The introduction of bamboo utensils in the MTHS cafeteria is only the first step in Team Toucan You-Can’s plan to certify MTHS as a FairTrade school. Founded by juniors Gabrielly Muller Melo, Esha Patel, Samuel Tennison, Julia Ramos, Riley McGahren and Jaiden Gumiran, they have made it their mission to educate Township students on the importance and values of fair trade. Their project is part of their application to the 2025 CAS project challenge.
Established in 1992, FairTrade is a global movement with the purpose of working with farmers, farming co-operatives, businesses and governments to make trade fairer. It is about better prices, decent working conditions, sustainability and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers around the world. Goods that are FairTrade certified means they abide by the economic, social and environmental standards FairTrade sets. The FairTrade mark is an independent consumer label which is visible on certified products. Certifying a school as FairTrade can be time intensive. A committee must be formed of students, teachers and administration, there must be FairTrade certified products available throughout the year to students and staff and multiple events or activities must be organized.
The group has already made steady progress through facilitating the introduction of bamboo utensils in the cafeteria which will become available on Monday, May 12. Not only are the utensils FairTrade, they are also sustainable. On average, students attending an American public school produce 67 pounds of waste over the nine-month school year consisting of plastic utensils, straws and bags.
“This is a perfect example of how being intentional with small choices can have massive cumulative impacts,” said Tennison. “By bringing more awareness to our daily unconscious consumption choices, it’s easy for anyone to make a substantial difference in the world around them.”
The process of certifying Manheim Township High School as FairTrade is only part of the group’s CAS project. They are also working towards hosting events over the summer to spread more awareness to the Manheim Township community. Team Toucan You-Can was inspired to take action following the IB Service Trip to Ecuador, where travelers were challenged with participating in the CAS Project Challenge. Using the 17 sustainable development goals from the UN, the CAS Project Challenge is a global competition where groups of individuals under the age of 25 submit a video showcasing their project or campaign that made a positive impact on their community.
