Edgemont Elementary School has met the rigorous requirements to achieve Sustainable Jersey for Schools bronze certification. Edgemont joins a group of 83 schools that achieved Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification in 2016. Edgemont will be honored at the second annual Sustainable Jersey for Schools Awards ceremony during the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) Workshop on October 25 in Atlantic City.
Sustainable Jersey for Schools is voluntary, but achieving certification is not easy. Schools collaborate with their school district to complete actions, upload documentation and achieve certification. “Becoming certified with Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a significant achievement for schools and their school district,” said Donna Drewes, co-director of Sustainable Jersey. “These are exceptional schools districts and schools that set an example for all of us.” Each school that is certified at the bronze-level must submit documentation to show it has completed a balance of the program’s sustainability actions, meeting a minimum of 150 points.
“We are very excited to have received this certification,” said Edgemont Principal Cheryl Hopper. “Our Eco Green team, including students involved, did great work in”their”efforts to increase sustainability and environmental stewardship at Edgemont.”
Certified schools excelled in areas such as improving energy efficiency and health and wellness, integrating sustainability into student learning and reducing waste. Randall Solomon, co-director of the Sustainable Jersey program congratulated the certified schools, “I commend the schools that have achieved certification for their demonstrated commitment toward the long-term goal of a sustainable New Jersey.”
About Sustainable Jersey for Schools
Sustainable Jersey for Schools“is a certification program for public schools in New Jersey. Launched in October 2014, Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a program of Sustainable Jersey, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides tools, training and financial incentives to support and reward schools as they pursue sustainability programs. The process is one hundred percent voluntary and each school can choose whether it wants to get certified and the actions it wants to do in order to achieve enough points to get certified.