Bartle Elementary School Students Tackle Environmental Issues with Eco-Schools USA

Bartle Elementary School has embarked on a sustainability mission with Eco-Schools USA. Eco-Schools USA is a nationwide program that engages students, faculty, and community volunteers in efforts to improve student environmental literacy and skills. The program provides educators with a framework to integrate sustainability principals into the curriculum, providing students with a unique research and application based learning experience. Eco-Schools in New Jersey is a partnership between National Wildlife Federation and New Jersey Audubon and claims more than 230 schools throughout the state and 18 in Middlesex County.

STEM supervisor, Kristina Nicosia discovered Eco-Schools after Bartle earned the Sustainable Jersey for Schools Bronze Certification. Looking for a way to deepen their commitment to sustainability and introduce a more student centered approach in the classroom that aligned with NJ Student Learning Standards for Science, they found the Eco-Schools program to be a great compliment their earlier efforts.

Nicosia says, “Highland Park is a very environmentally conscious town. We want the school to reflect that as well. With Eco-Schools, we are seeing an increase in excitement and an eagerness to learn that reaches across socioeconomic boundaries.”

School principal, Anthony Benjamin is ahead of the curve. Bartle already boasts an outdoor learning space, known as the “Bartle LearnScape” where teachers can take their classes outside to learn amongst native plants and trees. Students also work in a thriving school garden and donate their harvest to food pantries and the local senior center. The school is committed to encouraging bike usage with newly installed bike racks.

Projects like these help Eco-Schools earn awards for their successes as they progress through the program. Selecting from ten environmental focus areas or pathways to work on such as energy efficiency, waste reduction, or sustainable foods, student led Eco-Action teams conduct audits, create action plans to address environmental issues and monitor and evaluate their progress over time. The work is incorporated into existing curriculum and used as hands on learning opportunities for the students. In addition to direct environmental benefits, the program helps to dramatically improve student skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). It is also a proven framework for promoting youth leadership and community service.

After launching the program during environmental education week, each Bartle Elementary School grade levels adopted a pathway to pursue, including energy, biodiversity and water conservation. Allison Mulch, Eco-Schools coordinator with New Jersey Audubon, was there to help them kick off the program.

“Bartle Elementary School is taking a big step towards sustainability with their adoption of the Eco-Schools program and they are primed to succeed,” says Mulch. “These students are ready to learn and to start tackling environmental issues right here in their own back yard.”

As Eco-Schools coordinator, Allison Mulch offers free trainings and guidance to schools participating in the program. This particular benefit is unique to New Jersey thanks to a partnership with NJ Audubon, National Wildlife Federation and the PSEG Foundation. PSEG Foundation provides support to the program through volunteerism and grant money. All participating schools also have access to free resources through the Eco-Schools USA website along with opportunities to connect with and learn from other participants.

About Eco-Schools

Eco-Schools is an international program hosted by the NWF in the U.S., and coordinated by New Jersey Audubon in NJ. The program serves over 4,300 schools throughout the country. Eco-Schools USA in New Jersey supports and directly aligns with Sustainable Jersey for Schools point-based system. The Eco-Schools USA website has an interactive map that shows locations and distribution of participating schools. For more information: http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionEducation/ProvidingfortheEducationCommunity/NWFEco-SchoolsUSA.aspx

About National Wildlife Federation: National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest conservation organization inspiring people to protect wildlife for our children’s future. NWF focuses its education and policy work on connecting children to nature for a nation of happier, healthier kids. NWF's state affiliate is NJ Audubon. For more information: www.nwf.org.

About NJ Audubon: New Jersey Audubon is a privately supported, not-for profit, statewide membership organization that fosters environmental awareness and a conservation ethic among New Jersey's citizens; protects New Jersey's birds, mammals, other animals, and plants, especially endangered and threatened species; and promotes preservation of New Jersey's valuable natural habitats. For more information: www.njaudubon.org.