WEST CAPE MAY –Sustainable Jersey announced that West Cape May Elementary 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.
According to Superintendent Dr. Alfred Savio, “The West Cape May Board of Education is excited to receive an additional $2,000 Sustainable Jersey for Schools grant. This grant will enable us to train teachers how to infuse sustainability into their curricula. With the first $10,000 grant we received, we purchased a greenhouse and storage unit for our Garden Club. Now, our teachers will learn about sustainability practices and how to excite our students to become stewards of the environment. They will also learn about the food cycle and will witness firsthand the year-round growing options that our greenhouse provides.”
“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 co-directs 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.
According to Dr. Inga La Puma, parent volunteer and champion of the school’s efforts in advancing sustainability and farm-to-school, “West Cape May Elementary will partner with the NJ Audubon Eco-Schools program as we begin the next stage of sustainable agriculture and biodiversity education with the incorporation of professional development for our teachers. This training will enable teachers to integrate the greenhouse, school garden, and our Green Team’s Farm-to-School efforts into the science standards, as well as give them the opportunity to take advantage of our current and planned schoolyard habitats in their lesson plans.
West Cape May Elementary is a small Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 6 school serving residents and Interdistrict Public School Choice students. Visit wcm.capemayschools.com for more information about our Choice program.
