THE CHALLENGE: Use local materials to design a common space building where Ugandan coffee farmers can organize their crop for direct export.

IPRO 333 travel group in Gibuzaale, Uganda on December 25, 2010; they shared Christmas with the the family of Geoffrey and his neighbors.

East African coffee farmers are looking for ways to reach export markets. Undergraduate students at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago are looking for ways to apply their skills and knowledge. Together they are working to better bring you ethically sourced, high-quality coffee.

The IPRO 333 team needs to raise $20,000 for building supplies and travel expenses, and they will be selling Crop to Cup coffee  at Global Grounds to reach this goal. Visit Global Grounds, the coffee kiosk in the McCormick-Tribune Campus Center to support the team’s efforts, make an online donation, and stay informed about their activities by joining their Facebook page.

This is learning in action: the Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program at the Illinois Institute of Technology. An IPRO project is a team based learning environment in which students from a variety of disciplines partner with a company or non-profit organization and work together to solve a real-world problem. With local coffee importer Crop to Cup Coffee Company, the IPRO team is designing a community plan and storage facility for coffee farmers in Uganda.

The team traveled to Uganda in December 2010 to meet with local farming families and survey the site on which the facility will be built. They plan to return in June 2010 to build the structure alongside of the farmers of the village of Gibuzaale. View photos from their trip here.

Chicago based Crop to Cup Coffee Company is an importer and wholesaler of family farmed coffees from East Africa. They invite you to visit them at www.croptocup.com and meet the farmers who grew the beans that you brew.