Leaves were the first items added to the composting bin at Elmwood Elementary school on Friday.
Dean Brown | The Lima News
SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP — Composting is a simple and effective way to support a healthier planet by promoting sustainable living. Second and third grade students in the Shawnee schools got the chance on Friday to help start a composting program of their own at Elmwood Elementary school.
Jami Meridith, second-grade teacher at Elmwood said, “It was a totally student-led project. Students came up with the idea. They designed what the bins should look like. They stained the wood and drilled in all the screws. They researched the benefits of composting.”
It started with an idea from a student. A grant from Battelle and the Ohio STEM Learning Network funded the project. Lowe’s donated pallets used to make the bins. The second-grade classes of Meridith and Jenaye Schwartz have worked on the project for a year and a half. With guidance from Floyd Meredith, a chemical engineer, students were motivated to enjoy engineering and took ownership of the composting project.
Students learned that when organic waste is sent to the landfill it decomposes and releases methane. Composting produces carbon dioxide which has a lower impact on the environment. They analyzed all the school menus and made signs for the cafeteria for what can and cannot be composted. Students designed a bulletin board and researched books about composting. They even created a mascot — Binny the worm. Now the composting project moves into the next phase.
Last year’s second-grade class, currently third-grade students at Maplewood, returned to Elmwood for the culminating activity. Students gathered as leaves were put in the compost bin combined with organic waste from the cafeteria and shredded paper. The dried leaves and shredded paper provide carbon while food scraps provide nitrogen. Students then returned to the classroom to celebrate their efforts.
Reach Dean Brown at 567-242-0409
