While our schools are launching their education campaigns, our staff is still over here smiling about all the amazing waste audits we saw completed in the first half of the year. Today we'd like to feature a school that has a lot of exciting "green" projects happening. Check out the Green Team, some success stories, and a multi-colored green house below!
The Montessori School of Denver
Denver, CO
The Denver Montessori has been working hard to increasing composting at their school. After their beginning of year waste audit, the students decided food waste was the first issue they wanted to tackle. Not only do they have composting in their lunch room, they have also put composting bins in all of the classrooms to make sure snack time is being captured as well.
In order to educated their peers on composting and recycling, they made time during their weekly "bee hive" assembly for the entire school to compete in a sorting competition. The group who sorts the most correctly in the shortest time wins!
After completing this, the 24 Green Team students went classroom-to-classroom and did a similar lesson to reinforce. Three faculty members were so moved by their smaller presentation, the Green Team was so excited to report, that they signed up for compost pick up at home that week!
Their hard work is paying off! Another example was when we received word of a family with a 1st grade student who makes everyone slow down at disposal time - “Hold on! Let’s see if that be composted.”
Way to go Denver Montessori School! We're so proud of you!
The Denver Montessori School Freight Farm
The Denver Montessori School is also running a hands on garden education program. They have an AMAZING and unique freight farm and each grade goes through a stair stepping curriculum. Because of this program, the school has been able to successfully launch a CSA program, which parents can pick up at the same time as their student(s). The lights are specially designed for plant growth, and STEM lessons are also taught in this space. Although not directly "waste education," the Green Team and the garden program tackle interwoven issues, and both support sustainability. Thanks for all you do DMS staff and students!