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The Trade Justice/Fair Trade Project funded by Christian Aid 2005-6.This project ran for one year until the summer of 2006 covering the following areas: Secondary - Trade Justice CPD twilights for teachers were held on ‘Trade Justice and Political Literacy’ and the ‘Millennium Development Goals’. These two courses were well attended with follow on work in local schools to facilitate Make Poverty History events, running student workshops at off-curriculum days and providing a short training session in school on simulation games. The new “Better by the Year?” MDGs project will provide continued support to schools on the issues of poverty, trade, aid and debt. At the recent project launch in York seven different secondary schools attended from York, Harrogate and Boroughbridge. The following day three schools in the Dales attended presentations of the project. Other schools have expressed an intention to become involved in the project. Primary - Fair Trade This included work with a number of local schools and clusters who hope to achieve Fair Trade status. Sessions involved working with School Council members to consider practical steps to take and activities to develop Fair Trade in the school. Follow on sessions with staff outlined Fair Trade curriculum resources including simulation games and practical steps forward to achieving Fair Trade school status. Sessions on Fair Trade which have been facilitated have included playing the “Chocolate Trade “game with children from across York schools at the Talented and Gifted summer school for Y6 pupils as part of the North Yorkshire Business and Education Partnership (NYBEP) enterprise strand. A Fair Trade stall was present at both the primary and secondary York School Councils events attended by the great majority of York schools. Workshops were led on Fair Trade at the NYBEP Maths Fair to six York primaries. ITET Institutions During Global Days workshops on Interdependence were facilitated playing the “Chocolate Trade” game. Community/Primary The York Fair Trade Trail for primary schools was launched on 14 March by the York St John University Principal and representatives of the Fairtrade Foundation and The Coop, despite heavy snow at 8am threatening a postponement when two schools had to withdraw! Monk Fryston were the first school to complete the trail having been photographed by the Coop at the start, two of these photos appeared in the York Evening Press later that week. A powerpoint of children on the Fair Trade Trail visiting each of the venues is available for interested schools to view prior to going on the Trail. Download a copy of the York Fair Trade Trail as a word document. It is hoped to develop a secondary Fair Trade resource for KS3/4 to research the history of trade in York to include Merchant Adventurers, Rowntrees (now Nestle) and Terry’s (now closed), British Sugar and links to the Slave trade. The focus will be on fair and unfair trading in the past and today. This will be timed to link with the Bicentennial celebration of the abolition of slavery. A one hour course has been offered as staff training to York Out of School Club (YOSC) staff, it explores fair trade and playing simulation games such as the Paperbag game. Summary and sustainability of the project The project has established a good network of contacts with teachers in local schools and the wider concerned community. Packs detailing resources on Fair Trade for Primary and on Economic Justice for Secondary are available from the CGE. The impetus begun by the work around Make Poverty History is now being channelled successfully into work around the Millennium Development Goals. Mick Bradley |