4th graders at Guilmette Elementary School in Lawrence, MA are raising funds for for a very special project: creating a mural in collaboration with artist David Fichter. Instead of a typical school fundraiser, the students are selling colorful handwoven bracelets created by Mayan Hands artisan partners in Guatemala, connecting them with artisans in the developing world.

For thousands of years, people have exchanged knotted bracelets as a symbol of friendship. Today these fair trade and handmade bracelets also represent the promise of a better future for families and communities.

By participating in a fair trade fundraising program, students will learn that their ethical purchases can have a direct and positive impact on artisans and their family. With regular and fair income, the women in Guatemala who make the bracelets are able to send their own children, including the girls, to school and participate in and support their local economy.

It's not too late to contact us about an end-of-the-year Friendship Bracelet Fundraiser. Now that short-sleeve weather is here, spring is the perfect time to sport a colorful new bracelet. And to raise money right.