The Sustainable New Jersey Certified Program is a nonprofit organization. It provides tools, training and financial incentives to support communities as they pursue sustainability programs. This program helps the effort to reduce waste, cut greenhouse gas emission and improve environmental equity. The program is trying to involve as many schools as they can and is trying to build a better world for future generations.

WHHS has attained Bronze level status, and also just received a 2,000 dollar grant to build a shed in the community garden.  In order to receive a certification sign up on their website (www.sustainablejersey.com). After you sign up, your schools and districts, depending on which you signed up with, will get evaluated. Those schools and districts will be evaluated by how much they are helping the environment. Some things they might ask are: “Are you using a solar panel and if so how many do you have and how much energy are you getting out of them?” “Have a garden on your school campus,” “Have filtered water for your student?”. Once you are done getting evaluated, you get ranked. The two certified awards you can get are bronze and silver. Silver is the highest certified you can get. If certified with either a bronze or silver plaque will be then sent to your school.

This year WHHS participated in the program. The school was given the bronze certified award.
“Wayne Hills is a very green school, we have solar panels and we have flirted water around the school which makes student use fewer water bottles,” said Nicole Wilkins, senior.

Currently, there are about 430-schools participating in the program. However, only 161 were certified. Being given the bronze award is very good. However, the school in now working on getting the silver award.

“The goal this year is to pursue silver status for the school by working with other teams in the district,” said Donna Del Moro, WHHS Teacher.