HOWELL – Three schools within the Howell Township Public School District have been awarded a total of $6,000 in Sustainable Jersey for Schools grants.
The grants are funded by the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) which overall have sponsored 11 $10,000 grants and 35 $2,000 grants to New Jersey schools.
These grants go towards supporting projects such as aquaponics systems, outdoor classrooms, pollinator and edible gardens, water bottle refilling stations, sustainability and STEAM education, food waste and composting initiatives, social emotional learning equipment, school green team capacity building and more.
In Howell School District, Aldrich, Newbury, and Taunton Elementary Schools were each awarded a $2,000 grant.
Aldrich School plans on creating a Sensory Path which will provide a colorful, creative, and playful way for students to build sensory connections in the brain that are responsible for sight, touch, and sound.
“This pathway will enable our students to complete complex, multi-stage tasks and strengthen their motor skills such as balance, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness. We are extremely grateful to Sustainable Schools NJ and the NJEA for allowing us to turn our visions into reality,” Principal Drew Smith said.
At Newbury School, they will be installing a water bottle filling station for staff and students.
“Newbury School is so excited to receive the Sustainable grant for our school! Adding a water bottle filling station will lead to improved health not only by increasing the intake of water for our students rather than sugary drinks, but also by improving the quality of the water consumed due to having a filtered system for water bottle filling,” Principal Jim Quinn said.
Taunton School will be using their grant for their Farm to Table Imagination Playground project.
“The Taunton School Green Team is extremely grateful to Sustainable Jersey for Schools and the NJEA for awarding our school a $2,000 grant, and we are beyond excited about our ‘Farm to Table Imagination Playground’ project that will teach our primary learners all about sustainable practices and healthy living,” Principal Brook Napoli said.
Across the state, NJEA has provided $2 million to support a sustainable future for children through the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program.
“This is an important program that directs resources into our schools and NJEA is proud to continue to work with Sustainable Jersey,” NJEA President Sean Spiller said. “Our job is to help and support this new generation as they continue to become engaged citizens and leaders. By emphasizing the value of sustainability and healthy practices, which often go hand-in-hand with economic efficiencies, we help ensure that we leave a better world for our children’s children.”
“These grants are designed to jump start sustainability projects that will have a far-reaching impact focused on New Jersey and our school communities,” Sustainable Jersey Executive Director Randall Solomon said. “We applaud the schools and districts ready to implement these innovative sustainability projects and thank NJEA for providing the crucial financial support that will allow these visionary ideas to come to life.”
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