This VORS 2022 session guides educators through integrating composting, food waste reduction, water management, and soil health into school curricula. The presenters review a semester of simple lessons and activities that can be modified to fit any group!

Presenters, Video time stamps, and Shared resources:

• 00:00 VORS introduction, Natasha Duarte

• 01:24 ICAW winning video from Vermont

• 02:57 Session introduction and Bread and Flour video

• 11:09 Julia Parker-Dickerson, Smilie Memorial School

• 30:34 Cat Buxton, Grow More, Waste Less

• 47:06 Q&A and discussion

• 1:18:14 Activities overview (links to downloadable handouts below)

  • Warming up to worms_worksheet.pdf

  • Worms - Meeting Worms.doc

  • Worms_inside and out_fact sheet.pdf

  • Worms_true or false.pdf

  • Fun facts about red worms.pdf

  • compost story wheel.pdf

  • compost critters_descriptions and worksheet.pdf

  • color_worms at school.pdf

  • compost glossary.pdf (good to pair with charades)

  • color sheet_soil and decomposition.pdf

  • color game_save sort recycle.pdf

  • soil science vocab (good to pair with Bread and flour demo, and/or charades)

Additional resources mentioned/shared during this session:

• VPR podcast with Kathleen Kesson; the Community School Blueprint is linked in the piece

• Regeneration Corps

• Vermont Healthy Soils Coalition

• Upper Valley Apple Corps

• Clifford Park Food Forest, West Hartford, VT