Jersey announced that the Governor Livingston Environmental Class, taught by Lara Mendenhall, has been awarded a $2,000 Sustainable Jersey for Schools capacity building grant funded by the PSEG Foundation. Four $10,000 grants and thirty $2,000 grants were distributed to fund a variety of projects including food composting, outdoor classrooms, sustainability education, rainwater collection, recycling and more.
“The students, faculty, and administration at Governor Livingston High School are excited and honored to be chosen to receive a PSEG Sustainable Jersey for School Grant. This Grant will help fund GL students as they conduct action research and develop sustainability initiatives for the school that they have developed. Students have formulated ideas, designed research methodologies, and carried out independent investigations geared around the sustainability of our school and community. Thank you for your support in empowering our students to make real changes in how our school impacts the world in which we live and study.” –Lara Mendenhall, Governor Livingston High School Science Teacher “The grants create an opportunity for teachers, administrators and their respective communities to shape the future of their students and schools for years to come,” said Donna Drewes, who codirects Sustainable Jersey with Randall Solomon.
She extended her congratulations to all of the schools and districts that received grants. “Grant funding will build capacity as schools embark on sustainability projects making today’s real winners the students,” Drewes said.
The PSEG Foundation has contributed over one million dollars in funding to the Sustainable Jersey Small Grants Program. “Our long standing partnership with Sustainable Jersey has helped to empower schools to develop projects that provide students with the opportunity to learn more about sustainability, protecting the environment and STEM education,” said Ellen Lambert, president of the PSEG Foundation.
Proposals were evaluated by an independent Blue Ribbon Selection Committee. The Sustainable Jersey for Schools grants are intended to help school districts and schools make progress toward a sustainable future in general, and specifically toward Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification. Currently 161 districts and 427 schools have registered to work toward Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification.
ABOUT SUSTAINABLE JERSEY FOR SCHOOLS
Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a certification program for public schools in New Jersey. It was launched by Sustainable Jersey, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides tools, training and financial incentives to support and reward municipalities and schools as they pursue sustainability programs. Sustainable Jersey for Schools is underwritten by the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Clean Energy Program, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA). The 2016 Sustainable Jersey for Schools small grants program is funded by the PSEG Foundation, NJEA and the Gardinier Environmental Fund.
The Founding Sponsors are South Jersey Gas, New Jersey Natural Gas and NJM Insurance Group. Bayer Foundation is a Silver Sponsor and JCP&L and Spiezle Architectural Group are Bronze Sponsors.
Program partners include: NJSBA, NJEA, New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA), New Jersey Association of School Business Officials (NJASBO), New Jersey Parent Teacher Association (NJPTA), New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA), New Jersey School Buildings and Grounds Association (NJSBGA), the New Jersey Department of Health, and The Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ.) Website: www.SustainableJerseySchools.com
(above l-r) Donna Drewes, Co-Director, Sustainable Jersey, Russell J. Furnari, Manager, Environmental Policy Enterprise PSEG Services Corporation, Lara Mendenhall, Environmental Science Teacher at Governor Livingston High School, James Finley, Science Supervisor for Berkeley Heights School District, and Rick Dovey, Chair, Sustainable Jersey Board of Trustees.
