Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

Compost Clubhouse (CC) is a youth-driven program with a mission to cultivate environmental consciousness through education and youth development and divert food waste from landfills by providing a high impact, convenient and simple approach to composting. Based in Columbus, Ohio, this program brings together youth, advocates, service providers, city leaders, schools, and entire communities to address the critical issues of planet-warming gases emitted from overcrowded landfills. Currently, Compost Clubhouse does this through a multi-prong approach that places youth empowerment at the center. Compost Clubhouse provides weekly residential curbside pickup services and sponsors seasonal composting events in several communities throughout Columbus and the surrounding area. Additionally, Compost Clubhouse partners several schools to limit the amount of food waste produced in their kitchens and cafeterias by establishing school-wide composting servicing and providing educational opportunities designed to teach young people about the importance of composting and motivate them to lead by example in their schools, their homes, and their neighborhoods. Through involvement in these activities designed to divert food waste from landfills, young people develop environmental consciousness, develop leadership skills, and are empowered to use their voice to inspire their communities to address the impact of food waste on our planet.

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As a pilot program, Compost Clubhouse has partnered with the City of Grandview to provide several centralized bins for residents to deposit food waste free of charge. This service provides the access to composting to all citizens, regardless of socio-economic status. Compost Clubhouse is in the process to scale the free community composting station concept, city by city, throughout the state and eventually the nation. In April of 2022, CC will launch four additional public food waste drop off stations in New Albany, Ohio and Dayton, Ohio. Currently Compost Clubhouse donate food waste pick-up services to ten schools in lower income areas and will extend this service to twenty schools in 2022. Youth membership is growing in diverse and low-income communities, providing high school students with the opportunity to earn service hours required for graduation through their work with the Compost Clubhouse. With COVID restrictions lifting, youth volunteers have been able to do more community projects, including Food Waste and Composting workshops and the implementation of cafeteria collections in local schools. 

Through a partnership with the Columbus Rotary‚ Service Above Self Program, Compost Clubhouse has provided volunteer opportunities for students in Columbus City Schools. Columbus City Schools is the largest and most diverse school district in Ohio, serving 60,000 students. Founded in 2003, the Service Above Self Program empowers students, including students of color and members of traditionally underrepresented groups to develop and implement unique community service projects that benefit their schools, their neighborhoods, and communities around the world. Through competition, celebration, and scholarship opportunities, the Rotary encourages the link classroom learning and community service. Through additional funding, Compost Clubhouse would continue to expand opportunities to students in the district who want to encourage environmental consciousness and community composting in their neighborhoods.

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