Fair Trade Study
Grant Frequently Asked Questions
The 2007-2008 Fair Trade Study Grant is a weeklong,
intensive study of how Fair Trade Certified ™ coffee is produced and the
impact Fair Trade has on Brazilian communities. Study grants will be
awarded to teachers who express exceptional ideas to educate students on the
economic, social and business lessons surrounding fair trade.
Fair Trade Certified ™ coffee began arriving in the United States in 1988,
offering consumers a chance to choose beans that were grown by individual
farmers who are paid a fair price for their harvest. Nearly a
decade later, the availability of Fair Trade products is expanding, but
consumers are still learning how Fair Trade works. As we expand our
offerings of Fair Trade Certified ™ products, Sam’s Club is also
proud to sponsor Fair Trade Study Grants for teachers.
Who can apply? The study grant
competition is open to fulltime junior high and high school teachers (7th
grade and up), from public or private institutions, who can reasonably expect
to teach at least fifteen (15) hours a week during the 2008-2009 school year
and dedicate at least five (5) lessons to topics related to Fair Trade.
What
do I win? Ten teachers will win an expenses paid trip to visit Fair Trade Certified
™ coffee farms, cooperatives and community schools in Southern
Brazil. All travel, accommodations,
meals and other necessary expenses will be paid for and arranged by Café
Bom Dia Ltd.
How do I win? Applicants
are asked to submit an essay of one thousand words (1,000) or less that
presents how you would incorporate Fair Trade issues into five (5) lesson
plans. Lessons could cover corporate
social responsibility, international trade and economics, environmental issues,
human rights and labor, consumer marketing, etc. Essays will be judged on (a)
Professionalism in application (25%), (b) Coherent approach to examining relevant issues (25%), (c)
Creative engagement with students (25%), and (d) Plans for documenting the trip
to farming cooperatives and sharing the experience with students (25%).
When is my application due? The
study grant application must be submitted to Here
on December 15, 2007 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
What is expected of me if I win? Winners are expected to travel to Brazil
July 20-26, 2008, and integrate that trip into fair trade lessons during the
2008-2009 school year. Winners are
expected to cooperate with media who may write stories about the study grants
and the teachers’ experiences in Brazil, and winners are expected to
cooperate with their local Sam’s Club to share their study grant
experience with employees.
How do I apply?
Visit our registration form and fill out the online entry form completely. Your application will be evaluated by your
entry essay, which in 1,000 words or less that presents how you would
incorporate fair trade issues into lesson plans and how you would
document and share the experience of visiting the farming cooperatives in
Brazil with students. Be creative, original and thoughtful. You are not expected to be an expert on
fair trade, but you should have interesting ideas about why fair trade is an
important concept to explain to students.
How am I judged?
The Essays will be ranked in the following four (4) criteria:
(a) Professionalism in application (25%), (b) Coherent approach to examining relevant issues
(25%), (c) Creative engagement with students (25%), and (d) Plans for
documenting the trip to farming cooperatives and sharing the experience with
students (25%). Ten (10) individuals whose entry earns the
highest overall score will win. In the event of a tie, winner will be selected
based on the criteria described in (a), then (b), then (c) and finally (d). Judges will be fair and impartial.
Decisions of the judging panel will be final. Odds of winning depend on number
of eligible Entries received and quality of submitted Essays. Judging will be completed on or about March
1, 2008.
When
are winners announced? March 1, 2008
How
do I know if I’ve won? Café Bom Dia and
Sam’s Club will contact winners privately.
Who is coming on this trip? As
supporters of the Study Grant, representatives from both Café Bom Dia
and Sam’s Club will accompany the winning teachers on the study
grant. Representatives and staff
will handle logistics and translation, providing hours each day for teachers to
interact with farmers and agriculture specialists, as well as American retailer
representatives.
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