Record Number of Scholarships Bring New Perspectives to COMPOST2026

This year, the USCC’s Composting for All Committee hosted its most successful and wide-reaching scholarship program to date. The Committee provided a record-breaking 29 scholarships of up to $1,500 to aid in the costs of registration, travel, and lodging, chosen from 155 applications—also a record number for the program.
 
Composting for All has hosted the annual conference scholarship program since 2022. In its first year, the program provided two individuals with registration scholarships. The scholarships have grown steadily each year in both the number of scholarships and the amount of funding provided. In 2025, the Committee provided 10 scholarships of up to $1,000, showing the significant growth that happened in 2026.
 
The scholarship recipients represented compost business owners, community composters, compost educators, municipal employees, and more from across three countries, 15 states, and one tribal community. Represented states, countries, and tribes included Arizona, California, Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, Florida, Guatemala, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Trinidad and Tobago, Virginia, and Washington.
 
Also a first for the annual conference, the Committee hosted a gathering for the scholarship recipients. The gathering helped connect scholarship recipients with each other and with members of the USCC staff and the Composting for All Committee, creating a cohort of support for these attendees.

In addition to the 29 scholarships, the USCC provided heavily discounted conference registrations to 47 community composters. Lowering the financial barrier to attendance for community composters was crucial to diversifying the range of perspectives present at COMPOST2026 and ensuring that community composters, who are the source of important grassroots, changemaking work for our industry and our communities, were represented at the conference. 
 
With this year’s scholarship program, the organization took a step towards institutionalizing the USCC Composting for All Statement: “The USCC is committed to the growth of the compost industry at all scales with all people. Our ecosystem of individuals and organizations working in the composting industry is connected, vibrant, and welcoming. USCC's Composting for All initiative ensures participation and representation of a constantly emerging and expanding network of compost professionals. The outcome is a more resilient composting community.”

The conference scholarships and community composter discounts were made possible by a generous donation from the 11th Hour Project. Thank you to 11th Hour for helping us grow our composting community through these scholarships and live out the USCC’s Composting for All statement! If you’re interested in the work of the Composting for All Committee and would like to learn more, please email USCC Composting for All Liaison Emma Singleton at esingleton@compostingcouncil.org.