Food to Soil to Food - Making Cafeteria Food Good Again
My students need three composters, three bins, a seed bank, potting soil, herb set, compost, and a wagon to start a composting program using students' leftover food from the cafeteria.
Get your hands dirty, get your feet wet, work hard, learn something. Pretty simple. What a better way to get your hands dirty than by doing hands-on activities, and in our Biology/Agricultural Science class we do just that. Read on and we think that you will see a great project brewing for our kids!
My students are amazing biology/agricultural science students.
Our culturally diverse group tends to struggle with typical classroom instruction. However, they are eager to learn and willing to jump in and try to make a difference in the world.
Our school is considered an urban school with approximately forty percent of students on free or educed lunch. Our school is very progressive in that we have made great changes to make sure that all students succeed.
My specific agriculture students certainly need some extra attention and our goal is to make this learning opportunity meaningful, hands-on, and a worthwhile endeavor that will open their eyes to the world of science and agriculture.
My Project
My agriculture students will be starting a leftover food recycling program. They will be encouraging students to put their unwanted leftover food from the cafeteria into Rubbermaid collection bins. In turn, that leftover food will be loaded into three cool composting bins. When fully composted the compost from the bins will be used in the school greenhouse. What a great way to recycle unwanted unused food!
The students will then plant herbs in the greenhouse during the winter months to be used by the foods class. In the spring the students will start tomato plants and other vegetables to be donated to Real Food Rising, a community gardens that serve needy people in the neighborhood.
What a great way to learn the science behind food production. This project makes it hands-on and real to the students.
Oh wow!
This project will take unwanted food turn it into a usable resource that will serve as a nutrient to grow food that will be used by students and serve to feed those in need.
This project will also open the eyes of the student body as we advertise that their leftovers are being collected and used for a great purpose and will have the great chance to really make a difference, seeing how we really can use environmental ideas that we have talked about for years and put them into action!
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Jorgensen and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.