EmPowered Schools Program

EmPowered Schools Program is sponsored by PSE&G. PSE&G's EmPowered Schools Program provides free energy education resources, classroom materials, and teacher support to New Jersey K-12 schools. While not a cash grant, these free resources aim to significantly reduce program costs for NJ schools by offering curriculum, activities, professional development, and energy assessments.

EmPowered Schools - Sustainable Jersey Schools EmPowered Schools 2026-2027 Apply to be an EmPowered School! The Empowered Schools program provides free support and resources to educate PK-12 students in saving energy and money in their schools and homes.

Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G), New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG), South Jersey Gas (SJG), Elizabethtown Gas (ETG), and Rockland Electric Company (RECO) fund the program for schools within the service territories.

Schools that are in the NJNG , SJG , ETG or RECO service area, or that receive both electricity and gas from PSE&G are eligible to participate in the EmPowered Schools program and can be eligible to participate in Sustainable Jersey for Schools program.

The program directly engages students for the duration of the school year, integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) principles to promote energy literacy through lesson plans, hands-on activities, and competitions. Students will use the school building and their homes as learning labs to solve real-world problems and generate cultural change by making energy efficiency visible, important, and doable.

The EmPowered activities can be used to earn points toward Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification. Introduction to EmPowered Schools EmPowered Schools Activities Can Help Your School Earn Certification Points with these Actions: Professional Development for Sustainability / Priority action / 5 – 20 points Schools and districts earn points for personnel receiving at least two hours of training on sustainability topics.

EmPowered Schools: Training workshops for teachers at start of program and mid-year. Behavior-Based Energy Conservation Programs / 10 - 20 points Implement a student-led program that assesses energy use in the school, educates the school community about energy use, and that actively promotes energy-saving behaviors among students and staff and/or families.

EmPowered Schools: Energy lessons, classroom audits, and campaigns to save energy in school buildings and/or in homes. Education for Sustainability / 5 points Teach a lesson and assess student learning of sustainability core principles connected to the topic. EmPowered Schools: Lessons on energy conservation and related topics, including water conservation and environmental justice.

Schools must be located within NJNG , SJG , ETG , or RECO service territories, or receiving both gas and electric service from PSE&G to be eligible. Questions about EmPowered Schools and applications should be directed to Grace Chen at gchen@ase. org For questions about Sustainable Jersey for Schools and how to register, please contact JoAnna Contarino at schools@sustainablejersey.

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