Upper Arlington Students Tour Roasting Facility, Learn About Global Coffee Markets
February 28, 2014 (Published: February 27, 2014)
We’re proud to be working with a group of fifth-grade students from Barrington Elementary for an in-depth social studies module that is connecting them with a remote Honduran coffee-growing community.
In partnership with teacher Brian Shininger, we’re helping fifth graders learn about different international trade models while connecting with the coffee-growing community of El Socorro de la Penita, Honduras and students at its Jose Cecilio del Valle elementary school.
On Wednesday, Feb. 26, several classes of Barrington students toured our headquarters and roasting facility. They witnessed the roasting process for green coffee and learned how baristas prepare espresso and pour-over coffee drinks.
The service learning project kicked off January 8 with an introduction to the direct trade model and the El Socorro community. Marketing Director Melissa Rogner and Coffee Buyer Dave Eldridge gave an audio-visual presentation on Jan. 10, introducing students to our direct relationship with the village of El Socorro. A Skype session with Dave and David Lopez, the El Socorro community leader and coffee grower, is being planned for March.
El Socorro is one of the first communities to benefit from our Friend2Farmer® direct trade program, which helps farmers to develop better coffee and a better quality of life for their community.
We’ll have more exciting news to share soon about Barrington Elementary and the village of El Socorro. It’s amazing what happens when you bring communities together!