Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee received a special tour of the composting program at Hampden Meadows School recently. 

On Wednesday morning, Nov. 6, Gov. McKee visited the school cafeteria where food scraps are collected after each lunch period. He visited the compost bin outside the school where students dump the food scraps and mash them into a decomposing stew. And he visited a classroom where students grow plants in an indoor window garden. 

“It starts with one action,” Gov. McKee said, toward the end of his visit. “I just met some really good people here who are leading the school, the garden club from Barrington. That’s so nice they’re partnering with these young students here. I met some students. I met Kennedy. I met Thatcher. We met the Green Team. They gave us demonstrations here. It’s not just talk. It’s doing things. 

“They’re learning a lot as well. And then, they can take the compost and put it into the gardens in Barrington with the garden club. That’s a full circle.”

Gov. McKee said he was very impressed with the program. For years, the Hampden Meadows School composting program has served to educate students and also benefit local gardens. The program is student-led, and produces dozens of pounds of compost, which is used in gardens that are maintained by local garden clubs. 

Gov. McKee used the visit as an opportunity to speak about the state’s Litter-Free Rhode Island program. 

“We want to make sure the state is litter-free, but it extends past that. We want to make it beautiful,” Gov. McKee said. “So we’re doing a number of things that I think are very consistent with what you’re doing here. I hired groundskeepers for the state highway department. And they’re picking up … 900,000 gallons of trash. “Hopefully we’re going to see less and less of the landscape being littered and more and more color. And what you’re doing here is you’re helping that, with the composting… We want to see our state look beautiful.”

Hampden Meadows School Principal Gino Sanguiliano said the school was very excited to welcome Gov. McKee and share information about the composting program. 

Sanguiliano said he had emailed the governor’s officer a while back, offering to share a tour of their program and he was quite happy when Gov. McKee took him up on the offer. 

The governor said he enjoys any opportunity to visit local communities.

“We’re out talking to schools and community leaders because we’re providing grants. We gave out about 80 grants, about $70,000 worth of grants to people who are already doing the work, recognizing and supporting the work that’s happening in all 39 cities and towns,” Gov. McKee said. “And then the dream, right, is a litter-free Rhode Island but then let’s start planting our state flower all over the place, the purple violet. So we’re providing seeds in the program to young kids so that not only are they picking up the litter, as you’re doing in the playground here, but also let’s plant some flowers. Let’s beautify.”

Part of the tour included a stop in the school’s playground and open field. School officials said students make a consistent effort to pick up any trash that blows into the playground or nearby woods.

Gov. McKee’s wife, Susan, also took the tour at Hampden Meadows School. She met with students and spoke with them throughout the event. Gov. McKee also had the opportunity to meet dozens of students inside the cafeteria following the lunch period. He took time to shake their hands and speak with each student. 

“I’m always excited being in a school,” Gov. McKee said. “My wife Susan is a career teacher. So when she’s in a school, she’s in her element. Reading. She went from science to reading, but she ended up as a reading professional. And that really stimulates our whole idea of the Learn 365, which Barrington is involved in that as well. So we’ll be opening up a learning center here in Barrington. They’re participating in the out-of-school strategies. This is really part of that effort, so that you have a real life experience in terms of learning. Barrington’s really leading the way.”