The Problem
Reducing the amount of school cafeteria waste that gets sent to the landfill while at the same time, encouraging outdoor education around gardening, wildlife studies and medicinal plants.
Our Plan
Begin a system of regular collection of school cafeteria waste to feed worms which will contribute to healthy soils in a revitalized school garden program.
Themes Addressed
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Collaborate
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Community
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Mindfulness
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Zero Waste
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The Benefit
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People
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Animals
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Environment
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Here is how the project went:
This project went really well in that it started with a small vision and grew and continues to grow in ways we did not imagine. It will continue to emerge and has potential to include multiple grade levels at the elementary school.
Through this project I/we learned:
How traditional food waste can be repurposed into something beautiful; how time spent in nature fulfills a need we can't find inside buildings; that everyone has an important role to make all components work together.
What I/we might change:
If we did this project again I don't think I would change anything. It would be nice to get more teachers on board, but I think that will happen as the renewed school gardens come back to life now that the groundwork (!) has been laid.
My/our favorite part of this project was:
Seeing the hummingbirds feed at feeders on our one-way mirrored windows. It is a highlight of every day!
Some tips, tricks or fun facts about the project:
It really helped that I had most of the students for 2 years. To keep the momentum, I will summarize what a previous class did and see where the next classroom wants to take it. It was ideal to let students' inquiry lead the process.
