March 2023

Volume 15 Issue 11

After final approvals May 2022, in the 2022-2023 school year, the NJ Safe Schools Program (NJSS) will continue implementing an expanded special grant funded initiative in partnership with the NJ Department of Education-Office of Career Readiness. The goal is to provide teachers free work-based learning (WBL or formerly school-sponsored structured learning experiences) supervisory trainings for career and technical education (CTE) and WBL in non-hazardous occupations throughout NJ via targeted recruitment.   

The teachers eligible for this opportunity are required to take the four required courses for work-based learning supervision and two other online topical courses—otherwise offered for free to teachers and students statewide—on apprenticeships and cyber-safety/cyber-security.

There will be six cohorts of trainings available between fall 2022 and summer 2023. Eligible participants are selected and assigned to cohorts using application form via PsychData.

The application form is now available. To access and submit the application form, please visit https://www.psychdata.com/s.asp?SID=192380.

Please note: If you previously completed the four required courses for WBL, formerly school-sponsored structured learning experiences (SLE), then you do not need to retake these courses in this capacity. If you apply and are not eligible for this opportunity, NJSS will contact you and provide more information to register for our regular work-based learning training cohorts, held through July 2022 and again in early fall 2022 through fall 2023, at a reduced total cost and with an improved administrative process.

An outline of the required courses for WBL supervision is below. The teachers eligible for the previously mentioned opportunity are also required to take two other online topical courses—otherwise offered for free to teachers and students statewide—on apprenticeships and cyber-safety/cyber-security.

A. Federal Wage & Hour and Child Labor Laws

Online course. This course is hosted on the Rutgers Canvas learning management system (LMS) and takes about 5-6 hours to complete. 

B. New Jersey Wage & Hour and Child Labor Laws 

Online course for 2022-2023. This course has two parts. First, the online course on the Rutgers Canvas learning management system (LMS), then the live session hosted on Rutgers WebEx.

C. OSHA 10 Plus

Online course for 2022-2023. This course has three parts. First, the “OSHA 10 General Industry” online course on CareerSafe, then the NJDOE 2-hour Safety and Health overview on the Rutgers Canvas learning management system (LMS), and lastly the live session hosted on Rutgers WebEx.

D. Designing & Implementing Student Training Plans

Online course for 2022-2023. This course has two parts. First, the online course on the Rutgers Canvas learning management system (LMS), including the completion of the mandatory day two field assignment, then the live session hosted on Rutgers WebEx.

The regular schedule for work-based learning (WBL, formerly known as Structured Learning Experiences or SLE) trainings for certified teachers only who are applying for a cooperative education coordinator certificate-hazardous occupations, a cooperative education coordinator certificate, or who are appointed to coordinate WBL placements has been released for 2022-2023.

Course costs and registration are now available on our website https://sph.rutgers.edu/training/nj-safe-schools/required-courses.html. 

Email: [email protected] 

Six cohorts will be available for registration, with the first cohort beginning January 2023 and the last cohort ending in December 2023. You must complete the four paid, required work-based learning online courses during the selected cohort’s time period. All trainings will be online, with asynchronous and synchronous parts to each of the four required WBL trainings.

A. Federal Wage & Hour and Child Labor Laws

Online course. This course is hosted on the Rutgers Canvas learning management system (LMS) and takes about 5-6 hours to complete. 

B. New Jersey Wage & Hour/Child Labor Laws 

Online course for 2022-2023. This course has two parts. First, the online course on the Rutgers Canvas learning management system (LMS), then the live session hosted on Rutgers WebEx.

C. OSHA 10 Plus

Online course for 2022-2023. This course has three parts. First, the “OSHA 10 General Industry” online course on CareerSafe, then the NJDOE 2-hour Safety and Health overview on the Rutgers Canvas learning management system (LMS), and lastly the live session hosted on Rutgers WebEx. A memo with additional details will be emailed to participants upon registration.

D. Designing & Implementing Student Training Plans

Online course for 2022-2023. This course has two parts. First, the online course on the Rutgers Canvas learning management system (LMS), including the completion of the mandatory day two field assignment, then the live session hosted on Rutgers WebEx.

Note: In 2022-2023, we are accepting payment by credit card via our registration system, ANCOR. Courses paid by credit card are eligible for a full refund upon cancellation in 2022-2023. There are no refunds for courses paid by personal check or district/school check in advance; however, you may move to another open training date for the same course in the same calendar year. If you must, for a documented reason agreed to by NJ Safe Schools Program, delay completion of course(s), then we strongly suggest a delay of one cohort time period. We will handle specific requests on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with the NJDOE.

The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) released the Work-Based Learning (WBL) Handbook on January 18, 2023. The handbook provides guidance for WBL programing in several areas including eligible types of WBL experiences; WBL administrative code, statutes, and regulations; required documentation; reporting of WBL experiences and WBL coordinating requirements. The purpose of this comprehensive handbook is meant to serve as a resource for secondary high school district personnel in developing, implementing, and evaluating quality WBL programing for all students.

Initial information sessions were held on February 1 and 2, 2023 with registration emphasis on school district personnel that were operating approved CTE programs of study. Below are the scheduled additional information sessions for school district personnel that are operating either CTE or non-CTE WBL programs. Please complete and submit your registration through the NJDOE Calendar of Events by the registration due date indicated below.

For any questions, please contact David Gehrke at [email protected].

The Career Z Challenge, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, is a multi-phase prize competition seeking creative solutions to expand student access to high-quality work-based learning (WBL) opportunities that will prepare them to be contributing members of today’s workforce and propel them into successful careers. The Career Z Challenge supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s Raise the Bar: Unlocking Career Success initiative championed by the U.S. Departments of Education, Labor, and Commerce.

Through this Challenge, the Department invites Perkins eligible schools, districts, and consortiums to share their ideas for creating or enhancing WBL opportunities in career and technical education (CTE) programs through the expansion of WBL ecosystems. Eligible entrants will engage collaborative ecosystems of educators, businesses, industries, workforce processionals, and community stakeholders to provide students interconnected and expansive career development opportunities and experiences across grades 9-12.

Semi-finalists and finalists will be eligible to receive targeted technical assistance including professional development support, webinars and training, participation in a community of practice (CoP), as well as a portion of a $2.5 million prize pool.

National Healthy Schools Day is April 4, 2023. National Healthy Schools Day is coordinated by Healthy Schools Network in partnership with many agencies and organizations. The 2023 focus is “Clean Air in School for Every Child.” If you are interested in learning more about National Healthy Schools Day, please visit http://healthyschools.org/National-Healthy-Schools-Day/.

The American Public Health Association’s (APHA) National Public Health Week is April 3-9, 2023. The 2023 theme is “Centering and Celebrating Cultures in Health.” During each day of National Public Health Week, there will be a different focus on a particular public health topic. The daily themes include community, violence prevention, reproductive and sexual health, mental health, rural health, accessibility, and food and nutrition. If you are interested in learning more about National Public Health Week, please visit http://www.nphw.org/. 

In 2020, New Jersey announced it will be the first U.S. state to require climate change education, throughout grades K-12, as a response to increasing recognition of frequent local, state, national and worldwide impacts. Through Rutgers School of Public Health (SPH), the NJ Safe Schools Program (NJSS) developed, over the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years with a comprehensive testing process with dozens of students across three school districts in NJ, an introductory ≤2-hour asynchronous, online course for NJ high school (HS) students. It provides supplemental information to augment and complement district/school curricula on environmental science, climate change, sustainability, environmental justice, and related occupational health and safety topics. The course, currently hosted on the Rutgers Canvas Learning Management System or LMS, is titled, “Introduction to HS Students to Climate Change, Sustainability, and Environmental and Social Justice.” This course continues to be available to students and teachers for the 2022-23 school year, and in future years. For more information, please look at the following website pages via NJSS or via a NJ non-profit working with NJ agencies and Office of the Governor, respectively.

https://sph.rutgers.edu/training/nj-safe-schools/climate-change.html

https://njclimateeducation.org/professional-learning (listed under “Professional Learning”)

To enroll students and yourself and/or colleagues working in NJ public schools:

Please email [email protected] with an Excel spread sheet or Word table containing each student’s first name, last name and school administered email address (or student’s personal email address formally accepted for tracking purposes at the district/school). 

References:

Shendell, D., Black, L., Way, Y., Aggarwal, J., Campbell, M., & Nguyen, K. Knowledge, Attitudes and Awareness of Public High School Students Regarding Concepts and Environmental Health Aspects of Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Justice. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2023, 20(3), 1922. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031922

(Accepted/in press January 16-17, 2023 for March 2023 issue)

Black, L.F., Li, K., Shendell, D.G. 2022. Expanding Awareness of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Environmental Health through an Introductory Short Online Course for High School Students. Elsevier EXPLORE: Health and the Environment. 18 (3): 381-383. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1550830722000386?via%3Dihub

(Accepted/in press as of late February-March 2022 for May-June 2022 issue)

NJ Safe Schools program has recently redesigned its Non-SLE General Occupational Safety and Health Courses web page. The web page now displays content in a matrix format for better organization and easier navigation purposes.



For 2022-2023, we encourage teachers and students to take advantage of these asynchronous, free, ~1.5-3- hour opportunities to augment in-person class and other online activities with your students. They can help meet curricular planning and implementation goals approved by district and school(s). Upon completing online courses, students and teachers receive a certification of completion for each course. Also, teachers will receive professional development units (PDU). If you are interested in enrolling your students and yourself in any of the courses, please email [email protected] with an Excel spread sheet or Word table containing each student’s first name, last name and school administered (or formally accepted for tracking purposes) email address. 

We have a frequently asked question (FAQ) section on the NJ Safe Schools website. There are over 50 FAQs on the list covering a range of topics in four subcategories pertaining to structured learning experiences (SLEs). Questions about SLE supervision eligibility, SLE program set-up, worksite placement considerations, required paperwork and on-site workplace concerns for students in SLEs are included. The list of FAQs was compiled from actual questions submitted by NJ teachers/supervisors. Each of the responses previously appeared in print or electronic newsletters through the NJ Safe Schools Program or the “SLE info share listserv.”

The New Jersey Safe Schools/NJDOE Incident Reporting Form for Career and Technical Education Programs, Cooperative Education Experiences, and Structured Learning Experiences is online.

Schools are required by code (N.J.A.C. 6A:19-6.5) to submit their incident report online. You can download a copy of the newly updated “Guidance Manual for Completing the Incident Reporting Form” on this site. Note: The Guidance Manual was last updated as of December 2018.