Pillar 02 — Learn
Confirmed presenters at the TDSB and OISE Harvesting Knowledge Conference, October 27 2026 at Evergreen Brickworks. Vermicomposting workshops, soil health education, and food justice curriculum for Toronto schools.
Zawadi Connections developed the Vermicomposting as a Living Classroom curriculum — a 90-minute educator-focused workshop connecting vermicomposting to urban food growing, soil health, and food justice. It was built for deployment at scale: two sessions per day, designed for repeat delivery, with hands-on tools and frameworks that educators can bring directly back to their classrooms and students. Zawadi is confirmed to deliver this curriculum at the TDSB and OISE Harvesting Knowledge Conference: Linking Food Justice and Climate Action — October 27 2026, Evergreen Brickworks. Audience: approximately 175 K-12 educators and OISE graduate students.
Two 90-minute workshops on vermicomposting as a living classroom, morning and afternoon
Topics: soil health, urban food growing, and the relationship between land and food justice
Eco-Fair presence connecting educators to Zawadi Farm programs during the lunch break
Hands-on tools and frameworks educators can bring directly to their K-12 classrooms
Date: October 2026
The Seed Starting & Soil Stewardship curriculum is Zawadi Connections’ most deployable workshop system. Developed by our Education Team leads, it is a complete 40-minute facilitated workshop with a physical Seedling Kit per participant — reusable tray, potting soil, vermicompost, mini waterers, seeds, gloves, trowels, and care instructions. The system is designed to be accessible to schools, hospitals, and institutions.
The science of decomposition and soil biology in plain language
Connections to food systems, waste reduction, and climate action
Practical skills: setting up a worm bin, maintaining it, harvesting castings
Tools educators can bring directly to K-12 classrooms and TDSB EcoSchools programs
Our Learn Programs align with the Ontario Trillium Foundation Youth Opportunities Fund, TDSB Community Partnerships, Ontario Ministry of Education food literacy priorities, and the Peter Gilgan Foundation — with the TDSB and OISE conference as verifiable institutional proof of impact.
Support Our WorkZawadi Connections educates community gardeners, farmers, and students on how to understand, test, and restore the soils they grow in. Our soil health programming connects to the Soil Test Interpreter at zawadi.farm — an AI-powered tool that translates technical soil test results into plain-language guidance for any grower.
Reading soil tests: pH, organic matter, and nutrient levels
Understanding depleted urban soils and practical restoration approaches
Organic soil restoration practices suited to Toronto's growing contexts
The link between soil health, food nutrition, and long-term climate resilience
