Summit Education Program

This year’s education program kicks it up a notch by conducting extensive outreach and surveying to identify what matters to you most. Topics will include solutions and best practices reflecting your interests as well as your own experiences that you will be able to share with your peers. In addition to hearing from selected panelists there will be Q & A allowing for attendee participation and interaction.

In addition to our sessions covering facility and transportation solutions there will be sessions for educators who are part of efforts to connect facilities and campuses to learning opportunities. California has some of Nation’s leading Environmental Literacy Programs and Activities and this year’s Summit welcome’s these leaders as our key partners in Green Technology’s service to all of our education sector partners.

As always many of the education sessions will qualify for Continuing Education Credits, Units, or Renewal Points.

Green Technology is an AIA (American Institute of Architects) Continuing Education Provider, #G515 and an ICC (International Code Council) Preferred Provider, #1170.

Education Session Topics:

• *Sustainability Planning for Schools & Higher Education
• *CALGreen for Schools
• *Funding and grant opportunities for Schools & Higher Education
• *Sustainability in the Curriculum and Student Engagement
• *Energy Efficiency – Zero Net Energy
• *Decarbonization and Embodied Carbon
• *Environmental Literacy – Bridging the gap between facilities and the classroom
• *Best Practices for implementation of Sustainability initiatives within facilities
• *Transformative solutions for outdoor learning environments
• *Best Practices for implementation of Sustainability initiatives within the classroom
• *Sustainable Infrastructure
• *Energy Code Updates
• School Board Policy Sharing of Best Practices
• Climate change, Climate mitigation, climate adaption and literacy
• Water Conservation, Water usages, Irrigation
• Transportation Electrification
• Community Schools
• Water filtration, Recycled water, greywater
• Indoor Air Quality
• Organic Waste Recycling/ Waste Diversion – SB 1383
• Refrigerant Requirements Updates
• Stormwater permits, MS4 permits, School changes and/or best practices
• Energy Benchmarking Program solutions

(*) Priority topics.

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Submission deadline is October 10th, 2025.
Approvals are on a rolling basis and this page will be updated once we fill all the education session slots.

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Education Sessions:

Preparing for the Next Emergency and Planning for Resiliency
Are you ready for the next emergency? The perils of climate change and the unpredictability of seismic activity guarantee that the next emergency is around the corner. This session will inform districts on how to plan for the next emergency and the role of DSA in the emergency planning and recovery process.
Speaker:
Ida Clair, State Architect, CA DGS Division of the State Architect

From Complexity to Action: Using Systems Mapping to Spark Environmental and Climate Action in TK–12 Schools
Driving environmental and climate action in schools is most effective when changemakers engage the whole system—from facilities and operations, to curriculum and instruction, to different aspects of community and culture. This session introduces participants to a practical systems tool designed to spark collaboration and reveal action opportunities. Through a hands-on strategy activity, attendees will surface key variables and identify leverage points for advancing environmental and climate action. This session equips participants with a replicable process they can take back to their own contexts to engage administrators, faculty and staff, students, families, and partners in seeing the bigger picture together. By making the system visible, participants will leave with new insights and a concrete tool to convene conversations, identify shared priorities, and accelerate transformational change. Facilitators will also share real-world use cases and stories of change from applying this approach in their own school communities.
Speakers:
Andra Yeghoian, Chief Innovation Officer, Ten Strands
Amity Sandage, Environmental Literacy Coordinator, Santa Cruz County Office of Education

Prop-2 CTEFB: $600M available for Comprehensive High Schools
CTE Grant funding for public high schools. CA Prop-2 has a $600M carve-out grant funding available for its Career Training & Education Facilities Program (CTEFP) targeted for Comprehensive High Schools. There are two (2) $300M funding rounds, with the 1st round application deadline on Dec. 1, 2025. The well informed session speakers will summarize the Prop-2 CTEFB application requirements, as well as provide a case study for a DSA pre-checked, solar-powered Outdoor Education Classroom that can be fully funded in most cases using the Prop-2 CTEFB and Federal Direct Pay Energy Credits. Agriculture, Athletic, Culinary, and several other CTE program pathways may benefit as well. Bring your specific questions for this timely and narrowly focused session.
Speakers:
James Richmond, President, First Note Finance inc
Krista Rigsbee, President, Constructive Systems, Inc.

Designing Regenerative Sustainable Schools and School Districts
Why do some sustainability plans fail when circumstances change?  How come some sustainability plans cease to exist as soon as the superintendent leaves, the teacher champion retires, or the budget needs to be cut?  Come to this session to find out how to design sustainability plans that continue to generate new leaders, ideas, and long-term solutions long after the initial designers are gone.  The session will highlight common elements in regenerative sustainability planning with real world examples taken from California school districts.
Speaker:
Timothy Baird, Consultant, Cup of Supe Consulting
Retired Superintendent, CAELI Innovation Hub

2025 Energy Code – Nonresidential Significant Changes: PART 1 & 2 (Two Hours)
This training class will provide an overview of major changes to the 2025 Energy Code requirements for nonresidential buildings scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026. Topics to be discussed include heat pumps, ventilation and indoor air quality, HVAC, solar PV, battery energy storage systems (BESSes), lighting systems, and pools and spa heating equipment. Information will be provided about the Energy Code restructure, tools, and resources.
Speaker:
Allen Wong, Energy Commission Specialist II, California Energy Commission

Seeds to Solutions: Growing Environmental Literacy through Climate Change and Environmental Justice Curriculum
Learn how Seeds to Solutions™, a groundbreaking California-based climate change and environmental justice program, provides educators with high-quality resources to integrate sustainability and environmental literacy into their classrooms. Developed with $6 million in funding from the CA Department of Education, Seeds to Solutions empowers students to be environmentally literate, engaged community members prepared to act for the well-being of their family, broader community, and environment. Developed in response to teacher and community demand, Seeds to Solutions is a set of free, solutions-oriented, instructional resources on California environmental issues for grades K–12. In this session, participants will dive into Seeds to Solutions, exploring grade level band topics, unit questions, and instructional practices. They will reflect on how the units are examples of place-based learning resources that use real-life case studies, data, examples of community projects, and interviews with experts and community members, and apply what they learn to their own context.
Speakers:
Julie Hilborn, Director of Environmental Literacy and Sustainability, San Mateo County Office of Education
Roni Jones, Director of Curriculum, Ten Strands

Rebuilding Greener: How Architects Support Fire-Affected Schools Toward Resilient, Sustainable Recovery
As California schools face increasing wildfire threats, rebuilding in the aftermath is more than a construction challenge—it’s an opportunity to create safer, healthier, and more sustainable learning environments. This session explores how Okapi Architecture partners with school districts, utilities, and communities to deliver fire-resilient, energy-efficient, and equity-focused campus solutions. Attendees will learn how architects leverages expertise in sustainability design, public sector coordination, and incentive program alignment to guide schools from disaster response to long-term recovery and climate adaptation. Through real-world examples and practical frameworks, participants will gain tools to accelerate recovery and elevate outcomes for students and communities.
Speakers:
Debbie Eggers, Sr. Program Manager, Okapi Architecture, Inc.
Additional K-12 Representative on panel TBD
Jessica Mack, Principal Partner, Okapi Architecture, Inc.

Beyond the School Gates: The Role of County and Local Partnerships in Environmental and Climate Action in Schools
School districts are powerful drivers of climate action—but they do not operate alone. The broader county context, including both direct investments and indirect conditions, can either accelerate or constrain school-based sustainability efforts. This session presents a new sub-project of the Data Initiative for Environmental and Climate Action in California’s TK–12 Schools focused on how county-level factors shape district capacity to act. These include climate emergency declarations, local sustainability plans, and County Office of Education initiatives, as well as demographic and political conditions. Using statewide data and county profiles, we explore patterns where supportive contexts spark strong school action, where schools move forward despite limited county support, and where opportunities remain untapped. Participants will leave with insights into how counties and schools can work in synergy—and strategies for building partnerships with County Offices of Education and local governments to strengthen environmental literacy and climate resilience.
Speakers:
Andra Yeghoian, Chief Innovation Officer, Ten Strands
Sarah Whiting, Director of Client Engagement and Data Science, Ten Strands
Ron Soper, Director, Sustainable Construction & Facilities, San Mateo County Office of Education
Kristine Stepping, Environmental Literacy Coordinator, San Joaquin County Office of Education
Amity Sandage, Environmental Literacy Coordinator, Santa Cruz County Office of Education

Make A Splash – learn how CTE Students Turned Water & Wellness into a W.I.S.H. full of Civic Action
Step into a fast-paced, student-led session where Yosemite High School CTE learners show how CTE and sustainability become real when it’s woven into curriculum and culture. In rotating hands-on centers, students demo replicable labs on water quality, conservation, and local watersheds, then connect those findings to hydration and mental health—linking science, PE/health, and ELA standards through data stories and reflection prompts. Students will also showcase voice and civic engagement: how curiosity turns into action through STEAM projects, battery recycling campaigns, and art for social/environmental justice. Students will interview CTE/STEM leaders about industry expectations, opportunities, and future needs. and model how classrooms can build partnerships, integrate the SkillsUSA Framework (Personal, Workplace, Technical Skills). Walk away with classroom-ready activities, a shortlist of nonprofits and community partners for collaboration, and a contact list of mentors who will support you through each growth phase.
Speakers:
Jeff Rivero, Teacher UN 17 SDG Ambassador, Merced Union High School District
Kahri Boykin, CTE Teacher, Merced Union High School District
Yosemite High School Students

Student Power in Action: Advancing Sustainability Through School Board Policy
Across California, high school students in the California Youth Climate Policy Leadership Program (CYCP) are proving that young people can be powerful changemakers in shaping local education policy and moving policy into action. Through CYCP, students learn the skills to research, draft, and advocate for school board policies that advance sustainability, environmental literacy, and climate justice in their districts. This session will feature a panel of CYCP student leaders who have successfully passed or are currently working on passing environmental and climate themed school board policies. Panelists will share their experiences navigating school board processes, building coalitions, and drawing on tools and frameworks that helped them to turn vision into action. Attendees will gain insights into the unique role of youth leadership in policy change and leave with strategies for supporting and empowering student-driven advocacy that transforms schools into hubs for environmental learning and action.
Speakers:
Polina Goncharova, Partnerships Programs Specialist, Ten Strands
Andra Yeghoian, Chief Innovation Officer, Ten Strands
Stephanie Seidmon, Program Director, UndauntedK12
Student Panelists TBD

Greener Campuses, Stronger Leaders: Lessons from the Sustainable Campus Challenge
This session introduces the Sustain OC Foundation Sustainable Campus Challenge, featuring programs, resources, and case studies from partners including The Energy Coalition, OC Waste & Recycling, CSU Fullerton, Moulton Niguel Water District, South Coast AQMD, and OPTERRA Energy Solutions. We’ll showcase the first student cohort and how their work advanced sustainability goals while building skills in leadership and environmental literacy. In the Challenge, schools form student teams (8–30 students with a faculty advisor) to complete a campus sustainability audit covering energy, water, waste, transportation, and student health. Students take on roles, meet monthly, and receive guidance from Sustain SoCal. After the audit, teams identify two top priorities—at least one from energy, water, waste, or transportation—and in Phase II, create solution plans to address them.
Attendees will learn how this model engages students, builds capacity, and fosters long-term climate action.
Speakers:
Siria Salas, Program Manager, The Energy Coalition
Chloe Roswell, Director of Programs & Membership, Sustain SoCal Director, Sustain OC Foundation

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