The New Jersey Climate Change Education Initiative was formed to ensure all NJ public school teachers are prepared to integrate climate change across all grade levels and content areas based on the official New Jersey Climate Change Education Student Learning Standards. This initiative will act according to the recommendations outlined by the New Jersey Thought Leadership Committee and support the existing resources provided by the New Jersey Department of Education.
In June 2020, New Jersey became the first state in the U.S. to incorporate K-12 climate change education across content areas when the State Board of Education adopted the 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards. New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy was a strong supporter of this initiative and praised the State Board for its action.
“The adoption of these standards is much more than an added educational requirement; it is a symbol of a partnership between generations,” - First Lady Tammy Murphy.
In response to the state’s ambitious and forward-thinking action to address climate change through teaching and learning, the Climate Change Education Thought Leader Committee was convened to determine an appropriate plan for implementing these standards statewide. The resulting recommendation report guides the New Jersey Climate Change Initiative’s strategy. In addition, this initiative also supports the resources and guidance provided by the New Jersey Department of Education.
After one semester of integrating climate change education standards into state curricula, New Jersey educators still lacked sufficient professional development resources and faced uncertainty when teaching climate change in subjects other than science. However, educators who used the New Jersey Climate Education Hub reported higher levels of confidence in their preparedness to implement the new standards and were more familiar with the resources available to them.
Discover through our "NJ Implementation Paper"
The National Wildlife Federation is America's largest and most trusted conservation organization, that works across the country to unite Americans from all walks of life in giving wildlife a voice. since 1936, they have fought for the conservation values that are woven into the fabric of America’s collective heritage.
New Jersey Audubon is a privately supported, not-for profit, statewide membership organization. Founded in 1897, and one of the oldest independent Audubon societies. New Jersey Audubon is committed to connecting all people with nature and stewarding the nature of today for all people of tomorrow.
The New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) is a non-partisan, state-created federation of boards of education founded in 1914. It provides mandated governance training to the board of education members representing 580 public school districts and the trustees representing the majority of the state’s charter schools.
SubjectToClimateTM is an online connector for K-12 teachers of all subjects to find credible, unbiased, and engaging materials on climate change. Their goal is to enhance climate knowledge and inspire action by making climate change teaching and learning accessible to all.
Sustainable Jersey is a network and movement of municipalities, schools and school districts working collectively to bring about a sustainable New Jersey. Acting with state agencies, non-profit organizations, foundations, academia and industry, Sustainable Jersey researches best practices for what communities could and should do to contribute to a sustainable future.
The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is a highly selective institution that is consistently recognized as one of the top comprehensive colleges in the nation. They include a personalized, collaborative, and rigorous education; undergraduate research, mentored internships, and field experiences; community engaged learning; global engagement; and leadership development.
Elaine is a New Jersey educator with 30 years of teaching experience in grades K-6. The earth and the natural world have always been a focus of her life and throughout her career as her students learned critical lessons about their planet when visiting her indoor and outdoor classrooms.
