Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the MPS model composting program…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the MPS model composting program will implement a composting program in ten (10) MPS schools that serve as a model to scale waste reduction, landfill diversion, and food recovery education district-wide. In 2018, a pilot compost project was introduced to the district but was discontinued in 2020. While the district-wide compositing pilot successfully diverted food waste from food landfills, the program offered valuable insight into some of the challenges and opportunities for implementing a program in MPS. Funds for the compost pilot have been exhausted for both current and new schools. There are a considerable number of schools that have expressed interest in composting programs, however, they lack the funding, training, and/or staff capacity to carry out the initiative in an efficient, effective, and sustainable manner. All school community members will engage in this effort, including custodial staff, kitchen staff, teachers, administrators, and students. First, all parties will have an understanding of reducing food waste and community compost principles and practices. Second, program materials and resources such as bins will be used appropriately. Finally, waste reduction will be built into the culture and curriculum of the school community to be successful. Specifically, this initiative willdivert organic waste from school dumpsters to lessen landfill reliability and practice sustainability.provide hands-on education and curricular connections to students about composting and food recovery.scale district composting efforts by creating a guide for new schools to adopt programs in their schools.?composting programs at participating schools would reach over 6,000 students and staff, diverting organic waste from over 27,000 lunches per week, while expanding the district's capacity to recruit and engage new schools to participate after the pilot ends.