Master Composter Apprentice Program
Description and Requirements

About the Program

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• The goal of the program is to prepare community home composting teachers.  Please apply if you are passionate about promoting the mission of the Master Composter organization.

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• The training is a mentoring program. A mentor is a current BCEMC master composter who will teach, guide, advise, and demonstrate for their apprentices.  They may connect their apprentices with other teachers or resources in the community.

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• Apprentices will learn the science, art, materials, methods, techniques and benefits of high desert home composting and will explore methods for teaching composting to the community. 

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• Apprentices and mentors will follow the program syllabus. Mentor/apprentice collaborations will be in person and possibly on-line and on the phone. 

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• Some material will be presented to all the trainees as a group in a classroom on dates to be announced. Our most recent group classes were held on two Saturdays in late spring 2023.  We will hold new group classes when there are sufficient new apprentices to hold the classes.  This might not be until spring 2024.

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• You may submit your application at any time.  If your application is accepted, you will be assigned a mentor (when one is available) and you and your mentor will determine when your training will begin.  You can begin working with your mentor before the group classes are held but you must complete the group classes at some time during your training.​​ 

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• The training is a rigorous course of study which requires a dedication to reading, research, practice, and planning for attendance at all scheduled sessions (virtual or in person).

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• The apprentice will become a Master Composter and a member of the BCEMC once apprenticeship requirements have been completed. Continued active membership requires ten hours of volunteer service plus $20 dues annually. (The first year of annual dues are waived for new graduates.)​

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• It is not necessary to be a resident of Bernalillo County to take the training. 

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• We recommend that applicants have some composting experience prior to doing the training.

 

Requirements for Apprentices​

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• Apprentices are committed to sharing desert home composting information in the community once they have completed the training.

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• Apprentices will be dedicated to participation in all aspects of the training program: demonstrations, meetings, presentations, classes, readings, projects, quizzes, and assessments.

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• Apprentices are willing to travel to certain teaching and demonstration sites in Albuquerque or nearby locations. They will provide their own transportation.

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• Apprentices will maintain a record of accomplishments in completing the objectives in the syllabus.

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• Apprentices will complete all of these requirements in a timely fashion, not to exceed twelve months.

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Application and Fees

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• Once you understand all the above requirements, you may submit an application at any time.

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• The application fee is $50. You need not pay this fee until after you are accepted into the program. It may take several weeks to process your application and get you connected with a mentor. If you change your mind before your training begins, we will issue a full refund of any fees paid.

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• To apply, please see Application Information.

 

Resources for Apprentices and Mentors

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• Our website: all of the top menu items.

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• BCEMC training manual, a link to be provided to apprentices once they are working with a mentor.

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• The apprentice program syllabus.

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• Demonstration/teaching sites.