Charlotte Central School Green Team
Our Purpose
Charlotte Central School's Green Team was established in 2011 as an advisory group to generate a sense of responsibility about conservation, provide knowledge/tools/ideas for waste reduction at school and increase sustainable practices which connect to the curriculum. The group is comprised of school staff (principal, teachers, para-educators, food-service and facilities), parents and community members.Our first goal was to introduce COMPOSTING. We renegotiated the school hauling contract in 2011, so that post-consumer food scraps were collected and hauled off site to Green Mountain Compost. Our second goal was to generalize reduction of waste and waste sorting into 3 streams throughout the building, at all events and celebrations. Our local school Board amended the Use of Facilities policy to include waste minimization at every school event, with a checklist tool for organizers. CCS second graders lobbied with the Town Selectboard to adopt a waste reduction and sorting ordinance for all events held in public spaces.In 2013, our goal expanded to the construction of an edible school yard and on-site compost shed, in order to demonstrate a "closed loop" food system that students could integrate into their learning experiences. A small orchard, perennial herbs and pollinators, fruit shrubs, over 520 sq.ft. of prepared beds took shape, along with the creation of an outdoor learning space.