EduCATE: Building a Climate Ready NJ
As New Jersey faces the increasing impacts of extreme weather, communities across the state are stepping up with innovative coastal and inland resilience strategies. To support and amplify this work, Rutgers University has launched EduCATE: Building a Climate Ready NJ, lead by the Department of 4‑H Youth Development, in collaboration with the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JCNERR). This new initiative will build a state-wide cohort of outstanding educators, grades 6–12 youth, and local partners to co-create high-impact, community‑driven resilience projects.
This project is part of larger Building a Climate Ready NJ program, the state’s largest transformational resilience initiative to date, led by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Coastal Management Program.
Over the next 3 years, we will engage cohorts of 6 schools (18 total), to co-create high-impact, community-driven climate resilience projects. We are looking for leaders ready to guide 6th–12th grade youth in meaningful climate action. Selected schools receive a $10,000 mini grant to support their participation in a year-long collaboration.
Together, we will:
- Pilot the Ready NJ EduCATE Micro-credential Program: Designed to connect NJ Climate Change Standards with meaningful, problem-based learning.
- Form a School “Green Team”: Build a local partnerships between educators, the Climate Ready NJ team, and community stakeholders.
- Join the Youth Climate Summit: Participate in an on-campus event where students present their community-based work.
Questions? Please contact Janice McDonnell, Rutgers NJ 4-H STEM Agent.
This work was made possible with financial assistance from the Inflation Reduction Act, administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Coastal Management through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Coastal Management Program.
This work is approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.