PSEG Announces Environmental Education Grant Winners

Seven NJ teachers awarded funds to help teach students about the environment

Seven New Jersey teachers have extra money to help supplement lesson plans with hands-on learning, thanks to grants from PSEG. The energy company awarded more than $17,000 this year to teachers who successfully linked their students’ understanding of math, science, computer science, and technology with an enthusiasm and appreciation for the environment.

The PSEG Foundation has awarded Garden State educators more than $300,000 since starting the Environmental Education grant program 17 years ago.

“Our grantees come up with creative ideas each year, finding ways to get their students involved in activities that directly support what they’re learning in the classroom,” said Jo Ann Dow-Breslin, PSEG’s manager of community affairs. “We’re proud to support their efforts to encourage students to think about the environment in new ways.”

Photos of winners available upon request.

Bergen County

West Brook Middle School in Paramus
Susan Dziob will teach 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade students about the need to balance the requirements of an ever-growing world population with the need to protect the environment. Her students will study elements of food production using hydroponic systems, learn about the role of light in plant production, and explore the merits of solar energy.

Camden County

Thomas Sharp School in Collingswood
Robin Hogan will teach elementary school students about environmental literacy and the opportunities for green collar jobs. Students will learn about the link between energy and the environment by giving the school an energy audit and presenting energy savings options to the community. Scientific professionals and members of the NJ chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council will serve as mentors and advisors throughout the project.

Essex County

Rand Elementary School in Montclair
Susan Bartol will teach 3rd graders about the importance of protecting bees. Her students will go on a trip to a local environmental center and meet with a local beekeeper as part of their training to become ambassadors and educate others about the importance of bee populations.

Hudson County

Horace Mann School in Bayonne
Kelly Ann Lake will help 3rd, 7th and 8th graders learn about the impact of water conservation and the importance of clean, plentiful water. Her students will monitor water usage at home and discuss ways to conserve. They will visit a saltwater marsh in Gateway National Recreation area. The older students will talk with the younger ones about the impact of pollution on shoreline marshes and what can be done to protect them.

PS #14 in Bayonne
Barbara DeBenedictis will teach 7th and 8th grade students to appreciate their roles as stewards of the waterways and environment through a project called “Marsh Madness.” Her students will study the types of activities that have polluted local watersheds and what is being done to clean and protect them. An environmental scientist will speak with the kids about the Passaic River’s role in the watershed, and they will visit a local salt marsh, the Meadowlands Environmental Center and the Ocean Institute at Sandy Hook

Middlesex County

JFK Elementary School in Jamesburg
Lisa D’Andrea will use hands-on activities to teach 5th graders about the power of alternative energy. Her students will learn about their impact on the environment and ways they can help protect it. The grant will help fund kits that will help the kids create a miniature home with solar panels and windmills.

PSEG has a long tradition of caring for New Jersey’s people and communities. Each year, the energy company and its employees invest millions of dollars and thousands of hours to improve the quality of life in New Jersey. The company’s culture dictates that service to customers and community go hand-in-hand. For more, visit www.pseg.com