Throughout the school year, students received environmental education that explained the importance of reducing food waste and the impact of pollution created by food waste. However, an innovative project that taught students about the environment using Red Wriggler Worms was the initiative that really captured the hearts and minds of students.

Thousands of red wriggler worms were used to educate students about the life cycle of worms, and how to compost using the worms. Each class was given a team of worms and the students selected Managers from their classmates to be responsible for the worms. Managers were responsible for putting leftovers into the worm’s pot twice a week and making notes of the process and any observations. Managers facilitated a monthly meeting to report their findings.

In addition, the Seoul YWCA held an overnight ecological camp to encourage the Worm Managers to further develop their ecological knowledge and skills. At the end of the year, the students organised a Worm Festival for the public and took the opportunity to inform the community about their project. They encouraged community members to reduce their own food waste and begin composting. Students went on to cultivate healthy trees and flowers on the school grounds using the composts made by their worms.