Change: stock the choc
Get active: campaign for your school canteen, tuckshop or community shops to stock Fairtrade
Planning the lesson
This lesson involves devising and kick-starting a campaign to stock Fairtrade chocolate in the school tuck shop or canteen, or in the wider community.
Before this activity students should have developed an appreciation of the impact that consumer choice can have on individuals and communities locally, nationally and globally and the way in which Fairtrade is benefiting communities in the developing countries of the South.
This activity enables students to apply their knowledge and understanding of Fairtrade to real active citizenship. Students campaign within their school for the purchase of Fairtrade products for use in their school canteens or tuck shops or in shops in their community. By doing so they will learn some of the skills and techniques required to campaign effectively. They will have opportunities to promote, persuade and justify arguments on Fairtrade, backing these arguments up with evidence.
The activity encourages students to take an active part in the life of their school, neighbourhood, community and the wider world and to take action on issues of fairness and social justice. It would be an ideal campaign for a School Council.
This quiz will give you your Dubble score and put your school’s Fairtrade credentials to the test!
Once you've answered all 10 questions, the online Dubbleometer can give you some top tips on making your school even more Fairtrade-friendly. (back to top)
Help students to discuss whether they want to persuade their tuck shop or canteen to stock Fairtrade products, including Dubble, and how they might go about it.
Discuss the purpose and function of petition forms. Can students name any petitions that they, their families or friends have been involved with? Can they name any petitions that have been successful in persuading organisations, institutions or governments to change or take action? In 2000 the Jubilee Debt campaign – calling for the cancellation of third world debt – was hugely successful. 2005’s Make Poverty History Campaign and Live 8 List are other examples of petitions that involved millions of people. Both these demanded more and better aid, debt cancellation and trade justice.
Distribute Printout: Five easy ways to get Fairtrade into school and give students time to discuss the five steps outlined here.
Distribute Printout: Stock the choc petition.
Facilitate a discussion on organising the signing of the petition and other supporting activities that the students could undertake.
Remember: the students should be in charge as much as possible. Wherever practical, allow students themselves to research, promote, persuade, contact, enquire and campaign. If they see the results of their actions they will learn that active citizenship gets results and that they can make a difference.
How you can help
1. Inform the school community!
Challenge students or the School Council to set up a Fairtrade awareness- raising event targeting fellow students, teachers, school meal service providers, parents, school governors, etc. Additional information and resources may be available from the Fairtrade Foundation. A vox pop taste test could be incorporated to get feedback on how delicious Dubble and other Fairtrade products (such as bananas, coffee, tea, honey and orange juice) are.
2. Get others on board!
Work closely with your school meal service providers and/or canteen/tuck shop suppliers. Explain what the students are aiming to do and how they are going about it. Discuss with them the potential positive benefits for students and communities locally and globally that can result from an active citizenship campaign of this nature. Find out where you can order Fairtrade products and encourage students to contact and make enquiries with suppliers directly.
3. Let us know how your active citizenship campaign has gone!
We feature case studies of how schools are taking up the STOCK THE CHOC challenge on the Dubble website so:
Take photos, encourage students to write up reports of the campaign, save letters, note challenges surmounted, produce top tips etc and send to:
4 Gainsford Street
London SE1 2NE
Tel: 020 7378 6550
Any material we use on the Dubble site will receive a delicious Dubble chocolate goody bag – so include full contact details and GET IN TOUCH!
Ask students to use internet search engines to find some stories about chocolate and discuss them. Type in key words such as chocolate, Fairtrade, trade and health.If your school is already pretty hot on Fairtrade then students might want to think about targeting local businesses, especially large employers, local government offices and, of course local shops. (back to top)