Winners of the 8th Annual NJ School Sustainability Awards announced at Ceremony in Atlantic City

on Oct 25, 2022

Today, Sustainable Jersey announced the recipients of the 2022 Sustainable Jersey for Schools awards which celebrate the outstanding schools and school districts setting the standard for sustainability excellence.

Representatives accepted their awards center stage at an event held during the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) Workshop 2022 in Atlantic City. In addition to the special award winners, 158 schools that achieved Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification in 2022 were recognized.

2022 SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION AWARD RECIPIENTS

  • George L. Catrambone Elementary School, Long Branch Public School District (Monmouth County) with 905 points. This is the highest point level ever achieved in the program.
  • Long Branch Middle School, Long Branch Public School District (Monmouth County) with 510 points.
  • Weehawken High School, Weehawken Board of Education (Hudson County) with 510 points.

The Sustainability Champion Award recognizes schools that were certified this year with the highest number of points in their category: elementary, middle or high school. The baseline bronze-level certification requires a minimum of 150 points and silver-level certification requires 350 points. The 2022 Sustainability Champions all earned silver-level certification as well as the Digital Schools Star.

2022 SUSTAINABILITY MAKES $ENSE AWARD RECIPIENT

  • Camden City School District (Camden County)

The Sustainability Makes $ense Award recognizes a district that has achieved substantial budgetary savings through the implementation of Sustainable Jersey for Schools actions. Camden City School District (CCSD) (Camden County) received the award in recognition of the district’s significant energy conservation initiatives. In 2019-2020, CCSD had Local Government Energy Audits (LGEA) completed for 15 schools. The district then prepared an Energy Saving Plan (ESP) and started the Energy Saving Improvement Program (ESIP). They have begun light replacements, are doing ongoing maintenance (retro-commissioning) on their HVAC systems and generating revenue through demand response by reducing their energy usage at peak times.

“As we stand at the climate crossroads, what we do now will define the fate of the planet and human life on it. That is why the accomplishments of the schools and districts recognized today are so important. They demonstrate what is possible when you combine vision, hard work and collaboration,” said Randall Solomon, the executive director of Sustainable Jersey. “Congratulations and thank you for your leadership.”

To date, 1,058 of New Jersey’s schools have demonstrated their leadership and commitment to sustainability by registering with the Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification program. Award winners are selected from the schools that are certified in the designated award year.