Randall Carter Elementary School has been awarded an NJEA Sustainable Jersey for Schools $2,000 educational grant to rebuild, improve, and enhance the existing nature trail in the woods located on school property. The project will improve the trail condition, mark the trail with Randall Carter Cardinal logo markers, add several nature study areas, add a gathering area with benches, dedicate new informational posts for literacy and nature markers that will be updated by students, add recycling bins, and will build an informational kiosk at the front of the trail which will contain a map of the educational highlights on the trail and display recent science projects completed by students.

In addition to this generous grant provided by NJEA, the Randall Carter PTO has also agreed to provide additional funding to this exciting project. Ms. Brittany Titus, fifth grade teacher at Randall Carter, was the lead author of this grant with help from teachers Mrs. Nicole Puzak and Mrs. Ellen Tosi. This grant win is the school's fifth in the past three years. This grant will add another outdoor educational space (complimenting the school garden and outdoor classroom built with grant funds last year) at which to enhance the science instruction at the school consistent with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). When completed the nature trail will also be open to the community in the evenings and on weekends.