Tag: STEAM

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey is thrilled to announce the return of the redesigned Species on the Edge 2.0 contest for its second year! High school students from grades 9 to 12 across New Jersey are invited to join this exciting competition and stand a chance to win fabulous cash prizes.

Species on the Edge 2.0 isn’t just any contest—it’s a dynamic, problem-based learning project aimed at teaching students how to protect and preserve the rare and at-risk wildlife that call New Jersey home. This fun and engaging contest is the perfect opportunity for students to team up with their friends and develop real-world solutions to ensure our wildlife continues to thrive.

Participants will gain invaluable skills in STEAM, environmental advocacy, design thinking, social and emotional learning, teamwork, critical thinking, and project management. It’s an amazing chance to learn, grow, and make a real impact!

How to Join the Fun:

1. Form a team of 2 to 6 students.
2. Choose a threatened or endangered species native to New Jersey.
3. Create an awesome video to raise public awareness and propose solutions to help restore our ecosystem

Still images from the First and Second Place team’s videos in the 2024 contest

Participants will be amazed by how many species are currently “on the edge” in New Jersey, the nation’s most densely populated state. Registered teams will receive a contest kit with all the guidelines and are invited to attend information sessions where they’ll explore various scenarios. Each team will take on the role of a research scientist, citizen scientist, engineer, policy maker, investigative reporter, college professor, non-profit director, or environmental artist. The creativity is endless!

The Species on the Edge 2.0 contest is completely free and offers an incredible opportunity for students and facilitators to win cash prizes. To join the mission, complete the online entry form by March 3, 2025, at: https://conservewildlifenj.org/education/edge2.0/. Make sure to submit your finished videos by April 18, 2025.

Ready, set, let’s save New Jersey’s wildlife together!

by Rachel McGovern, Director of Education

Educators and biologists at Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey are leading educational programs at Ridge Street Elementary School in Newark, New Jersey, for the eighth consecutive year. Comprehensive STEAM curricula that follow New Jersey State Learning Standards for Science were developed by CWF staff for grades K, 3, 5 and 6. These curricula provide a series of classroom lessons, projects, and field trips focused on New Jersey’s wildlife.

While delivery of this program, entitled “Soaring With STEAM,” was adapted to a virtual learning environment during the pandemic, this 2022-23 school year has been presented entirely in-person, allowing staff to meaningfully interact with students and teachers in the classroom.    

by David Wheeler, CWF Executive Director

CWF’s innovative environmental education program served as the cover story for the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) Review, a monthly magazine that reaches over 200,000 subscribers, including every public school teacher in the state. The story, written by education director Stephanie DAlessio and executive director David Wheeler, highlights CWF’s singular approach to environmental education, which meets NGSS standards by melding experiential learning with scientific observation and hypothesis testing about nature’s phenomena via wildlife webcams and other online resources, all based on educational theory.  Continue reading “CWF education leadership highlights NJEA Review cover story”