On Thursday, November 1, 8th Grade kicked off their signature project, the Globalization of Chocolate, a multi-disciplinary project that combines economics, history, science and much more to help students understand the production of chocolate worldwide. Dr. Sabrina N’Diaye (Clinical Social Worker, Therapist, PhD, LCSW-C), past parent of MiMi ‘16 and Ati ‘18, helped kick off the project with a special presentation to the students last Thursday. Dr. N’Diaye discussed commonly found myths about countries in Africa. She also shared her own experiences of travel to Senegal and other African countries to help inform and inspire students to learn more about the places they are studying as a part of the project and to formulate their own opinions. 

This week, 8th Grade will begin reading, The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan. The story reveals the lesser known side of chocolate production on a cocoa farm in the Ivory Coast, and the prices that consumers often don't realize are being paid for this sweet treat. During this unit, students will get a chance to video-conference with the author and take workshops by GFS faculty to learn more about economies of scale, the history of child labor, the chemistry behind the production of chocolate, and more. Students will conclude their study by writing letters to their congressional representatives and companies explaining the importance of understanding fair trade production and the impact on international consumerism.