GREEN TEAM ON THEIR WAY: (L to R) Facilities Director Gary Weisman, Assistant Superintendent Bonnie Lehet, Athletics Director John Miranda, PPS parent Jennifer Jang, and Social Studies K-8 Supervisor Tim Charleston participate in the opening meeting of Princeton Schools’ program to achieve Sustainability Certification.

In partnership with the community to “reduce our collective carbon footprint,” Princeton Public Schools (PPS) has formed a Green Team and embarked on an initiative to achieve certification from Sustainable Jersey for Schools.

Co-chaired by Superintendent Steve Cochrane and science supervisor Edward Cohen, the PPS Green Team of approximately 20 staff, administrators, parents, community, and board members will advise and support the district’s efforts to study and adopt practices that integrate sustainability education into the curriculum, professional training, and use of resources.

Assisting PPS in these endeavors will be two grants announced last week to support the Energy Avengers project and to help implement energy curricula in grades K-12: a $10,000 Sustainable Jersey grant funded by the Gardinier Environmental Fund and a $5,000 Science Education Grant from the BASF Corporation.

The Sustainable Jersey grant will fund the purchase of energy tool kits to enable elementary and middle school science classes to collect real-time data about their energy use and consumption for problem-based activities. The BASF grant contributes to professional development and also to the tool kits.

“Investment in local energy projects will help us make progress toward the goal of a more sustainable and resilient New Jersey,” declared Randall Solomon,co-director of Sustainable Jersey. “Congratulations to the forward-thinking school districts and municipalities that developed these projects.”

Mr. Cochrane stated that, as the Green Team moves forward, “I can’t wait to see students brainstorming solutions to combat global warming and curb emissions.”

In conjunction with the PPS strategic planning emphasis on wellness, a primary focus of the Green Team will be to ensure a safe and healthy environment for students and to encourage them to become leaders in making their schools, communities, and planet healthier places in which to live and work.

“The Sustainable Princeton motto is ‘Change a Habit, Change the World,’” stated Mia Sacks, Sustainable Princeton’s liaison to the team, “and what better place to start than with the children in our schools.” The town of Princeton recently received silver status in the Sustainable Jersey certification process.

Princeton High School biology teacher Paula Jakowlew expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration between the Princeton community and the schools and optimism for the Green Team’s success. “Parents and students should expect to see not only positive changes that will result in a more earth-friendly PPS,” she said, “but also a deeper connection to the environment that has sustained Princeton.”

Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a certification program for New Jersey public schools that provides tools, training, and financial incentives to support and reward schools as they pursue actions to promote sustainability.