This semester, Dr. Helena Glebocki, an associate professor of economics, took her students on an exciting journey beyond traditional learning. She partnered with Fairfield University’s Center for Social Impact and Our Woven Community (OWC) to help support a fair-trade nonprofit’s online initiatives.
In her “Fair Trade and Microfinance” class, students learned how to apply economic ideas to real-world challenges faced by OWC. This hands-on experience showed them that business skills can create positive social change.
Our Woven Community empowers resettled refugee women by teaching them entrepreneurial skills and helping them find financial independence. Through a collaboration with the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants (CIRI), OWC offers six months of training. Participants celebrate their progress by receiving sewing machines and supplies, enabling them to create beautiful handcrafted items while supporting their families.
The artisans at OWC produce unique pieces like eyeglass cases, wallets, and yoga bags using donated fabrics. Each item reflects care and individuality, making them special and meaningful.
At the heart of this initiative is Fairfield’s Center for Social Impact. This center connects faculty, students, and community organizations to create courses that impact both students and the community positively. They ensure that classroom learning meets real-world needs.
Dr. Glebocki’s students played a crucial role in boosting OWC’s online presence. They crafted engaging social media posts, blog entries, and press releases to share the artisans’ stories and promote pop-up events. They even revamped the OWC Shop webpage, highlighting new products for online shoppers. To understand the artisans’ craft better, students attended OWC workshops, gaining insights into the creative process.
Recently, a survey revealed that 65% of consumers are now willing to pay more for products that support social causes. This shift reflects a growing recognition of the power of fair trade and ethical consumerism.
The connections students made and the skills they developed will have lasting benefits. Their reflections at the semester’s end emphasized how much they grew both personally and academically through this experience. This initiative not only impacts the artisans but also shapes the futures of the students involved.
For more information on OWC and their mission, you can visit their official site.
