The Academy for Environmental Science, located at Jefferson Twp High School and part of the Morris County Vocational School District, was awarded the 2024 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award for Environmental Education. This award, one of nine, was presented at a Ceremony held in December that honored the invaluable contributions of individual groups, organizations, and businesses demonstrating initiative and commitment to protecting New Jersey’s air, land, water, open space, and fish and wildlife.
The Academy for Environmental Science’s efforts included cleanups at Lake Hopatcong and conducting air particulate studies during the Canadian wildfire smoke events that impacted New Jersey’s air quality. Heather Varner, the Lead Teacher at the Academy for Environmental Science, and Patricia Vandigriff, the Teacher of Environmental Literature, accepted the award.
Additionally, a student, Carolyn He, in the Academy for Math, Science, and Engineering located at Morris Hills High School, received the James J. Florio Emerging Environmental Leader Award. This award is given to a young New Jersey resident who demonstrates exceptional leadership and outstanding accomplishments in environmental protection.
Carolyn has led A Sustainable Future – a program focused on sustainable paper consumption and reducing wasteful printing in schools. Since 2023, the program has helped more than 75 school districts and 200 students across the country minimize excessive printing. Additionally, A Sustainable Future has expanded to offer its services worldwide and hosted its first “Climate Convention” to engage students about environmental issues.
The Academy for Environmental Science provides students with the interdisciplinary study of natural processes and human impacts on the atmosphere, aquatic systems, and soils. The academy’s program of study links the principles of art, history, language arts, technology, biology, chemistry, physics,, and mathematics to environmental concepts.
An academy program of the Morris County Vocational School District (MCVSD) provides students in grades nine through twelve with in-depth instruction in a specific career pathway. Students attend the academy program instead of their local high school unless the academy program is housed in their local high school. Students take their academy class each year along with the NJ State Department of Education’s academic requirements. All academy students receive a high school diploma from the Morris County Vocational School District, regardless of their academy location. Each academy has a unique academy course sequence and opportunities for internships and earning college credit.
Morris County Vocational School District (MCVSD) offers various career and technical education programs that inspire and prepare students to succeed in today’s world and pursue tomorrow’s opportunities. Programs range from auto service and construction trades to healthcare sciences, global commerce, performing arts, and cybersecurity. The high school offers full-time academies and share-time programs on its Denville campus. In addition, through collaboration with local school districts and the County College of Morris, MCVSD offers full-time academies and share-time programs established at off-site satellite locations; for more information, visit www.mcvts.org.
