Breaking Ground: Ramapo College of New Jersey Named an Epicenter for K-12 Climate Education Initiative 

The award is the largest from the New Jersey Department of Education’s Climate Change Learning Collaboratives grant

May 17, 2024

Ramapo College has been selected as New Jersey’s northern region climate change education center for K-12 school districts. The $650,000 is the largest amount awarded by the New Jersey Department of Education for its Climate Change Learning Collaboratives initiative. 

As New Jersey’s top public liberal arts college, Ramapo College is well-positioned to deliver professional development with an interdisciplinary approach, which is fundamental to its liberal arts education, values, and mission. New Jersey school teachers will be equipped to incorporate climate change education into lesson plans in not only science and social studies, but art, world languages, and physical education, to name a few. 

“Preparing teachers and local education agencies will result in increasing student understanding of the most critical issues facing the planet,” said Dr. Adam Fried, assistant dean for teacher education at Ramapo College. “Alignment of the plan with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in all content areas will result in an interdisciplinary, real-world approach to the issues resulting from climate change necessary to solve the problems we are facing.”

Ramapo College of New Jersey

Ramapo College has established three regional training centers, known as community-based organizations (CBOs), to serve seven counties in the northern region: The Meadowlands Environmental Center in Bergen County, the Great Swamp Watershed Association in Morris County, the New Jersey School of Conservation in Sussex County. Ramapo College will deliver in-person training for teachers and educators at the sites. Virtual instruction opportunities will be provided along with a robust climate change interactive website that includes a library of resources by grade level for all content areas as well. 

New Jersey is the first state to mandate the incorporation of climate change education across subjects in the K-12 curriculum. “Our nation-leading climate change education standards are setting New Jersey students up for a successful future as climate literate leaders of tomorrow,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy.

For more information about Ramapo College and teacher education, visit ramapo.edu/te.