Claypool Elementary School recently received an EnviroWatts Program Grant from Kosciusko REMC (KREMC) to support the creation of a student-led composting initiative focused on environmental responsibility and hands-on learning.

 

Through the grant, Claypool students and staff developed a plan to build and maintain a compost bin that will be cared for by fifth grade students each year. Students took an active role in constructing the compost bin themselves by sawing boards, drilling them together and stapling chicken wire around the perimeter to hold the compost in place.

 

“I had fun building the compost bin,” shared fifth grader Scarlett Priser. “I build things with my dad, so it was easy for me. I was able to drill some of the wood together.”

 

Items purchased through the grant included wood, chicken wire, wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes and five-gallon buckets. Beginning next school year, the cafeteria will use the buckets to collect organic food scraps such as banana peels and apple cores to add to the compost.

 

Fifth grade students will also take responsibility for maintaining the compost bin by watering and turning the compost weekly, as well as adding grass clippings and fallen leaves throughout the year.

 

Before launching the project, fifth graders participated in a composting lesson where they learned about organic versus synthetic materials and the importance of balancing “green” and “brown” materials to create the proper carbon and nitrogen mix for composting.

 

“I learned that organic items are things from nature and can go in the compost,” said fifth grader Alayna Kime. “Synthetic items are man-made like plastic and metal and should not go in the compost. Composting is important because it recycles food instead of it rotting in your trash.”

 

According to STEM Instructional Coach Derek Pike, students were eager to apply what they learned in a real-world setting. “After the composting lessons, the fifth graders were excited to get outside and start adding to their compost,” Derek shared. “They scoured the school grounds for leaves, pine needles, and grass clippings. The goal of this project was for students to create a solution to a real-world problem. They plan to use the compost each year to support Claypool’s second grade pollinator garden.”

 

Claypool Principal Kristi Lucht said the project reflects the value of community partnerships and experiential learning opportunities for students. “Our partnership with KREMC highlights the power of community collaboration in creating meaningful learning experiences for our students,” Kristi said. “Through initiatives like the compost project and support from the EnviroWatts program, our students are not only gaining hands-on knowledge about environmental responsibility, but also seeing firsthand how local partnerships can make a lasting impact on both their education and the world around them.”

 

Kosciusko REMC’s EnviroWatts Grant Program benefits nonprofit organizations focused on improving the environment locally in Kosciusko County and the surrounding area while also providing education on environmental topics.

 

Laura Seney, KREMC Marketing and Communications Specialist, said projects like Claypool’s are exactly what the EnviroWatts program was designed to support. “Supporting projects like Claypool Elementary’s compost initiative reflects KREMC’s deep commitment to caring for the communities we serve,” Laura added. “Through our EnviroWatts program, our members are directly investing in local environmental stewardship and education while helping students learn hands-on ways to protect and sustain natural resources.”

 

KREMC members make the program possible by voluntarily donating one cent per kilowatt-hour they use. Those contributions create the EnviroWatts grant fund, and the kilowatt hours are guaranteed to be generated from renewable, environmentally preferred sources through KREMC’s partnership with Wabash Valley Power Alliance.