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SCHOOL PROGRAM

Take positive steps towards a healthy Schoolyard!
Plan, design, and plant a Jersey-Friendly garden project with your students and the entire school community.

Schools are an important component of a healthy Barnegat Bay watershed. You can help to ensure clean water for drinking, swimming and fishing, healthy soil for gardening and growing, and essential habitat for wildlife by engaging students and the entire school community in planning, designing, and creating a Jersey-Friendly Schoolyard.

What Are the Benefits of Certification?

The Jersey-Friendly Yards School Program

  • Incorporates stewardship of the Barnegat Bay watershed into the school curriculum,
  • Helps protect water quality, conserve water, and create wildlife habitat in your schoolyard,
  • Increases student engagement through outdoor learning experiences,
  • Provides opportunities for students to participate in community science projects,
  • Complements the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program,
  • Promotes a positive relationship between the school and community, and
  • Recognizes schools that achieve certification (e.g., through signage, media announcements, and an award ceremony).

Get Your Schoolyard Certified!

Learn about program requirements and how to submit the documentation needed for certification, and find multiple resources to guide you.

Questions? We’re Here To Help!

We are here to provide technical support and guidance, and to answer any questions along the way.

Already participating in
Sustainable Jersey for Schools?

The Jersey-Friendly Yards School Program recognizes related Sustainable Jersey for Schools actions already completed by your school, making it easier to achieve certification in our program.