January 2019 Featured School

As we turn the corner into our tenth year, our schools continue to blow us away with their hard work and dedication! Our Green Team students never give up, and instead use problem solving to get the results they want. Read more to start your year off on a high note!

STEM Lab

Adams 12, Colorado

After spending some time observing the trends in lunch periods across the school, the Green Team at STEM Lab has decided to focus their efforts on fixing composting contamination in the lunch room. Did you know that some haulers charge a fee when composting or recycling is contaminated (aka not sorted correctly)? Contamination is serious issue and causes a several other problems, including losing support from district administrators and the compost or recycling being sent to landfill instead of being diverted.

To address this issue the Green Team has introduced two separate sorting stations, one for kids that brought lunch from home and one for kids that got hot lunch. The sorting order they chose is compost first, recycling, and then trash. Feedback thus far has been that makes it go crazy fast and it is really convenient because it can be customized what works for that day.

The Green Team has also been running a competition between the grade level that awards the grade that has the lowest contamination in their lunch period. In the most recent check 2-8 had less than 10 items or less that shouldn't have been in there.

We are so proud of the STEM Lab Green Team, staff, and students! Great job! Way to go!

We can't wait to see what you accomplish!

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