BRIDGEWATER – Sustainable Jersey for Schools presented Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School (SCVTHS) with Bronze Certification during the 2025 Sustainable Jersey for Schools Awards Ceremony held during the recent New Jersey School Boards Association Workshop. This is the second year in a row that SCVTHS has been recognized for its sustainability excellence.
Sustainable Jersey is celebrating 10 years of awarding certification to school districts that develop learning opportunities and model best practices in areas like energy use, waste reduction, and climate education. Schools apply for the award annually and are awarded points towards different levels of certification. The Bronze Certification requires a minimum of 150 points. SCVTHS earned 220 points as a result of the various environmental, curricular, and social-emotional learning activities in which the school community participated.
Special Education Instructor Mary Kreiss-Papalski and Science Instructor Shannon Pisani were once again the driving forces behind the campaign to gain the certification. "Earning the Bronze Certification for the second year in a row reflects our ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility within our school community,” said Mrs. Pisani. “This would not have been possible without the administration, the Green Team, and all of the staff who have supported and contributed to this effort," added Mrs. Kreiss-Papalski. In the future, the SCVTHS school community will be working toward earning Silver Certification and Digital Schools Star recognition in an effort to promote meaningful sustainability practices.
Sustainable Jersey for Schools was launched by Sustainable Jersey, an organization that provides tools, training, and financial incentives to support and reward municipalities and schools as they pursue sustainability programs. “Across the nation, many school systems are still searching for ways to meet sustainability commitments. In New Jersey, however, schools are showing what real progress looks like,” said Randall Solomon, executive director of Sustainable Jersey. To date, 1,223 schools are participating in the program. Sustainable Jersey for Schools has awarded over $3.6 million in grants to schools and school districts.
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