Saint Ignatius High School Becomes Fair Trade School

BY ISN STAFF | April 16, 2016

CLEVELAND, OH – Saint Ignatius High School became the second Jesuit high school in the U.S. to earn “Fair Trade School” status from Fair Trade Campaigns earlier this week. Fair Trade Campaigns recognizes towns, colleges, universities, schools and congregations across the U.S. for embedding Fair Trade practices and principles into policy, as well as the social and intellectual foundations of their communities. Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois, became the first Jesuit high school to earn the status in December of 2015.

“I am thankful that we have young men who have spearheaded to make our school the second Jesuit high school in the country to actually take this bold step,” said Saint Ignatius’s principal, Daniel Bradesca, during a fair trade signing ceremony in the school’s board meeting room on April 12th.

The effort was led by Saint Ignatius students Mitch Ford and Tim Platten, both seniors, and junior Ryan Mullin, as well as Mary Catherine Koehler, a campus minister at the school.  In November, Saint Ignatius celebrated Mission Week, which had a special focus this year on fair trade goods and the rights of workers worldwide. Following that week of prayer, festivals and other events, a weekly fair trade coffee house was launched, serving ethically sourced hot chocolate and coffee. Now students and faculty alike enjoy a hot fair trade beverage every Thursday morning as part of Fair Trade Thursdays, held outside of Campus Ministry. Students have also had opportunities to develop an understanding for the complexities of trade during international immersion experiences to locations like the Dominican Republic.

The Jesuit high schools join five U.S. Jesuit universities which have also earned the fair trade status in the past few years: Creighton University, John Carroll University, Loyola Marymount University, Saint Joseph’s University, and Seattle University.

[Saint Ignatius High School, Fair Trade Campaigns]