Composting Learning Activities

ILSR developed these Composting Learning Activities under its Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders Composter Training Program to assist community composting sites in training their own community participants. These Learning Activities provide a hands-on complement to our Community Composting 101 Online Certificate Course, which prepares participants to establish and manage composting projects that both engage and serve their communities. These Learning Activities are available for free! Please take a moment to tell us about how you will use these resources, provide feedback, or give input on future resources.

Composting 101 Training Guide This 6-page training guide covers the fundamentals of composting, including benefits of composting, building and managing a compost pile, and troubleshooting.

The following Learning Activities cover different aspects of the composting process. Each Learning Activity covers: duration, appropriate age group, learning objectives, materials needed, and instructions.

	Identifying Compostable Materials Duration: 20-minute minimum Age Group: All ages
	Building Piles and Measuring Bulk Density Duration: 2 hours Age Group: High school age and older
	Hand Squeeze Moisture Test Duration: 15 to 30 minutes Age Group: All ages
	Demonstrating the Water-holding Benefits of Compost Duration: 15 minutes Age Group: All ages
	Seed Germination Test to Determine Maturity Duration: 5 days to 2 weeks (depending on seeds used) Age Group: All ages