BHHS is the First Fair Trade School in Michigan!

Over the summer, three Bloomfield Hills High School students started working with the group Fair Trade Campaigns to get BHHS a Fair Trade Certified designation. There have been dozens of schools certified across the country, but not a single school certified in the state of Michigan. 

In order to become certified, this group of dedicated students - Heather Chen (grade 12), Zoey Michael Chen (grade 12), and Zoey Lanesky (grade 12) - served Fair Trade products during four school events and hosted two educational events. On October 14, BHHS became the first Fair Trade Certified school in Michigan! This student group is dedicated to educating our school community about the importance and benefits of Fair Trade Certified products. Heather notes, “We hope to get the rest of our schools certified as well!”

Visit the BHHS Campaign Profile Page.

Heather Chen also states, “The Fair Trade items our school provided include Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Green Mountain Coffee, and Honest Tea. We are also working in collaboration with the PTO to serve Fair Trade Goods at all of their events.”

Michael Chen adds, “A big challenge was being able to provide Fair Trade products at low prices. For example, sometimes buying Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream in bulk was actually more than buying individual cups, which were hard to find. However, it was really satisfying to see how well new products were received. At our first football game, we sold out around halftime! Our next steps will include reaching out to other schools in the district and earning more certifications.”

Lanesky reflects, “I think that Bloomfield Hills High School has a responsibility to be leaders in the community, and I hope we can set an example for other schools and organizations to become Fair Trade Certified!

Congratulations to the students involved with the Fair Trade Campaign, for raising awareness of ethically and sustainably produced products within our schools!