Climate Change Education in New Jersey

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Originally appears in the Spring 2022 issue.

By Lauren Madden and Margaret Wang

In June 2020, New Jersey made history by announcing that it would be the first state in the US to include climate change standards across the K–12 spectrum.^[1]  In a statement, Mrs. Tammy Murphy, the state’s First Lady, who spearheaded this initiative noted…

“The adoption of these standards is much more than an added educational requirement; it is a symbol of a partnership between generations. Decades of short-sighted decision-making has fueled this crisis and now we must do all we can to help our children solve it. This generation of students will feel the effects of climate change more than any other, and it is critical that every student is provided an opportunity to study and understand the climate crisis through a comprehensive, interdisciplinary lens.”

This sentiment is exciting and can serve as a great motivating force for teachers and schools to grow green thinkers. Climate change impacts in New Jersey are magnified compared to many other places globally and include rises in sea level, an influx of many invasive species due to changing temperature, increases in harmful algal blooms, and urban flooding, to name just a few.^[2]  Studies show that teachers are interested in learning more about how to teach climate change, though they might not have the know-how for implementing the instruction effectively.^[3]  Research also suggests that education for climate change can help mitigate its impacts. For example, Kwauk and Winthrop suggest that if just 16% of high school students learn about climate change in school, it could result in a 20-gigaton reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.^[4] 

However, without purposeful planning, it could also seem like climate change is just one more “add-on” for already-busy teachers and their overpacked school days. In an effort to make sure climate change education gets the recognition it deserves, a plan was quickly put in place to better understand and share best practices.