The pandemic has led to students learning from home and away from friends to ensure their health and safety. Our goal with the “Expand BUGS Compost Program” is to both ease the transition back to school and provide students with the opportunity to be together, in person, engaged in healthy, outdoor activities. We also want students and families to see the connections between what we grow, eat, and recycle through initiatives that provide  deeper and meaningful learning about circular systems, composting, and sustainable ecosystems. 

Students need to interact with nature to care about it- to experience its science, beauty and interconnectedness. BUGS offers diverse middle school students from across Brooklyn a hands-on interdisciplinary education with a focus on real-world problem-solving and exploration of environmental, social, and economic sustainability that prepares students to achieve excellence in high school and become engaged global citizens. 

We are especially excited about expanding our compost program because exposure to the natural world especially in an urban environment encourages students to think in new ways and push boundaries. This is the kind of creative thinking and innovating that will be so important for our students if they are to lead the way to a more sustainable future. We also believe that the many dimensions of this project will help our students gain the tools to educate and motivate the community to make an impact.