Following Ida, NJ Teachers To Ramp Up Climate Change Education

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey is on its way to becoming the first state in the nation to make climate change education a part of public school learning standards.

First Lady Tammy Murphy announced that new online resources, such as sample activities, videos and webinars, were launched for school districts and educators to use in their lesson plans on climate change beginning in the 2022-2023 school year.

In June of 2020, Murphy said the New Jersey State Board of Education had adopted her initiative to make New Jersey the first state in the nation to incorporate climate change across its revised state K-12 learning standards. The NJDOE establishes the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS), which determine what schools are required to teach in nine content areas across each grade level.

The release of the state's climate change education resources come just one month after Tropical Storm Ida tore through New Jersey with tornadoes and fatal floods, leaving behind historic devastation.

“For a long time, many viewed climate change as an abstract problem, but here in New Jersey, we are already experiencing its devastating effects, including extreme flooding from recent storms,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy in a statement.

“This generation of students will feel the impact of climate change more than any other, and beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, our students will be the first and only in the nation to have climate change education incorporated at every grade level. By providing these resources to our educators, we are in turn equipping the leaders of tomorrow with the critical tools they will need to face the real-life challenges of climate change.”

Climate change education will be incorporated across seven content areas — 21st Century Life and Careers, Comprehensive Health and Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, Technology, Visual and Performing Arts, and World Languages, according to the governor’s office.

The two remaining content areas, mathematics and English language arts, have not yet been eligible for review under the Murphy Administration given the five-year review cycle.

The NJDOE’s Climate Change webpage provides resources such as:

• Instructional resources – such as webinars, instructional strategies, literature, and standards-based lessons – by grade level and by subject;
• Links, videos, highlights and news stories to innovative lessons on climate change occurring in New Jersey schools;
• Activities and projects for students in and out of the classroom;
• Opportunities for students to take part in community engagement;
• A link to the First Lady’s climate change webpage; and
• A portal for educators and other stakeholders to share their stories, feedback and resources.

The resources will serve as tools to help students understand how and why climate change occurs, the impact it has on local and global communities, and to respond to climate change with informed and sustainable solutions, according to Murphy.

“The challenge ahead of us is great. But, with the Governor’s commitment to reaching 100 percent clean energy by 2050 and a host of other green initiatives, New Jersey is positioned to be a leader of the climate movement – now and in the future,” Murphy writes on the state’s climate change education webpage. “Together, we can ensure that our students are equipped with the knowledge and resources needed to combat the climate crisis, no matter what career they choose.”

The new education standards and resources also received support from Department of Education Acting Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan.

“New Jersey’s groundbreaking academic standards, and the accompanying resources that we are releasing today, will give educators, parents, and other stakeholders greater tools and information on the impacts of climate change,” said Allen-McMillan. “Students throughout New Jersey will enhance their understanding of how climate change poses a threat to our environment, and actions necessary to mitigate the threat.”