Educator Toolkit
We’ve put together some educator toolkits full of helpful downloads you can use at your school! Get your students involved in creating a Green Team, learning about composting, and getting food waste provention programs set up in your lunchroom.
- Activity 1: Green Teams
- Activity 2: An educator’s community compost hub and resources on composting in Washington
- Activity 3: Food Waste Prevention
- Activity 4: Invertebrates
Activity 1: Green Teams
Form a Green Team: Explains the who, what, where, when, and why of starting a green team. Reviews EarthGen requirements for certification.
Brainstorm Worksheets: Activity sheets for students to create a green team and imagine project ideas. There are worksheets for elementary, middle, and high school levels.
Green Team Flyer: A fill-in-the-blank flyer template to advertise the first green team meeting.
Activity 2: An educator’s community compost hub and resources on composting in Washington
Backyardcompost Info: A brochure provided by the Composter Recycler program explaining backyard composting methods.
HB1799 Organics Management Law: The Washington state organics management law that was passed in 2022.
Tea or Coffee: For schools with a cafeteria composting program. A step-by-step guide to create a community compost hub for educators and their families.
Use Food Well WA: This plan was developed by the WA Department of Ecology to support the goal to reduce the amount of food waste in landfills by 50% by 2030.
Activity 3: Food Waste Prevention
Preventing Food Waste resource: A chapter from the Clark County Composter Recycler’s Class about food waste prevention.
Cafeteria Composting: A guide for educators to set up a sort table in their school cafeteria.
Share Table: A guide for educators to set up a share table in their school cafeteria.
USDA Infographic foodwaste: An infographic provided by the USDA with U.S.
food waste statistics and strategies for schools to reduce their food waste.
Let’s Eat Smarter Lunch Rooms: A guide for educators to engage students in smarter lunchrooms.
Activity 4: Invertebrates
Decomposers Bingo Card: A bingo card to play in the garden or the compost pile. Use this to help elementary students identify invertebrates.
High School Invertebrates: A presentation reviewing the nitrogen cycle and the role of invertebrates in the cycle.
HS Invertebrates Worksheet: A worksheet to follow-up the HS_invertebrates presentation.
MS Invertebrates: A presentation reviewing the role of invertebrates in the compost pile and the soil food web.
MS Invertebrates Worksheet: A worksheet to follow-up the MS_invertebrates presentation.
Science of Composting Resource: A chapter from the Clark County Composter Recycler’s Class about the science of composting.
Vermicomposting Resource: A chapter from the Clark County Composter Recycler’s Class about vermicomposting.
