A Look Back at the 2016-17 Academic Year
As the 2016-17 academic year comes to a close, let’s reflect on all of the progress that our college, university and K-12 school campaigns have made over the past year.
The Movement is Growing!
At the end of August 2016, Fair Trade Colleges & Universities started its 8th year with:
- 37 Declared Colleges and Universities
And Fair Trade Schools started its 4th year with:
- 28 Declared Schools
As of July 2017 there are now:
- 44 Declared Colleges and Universities
- 30 Declared Schools
- 105+ Active College and University Campaigns
- 40+ Active School Campaigns
Lets dig a bit deeper…
To get the full picture of the work our Fair Trade champions accomplished over the past year, we sent End of Year surveys and reports to our College, University, and School campaigns. 90+ campaigns responded! Here’s what we learned:
- 150: Total number of National Program events hosted on Fair Trade campuses including Fair Trade Your Finals and Valentines Day
- 72: Percent of Fair Trade Campaigns that partnered with other groups and initiatives on their campuses
- 274: Total number of events organized by Fair Trade Colleges, Universities, and Schools across the country (more than double the events hosted last year!)
- 11: Number of Fair Trade Campaigns with an average event attendance of above 80 people
- 5,532: Total number of attendees at educational Fair Trade events
- 9: Number of K-12 schools around the country that piloted our Fair Trade Lesson Plans
Our campaigns achieved a lot this past year – here are a few things that stood out:
Declarations
Seven college and university campuses earned Fair Trade status since July 2016:
- University of Dayton (Dayton, OH)
- Rockhurst University (Kansas City, MO)
- UW Stevens Point (Stevens Point, WI)
- Green Mountain College (Poultney, VT)
- St. John’s University (New York, NY)
- Middlebury Institute of Intl’ Studies (Monterey, CA)
- Miami University (Oxford, OH)
Along with two K – 12 schools:
- Academy of Our Lady of Peace (San Diego, CA)
- Emerald High School (Greenwood, SC)
Notable Achievements
As we’ve grown over the past year, many declared colleges, universities, and schools marked important milestones for Fair Trade Campaigns!
- Rockhurst University became the FIRST Fair Trade University in Missouri
- Emerald High School became the FIRST Fair Trade School in South Carolina
- Bentley University held their largest Fair Trade Fair in history
- Middlebury Institute of International Studies became the FIRST Fair Trade Graduate School in the U.S.
- University of San Diego partnered with EVERY dining outlet on their campus to provide Fair Trade products, and celebrated their 5th year as a Fair Trade University
- University of Dayton became the fastest campaign to achieve Fair Trade status with more than 12 dining and retail outlets on campus (under six months)
New Resources
In last year’s End of Year Survey, many of you asked for more resources – and we heard you! Here are a few new resources to help your campaign succeed:
A Guide to Working with Dining Services
on Your Campus
Fair Trade in Your Classrooms
Lesson Plans (Grades 6-12)
Updated Fair Trade Product List
Social Media 101 – Instagram Best Practices
Media Highlights
With so many achievements throughout the year, several media highlights appeared across the country – here are a few noteworthy ones:
- Fordham Based Nonprofit Promotes Fair Trade At Home And Abroad
- Manhattan College’s New Campus Store Showcases Students’ Business Smarts and Fair Trade Values
- Middlebury Institute is First Graduate School in US to Earn “Fair Trade University” Designation
- Fond Du Lac’s ‘Stay Out of Traffic’ Event
- Rockhurst University Earns Missouri’s First Fair Trade University Designation
- UW-Stevens Point Knows How To Play Fair Trade
- The Quad: Purchasing Fair Trade At UCLA Supports Ethically Sounds Practices
- University of Dayton Now Recognized As A ‘Fair Trade University’
- Brandywine’s Annual Social Justice Fair Encourages Civic Engagement
Quotes From Campaigners
When asked what their greatest accomplishments of the past year were, this was what our campaigners had to say:
“The Valentine’s Day event was a big hit at the dining halls. The students loved the chocolate and being able to write a message to the cacao farmers.” – UNC Charlotte
“Our Fall Fair Trade Fashion Show! Sororities got involved and acted as models, which generated more attendance. We brought in Fair Trade business owners to have a panel after. It was a huge success, the presentations were great and the students were extremely engaged.” – Loyola Marymount University
“Partnering with the local provider of Puro Fairtrade coffee in Westlake, Ohio. They have volunteered and sold/provided Fair Trade coffee and other items for several events on campus including Culture Night, our Fair Trade Market, and Habitat for Humanity’s Building Walls Event. We held a Fair Trade Your Finals event both semesters this year and reached a lot of students who had never heard about Fair Trade or our movement.” – Baldwin Wallace University
“We put on a Fair Trade Spa Night that was a huge success and engaged the wider campus community.” – Keene State College
Looking Forward
2016-17 was a phenomenal year for Fair Trade Colleges & Universities and Fair Trade Schools. We can’t wait to help you all achieve even more next year! Keep an eye out for:
- Guides and resources on how to stay engaged with Fair Trade after graduation
- Launch of the Fair Trade Campaigns Alumni Network on LinkedIn (fall 2017)
- Fair Trade Finals (fall 2017 and spring 2018)
- Back to School program (fall 2017)
Take Action Now
Did your campus succeed but not get recognized? Have you had trouble gaining momentum? Head to the Fair Trade Campaigns Forum to either contribute your ideas and ask for advice!
What are you proud of? Share your Fair Trade successes in the comments below!
You must log in to join the discussion. If you are not already a member registering is easy.