Luis Muñoz Marín (LMM) Elementary School for Social Justice and the New Jersey Tree Foundation held a Tree Planting Ceremony and Event on April 16, 2019 to enhance the school and community grounds. The event was well supported with over 75 volunteers consisting of local dignitaries (Councilman Anibal Ramos, Council Member Luis A. Quintana and Dupre Kelly, Founder of 211 Community Impact), community partners (One Tree Planted Organization, Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey City University, Rutgers University Police Department, Lyft, Hertz, and United Way: Project Warmth), central office personnel, staff members, parents and scholars.

This opportunity sponsored by the Renaissance Trees Program, maintains an outstanding partnership between LMM and the New Jersey Tree Foundation. The New Jersey Tree Foundation will water, weed, mulch and secure the 31 trees that were planted on the school grounds. Under the tutelage of Principal Maria Ortiz, School Operations Manager Courtney Johnson, Community Engagement Specialist April Anderson-Brown, Renaissance Trees Program Coordinator Crystal Wessel and Project Director Jasmine West-Romero, the LMM school community will benefit tremendously from the educational experiences and community outreach extended by the additional green spaces. LMM will continue to engage in social justice and local/global consciousness projects to raise environmental projection awareness. Held days just before Earth Day, the Tree Planting Ceremony and Event made a lasting impression on participants and hopefully in the years to come as the trees flourish on Newark grounds.