2024 - 2025 School Year
The New Jersey Student Climate Challenge is open to New Jersey public school students in grades 6 to 12. It is an innovative way for teachers to motivate their students to learn about climate change through a fun place-based project that aligns with the new Climate Change Education Student Learning Standards. Students work in small groups to complete a school or community project that address a cause or impact of climate change and then share what they accomplished in a short digital story.
Congratulations Award Winners!
The student team winners and their teacher mentors were recognized at recent award ceremonies hosted by the Drumthwacket Foundation with New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy.
Middle School Category
1st Place - $2,500 School Grant Award
Shade Makers, Ocean Township Intermediate School, Township of Ocean School District
Team Members: Santosh Baxi, Isabella DiFiglia, Emma Flanagan
Advisor: Meghan Edson
Project Summary: These students partnered with the local Shade Tree Commission to identify areas lacking shade trees, aiming to reduce flooding and the urban heat island effect. After surveying tree coverage and mapping gaps across Ocean Township, they presented targeted planting recommendations to the Township Council. They also engaged the community by distributing native Black Cherry seeds at a local event to promote native tree planting.
2nd Place - $1,500 School Grant Award
Eels for Climate Change, Green Brook Middle School, Green Brook Township Public Schools
Team Members: Evan Connolly, George Deng, Samantha Henao, Kavin Karthik, Ashwin Karthik, Torey Kasar, Jenna Martinez, Paris McCall, London McCall, Matthew Mendo, Jaxon Yuen, Manahil Zohaib
Advisors: Christina Berquist, Mary Wilson, Philip Muniz
Project Summary: This group focused on protecting their local river and raising climate awareness. They studied their watershed, monitored American eels, and explored how pollution and climate change affect ecosystems. To engage the community, they participated in a ribbon runoff event promoting clean waterways and plastic waste reduction. At school, they hosted a research showcase and challenged peers to log eco-friendly actions. Through science, service, and outreach, they inspired others to care for the environment.
3rd Place - $500 Grant Award
TGMS Pollinator Garden Club, Thomas Grover Middle School, West Windsor-Plainsboro School District
Team Names: Yash Bagul, Trong Kien (Ben) Bui, Kavya Chaudhari, Parnavi Dabli, Aaryana Dada, Aashil Dharia, Ahana Gagneja, Anousha Gagneja, Saanvi Gokhale, Claire Huang, Lilian Ji, Atharv Kharbanda, April Liu, Angad Oberoi, Arya Pahari, Ayush Srivastava
Advisor: Heidi Wachtin
Project Summary: This group of students transformed their school courtyard into a native garden filled with pollinator-friendly flowers. Aiming to combat climate change and promote biodiversity, they created an outdoor learning space where students and teachers explore the vital role of pollinators including educational signs that explain each plant’s purpose and the importance of healthy ecosystems. In partnership with the NJ School of Conservation and the Watershed Institute, the garden now serves as a living classroom—blending science, sustainability, and stewardship.
3rd Place - $500 Grant Award
Waste2Wave, P.S. #28 School (Christa McAuliffe), Jersey City Public Schools
Team Names: Allison Delacruz Silva, Aileen Gaytan Lopez, Daphne Naxi Garcia, Yerlyn Sanchez
Advisor: Robert O’Donnell
Project Summary: This creative team encouraged their classmates to recycle more by transforming ordinary trash cans into fun, familiar characters that students love. To keep the momentum going, they turned it into a friendly competition, tracking which character-themed bins got the most use and surveying students to monitor engagement. Over six weeks, they collected more than 27 pounds of plastic, all while teaching their peers how to graph and interpret data based on the collected materials. By combining creativity, data skills, and environmental action, Waste 2 Wave made recycling fun, educational, and impactful for their entire school.
High School Category
1st Place - $2,500 School Grant Award
EBHS SAVE Club, East Brunswick High School, East Brunswick Public Schools
Team Members: Divya Ashok, Joyce Lin, Joyce Nadler, Samiha Rahim, Mahi Verma
Advisor: Maria Gorman
Project Summary: This team brought circular economy principles to life through a series of impactful, student-led initiatives. They launched a composting program that diverted over 1,200 pounds of food waste, helped replace plastic utensils with starch-based alternatives, and created a school thrift shop that redistributed 200+ clothing items. Their efforts made sustainability a daily focus in their school community.
2nd Place - $1,500 Grant Award
Tree Ambassadors, Metuchen High School, Metuchen School District
Team Members: Samuel Brown, Aiyanna Genus, Eliman Kassogue, Aaditi Londhe, Benjamin Lopez, Hanna Malik, Keith Pais, Vikram Venkat, Sophie Villegas
Advisors: Yoko Kato, Ken Sammond
Project Summary: Partnering with the local Shade Tree Commission, the Tree Ambassadors educated their community on sustainable streetscapes, invasive species, and the role of trees in water and carbon cycles. They shared their knowledge through lessons at local schools, followed by native tree plantings with students. They also presented on tree care at the public library and developed a planting proposal for their school. Through research, education, and action, they fostered environmental stewardship across their community.
3rd Place - $500 Grant Award
MSHS UNLESS, Maple Shade High School, Maple Shade School District
Team Names: Madison Barnett, Rosalie Camp, James Carr, Rory Christine, Molly Christine, Evielyn Holness, Taylor Kilbride, Isabella Martinez, Sierra Sauselein, Wajihah Siddiqui, Anthony Spallone, Justine Spaulding
Advisor: Carmen Lynn
Project Summary: This team promoted biodiversity by distributing over 250 bags of wildflower and sunflower seeds in their school and community. They repurposed 2,300+ plastic bottles into self-watering planters to reduce waste and conserve water and presented a proposal to the town council calling for more tree planting, environmental signage, and an online hub with resources on native plants and endangered species.
3rd Place - $500 Grant Award
Project Planet Plates, Hightstown High School, East Windsor Regional School District
Team Names: Samantha Acque, Saanya Arora, Elizabeth Baez, Taha Jamali, Sahaana Kaushik, Kaylen Ng, Oluwabukunmi Ogunsola
Advisor: Sarah McDougall
Project Summary: This team aimed to reduce food miles by promoting local farming. They recreated popular recipes with local ingredients, sharing them on a blog and social media. At school, they educated peers on the environmental impact of long-distance food transport and distributed pamphlets with recipes and sustainable eating tips. They also led a gardening workshop at an assisted living facility, helping seniors grow their own produce. Through education and outreach, they showed that local food is both healthy and climate-friendly.
Questions?
Email: njstudentclimatechallenge@sustainablejersey.com
New Jersey Student Climate Challenge Partners
