Joan Leavens

Joan Leavens is the coordinator of sustainability and community engagement for the Shawnee Mission School District. The district serves 27,521 students and encompasses 14 municipalities in northeast Johnson County, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. Joan’s responsibilities include coordinating composting, recycling, school gardens, stormwater and landscape management, healthy transportation alternatives, connections to project-based learning and community partnerships. The district currently offers cafeteria composting and recycling in 34 elementary, middle and high schools and administrative centers. By the end of the 2017-2018 academic year, all 50 district buildings will participate in the program. The district’s efforts have been recognized by the US EPA Food Recovery Challenge and the Johnson County Commission R5 (Reinvest, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Certification.