Anthony Wayne Middle School Receives $3,600 Grant For Clean Water Initiative

WAYNE, N.J. — Anthony Wayne Middle School has been selected to receive a $3,600 grant from Sustainable Jersey for Schools for giving students more access to clean water and encouraging them to recycle.

Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a certification program sponsored by Sustainable Jersey. The program provides tools, training, and rewards schools as they pursue sustainability programs.

A Green Team from the school developed a Clean Water Initiative to give students, teachers, and staff greater access to clean water in an effort to encourage healthier life choices.

The team will purchase two water fountains and encourage students to purchase reusable bottles they can fill up at the stations. Replacement filters will also be purchased to help maintain the stations. Erika Kane, an English teacher at Anthony Wayne, spearheaded the project.

"We feel very honored to be the recipient of this grant, knowing it will be an incredible improvement to our facilities," Kane said. "We're excited to be able to encourage students to reduce their consumption of plastic water bottles, but it's also providing new opportunities to discuss healthy hydration habits with the student body.

The stations will be installed in the cafeteria and gymnasium prior to school beginning in September.

The gymnasium location should have a significant impact on the community, the team stated in its grant application.

"Over 300 people in the wider Wayne community also utilizes our gym for a number of athletic activities and events," the team stated.

The $3,658 grant would cover most of the project's projected $4,100 cost.

The project entails input and work from various members of the Anthony Wayne community, not just the Green Team.

The Parent Teacher Organization will help the team design and pay for the 24-ounce water bottles. Art students will create a logo for the bottles. The Film Club will make public service announcements about the stations, how they can stay hydrated, and how much students are using them. The Student Council will create a goal as to how much water bottle waste the community should help eliminate.

Students are not allowed to drink in class, but the Green Team wants officials to give students permission to drink water from their bottles as it would promote good health. Students would also not be forced to grab a drink between classes or leave class to get a drink if they could drink in class, the team stated.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

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