Clean Communities Environmental Student Exchange

The Clean Communities Environmental Student Exchange is a program organized by the Clean Communities Council to provide opportunities for students to visit students in regions of the state in which they do not reside or attend school for the purposes of participating in environmental projects and discussing mutual concerns about litter and solid waste.

Program goals are to acquaint students with the types of litter and trash found in different regions of the state and learn how waste is managed; facilitate an exchange of information among students about the trash problem; provide opportunities for students to explore cultural and historical sites within the framework of environmental issues; and promote education about litter and the proper handling of solid waste.

Teachers must agree to prepare students for the student exchange. Students must pledge to Slam Dunk the Junk and Keep New Jersey Clean & Green.  The program is recommended for middle and high school students.

The premier event occurred on March 25, 2009 along the shore of Brigantine when 300 students from all parts of New Jersey cleaned the beaches and looked for interesting and unusual pieces of trash.  Volunteers from Atlantic City and Brigantine coordinated exhibits, monitored the cleanup, and prepared and distributed lunches. A roundtable discussion with pre-selected students occurred after lunch in the United States Coast Guard Station.  The following schools participate:

Atlantic County Institute of Technology
Brigantine Elementary School
East Orange Campus High School
Frank R. Conwell Middle School #1
Gordon Parks Academy
Holy Spirit High School
St  Augustine Preparatory High School
Science Park High School
University High School
West Orange High School

The exchange was complete on May 19, 2009 when students from Brigantine  toured the East Orange Eco-Garden and learned from East Orange students how to create their own eco-garden. 

The first Clean Communities Environmental Student Exchange was a resounding success. The date and location of the Second Annual Clean Communities Student Exchange will be announced.