Camden Schools Rally for Earth Day

CAMDEN, NJ. April 8, 2014 – Students at UrbanPromise Academy and CamdenForward School in Camden, NJ are planning on celebrating Earth Day with a Pep Rally and a series of presentations in honor of the Earth.

Environmental awareness is practiced year round at UrbanPromise Academy which participates in National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA program, a holistic program that provides resources and support to help schools take steps towards sustainability, on school grounds and within the curriculum.  Earth Day holds special resonance with the school as it is an opportunity to celebrate all that they have accomplished for the environment. 

UrbanPromise will be joining CamdenForward School for a celebration Pep Rally, and presentations on water conservation, upcycling projects and the unveiling of the recycling thermometer to illustrate how much recycling they have accomplished in one year.  The school will also celebrate other environmental stewardship projects they have undertaken including the creation of rain barrels and a rain garden. Awards will be given and students and faculty will take the Earth Day Pledge, vowing to be good stewards of the planet, promising to reuse, reduce, and recycle, and pledging to take action and make a difference.

Jennifer Dowd, Eco-Schools NJ coordinator, New Jersey Audubon says, “Earth Day is a great opportunity to celebrate our planet and recognize the great work being done in schools to create a new generation of thinkers in sustainability.”

UrbanPromise Academy joined Eco-Schools USA in 2013. This free and voluntary program helps schools make connections across multiple disciplines while integrating sustainability into class subjects.  The result is increased student achievement, renewed interest in science and math and a positive impact on the environment.  There are now more than 100 Eco-Schools in New Jersey, up from just 43 last year.  Eco-Schools is an international program in 59 countries. The program is hosted by the National Wildlife Federation in the United States, and coordinated by New Jersey Audubon in New Jersey.  Eco-Schools USA in New Jersey supports and directly aligns with Sustainable Jersey for Schools point-based system.  

“Eco-Schools have much to be proud of this Earth Day, as we celebrate their commitment to sustainability and student learning,” says Curtis Fisher, northeast regional executive director, National Wildlife Federation.  “It holds true that when you are an Eco-School, every day really is Earth Day.”

For more information: www.eco-schoolsusa.org