COMPOSTA MANIA CM An EnvironmentalEducational Program from School

“COMPOSTA MANIA (CM)” An Environmental/Educational Program from School to Community By Tainachi Fernández, MEnv. M, CQA Puerto Rico Composta, Inc. Founder

Consist of Three phases • Orientation phase- workshops to the students. Installation of composting bin. • Collection phase- organic matter collection begin, up to compost recovery. • School to community phase- Community knows about the project , and participate actively.

“From Garbage to Garden Educating for a Sustainable Future”

YEAR 2013 • Composta Mania started at Eugenio Brac School Naguabo, Puerto Rico, thanks to a Mini grant from EFC Syracuse. • Impact 25 students from 4 th grade • Students were initiated as “Friends of Earth” • Indirect impact to whole scholar community (about 500/year)

Identified needs • To reduce the scholar garbage. • To convert un-used spaces into Eco friendly zone. • To integrate students and scholar community beyond traditional types of teaching. • To overcome the leisure of students during recreation time.

YEAR 2014 • CM program was installed in other 3 schools at East Area: Naguabo and Vieques. • First time when the program impacted young students of Middle school (8 th grade) and Kindergarten students. • Great achievements, changing minds, thru Sustainability and Food Safety.

Big memories….

Areas of opportunity • We were not enough due to the great demand of schools that wanted to carry out the CM program. • Then, was time to move to the next step.

YEAR 2015 -2016 • CM was transformed to amplify its impact at schools. OLD CM • 25 -30 students • 2 -3 schools per year • About 100 students p/y NEW CM • 25 -50 teachers • 15 -20 schools per year • About 3, 750 students p/y

Composta Mania for Teachers • Consists of 3 workshops – First workshop- 8 h -Establishing my compost project: General Rules and Education – Second workshop – 4 h Recovering Compost; Uses and benefits; laboratories – Third workshop- 4 h- Talks about sharing experiencies.

CM for Teachers 2015 -2016 FIRST WORKSHOP ANA ROQUE DE DUPREY SCHOOL, HUMACAO, PR 08/29/2015 FUNDED BY GREEN PR

12 impacted municipalities, 25 impacted schools, 41 participant teachers, scholar workers Municipality # of impacted Schools # participants Humacao 3 8 Yabucoa 2 2 Naguabo 1 1 Ceiba 1 1 Fajardo 3 5 Gurabo 1 1 Caguas 3 5 San Lorenzo 1 1 San Juan 7 8 Toa Alta 1 1 Bayamón 1 5

CM FOR TEACHERS 2015 -2016 SECOND WORKSHOP ANA ROQUE DE DUPREY SCHOOL, HUMACAO, PR 01/30/2016

Exponential Impact (2013 -2016) • Up November 2016: 45 public/private schools of Puerto Rico have been impacted by CM project. • About 90 teachers/Scholar workers have been directly impacted by CM. • About 6, 750 students have been directly impacted. (75 students per teacher). • About 67, 500 including their families have been indirectly impacted. (10 per student) • About 100, 000 people have been heard about CM project. (Each impacted teacher, then impact about 250 citizens from the community)

Main drivers for project success • Dynamic and animated teachers • Educational material adapted, for teachers and students. (Tests, practice exercises, posters CD and others) • A text activity book created under project • Participant students are initiated in a Club: “Friends of Earth”

Main drivers for project success • Student is motivated to bring organic matter to the classroom. • Integration of family and scholar community into the project. • Integration of nearby community into the project. • Students inclusion- Students with special needs also are incorporated into the project.

Composta Manía Project ANA ROQUE DE DUPREY SCHOOL, HUMACAO PR; 2015 -2016

Memories…. .

Luis Muñoz Rivera SJ School

Little obstacles; Big opportunities • To overcome myths about compost • Lack of interest from School administration or workers • Matter contamination with regular garbage • Keep yard waste on campus. • Accounting of organic matter deviated or compost generated.

Little obstacles; Big opportunities • Christmas/Summer vacations • Physical, nutrient evaluation of compost recuperated at the projects. • Lack of fixed funds allocated to the project. • Non-flexibles teachers class programs. • Follow up to current CM projects; previous years CM projects.

What’s Next… • Composta Mania- Metro Area • Composta Mania- South/Center- Upcoming event on January 2017 • Composta Mania- West- TBD • Goal- To establish alliances with Public/Private Agencies, to maximize impact.

Thanks for your attention