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THIS SEASON’S CERTIFICATE PROGRAM STARTS TUES MARCH 14th 2023 !

2023 Certificate Program in Urban Sustainability Details Below - Registration Closes Saturday March 11th 12noon

Course Dates - Tuesday Evenings, Starting March 14th - May 16th, 6:30 -9:30pm; Bonus Session Tues Eve May 23rd

REGISTER HERE share https://www.eventbrite.com/e/via-zoom-2024-sjc-certificate-program-in-urban-sustainability-tickets-798893310397

DONATIONS excepted to support this course here

What - 20 hours of training from community and industry practitioners on various topics central to sustainability and resiliency planning; provides thoughtful opportunities for impactful change to shift both personal and work life.

Where - VIRTUAL VIA Zoom For 2024

When - 10 Consecutive Tues Evenings March 12th - May 14thth; 6:30-8:30pm 

Price - $75 Community Members; College & High School Students Attend For Only $12; Alumni May Attend For Free

"The Certificate Program in Urban Sustainability looks like a great opportunity for current and emerging environmental professionals, project managers, and concerned citizens to develop their sustainability skill set.  The proposed program has a great mix of sustainability concepts and management / implementation techniques.  The instructors are excellent and offer expertise from diverse backgrounds.  I strongly encourage this program and have circulated it to the other members of the Jersey City Environmental Commission." 

   - Jersey City Environmental Commission

Last Season’s 2023 Participants’ Testimonials Here !

5 Course Modules - 2 Sessions Each (4 hours for each topic)

  • Overview of Sustainability, Resiliency & Whole Systems Thinking

  • Environmental Justice / Eco Justice Exploration

  • Emissions Causes and Emissions Reduction Opportunities, shared Perspectives From Science, Economics and Policy, with a Focus on the Roles of Cities in Climate Change

  • Best Practices In Urban Sustainability & Commuinity Engagement

  • Waste Streams - Socio Economic Perspectives & Drivers Distilled + New Emerging Circular Economy and What That Means For Supply Chains

THIS SEASON’S CERTIFICATE PROGRAM STARTS TUESDAY MARCH 12th 2024 !

CSC RELATES TO ALL THAT WE DO !  

Community Sustainability Curriculum (CSC) Background

Incorporating feedback garnered from an array of community stakeholders from across the City whom we polled in 2011, we began to design a community education initiative with two important workshops our first Prospectus, offered at Hudson County Community College (HCCC) in January 2012.  These workshops were quickly embraced by the community and we scheduled seven more workshops based on priorities that were shared during those polling sessions - these framed our 2012 Workshop Series.  The series was designed to help develop the skills necessary for effective community organizing and to share tools, techniques and knowledge that would help us all to understand the causes and solutions to sustainability challenges here in the City.

More information on the polling exercise can be found on our Participatory Planning page where we talk about the Concept Mapping tool we used.

Building Momentum

In addition to that 2012 workshop series at HCCC, we hosted 50+ education events during 2013 - 2014, and 50+ more in 2015 - 2016 in a variety of venues, which formalized and helped us to refine our Community Sustainability Curriculum (CSC) as an SJC Project initiative.  In 2014, we formally launched our new Certificate Program: Urban Sustainability in Jersey City, which ran from March to early June, and is now offered each Spring around the same time.  This is the first community education initiative to address sustainability in Jersey City, Hudson County, and we have proudly partnered with Ramapo College of NJ, The Cloud Institute, Green Path NJ, Eco-Schools USA, New York Permaculture Exchange, AppleSeed Permaculture and others, to offer this Fast Track 24 hour 8-session series.  In 2015 we added a Project Management track and in 2016 we added a Permaculture Track with partner New York Permaculture Exchange.. And now, for 2018, we have deepened the Permaculture training we are offering as part of this course with partner AppleSeed Permaculture, and have a broader focus on Greener Buildings & Green Infrastructure.  So far, CEU's are offered by the US Green Building Council and we are currently pursuing additional professional development credits for new components of this Certificate Program in Urban Sustainability.  Also in 2018, we will be launching more professional development course for Built Environment Professionals so stay tuned !

Going Forward

In addition to the Certificate Program In Urban Sustainability, we sponsor a large number of ad hoc hands-on learning opportunities, panel discussions by practitioners, films and talks by professional experts in a variety of fields.  Topics are wide ranging and include 1) Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, 2) Energy Efficiency & Water Conservation, and 3) Green Infrastructure 4) Greener Buildings 5) Urban Farming &  Gardening. Topic suggestions and offers to teach and share knowledge are most welcome and can be submitted here.

Future Vision

Sustainable JC would like to see a learning community evolve that includes the school district, municipal employees and other community stakeholders participating together - on both planning and implementing projects which impact the future sustainability and resiliency of Jersey City neighborhoods.  By prioritizing community and professional education, and collaborating with an array of education partners, we feel that we are doing our part to bring a more informed public to that effort.  Our emphasis on Innovative Demonstration Projects and advocacy for a citywide Sustainability & Resiliency Task Force, that includes representative voices across all Wards of the City, is intended to further that effort.

Collaboration is key to forging a new culture of sustainability for Jersey City.  We have proudly worked with individual community organizations and an array of individuals, including many artists, to advance neighborhood sustainability efforts across our urban landscape.  We also work with the Jersey City School District to bring more students into sustainability focused after school programming opportunities, many of which allow  Jersey City families to participate and learn with their kids.  More information about SJC's 'Permaculture For Kids' and Sustainable Schools program can be found here.

If you are interested to help your organization get educated and be part of a community of conscious practitioners, contact us at info@sustainablejc.org - SJC can help !