RESOURCES FOR SCHOOLS
Lessons and Activities
Experiential lessons (described below) can be scaffolded to any age group or grade level to match your classroom needs.
LRSWMD offers free resources to schools and educators serving our District towns. We also provide free trainings and technical assistance to administrators and operations staff on school-wide disposal programs and waste stream guidelines. For questions or information on scheduling, email outreach@lrswmd.org.
Make Your Own Paper
Activity w/ short presentation (min. 1 hour) + can include a reading of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax (age rating 4-7 years; additional ~20 min). Requires at least one other adult helper.
We’ll learn about the history of paper (the first paper was actually made from waste rages/discarded clothes!), why trees are so great, and how we can conserve energy and resources by recycling.
VT Standards: NGSS: ESS3.A, ESS3.C
Make Your Own No-Sew Reusable Bag
Activity w/ short presentation (min. 1 hour). LRSWMD can provide the t-shirts and/or students can bring their own from home. Requires another adult helper.
We’ll learn about the history of clothing and fashion, Reduce, Reuse & Recycle ideas for clothes, and the impacts of single-use vs. reusable items.
VT Standards: NGSS: ESS3.A, ESS3.C
Recycling: What, Why, How
Presentation w/ optional activity (sorting game)
We’ll learn what can go in the recycling, where the materials come from, how they get recycled, and what they get made into.
VT Standards: NGSS: ESS3.A, ESS3.C
Compost: Nature’s Recycling System
Presentation w/ optional activity (DIY compost container — will need several weeks’ observation time, ideally could be kept in the classroom)
We’ll learn what happens to our food scraps and how we can make a soil amendment through decomposition, microorganisms (fungi, bacteria, invertebrates) and nutrient cycling and energy transfer.
VT Standards: NGSS: ESS3.A, ESS3.C; LS2.A; LS2.B
Technical Assistance
Sustainability & Act 148 Compliance Assessment
LRSWMD can help schools ensure that their current trash, recycling, and composting programs are in compliance with state disposal laws and requirements. If you’re a school faculty or staff member interested in learning more, reach out to us at 802-888-7317 or outreach@LRSWMD.org. We’d love to meet you, conduct a walk-through visit, and provide suggestions for improving sustainability, reducing waste, and helping you comply with the disposal laws that are meant to keep us all safe.
Staff & Faculty Training
We provide training for school staff and faculty on what’s recyclable, what’s compostable, and how to manage special materials like batteries or hazardous waste. Not only can this help the school’s disposal programs run more efficiently, it also helps staff and faculty set good examples for students as they improve their own sustainability efforts. Interested in staff & faculty training for your school? Call 802-888-7317 or email outreach@LRSWMD.org.
Cafeteria Sorting Stations - Resources
Cafeteria Sorting Station Design Concepts at CVSWMD Schools — A guide to best practices and designs at schools in the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District
Reducing Food Waste in Schools - Resources
Food Sharing Tables - Guidance for Schools from the Vermont Agencies of Education & Natural Resources and Department of Health
Bulk Milk (instead of cartons) - Resources, best practices, and grant application
Hazardous Waste Management in Schools - Resources
Hazardous Waste Management - Info Sheet
For guidance and Technical assistance with school lab clean outs: Contact Anna Bourakovsky (anna.bourakovsky@vermont.gov).
Project WorkSafe/VT OSHA: a helpful resource for schools for evaluating labs and can assist with a chemical hygiene plan for a school. Contact Shawn Barth (shawn.barth@vermont.gov)
Possible grants and scholarships to assist schools with clean out and disposal costs through VT School Boards Insurance Trust (VSBIT)
Rehab the Lab by King County in Washington state has a helpful updated chemical list