New Jersey School Boards Association Honors Four Districts with the 2024 School Leader Award

Innovative programs in four New Jersey schools have earned recognition in the New Jersey School Boards Association’s annual School Leader Award program.

Each year, the School Leader Award showcases creative and effective programs that New Jersey schools are implementing to enhance student achievement. Entries are judged on their level of innovation, and how well their programs meet students’ needs, enabling them to achieve to their highest potential. Congratulations to all involved for successfully serving their students.

This year, the judges of the 2024 School Leader Award program selected two school districts for exemplary program recognition and two recognized programs, out of 16 entries. We thank the individuals who took on the task of judging this year’s award: Anne H. Gallagher, director, Communications Department, New Jersey Association of School Administrators; Daniel Higgins, director of strategic communications, New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; and Vincent DeLucia, director of special projects at the New Jersey School Boards Association.

Award winners will be honored at a ceremony during a county school boards association meeting later this year. The winners are:

Franklin Township Public Schools, Somerset County

Invention Competition

(Recognized Program)

When a community partner approached the Franklin Township Public School District with the hope of supporting creative innovative thinking via a generous financial contribution, district officials embraced the opportunity to foster strong relationships with its community partners around initiatives that promote STEAM learning opportunities recognizing the importance of STEM-related fields to the students, many of whom belong to traditionally underrepresented communities.

As a result of the community partnership, the district launched the Invention Competition.

The mission of the Invention Competition is to provide students in this highly diverse district with exciting opportunities to use their imagination and ingenuity to design solutions to real-world problems.

In participating in this annual design challenge event, students have a chance to apply their mastery of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, especially those found within the area of Computer Science and Design Thinking.

Approximately 7,200 students from New Jersey’s second-most diverse student population either participate in or are exposed to the Invention Competition.

Launched in 2022, the program has since expanded from solely an elementary initiative to one that now includes all 10 of the district’s K-12 schools.

In addition to the expanded number of students exposed to the program, the Invention Competition has enabled the district to enter the New Jersey School Boards Association’s STEAM Tank competition, in which one of the teams advanced to the regional finals this year.

Congratulations to the Franklin Township School District for its Invention Competition program as a recipient of the New Jersey School Boards Association’s annual School Leader Award for recognized program.

Hamilton Township School District (Mercer)

The Journey to Becoming a River-Friendly School

(Exemplary Program)

What started as a request for funding by Alexander Elementary School’s Ra Nae Camilleri, special education teacher, and Michelle Goliszewski, kindergarten teacher, to the Hamilton Education Foundation for a grant to create an outdoor learning space, to get students learning through experiences in a more natural, lower stress environment, ended up morphing into something quite remarkable.

After securing the grant, the district received resources and assistance from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, The Watershed Institute in Pennington, and the New Jersey Audubon Society based in Bernardsville.

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension delivered more than a garden. Alexander School became the site of a rain garden — the third such garden in the Hamilton Township School District, and the fifth rain garden in Hamilton Township as a whole. A grant secured by The Watershed Institute allowed for a partnership with the New Jersey Audubon Society and the Audubon’s program called EcoSchools allowed the school community to seek environmental certifications from both organizations.

Rutgers designed and installed the rain garden; students in upper grades added plants; and kindergarten students laid down rocks. The garden was filled with native New Jersey vegetation, which will attract and feed pollinator insects, birds and butterflies. Students learned rain gardens promote the purification of water runoff, thus reducing pollutants going into the waterways.

The Watershed Institute assisted with project-based learning about the critical roles of rivers with students focusing on four major components: water quality management; water conservation; wild habitat enhancement; and education and outreach.

The students’ work paid off! In 2024, the Alexander School was officially named a River-Friendly School by The Watershed Institute – one of 30 New Jersey schools to receive the award since 2010. In September, the New Jersey Audubon Society awarded the school a green flag – the highest certification level for schools taking significant ecological steps in Audubon’s program.

Going forward, the rain garden will continue to help teachers meet science standards and provide opportunities for math lessons, reading adventures and writing.

Congratulations to the Mercer County Hamilton Township School District’s, The Journey to Becoming a River-Friendly School program, as a recipient of the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Annual School Leader Award for exemplary program.

Roxbury Public Schools (Morris)

Aviation program

(Exemplary Program)

One of this year’s exemplary programs, the Morris County Roxbury School District’s Aviation program, inspires and empowers the next generation of aviators, engineers, technicians and leaders who will contribute to the advancement of the aviation industry and make a positive impact on our global community. From aerodynamics and aircraft systems to flight planning and navigation, the program’s coursework covers a wide range of topics essential for success in the aviation industry.

One of the hallmarks of the program is the success in helping students obtain their private pilot licenses. In addition to pilot training, the program offers students the opportunity to obtain their drone part 107 license. This certification opens doors to exciting career opportunities in fields such as aerial photography and surveying and equips students with valuable skills in drone operation and safety.

The program is made available to students from all backgrounds. Yearly events are organized to serve as opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to learn about aviation and spark their interest in the program from an early age.

Aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, the curriculum integrates STEM, language arts and social studies, offering a comprehensive education experience, while honing critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills, preparing students for successful careers in aviation and aerospace.

The program’s industry partners play a crucial role in preparing students for success in the competitive aviation industry and ensuring that they are well-equipped to thrive.

Congratulations to the Morris County Roxbury School District’s, Roxbury Aviation program, a recipient of the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Annual School Leader Award for exemplary program.

Warren Township Public Schools (Somerset)

Capstone Experience

(Recognized Program)

Warren Township School’s Capstone Experience is an innovative educational program designed to engage students in critical thinking, problem-solving and real-world applications of their learning.

The primary goals of the program are to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving, foster collaboration and teamwork, develop oral communication, public speaking, and media literacy skills, and promote goal setting and personal accountability. It provides students with opportunities to showcase their knowledge and skills through interdisciplinary projects focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a set of universal goals that meet the urgent environmental, political and economic challenges facing our world.

Students are assigned to teams based on their interests such as zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, responsible consumption and production, life below water and life on land.

Focused on grades five to eight, the program has been successful in achieving its goals. Students have shown significant improvements in critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills.

The Capstone Experience exemplifies an effective approach to education that goes beyond traditional classroom learning. By engaging students in real-world problems and encouraging them to develop practical solutions, the program not only enhances academic skills but also prepares students to be thoughtful, proactive global citizens.

Congratulations to the Warren Township School District’s, the Capstone Experience program, a recipient of the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Annual School Leader Award for recognized program.