Stockton University has received a $650,000 state grant, making it the only college in southern New Jersey to obtain such funding to enhance climate change education for K-12 schools. This grant, part of an initiative led by First Lady Tammy Murphy, supports New Jersey’s pioneering effort to integrate climate change education across various subjects.
The funding will establish a regional Climate Change Learning Collaborative (CCLC) through Stockton’s Southern Regional Institute and Educational Technology Training Center (SRI & ETTC). Faculty from Stockton’s Schools of Education, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Arts and Humanities will develop lesson plans and experiential learning opportunities focused on climate change.
Patty Weeks, director of the SRI & ETTC, highlighted Stockton’s strategic locations and history in environmental education as key assets for the collaborative. The program, co-directed by Kimberly Lebak, will offer K-12 educators content knowledge on climate change and its local impacts, alongside hands-on experiences with community organizations.
Programming for the CCLC begins in June, free for K-12 educators. The SRI & ETTC annually serves nearly 10,000 educators, providing professional development in various educational topics.