Framingham Elementary School Kids Impress on Climate Change Action

On Wednesday June 5, 2024, the Framingham Composting Task Force held its 10th meeting since it was formed by executive order by Mayor Sisitsky in October 2023 in response to resident requests for composting education and increased access to services. The agenda included:

III. Presentation on Dunning Elementary composting program

The meeting video is not available on The Government Channel, but can be found here.

The composting program at Dunning Elementary is a pilot effort aligned with the Climate Change, Environment and Sustainability Policy adopted by the Framingham School Committee on May 18, 2022.

Shannon Pierson, the Dunning Elementary School Office Manager, who is the local recycling champion, was approached by Energize Framingham with a suggestion to expand recycling in the school cafeteria to include composting. She jumped at the opportunity to engage students on a new project and worked with Energize Framingham to build out the effort. Her presentation in the meeting covers the development and outcomes of the project. One of her first slides sets the stage:

Why is Composting in School Cafeterias Important?

• Build a sense of community through collective effort
• Students demonstrate leadership
• Students are able to help one another
• Supports curriculum for all life science units and can be used for task-based math learning
• Teaches about sustainable systems
• Reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from landfills of incineration
• Compost builds healthy soil and improves plant growth

That was followed by a presentation narrative which explained how teachers were asked to show a video to their classes on what the program was, and how Aimee Powelka and others from Energize Framingham came in to help organize the effort, along with some parent volunteers, including a very sustained effort by Jim Pillsbury.

The project turned out to be an outstanding success with students 100% engaged and enthusiastic.

The summary of the outcomes were presented as a story in the presentation:

STORY

Dunning was the first Elementary School in Framingham to pilot a composting program in 2023-2024. Our existing Green Team Leader created "How to Compost" videos and worked with every student during lunch to guide them in proper composting techniques. Dunning collaborated with Energize Framingham and the Framingham City Recycling Coordinator to study the waste output before and after the pilot. With a lot of hard work and success the trash collection went from 8-15 bags per day to 2-4 bags per day, and our students are 95% successful in keeping non-compostables out of our compost. ALL Dunning students know how to compost, a responsibility and obligation that we owe to our future Framingham citizens.

It is well worth watching the entire meeting segment where Shannon presented and took questions, as it shows how kids engage with climate change action with huge enthusiasm when given the right direction.

The composting effort may be expanded to include the kitchen and built out to other schools.

This project is such an inspiration, and the hope is that the standard set here by kids in an elementary school could be transferred to Framingham city government, where a real boost is needed to get citywide curbside composting expanded beyond its current base of about 300 households.

That also applies to solar installation buildout across all city buildings.

The Mayor and the City Council could easily carry the ball way down field on climate change action now that these Dunning kids have achieved a first down.