NEWARK, N.J., July 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The PSEG Foundation
and the Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education (ANJEE)
have announced the recipients of their new PSEG-ANJEE Learners
in Sustainability (PALS) grant program. A total of nearly
$45,000 will be provided to three
partnerships that were selected through a competitive application
process. Each of the partnerships is a collaborative effort between
non-formal environmental education providers and K-5 pre-service or
practicing teachers, with an eye toward increasing the
sustainability of New Jersey
communities.
"One of ANJEE's and PSEG's major goals for the PALS grant
program is to create unique partnerships between formal and
non-formal environmental educators – the kind that will result in
environmental education of the highest quality," said ANJEE
President Dale Rosselet. "The
response to our Request for Proposals made it clear that many
schools and organizations in New
Jersey share that very same goal."
New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for science will be
integrated into the projects. Lead partners from each organization
or school district will participate in professional development
provided by ANJEE; topics will include program evaluation and
authentic assessment – the assessment of student learning using a
real-world situation or task to allow students to demonstrate what
they have learned and the skills they have acquired. Grantees will
also attend the annual ANJEE Environmental Education Conference in
2012, and present the results of their projects at the 2013
conference.
ANJEE – North
Tenafly Public Schools,
Bergen County ($14,943)
In partnership with the Tenafly Nature Center (TNC),
Tenafly Public Schools will train
teams of teachers from its four elementary schools in specific
science content, with each team representing grades one, two and
five. Working closely with the District Science Supervisor,
Elementary Staff Developer and Assistant Superintendent, TNC will
provide instruction within the school district and at the nature
center. The participating teachers' classrooms will become "living
labs" that model effective science instruction, and curricular
units will be implemented by grade levels: Animal Adaptations
(First Grade), Plant Ecology and Diversity (Second Grade) and
Environmental Sustainability (Fifth Grade). The teachers selected
for this project will share their knowledge.
ANJEE – Central
Princeton Regional Schools, Mercer
County ($14,921)
The Princeton Sustainable Schools Project will focus on energy
conservation and sustainable energy practices to help elementary
schools reduce energy usage. Workshops and lessons will be provided
for elementary science specialists, classroom teachers and other
school staff. A new partnership will be developed with Global
Learning Inc., a nonprofit organization that engages the education
community in solutions to real-world environmental challenges. In
cooperation with Global Learning, participating teachers will
develop new curricular materials on sustainable energy practices
that illustrate the relevance of science and math. A second project
partner, Sustainable Princeton, is a community-wide effort that
dedicates itself to sustainable development. They will expand their
current relationship with Princeton Regional Schools by
disseminating information on efficient energy use and energy
reduction practices beyond the school community.
ANJEE – South
Educational Information & Resource Center (EIRC),
Gloucester County ($15,000)
EIRC will recruit teams of teachers from grades K-5 at various
locations throughout the state to participate in one of three
geographically-based Green Schools Leadership Institutes (GSLI) and
Green Education Fairs. The GSLI is a weeklong face-to-face program
that helps teachers create ways to green their schools. It achieves
this through teacher-based development of instructional tools,
using schools and school grounds as a context for learning. On the
last day of the GSLI, the community is invited to participate in an
all-day "green fair" that features expert speakers, policy makers,
schools that have gone green, and fun learning activities. The U.S.
Green Building Council's NJ Chapter is a major partner for this
project. Additional partners include the Energy and Environmental
Research Center in Salem County,
PrincetonGreen.org, NJ Department of Environmental Protection, the
NJ Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools, North Brunswick Township School District and
West Orange School District, among
others.
The Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education (ANJEE)
is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, founded in 1985.
Its goals include promoting and sustaining high quality
environmental education across the state and providing networking
and professional development opportunities for educators in a
variety of settings. ANJEE members include classroom
teachers, professors and administrators in colleges and
universities, environmentalists in museums, zoos and nature
centers, and professionals in governmental agencies and corporate
settings. For more, visit www.anjee.net.
PSEG (NYSE: PEG) has a long tradition of caring for
New Jersey's people and
communities. Each year, the energy company and its employees invest
millions of dollars and thousands of hours to improve the quality
of life in New Jersey. The
company's culture dictates that service to customers and community
go hand-in-hand. For more, visit www.pseg.com.
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SOURCE Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG)