The Zero Waste Lab is a community-centered environmental education program led by The Art Lab, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Deerfield Beach and in collaboration with the City of Deerfield Beach. Serving primarily first-generation youth, the project combines hands-on creative learning with soil science, composting, and zero waste education through workshops held in civic spaces and weekly sessions at the Fruitful Field community garden. By addressing critical gaps in waste reduction strategies, composting knowledge, and soil literacy—especially in light of a proposed local landfill expansion—the program seeks to empower youth and their families to better understand waste systems and take meaningful action toward a more sustainable and resilient Deerfield Beach.
The Zero Waste Lab serves the community of Deerfield Beach, Florida. This project primarily engages youth and their families, who are often of first-generation backgrounds. It is led by The Art Lab, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Deerfield Beach and supported by a Community Participation Grant from the City of Deerfield Beach.
Deerfield Beach faces ongoing challenges related to waste management, including the recent cancellation of curbside recycling due to contamination. This highlights the importance of public education around waste management, composting, and soil health.
A community-based solution that equips residents with accessible guidance and empowers them to adopt responsible waste behaviors. The community’s priority is to build soil literacy, particularly among the youth and their families, so residents can better understand, participate in, and advocate for sustainable waste solutions. By working with the Thriving Earth Exchange, the community hopes to develop a robust soil science curriculum with the help of a scientist advisor and to further local composting efforts.
The Zero Waste Lab will advance the community’s priority of improving waste management and building local environmental awareness by creating a science-based educational program focused on soil science, composting, and zero waste practices. The project will deliver a soil science curriculum, a soil literacy kit designed to be used by youth, and a series of educational workshops and field sessions at civic spaces and a local community garden . This program will engage over 500 students, including a dedicated youth cohort of 25 high school students who will transition into intern roles, with a focus on empowering young people and their families to understand the science of soil, the importance of composting, and how human actions impact waste systems and the environment. This project also seeks to increase enrollment in the local composting pilot program. We are seeking a soil scientist who will support the development of lesson content, ensure scientific accuracy, co-create the soil science literacy kit, and provide assistance in assessing student learning and ways to improve the program. By the end of the project, the community will benefit from increased awareness of local waste and composting systems and greater participation in DFB Compost, a USDA-funded organics and food waste recycling pilot program.. These results can then be shared with city commissioners and other local stakeholders.
Alexa Simeone is a National Geographic-certified educator, strategic designer, and founder of The Art Lab—an award-winning environmental organization rooted in art, powered by science, and dedicated to growing a greener planet and cleaner oceans. The Art Lab offers programs in zero waste, soil science, ocean literacy, and sustainable design, providing hands-on challenges that foster innovation, minimize waste, and drive systemic change. Their work empowers communities to transform local priorities into impactful environmental action. Alexa is committed to making science education more accessible, inclusive, and engaging through project-based art, design, and science discovery programs.
Beatricz Emmanuel leads strategic operations at The Art Lab, drawing on a strong background in software engineering, business strategy, and systems design. With extensive experience in project management and community engagement, she specializes in bridging technical innovation with social impact. Beatricz is passionate about regenerative practices and inclusive innovation, and brings deep expertise in permaculture, waste reduction systems, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Maria Salazar is a third-year PhD candidate in the Climate & Space Sciences Department at the University of Michigan. Currently, her research focuses on how large-scale and local climate impacts terrestrial vegetation and carbon uptake through photosynthesis in Earth System Models. She is passionate about understanding the science behind our natural world and about translating scientific insights into actionable policy. Maria is excited to combine science and community action to solve local problems as a Community Science Fellow! Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, reading, and tending to her aquariums.
Scientist Role
We are seeking a soil scientist or urban farming expert to serve as an advisor for the Zero Waste Lab, ideally beginning in Summer 2025 and staying involved through the Spring of 2026. This scientist advisor will collaborate with our community team to ensure the scientific accuracy and accessibility of educational content related to soil science, composting, and waste management systems. This scientist’s role will be to:
We welcome scientists from any location, and remote participation is acceptable. We’re looking for a scientist or expert with the following desired skills and qualifications:
Thriving Earth Exchange asks all scientific partners to work with the community to help define a project with concrete local impact to which they can contribute as pro-bono volunteers and collaborators. This work can also position the scientists and communities to seek additional funding, together, for the next stage. Unsure if you’re the right fit for this project? Reach out to us via email at [email protected] to learn more.
The Zero Waste Lab, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Deerfield Beach, was awarded a Community Participation Grant from the City of Deerfield Beach, Florida.
