BERGEN COUNTY, N.J. — Bergen County students dominated the New Jersey Attorney General’s second annual anti-bias youth competition, taking first and second place in the high school category and the top spot among middle schools.

New Milford High School’s Unified Pathways won first place in the high school competition, followed by Bergen County Technical School’s No Matter What We Stand United. Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Teaneck took first place in the middle school category.

The No Hate in the Garden State Youth Competition was organized by the state Division on Civil Rights in partnership with the Division of Criminal Justice as part of the New Jersey Attorney General’s statewide campaign against bias and discrimination.

New Milford’s winning project focused on inclusion and understanding between neurotypical students and students with disabilities, particularly students with autism and individualized education plans. The group hosted five events focused on community and belonging.

Bergen Tech students collected more than 80 verified examples of bias and examined how discrimination manifests in everyday life. They also developed action plans for identifying bias, responding effectively and supporting people targeted by discrimination.

At Teaneck’s Benjamin Franklin Middle School, students organized a poetry slam where students could submit original poems, songs and artwork addressing discrimination, inclusion, diversity and acceptance.

The statewide competition drew 28 groups representing 179 middle and high school students.

Attorney General Jennifer Davenport praised the students for taking an active role in confronting bias.

“The extraordinary students who participated in the No Hate in the Garden State Youth Competition are turning the tide towards a more promising future,” Davenport said.

The three Bergen County winners took different approaches to the competition’s broad focus on bias and inclusion. None of the winning projects specifically focused on antisemitism, with the projects instead addressing disability inclusion, bias more broadly and student expression.

Still, the results represent a major showing for Bergen County schools in a statewide initiative focused on confronting hate and discrimination.