Egg Harbor Township High School Receives $10,000 Environmental Grant

Our community's next generation of environmental stewards just received a major boost. Egg Harbor Township High School has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the American Water Charitable Foundation to support a student-led coastal protection initiative that will strengthen dune systems along the Ocean City coastline.

The grant, announced Monday, July 1, 2026, will fund a hands-on project through the school's Oceanography and Environmental Science classes. Students will pre-condition American Beach Grass culms in the school's greenhouse facility before planting them along the Ocean City shoreline—a practical approach to improving stormwater management, strengthening natural dune barriers, and slowing saltwater encroachment into the Great Egg Harbor Watershed.

This isn't just classroom theory—it's real conservation work with lasting impact. By cultivating the grasses themselves and participating in the planting process, students gain firsthand experience in environmental stewardship while directly contributing to the resilience of our coastal communities.

The project represents a true community partnership. The American Littoral Society will facilitate grass procurement and transport, while Ocean City Public Works will identify the most effective planting locations along the shoreline. This collaboration ensures the students' efforts will have maximum environmental benefit.

Beyond the physical work of restoration, students will document their progress through photos, video, and school-produced commercials. These materials will be aired on Eagle News and shared across social media platforms, extending conservation awareness to an estimated 10,000 community members throughout Atlantic and Cape May Counties.

"Providing safe and reliable water is what we do, but giving back to the communities we serve is part of who we are," said Mark McDonough, President of New Jersey American Water. "Through the Foundation's Water and Environment Grant Program, we're proud to invest in local organizations that protect our water resources, educate future stewards and strengthen communities across New Jersey."

The grant is part of the American Water Charitable Foundation's Keep Communities Flowing Grant Program, which focuses on three pillars: Water, People and Communities. This year, the Foundation awarded over $179,000 to ten nonprofit organizations across New Jersey American Water's service area.

"The American Water Charitable Foundation is delighted to support eligible nonprofit organizations making a meaningful impact across New Jersey," said Carrie Williams, President of the American Water Charitable Foundation. "Funding for Water and Environment grants support projects focused on clean water, conservation, environmental education, climate variability, and water-based recreation."

For Egg Harbor Township High School students, this project offers something increasingly rare in education: the chance to see their work create tangible, positive change in their own backyard. As our coastal communities face ongoing challenges from storms and rising seas, these young people are learning to be part of the solution—one grass culm at a time.

New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest regulated water utility in the state, providing water and wastewater services to approximately 3 million people. The American Water Charitable Foundation has invested over $25 million in community grants since 2012.