In the 2023-2024 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. Only an administrative fee will be charged.   

Eligible teachers are endorsed (certification credentials) in CTE, agricultural education, business, human services-cosmetology, allied health, and/or family and consumer sciences. This application is only available for those individuals that hold a NJ teacher certificate and a NJ CTE endorsement.

There will be six cohorts of trainings available between fall 2023 and summer 2024. 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=198539.

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 throughout 2024.

The teachers eligible for this opportunity are required to take the four required courses for work-based learning supervision. An outline of the required courses for WBL supervision is below. The teachers eligible for this 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 2023-2024. 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 2023-2024. 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 2023-2024. 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 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 2024.

Course costs and registration are now available on our website: https://sph.rutgers.edu/njss/required-courses. 

Email: cscbre@sph.rutgers.edu 

Six cohorts will be available for registration, including a summer cohort. The first cohort begins January 2024 and last cohort ends in November 2024. You must complete the four paid, required work-based learning online courses during the selected cohort’s time period and select the same live session day for all courses. 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 initial 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 2023-2024. 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 2023-2024. 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 2023-2024. 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 2023-2024, 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 2023-2024. 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.

Please note "late registration" or "last chance registration" fees will apply.

Resources and additional information can be found at the CTE Scholarship Award Program webpage. 

Please send questions about the CTE Scholar Award Program to CTEScholarAwardProgram@doe.nj.gov. 

The New Jersey Student Climate Challenge is open to New Jersey public school students in grades 6 to 12. Under their teacher's mentorship, teams of two to 12 students complete a school or community project that addresses a cause or impact of climate change. Each team creates a digital story about the project and completes a Climate Challenge submission form by April 10, 2024. First, second, and third place middle and high school winners are recognized at an Awards Ceremony hosted by First Lady Tammy Murphy. School winners receive grants to advance their climate education initiatives ranging from $500 to $3,500.

To register, by April 10, 2024, visit: https://bit.ly/StudentClimateChallengeRegistration

The Rutgers Center for Rapid Surveillance of Tobacco is newly funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products to monitor tobacco product trends, including to help identify the next emerging brand or product early to inform a timely policy or program response.

One of the activities is to collect images of tobacco and nicotine products that have been confiscated or relinquished by young people in schools or organizations. The Center is asking NJSS for help in sharing the attached flyer with NJ schools. The goal is to have NJ schools share images to understand in real-time which products youth are using and inform national data collection and enforcement efforts.

If anyone has questions, please contact Dr. Jessie Jensen (jessie.jensen@rutgers.edu).

The NJ Safe Schools Program (NJSS) recently published two new journal articles. Read more below.

NJ Safe Schools program offers Non-SLE General Occupational Safety and Health Courses for teachers and students. For 2023-2024, 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 cscbre@sph.rutgers.edu 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 (NJSS) website. There are over 50 FAQs on the list covering a range of topics in four subcategories pertaining to work-based learning (WBL), previously known in NJ as school sponsored 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 NJSS 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.