Ocean City Intermediate School Awarded Sustainable Jersey for Schools Grant to Fund ‘Promoting Student Health and Wellness by Ensuring Access to Healthy Drinking Water Throughout the School Day’
Sustainable Jersey for Schools representatives announced that Ocean City Intermediate School has been awarded a Sustainable Jersey for Schools Small Grant. Ocean City Intermediate School is one of 30 schools in New Jersey to receive a Sustainable Jersey for Schools Small Grant funded by the New Jersey Department of Health in this funding cycle.
“We are extremely excited about receiving this grant. It will help us to continue our message of sustainability and conservation that began with our edible garden grants and continued with our sustainability grant last year,” explains the Ocean City Intermediate School Principal, Geoff Haines. “We look forward to continuing to educate the OCIS family about conservation and staying healthy.”
The Ocean City Intermediate School will use this year’s grant money to pursue a project that will ensure access to healthy drinking water for all students. The school plans to purchase and install three water bottle filling stations in locations easily accessible to students, staff and visitors. The stations have built-in water filtration in order to replace the old, existing water fountains.
The grant proposal was written up by the ‘OCIS Green Team,’ which is constantly working on new ideas to advance the school’s resources and ability to conserve. The health and science teachers are excited to incorporate the water stations into their lesson plans, as well as the prospect of guest lecturers.
Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Taylor was thrilled to hear about the grant, sharing how, “the District is always looking for ways to improve the health of our students and the impact our schools have on the community. This grant is one more step forward in our initiative!”
Currently, 207 districts and 516 schools have registered to work toward Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification. “Sustainable schools are healthy schools, and schools that promote health and well-being will see benefits,” said Donna Drewes, who co-directs Sustainable Jersey with Randall Solomon. “These grants funded by the New Jersey Department of Health will support schools as they tackle important health and wellness actions.”
The New Jersey Department of Health is funding the grants through its Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant. Technical assistance to grant recipients will be provided by three of the Department of Health’s regional partners: AtlantiCare (south), EmPoWER Somerset (central) and The Center for Prevention and Counseling (north).
About The Ocean City Intermediate School
The Ocean City Intermediate School (OCIS) is made up of students in grades four, five, six, seven, and eight who reside in Ocean City and Sea Isle City, along with students that are part of the School Choice Program. Like the district, OCIS is “committed to excellence.” The school is supported by a community that recognizes the effort to focus upon what is best for all of the students in Ocean City. OCIS has enjoyed a rich history of academic and co-curricular excellence that is a result of the hard work and partnership between our staff, the community, and our parents/guardians. Our educators are focused on respect, hard work, dynamic lessons and modeling that align with their curriculum under the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.
About Sustainable Jersey for Schools
Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a certification program for public schools in New Jersey. It was launched by Sustainable Jersey, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides tools, training and financial incentives to support and reward municipalities and schools as they pursue sustainability programs. Currently, 207 school districts and 516 schools in New Jersey are participating in the program.
Sustainable Jersey for Schools is underwritten by the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Clean Energy Program, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA). The 2016 Sustainable Jersey for Schools small grants program is funded by the PSEG Foundation, NJEA, the Gardinier Environmental Fund and the New Jersey Department of Health. Founding Sponsor contributors are South Jersey Gas, New Jersey Natural Gas and NJM Insurance Group. Bayer Foundation is a Silver Sponsor and Jersey Central Power and Light and Spiezle Architectural Group are Bronze Sponsors.
Sustainable Jersey for Schools Program partners include: New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA), New Jersey Association of School Business Officials (NJASBO), New Jersey Parent Teacher Association (NJPTA), New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA), New Jersey School Buildings and Grounds Association (NJSBGA) and The Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ.)
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