Finals? Here are a few ideas to help get the ball rolling.

Idea 1: Table with Fair Trade coffee, tea and chocolate

doichangGive your classmates that extra boost as they head into or out of the library! Set up a table with Fair Trade Coffee (Doi Chaang Coffee Co), Chocolate (Lake Champlain Chocolates ), Tea (Numi Tea), Apparel (HAE Now ) and beautiful artisan items (Y’abal ) as well as educational materials and story cards about each product.  For example, check out this story about how Numi Tea has worked to bring Fair Trade to tumeric farmers in Madagascar.

You can also create your own materials to highlight what you have accomplished this year and are looking to achieve in the next. Use this as an opportunity to get the word out about your campaign!

Idea 2: Partner with an existing event

In the lead up to finals week numerous groups on campus will be hosting events to prepare students and staff. Gauge the landscape and offer to ‘Fair Trade’ another group’s event!

Reach out to clubs, departments and your food service provider to see if you can set up, sample and promote Fair Trade and availability on campus to a new audience. Don’t forget to follow up afterwards and continue building the partnership!

Idea 3: Fuel up with Fair Trade!

Fair Trade Tea Time Green Mountain College 2

Sip delicious Fair Trade tea from Numi at your event!

Last year, Villanova University hosted a ‘Fuel up with Fair Trade’ event.

Approach the event as we approach Fair Trade advocacy; through the lens of partnership. Free food benefits anxious and stressed students, providing a sweet treat and an opportunity to educate. Meanwhile personal conversations helps your team develop the skills and confidence to competently speak about Fair Trade.

Learn more in this one-pager, including how to prepare, advertise, and execute the event.

 

Idea 4: Hold a raffle to win a tote bag from HAE Now or an artisan item from Y’abal Handicrafts!

In your kit, you will receive a HAE Now tote bag made in a Fair Trade factory in India or a beautiful artisan item from Y’abal Handicrafts. Hold a raffle at your event to draw more attendees AND give students a chance to win an amazing Fair Trade prize!

Never organized a raffle before? Check out handy resource for how-to run a successful raffle in four easy steps! 


Remember: Sign-up before April 3 on our Registration Form
Register early! The first 20 campuses to sign up will receive extra Fair Trade chocolate.

Event kits will be mailed on Monday April 17, 2017.
If you’re hosting your event sooner, please let us know so we can get your event kit to you in time.

Questions? Please contact National Organizer Kylie Nealis at [email protected].

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Kylie Nealis, National Organizer for Fair Trade Colleges & Universities

Kylie brings over 5 years of community organizing and non-profit experience to Fair Trade USA, previously working with Global Exchange and Sierra Club. At Global Exchange she took on a variety of roles including Community Rights Program Associate, Fair Trade Campaign Coordinator, Fair Trade Store Sales Associate and Interim Director of Operations. For the past two years she worked in the Executive Office at Sierra Club providing support to C-level staff and the Board of Directors. Kylie is knowledgeable and passionate about Fair Trade, climate and energy issues, human rights and social and economic justice. Kylie graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a BA in Community Studies and Politics. She also lived in Thailand for 5 years and is conversational in Thai and learning Spanish. In her free time, Kylie enjoys being outdoors, hiking and traveling.