6 Princeton Schools Earn Sustainable Jersey Certification

PRINCETON, NJ — Six schools in the Princeton Public School District have earned Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification, bringing the statewide total of certified schools to 358, the district announced.

The certification is valid for three years.

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Johnson Park and Riverside elementary schools earned Silver certification for the first time, while Community Park, Littlebrook, Princeton Middle School and Princeton High School maintained their Bronze certification.

"These certifications represent an incredible amount of work from school staff, students, and parent-teacher organizations, all of whom coordinate their efforts through the leadership of Sustainable Princeton," Superintendent Mike LaSusa said. "I would like to thank Jenny Ludmer and those working on behalf of the district at Sustainable Princeton for this achievement."

Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a voluntary certification program for pre-K through 12th-grade schools that awards points for sustainability initiatives in categories such as energy conservation, waste reduction, climate education and digital learning.

Schools need 150 points for Bronze certification and 350 for Silver. The program now includes 1,237 participating schools statewide.

"Today's challenges—including climate resilience, responsible resource use, and access to healthy food—call for strong sustainability literacy," said Randall Solomon, executive director of Sustainable Jersey. "Sustainable Jersey-certified schools function as real-world learning environments where students gain hands-on experience that brings sustainability concepts to life."

The district earned a record number of points districtwide, with new points awarded for using two electric school buses, partnering with Fairgrown Farms to bring farm shares to Princeton, planting 90 trees across the district, and ensuring access to healthy water in schools.

The district also continued earning points for its Safe Routes to School policy, partnerships with the Princeton Education Foundation and Share My Meals, building energy efficiency improvements, and other sustainability programs.

At the school level, Johnson Park earned 380 points for initiatives including its school garden, outdoor classroom and Power Down for Popcorn competition. Riverside earned 355 points for its garden beds, sustainability clubs and community outreach. Community Park earned 310 points for its school garden and winter clothing drive.

Littlebrook earned 310 points for its Princeton & Hopewell Family Hikes and trail maintenance work. Princeton Middle School earned 295 points for its Souper Saturday program and plastic litter challenge. Princeton High School earned 305 points for its recycled plexiglass lesson and green infrastructure assessment.

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