Just stumbled across this great guide to using Bokashi and EM in schools. A 37-page manual aimed at teachers to help start up a Bokashi-based composting project in the classroom. Maybe not everything is relevant to where you live, but it’s something I haven’t seen before and gives you a lot of ideas for practical implementation along with the background information to make the process credible. Some of the environmental facts would need updating, and obviously made relevant to whatever part of the world you’re in.
A great start though, don’t you think? If you’ve seen anything else along these lines, please post a comment. The more we can share this type of information the better.
Have you been involved in running a school project using Bokashi and EM? What worked well? What would you have differently? What did the kids think about it all? Love to hear!
Download the manual here>>
http://www.emhawaii.com/upload/EMTeachersManual051005.pdf
Bokashiworld 
Thanks for sharing this, Jenny. Always find your blog interesting and really informative. I have shared this and your blog on my FB page and my web-site http://clevercomposting.com Hope that is OK.
Work done in schools is always of prime importance, I think. Worm farming is great in that environment, too. You may be interested in this article written by a school teacher friend of mine in New Zealand. http://wp.me/p2BmpA-HL
You see – we are everywhere………
Thanks for the encouragement Barbara! Will check out your links immediately!
And you’re right — if there’s one thing you can say about kiwis it’s that we’re everywhere…
Cheers! Jenny
Hi Jenny
Thanks for the EM booklet – full of good information in a “package” that we can use for our customers! And we’re giving a presentation today to a small community here in Montana that has been wanting to compost in the schools.
We do composting in our schools here – 2 elementary schools out of 11 have taken it on, but in a very different way, using larger bins, airtight with bokashi. We’ve been working with them for a couple of years, and it’s been quite a learning curve for all of us. Successes and catastrophes, both!
Hi Mary Jane! I’m a great fan of yours, have followed some of your projects on the web and listened to interviews with your organization (would it have been you and your husband?), probably on the Manic Gardener podcast some time ago. It would be really interesting to share some of your successes and catastrophes here if you’ve got any good summary to hand! I get the feeling a lot of people are working with similar projects, we’re all doing our best but as you know it’s not always as obvious as it looks. And your experiences stretch back further than most!
Keep in touch!
Jenny
Thank you for sharing this. I notice the manual was supported by the EM Bokashi Network. Are you affiliated with that organization?
Hi Bianca. In a loose manner of speaking we are. Here in Sweden we make Bokashi bran for the local market using EM branded innoculant, it’s produced for the European market by a Dutch company called Agriton which is part of the EM group. We use the brand name and logo with great pride, needless to say.
But fortunately being part of the EM world is largely a people-powered way of being, we don’t consider ourselves to be corporate in any way.
We’re not connected with the people who did the manual, I just picked it up on the web and thought it was worth sharing. In the spirit of EM and Bokashi, the more we help one another the more we’ll be able to spread the word.
Cheers!
Jenny
Hi Jenny,
We have developed a powerpoint/pdf for early childhood educators on how engaging children with bokashi meets their requirements for some of Australia’s national child care accreditation standards.
Would you like a copy of this?
🙂 Roxane and Deanna
Jaki Bokashi
Hi Roxane and Deanna! I’d love a copy – thanks for the offer! Would you like to see it shared here, or some of it perhaps?
You guys are doing a great job there, love following your updates and breathing in some of your enthusiasm and commitment.
Hugs!
Jenny