Going Compostal~

Behold the perfect spot!

With a bustling school population and kids looking for a place to play, this corner wasn't bound to stay landscaped for long.

Santa Clarita Valley International Charter School is going compostal. This means we are phasing in a school-wide recycling program for food scraps.

Food waste in general is a huge problem, especially with so many people on the planet going without healthy and nutritious meals. Food waste in schools is completely preventable, through education, lots of training, and continuous reinforcement. Food waste that is composted with cardboard and other carbon-rich recyclables, will reduce the school's contribution to the local landfill, create garden-ready soil, and help school children save the environment.

Creating a composting program in a school enriches the curriculum across all grade levels. In addition to the obvious connection to earth science, there is the potential to educate others about the social responsibility that is coupled with the recycling of food waste that would otherwise end up in the local landfill. This is character development and a source of school community pride.

Educating the school's families, staff, and students requires communication skills - through writing, podcasting, artwork, and formal presentations. Visitors to the school will always have questions and SCVi students will have the answers.

The daily foodwaste will be weighed and recorded by students, using a real-world application of emerging math skills. Charts, graphs, and extrapolations can be used for future presentations and other opportunities for learning.

Kids love the world around them. They are curious about growth and change. A compost bin provides a picture of what decomposers do and how the whole process works. It is change that can be observed over time.

What about the results of composting? Well - kids love soil. They love to dig in it and plant seeds. It can be examined for microbes and explored for texture. The fact that it was "school made" will make all the difference for our young gardeners.

Composting is the right thing to do. It ties into SCVi's vision of leaving the world a better place as we "grow" healthy, happy, and productive citizens.