PROJECTWEST
Makayla Gasper who is currently a sophomore at Wentworth Institute of Technology, created ProjectWest to focus on improving her high-school's carbon footprint. Makayla believes that if the people's culture cares about decreasing our impact on the earth, we are more likely to do so in our own lives outside of institutions. Her main goal was to create green-habits across the whole building impacting the way that the school uses their power, produces their power, handles waste, and handles the way that environmentalism is perceived among the general student body created by the administration. Rally with West.West covers the efforts of Makayla Gasper and other West Delaware students. Currently, West features NOTRASH. NOTRASH is a recycling and compost initiative that aims to implement opportunities that provide a way to change the culture students are brought up in. Although this project is currently at a standstill at West Delaware, a blueprint remains from this project which can be reviewed in order to help others looking to be implement change.
Materials are here to be reviewed and shifted to fit your needs and contacts are presented to provide guidance.
What’s Makayla Working On?
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November 18, Makayla sat down with Tim Felderman, Gary Funk, and Kim Sperflslage to discuss the research that she did to answer their questions from the last meeting. This helped choose which in-vessel composter West Delaware was to benefit most from as well as develop even more specific questions about that one composter.
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Project Composite
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Continuing to be a resource for schools looking to compost
Resources For
PROGRESS
Learn more by hovering over boxed dates, starting with February 9. 2021.
Hover and click the date to view a corresponding post, which shares more about the research, meeting, or plan.
Further Research Meeting
Makayla presents details on the remaining two in-vessel composter options so that a decision can be made.
Scholarship Presentation
Makayla presents NOTRASH to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Foundation in hopes to win a scholarship.
Further In-Vessel Compost Research
Makayla reaches out to companies and sources in order to find answers to the administrations in-vessel composting questions and concerns.
Preliminary In-Vessel Compost Meeting
The options that were gathered from researching are presented to West Delaware administration.
Proposal Meeting
Makayla presents the second compost plan to a city representative, DNR representative, and the school administration.
Permission Granted for City Meeting
Makayla received permission to arrange a city meeting after letting administration see that this was the only way forward.
Response from Administration on the Second Plan
Makayla received the response to the second compost plan from the administration. View details under “Second Compost Plan Designed”
Second Compost Plan Designed
After taking the time mid-compost project to start the carton recycling system, Makayla started to put her full attention to the food waste issue. The first plan, almost copied and pasted from Central’s, did not meet site regulations.
Second Meeting With Jennifer Trent
Returning her energy to the compost effort, Makayla looks to Jennifer Trent again for guidance.
The Recycling System
After running into regulation concerns with the compost system, Makayla develops a recycling system to implement a way to divert recyclable cartons to make an impact before the school year comes to a close.
First Compost Plan Designed
After taking the time mid-compost project to start the carton recycling system, Makayla started to put her full attention to the food waste issue. The first plan, almost copied and pasted from Central’s, did not meet site regulations.
Touring Central’s Compost System
Beyond knowledge on composting, the system must fit the demands and constraints of the site it serves. To gain insight into an already working system, Makayla tours Central’s Compost System, Elkader, Iowa.
First Meeting With Jennifer Trent
A compost expert’s insight is gathered to start developing a system.
Waste Audit Data
Makayla, with the help of volunteers, determines what West Delaware’s waste consists of so that she can get a better insight on how to effectively reduce waste.