Composting Program
The Project
Composting aims to expose students to the scientific principles underlying the composting process through the perpective of biogeochemical cycles – and more broadly – to notions of eco-citizenship and sustainable development.
Food waste from the school’s cafeteria is collected from containers placed in the cafeterias. Some portions of the waste are put out for municipal collection. Other portions are processed at the school, either in the outdoor compost bins located in our garden plots or in the indoor vermicompost bins.
building workshops
Students design, build and test different composting systems.
Vermicomposting Project
Villa Maria’s expertise in urban agriculture and composting was recognized by the MEQ in 2023-2024, when the school was awarded a $5000 grant from the Projets jeunesse en changements climatiques program to develop a vermicomposting system that would be suitable for school use and that would be integrated into the teaching curriculum.
During the 2023-2024 school year, students in Villa Maria’s Science Profile designed and developed several prototype vermicomposting system as well as a vermicompost extractor. During the summer of 2024, interns from the NDG YMCA’s C-Vert environmental leadership youth program tested the prototypes.
Upon completion of the design and testing cycle, a set of pedagogical materials was created by Villa Maria’s to facilitate the implementation of the vermicomposting system in schools, as well as to make use of it for teaching certain topics in the Secondary 4 science program.
Enrichment
Supplement the science and technology curriculum
Hands-on Learning
Offer experiential learning opportunities
Diversification
Reach more students with an expanded activity offering
Eco-Citizenship
Present the concepts of eco-citizenship and sustainable development
Urban Agriculture Technology
Expose our students and those from other schools in the community to the use of appropriate and sustainable urban agriculture and related technologies
Awareness
Raise awareness of the scientific principles underlying agriculture and composting
