MILLBURN, NJ. April 8, 2014 – Students at Millburn Middle School are planning a week of lunch time presentations in honor of Earth Day. The student PEEP group (Peers Educating about Environmental Problems) has planned a series of presentations about environmental issues to run from April 17 through April 25. Topics include pre-cycling, (a form of waste reduction), recycling, and energy conservation. Two student created films will be shown including “The Tissue Issue” which highlights the proper items to throw in the recycling bin and “Attack of the Water Bottle”, a dark comedy about unfinished plastic water bottles haunting students because they are harder to recycle.
Environmental awareness is practiced year round at Millburn Middle School which participates in National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA program, a holistic program that provides resources and support to help schools take steps towards sustainability on school grounds and within the curriculum. Earth Day holds special resonance with the school as it is an opportunity to celebrate all that they have accomplished for the environment.
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Jennifer Dowd, Eco-Schools NJ coordinator, New Jersey Audubon says, “Earth Day is a great opportunity to celebrate our planet and recognize the great work being done in schools to create a new generation of thinkers in sustainability.”
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Millburn Middle School joined Eco-Schools USA in 2013. This free and voluntary program helps schools make connections across multiple disciplines while integrating sustainability into class subjects. The result is increased student achievement, renewed interest in science and math and a positive impact on the environment. There are now more than 100 Eco-Schools in New Jersey, up from just 43 last year. Eco-Schools is an international program in 59 countries. The program is hosted by the National Wildlife Federation in the United States, and coordinated by New Jersey Audubon in New Jersey. Eco-Schools USA in New Jersey supports and directly aligns with Sustainable Jersey for Schools point-based system.
“Eco-Schools have much to be proud of this Earth Day, as we celebrate their commitment to sustainability and student learning,” says Curtis Fisher, northeast regional executive director, National Wildlife Federation. “When you are an Eco-School, every day is Earth Day.”
