Costa coffee chain brews up online teaching platform

Whitbread-owned coffee chain Costa is heading back to the classroom. Costa for Schools (www.costaforschools.com), is a new online tool to support teachers and help students understand more about communities and economies in coffee growing countries.

Developed in conjunction with the Rainforest Alliance, it’s a free resource to teach 11-14 year olds more about the coffee trade. Through an array of community case studies and an interactive map, students will learn about the journey of a coffee bean from start to finish.

Andy Marshall, Costa Corporate Responsibility Director commented: “Costa baristas across the country are often asked by teachers to talk to students about the origins of our beans, so we thought it was time to put a nationwide resource in place so that all teachers can access the same insight from Costa.”

Costa for Schools has been written for UK teachers and is specifically designed in line with current UK secondary curricula. The programme also provides teachers with usable lesson plans and curriculum guidance usable across secondary geography teaching.

“The coffee trade is something everyone should know about as part of a wider awareness of the impact our lifestyles have on the cultures and environments of others,” added Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance.