Why not start a Young Co-operative for 2012, International Year of Co-operatives?
With 2012 designated International Year of Co-operatives, what better time to put the values and principles into practice and learn about co-operation first-hand by setting up a Young Co-operative?
Fairtrade, horticultural and recyling models and resources
Young Co-operatives is a free scheme that helps young people set up and run their own co-operative enterprises, generally based on one of three models: Fairtrade, for which students often set up tuck shops in school, the Greenfingers horticultural project which enables Young Co-operatives to become fruit and vegetable growers, or Recon, a waste management and recycling scheme. Free accompanying materials are available to download for each model, offering background information as well as activities and ideas for classroom activities.
Practical business skills
Through Young Co-operatives young people learn to work with one another at the same time as gaining practical business experience such as selecting and pricing stock, researching markets, devising promotional materials and cash management.
Worldwide movement
There are nearly 150 registered Young Co-operatives and, whilst most Young Co-operatives are based in the United Kingdom, there are Young Co-operatives operating as far afield as the USA, India, South Africa, Nigeria and the Dominican Republic. In Swaziland, the Umtsentse Youth Workers Co-op Society is spreading the message of recycling using the Young Co-operatives Recon resource.
Events and activities
Young Co-operatives regularly hold imaginative events, both in school and the wider community. Their activities include sports days, fashion shows, Fairtrade tastings, breakfast clubs, juice bars, visiting local old people’s homes, organising visits from speakers and sleeping rough for charity to raise awareness of homelessness. Lipson Community College in Devon has a big band, dance group and hairdressing salon all run as Young Co-operatives. Students at Sir Thomas Boughey High School in Staffordshire and Sir Benet Biscop School in Northumberland sell jewellery made by South African veterans, which helps provide income for ex-fighters and their families. Our Coffee Co-operative at Reddish Vale Technology College sells Oromo coffee sourced from Ethiopian refugees. Young Co-operatives also promote their activities creatively, from designing their own websites to making animated films. Find out more and see what a Young Co-operative looks like in action at http://prezi.com/a3og57seh2lx/sustainable-development-education-at-the-glasgow-academy, which shows members of the Glasgow Academy’s Young Co-operative talking about their experiences selling fairly traded rice in school and Oromo coffee sourced from Ethiopian refugees (the school is one of the first outlets for the coffee in Scotland!).
Getting started
To read more about what Young Co-operatives get up to and register as a Young Co-operative please visit www.youngco-operatives.coop.
Filed Under: Co-operatives Globally • Schools and Young People
Co-operative Learning