TRENTON, N.J. (1010 WINS) — Tuesday was the first day of the school year for most New Jersey students and also the start of a new curriculum which will incorporate climate change education.
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Back in June of 2020, First Lady Tammy Murphy announced the plan to adopt climate change education into the New Jersey K-12 curriculum, making the state the first in the country to do so.
“New Jersey has the number one public education system in the nation, and our teachers and school administrators are well equipped to prepare our future climate change leaders to take on the climate crisis,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Our children are our future, and the lessons New Jersey students will learn with this new curriculum will bring us one step closer to building our green economy and reaching and sustaining 100 percent clean energy in New Jersey by 2050.”
One of the goals of the initiative is to propel students into green economy jobs that will be available in the future as well as prepare students to understand how and why climate change happens. It will also allow them to comprehend the impact climate change has on local and global communities while also imploring students to act in informed and sustainable ways.
Climate change topics will be dispersed across seven content areas which include: 21st century life and careers, comprehensive health and physical education, science, social studies, technology, visual and performing arts and world languages.
“Today marks the first day of the highly anticipated climate change education curriculum in our K-12 school systems, and I cannot be more thrilled about the future for our students and for our state,” said Tammy Murphy. “New Jersey will be on the forefront of the climate movement, and these new standards will give our children the tools necessary to combat the effects of climate change. We are building the world’s next generation of climate literate leaders, including policymakers, historians, teachers, and more, who will discover new ways to address the climate crisis.”
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