Woodcliff Middle School Awarded National Wildlife Federation's Eco-Schools USA Silver Award

Turn out the lights! Students at Woodcliff Middle School are holding each other and their teachers accountable for wasted electricity and are finding creative ways to use less throughout the day.  Their efforts in reducing energy usage and in making their school more environmentally friendly have earned them the Bronze and Silver Awards with National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA program.  This international program recognizes and supports integrating sustainability into the curriculum and on school grounds.

Woodcliff Middle School joined Eco-Schools USA in 2013.  This free and voluntary program has been gaining in popularity in the garden state with 125 schools registered throughout New Jersey.  To win the Silver Award, schools must establish an Eco-Team, conduct an environmental audit, develop an Eco-Action plan, evaluate and monitor the plan and include the community to progress along two of the ten environmental pathways laid out by the program such as energy efficiency, biodiversity, and sustainable foods.  Free resources are available on the Eco-Schools USA website that schools can easily adapt to meet their needs.

“Environmental issues have always been very important to me” says Woodcliff teacher, Julia Ogden.  “During a workshop offered by Eco-Schools, I realized that the program afforded me the opportunity to get my students involved in “real science” where the learning would be hands on and the experience authentic.  It was a project that empowered my students and gave them a chance to make a difference in the community.  I couldn’t imagine a more powerful learning experience.”

Woodcliff students conducted energy audits of the school and their homes and then designed an energy action plan which they implemented to reduce the waste of energy in both places.  Some actions were as simple as turning off every other light in the classroom, the savings add up!  The students also submitted their energy plan to the Home Energy Challenge which was being presented by the National Science Teacher Association and were thrilled to be awarded a class party as a result of their participation. 

This year, the school has added an Eco-School elective to the curriculum.  18 students meet every six days to discuss ways to continue to make their school even greener.  Students have formed an action team and invited members of the school and surrounding community to join them.  They will be choosing which of the ten environmental pathways they will choose to focus on this year and are ultimately striving to earn the program’s highest award, the Green Flag.  Only three schools in New Jersey currently hold the honor. 

Jennifer Dowd, Eco-Schools NJ Coordinator, New Jersey Audubon says, “It is exciting to see the work going on at Woodcliff Middle School.  They have truly integrated the Eco-Schools framework into the curriculum and have transformed the school culture.  You can see that the teachers are opening up doors for these kids but it’s the students who are really taking ownership of the project and that is how the best learning happens.”

Woodcliff Middle School also made considerable efforts towards the reduction of waste and consumption in their school.  These tasks earned the school a grant from the Wrigley’s LItter-Less Campaign.  This Campaign, coordinated Eco-Schools with the support of the Wrigley’s Company Foundation, aims to help schools engage in recycling and waste reduction efforts.

There are 14 Eco-Schools in Bergen County including, Bergen County Technical High School, D.A. Quarles Early Childhood Center, Fair Lawn High School, Garfield High School, Harrington Park School, Haworth Public School, Lyncrest School, Memorial Middle School, Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Teaneck and Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Fair Lawn, Warren Point, Westmoreland and Woodcliff Middle School.