– For immediate release –
Kansas City, Missouri – August 14th, 2024 – Missouri Organic Recycling, (MOR) a Kansas City-based compost and mulch company developed the innovative Food Too Good to Waste Science Unit in 2020. The unit is digitally delivered, incorporates NGSS standards language in the lessons, features four 10-minute videos and hands-on activities. Each student must participate in a final project producing an outreach piece that communicates what they’ve learned.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has awarded the project four annual grants to provide the curriculum to KS educators in grades 5-12 statewide. After three full grant cycles, the developers Katy White and Stan Slaughter have trained 12,000 students and have a long list of strongly positive comments from educators.
“The Unit is easy for teachers to adopt and gives students a real world challenge they enjoy,” says Slaughter, a veteran environmental educator. “There’s nothing else like it out there. In this time of climate change, diverting food waste from landfills Is increasingly important. Composting food waste teaches students a valuable way to actually do something that can help. The Food Too Good to Waste Science Unit is the most comprehensive and effective tool we have to empower students.”
“My biggest takeaway from the educator’s responses is that this unit changes the mindset of its instructors and students from ‘I should compost…’ to ‘I must compost!'” – Katy White
The compost bin is made from salvaged shipping pallets.
Educator comments: What did you like about the Unit?
- Each student could choose a project at their own level and interest.
- We had a year-long substitute teacher and it was really nice to give out the lesson plans with everything they needed to complete the lesson.
- Videos paired with listening guides prompted good conversations
Follow this link to much more information on the unit.
To contact the team, email ftgtwscienceunit@gmail.com or fill out this form.
Contact: Stan Slaughter
Director of Education and Outreach
Missouri Organic Recycling
stan@missouriorganic.com
816-560-5640
