This webinar is hosted by the Massachusetts Farm to School

School-Wide Composting & Curricular Tie-Ins

Click here to register for the webinar.

Composting is a dynamic teaching tool you can use to introduce and explain concepts as far reaching as the life cycle, the importance of death and decomposition, soil, recycling, resource management, garbage and landfills, and biodegradable and non-biodegradable items. School composting programs can take many paths: from separating food waste from trash in the cafeteria, classroom worm bins, to garden yard scraps collection and recycling. In this webinar, we’ll discuss on-site and off-site composting options for schools and how to model important classroom lessons through composting. Participants will also leave with a variety of resources to help you establish or enhance your own programs.

By the end of the hour, participants will learn:

• The basics of composting in school classroom environments including infrastructure needs, associated potential costs and savings, and the difference between on-site and haul away composting options.
• Strategies for collaboration between cafeteria and classroom environments, teaching compost concepts through classroom activities and standards-aligned lessons, and reinforcing positive habits in the cafeteria.
• Real-world models for composting in schools and through school gardens programs.

Presenters

• Morgan Laner, Program Specialist for RecylingWorks in MA
• Mary Stucklen, Program Manager for Berkshire Zero-Waste Initiative
• Janice McPhillips, Farm Educator and Outreach Coordinator for Holly Hill Farm