Multicultural Club members from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Fond du Lac campus participated in Celebrate CommUNITY, the largest multicultural event held recently in Fond du Lac.

Students Kaitlyn Hurst of Mayville and Kassie Ellingson of Fond du Lac, and their adviser, Fond du Lac campus associate professor of world languages Valerie Mumm-Jansen, shared fair trade chocolate samples while discussing the importance of fair trade with many attendees who visited the booth.

The UWO Fond du Lac campus was named a Fair Trade University by Fair Trade Campaigns in 2018. The UWO Oshkosh campus received Fair Trade University recognition in 2008.

Fair trade is an economic system that ensures consumers that products were grown, harvested, crafted and traded in ways that improve lives and protect the environment.

The Fond du Lac campus club has actively been spreading the word about fair trade ever since they began the process of becoming a fair trade university in 2017.

“Multicultural Club members have invited guest speakers to talk about topics related to fair trade and hosted a fair trade film festival,” Mumm-Jansen said. “We regularly host informational tables on campus and in the community with free fair trade chocolate, coffee and tea samples as well as trivia games, prize drawings and other creative ways to engage with those who pass by so we can provide a bit of education on the importance of fair trade.”

Club members have been able to attend national conferences to expand their knowledge of fair trade. Multicultural Club President Hurst and co-adviser Kathy Strong Langolf, Fond du Lac campus special events coordinator, will be attending the 2020 national conference in April.

“Many of our members will be graduating this spring,” Mumm-Jansen said. “We are looking forward to the Student Engagement and Resource Fair on the Fond du Lac campus, Feb. 24, 12:30-2 p.m., and hope to meet students who are interested in carrying on the important work of this active group.”