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Educating for Sustainability

Sustainable Jersey for Schools Program 

Sustainable JerseySchool districts in New Jersey are already on the path to building a more sustainable future. Schools throughout the state are conducting energy audits, completing building retrofits, and implementing energy efficiency projects to significantly reduce utility costs.

Schools are addressing health and wellness by converting to green cleaning products, providing healthy lunches, using school gardens as active learning laboratories, improving indoor air quality by using no VOC paints and flooring and promoting "walking school busses" to encourage physical activity and to save transportation costs. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and sustainability education curriculum components are being incorporated in schools across the state to prepare students for meaningful employment and lifelong learning.

To develop the certification program framework, a coalition of educational organizations and academic, business and state agency partners are working together to define the program standards or actions.

The program will identify, link and leverage existing programs, resources and organizations that have been doing great work to support sustainability progress in New Jersey school districts.  Program oversight and coordination is managed by the Certification Standards Committee. With representation from each task force as well as appointed leaders, the committee is charged with creating a balanced and impactful program.

Sustainable Jersey Schools will support school district achievement in other sustainability programs like the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, EcoSchools USA, the NJ Green Program of Study or Project Learning Tree by providing guidance, tools and resources to address that programs submission standards.  See more on Program Participation.

Sustainability Education Resources

Higher Education:

There are several New Jersey universities and colleges that offer degrees or programs in sustainability or green economy fields, including:

  • Burlington County College offers several Associate degrees in the areas of Sustainability Policy and Management, Sustainable Energy Studies, Energy Management and Alternative Energy Technologies: http://staff.bcc.edu/nasa3/

A database of colleges and universities (in New Jersey and nationally) that offer degrees and courses in sustainability can be found at:
http://sspp.proquest.com/sspp_institutions/display/universityprograms

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education has a number of resources for campus, facilities, curriculum, operations and other topics: http://www.aashe.org/resources

The New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability provides a means to learn more about what is going on at New Jersey colleges and universities regarding sustainability: http://www.njheps.org/

K-12 Education:

Sustainability education can begin in kindergarten and then integrated into curriculum and coursework throughout grades K-12. Content and skills related to sustainability and the environment can provide support in science, social studies, health, technology and other subjects, as well as for after-school, career preparedness and service-learning programs. 

In 2014 the NJ State Board of Education adopted the Next Generation Science Standards that feature learner goals and outcomes for New Jersey students. These standards feature required learning about earth systems, ecology, human impacts, sustainability and other related concepts:
http://www.nextgenscience.org/search-standards

New Jersey has several programs that support sustainability education and green school activities for grades K – 12:

  • Sustainable Jersey launched its new Sustainable Jersey for Schools program for New Jersey public schools:

http://www.sustainablejersey.com/about/sustainable-jersey-for-schools/participate/#

  • The U.S. Department of Education recognizes schools that “save energy, reduce costs, feature environmentally sustainable learning spaces, protect health, foster wellness, and offer environmental education to boost academic achievement and community engagement” through the Green Ribbon Schools Program:

    http://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/index.html
  • The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education offers the New Jersey Learns Program that unites schools and their communities with sustainability education curriculum guidance, training and best practices: http://www.cloudinstitute.org/new-jersey-learns

Continuing Education:

There are some professional development resources for careers that focus on the green economy or sustainability, such as:

Several New Jersey County Colleges offer credit and certification programs in green jobs or sustainability. Several examples are below. Visit the websites for your local community colleges for additional information:

 

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Last Updated: August 14, 2015