Promoting Sustainability and Our Farmers' Market

My students have been learning about sustainability. They are investigating ways to promote buying within a 100 mile radius and will be contacting local farmers and interviewing them through various methods (on-line interviews, email and personal interviews), writing letters to our municipal government, and creating a media piece to promote the Barrie Farmers' Market and the importance of buying locally. My students would love to create a television commercial, radio advertisement, large bulletin, or magnets. I have discussed the opportunity with individuals from the market, including farmers, the Simcoe County Farm Fresh Association Non-Profit Inc and the Barrie Farmers’ Market council. They are all willing to support my students.
My students will be contacting local advertisement agencies, radio stations, and bulletin board companies through persuasive letters, looking for additional information and support about the creation of advertisements.

Update (May 18, 2011)

Over the last two months, my grade 5 and 6 students have been learning about effective media by examining media from magazines, local billboards and on the web. As a whole class we have been discussing the effective elements of specific pieces and how the designers have chosen specific colours, images, layouts and words to influence projected audiences.
In partnerships, the students have practiced creating media using paper and pencil. In this stage of their learning, each partnership created a magazine advertisement for the same product. Then, as a class we first discussed their effectiveness and how each could be improved.
Finally, the students began using Photoshop to create digital media promoting local shopping. Using a SMART board we projected the ideas and discussed each piece's attributes. We also voted on which two media pieces were the most effective and would be sent to a printer to be made into window clings.

Meanwhile, the class voted on three class representatives to join me in presenting our ideas to the Barrie Farmers' Market Council, on two different occasions. On the first occasion, the students used a PowerPoint presentation to introduce the council members to the project and to persuade them to allow us to use their name in our promotions. They agreed and were excited by the students' interest in their market.
On the second occasion, three different students presented various media pieces to the council and described the learning process and progress that had taken place. They asked permission to have local media (Barrie Examiner Newspaper, Kids Scoop News Newspaper) use the Farmers' Market name in articles about the project. The students were invited to host a booth at the Barrie Farmers' Market on Saturday May 28, to hand out the window clings that will be produced.

Also, the students wrote emails to local printing companies requesting competitive quotes to print their static window clings.

The students have completed the chosen window cling designs, participated in newspaper interviews and started the process of organising their display and distribution booth for the May 28th Barrie Farmers' Market.

Update (May 31, 2011)

On Saturday May 28, 2011, my students hosted a booth at the Barrie Farmers’ Market where they handed out their “shop locally” themed window clings and decals. They were engaged in conversation with many visitors about the importance of supporting our local businesses, as well as the positive environmental impact of purchasing their food from local farmers.
Many visitors congratulated them on producing eye-catching and thought-provoking media pieces. They expressed their agreement that the children’s voices are important in spreading the word that change needs to take place. Market vendors were excited to see the students’ final products, as they have been supporting them throughout. The students have been invited to use them as a vehicle to become more involved in the community again, if the opportunity were to arise.
“The experience was educational and fun! Now, I want to do it again.” Stacy, grade 5.
“It feels great to know that we are helping the world. It was an excellent experience and I feel very proud of myself and my classmates.” Michaela, grade 6.