PCA Composting Collaboration

By:  Haley Thompson

In August 2015, Mrs. Pollak’s AP environmental science class collaborated with Mrs. Porter’s home economics class to create a composting pile. Composting is the natural process of decomposition and recycling of organic material into a rich soil amendment known as compost. Mrs. Porter’s class provided the food scraps while Mrs. Pollak’s class constructed and maintained the compost.

They began the compost in a screened-in pile on the ground; however they found that they needed a more secure method of protecting the composting pile. They found a solution and started a new compost in a perforated, closed bin.

Within a month, the organic matter started turning into compost. Food scraps or coffee grounds continue to be added to the bin almost every day. The compost will be used for two purposes this year — to conduct experiments in Mrs. Pollak’s AP environmental science class and to grow herbs in Mrs. Porter’s home economics class.

This unique collaboration shows how classes can work together to create educational, hands-on learning for our students.