The Pulsera Project does just this! Also it is a great way to discuss Global Challenges and/or Contemporary Life AP theme.s We did this during our Contemporary Life unit focusing on "How do societies and individuals define quality of life? / ¿Cómo definen los individuos y las sociedades su propia calidad de vida?".
I met Colin Patterson and Chris Howell two years ago at the Texas Foreign Language Conference and was so amazed what these two and their team were doing . They founded a non profit organization called The Pulsera Project where they work with schools to run pulsera (colorful handmade bracelets) sales to raise money for educational, environmental and social needs in Nicaragua. They are making a difference in young Nicaraguans lives.
My coworker and I were so excited about it and ran a Pulsera Sale last year through our Spanish Club and Spanish Honor Society and we sold 454 of the handmade bracelets raising $2,270 for the Pulsera Project! At that time this was the most successful Texas Pulsera Sale.
I moved to a new school this year and was so excited to introduce it here. The teachers and students really enjoyed being a part of it and my coworker who is sponsor of Spanish Club was so gracious to have her club take this on and run all funds through their club. We were able to sell 285 bracelets and 4 headbands raising $1,485!
The Pulsera Project offers many free lessons to incorporate into your curriculum that have been created by other teachers. I had the great pleasure of creating a lesson on Nicaragua: Poverty and Solutions. It is a great lesson to get students to reflect on their own spending and quality of life and used the Color the World Video which I believe is so powerful and informative. They also have other lessons for lower and higher levels. They will give you a special link once you sign up to do a sale with them.
Here is the lesson I created:
Teacher Copy of Nicaragua: Poverty and Solutions
Student Handout for Nicaragua: Poverty and Solutions
PowerPoint for lesson Nicaragua: Poverty and Solutions
Running a Pulsera Sale does require you to do a lot of counting each day to make sure you have tracked all the bracelets. I checked out about 30 bracelets at a time to each Spanish teacher so he/she could sell to his/her students. I had to keep track when they turned in money and when they needed more. Also, we had the Spanish club run the sale so the club students checked out about 15 at a time to sell to friends so we also had to keep track of when they turned in money/unsold bracelets. We also set up a table a few times and sold during lunches so it was important to count before and after. Even though it can be a lot of counting on your end, it is well worth it and so neat to see the students proudly wearing their pulseras around school which help the educational, environmental and social needs in Nicaragua.
PowerPoint to show to students for a Spanish Club - to inform them to get them involved to help as a service project and/or fundraiser.
My Instructions that I gave to Spanish club students this year
Blurb I used last year for school announcements (we don't do announcements at my new school so instead we made huge posters with paint and butcher paper and posted around the school):
The Club de Español and the Spanish Honor Society will be selling pulseras, colorful hand-woven bracelets, for $5 from Monday, December 3rd to Friday, December 7th in the cafeteria. Nicaragua is the 2nd poorest country in the western hemisphere and through pulsera sales almost 100 artisans are empowered though sustainable fair-trade employment, and all proceeds are reinvested to provide scholarships, micro loans, supports a shelter that gets kids off the streets, environmental programs and more in Nicaragua. So visit us in the cafeteria and help make the world a more colorful place!
To get more details about running a Pulsera Project at your school visit www.pulseraproject.com and email them at [email protected]. It is such an empowering experience!