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Session Description

Students in Environmental Justice Communities are exposed to disproportionate amounts of pollution, but they can be protected from environmental toxins in the school setting. Compton, Newark and Camden public schools have worked with the Go Green Initiative to develop sustainability plans that include healthy learning environments for all students. By creating a District Green Team, these districts have institutionalized policies and programs meant to protect children’s health from environmental pollution and conserve natural resources children will need in the future. District Green Teams create the framework to help individual school sites identify opportunities to provide clean air, water and food for students, so their cognitive abilities are not impaired at school. Additionally, the District Green Team provides support and resources to help school sites conserve water and energy, and reduce waste – all which leads to cost savings that can be applied to other general fund needs.

In this session you will hear from three CUBE member districts from both the West and East Coast, and learn the similar steps they have taken to bring Environmental Equity to every child in every school!

Session Objectives and Outcomes:

Audience members will learn how Compton, Newark and Camden public school districts approach sustainability as an equity and health issue for their students
Audience members will understand how the formation of a District Green Team was instrumental in creating sustainability programs that are equitably available to all schools in the three districts.
Audience members will emerge from the session with toolkits and resources to help them replicate the success stories in Compton, Newark and Camden

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Environmental Equity

Creating Sustainable, Healthy Learning Environments in EJ Communities

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Panel Experts

Micah Ali

School Board President Emeritus

CUBE Chair

Compton, CA�

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Arlethia Brown

Sr. Dir. of School Nutrition Camden, NJ�

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Roger León

Superintendent

Newark, NJ�

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Moderator

Jill Buck

Founder & CEO

Go Green Initiative

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Go Green Initiative (GGI)…��Working with CUBE Districts for Nearly a Decade

Newark, NJ – 2013

Camden, NJ – 2015

Compton, CA - 2020

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GGI Focuses on Schools in EJ Communities

Air Toxics Cancer Risk Data

Newark, NJ

Camden, NJ

Compton, CA

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Environmental toxins that are present in school water, air and food…

Are not required to be monitored
Can cause short & long-term health problems for children
Can adversely impact cognitive ability

THE PROBLEM…

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GGI Objective #1

Protect Children’s Health from Environmental Toxins

Clean Drinking Water

Clean Indoor Air Quality

Clean Food Supply

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Schools Consume Large Amounts of Natural Resources…

That children will need in the future (some are not renewable)
That could be used by other community sites
That are costly for taxpayers

THE PROBLEM…

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GGI Objective #2

Conserve Natural Resources for Future Generations

Conserve Energy

Conserve Water

Reduce Waste

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Our programs are the sustainability solution for schools.

District Services:

Sustainability Plan

Strategic Planning

Leadership team building
Needs assessment
Opportunity analysis
Collaborative planning

Implementation Support

Project management
Partnership development
Stakeholder investment

We support clients in low-income and/or urban districts and schools through a comprehensive approach that helps them identify and establish sustainability programs appropriate to their needs and priorities.

We serve as a consultant to facilitate the strategic planning process with district staff, to prioritize sustainability projects that improve outcomes for kids and are data driven - focusing on operational excellence including increasing air, water, and food quality, as well as those that provide cost savings, including reduction of energy, water, and waste.

Based on menu of options and what the client needs - our comprehensive consulting services can include conducting a needs assessments so we know what the priorities are - and collaboratively plan on how to implement. We can also provide implementation support across all sustainability areas of the organization.

For example- one district wasn’t sure what their biggest priorities were- a needs assessment & opportunity analysis helped us identify that they 1) needed funding for HVAC improvements - and 2) had less than optimal indoor air quality. We were then able to create an implementation plan that created a plan to secure funding to not just improve air quality - but get new HVAC equipment for the school.

We really customize our services based on what the district needs most, and when they need it.

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Our programs are the sustainability solution for districts.

District Services:

Utility Analysis & Reduction

Energy Star Portfolio Manager Support

Data collection
Data entry
Reporting
Training & coaching

With our Energy Star Portfolio Support services, we support districts in gathering, entering and monitoring utility consumption data to prioritize environmental factors that can lead to change for students and financial savings.

We coach districts on using the Energy Star Portfolio Manager, an interactive resource management tool that enables districts to benchmark energy usage, water consumption, & waste disposal at its campuses and other facilities.

Benchmarking - measuring and comparing a building’s metrics to similar buildings, past measurements, or a reference performance level - is the first step to saving energy.

We train and support district staff on this powerful online tool- not just how to enter the data- but how to leverage what is says to make changes that reduce consumption and costs.

Coupled with our Comprehensive consulting services- or a standalone program- ESPM is a powerful tool in supporting districts in sustainability.

For example- in one school they were tracking data on water consumption for years. We are able to identify that a leak was occurring just based on consumption data.

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Our programs empower students to lead this work.

Student Initiatives

Extracurricular Clubs

Local Leaders of the 21st Century^ⓒ

Support school & community projects

Student Internships

High School & College opportunities

Complete projects tied to sustainability policy, infrastructure, staffing
Learn skills for 21st century careers

In order to support the goals and priorities outlined in a district’s sustainability plan, we work with clients to offer a student extracurricular club, Local Leaders of the 21st Century^Ⓒ, to engage and inspire students to support the district’s sustainability priorities and implementation plans.

Local Leaders of the 21st Century© program is a network of high school extracurricular clubs dedicated to supporting their school’s sustainability projects, as well as those of the local community, focused on waste, water, energy, & food.

GGI also provides internship programming where clients can create a custom program or refer students to participate in existing programs. We currently have a multi-city program that has run virtually for the last 2 summers.

We know that these programs add extreme value to the students- as they are actively involved in their local school and community’s sustainability efforts--- and we are developing their skills through real world application of sustainability challenges.

[insert story]

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Panel Discussion

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How did your District’s Sustainability Journey Begin?

Newark - Possible Questions for Superintendent León:

What initially prompted the District to focus attention on energy conservation and renewable energy projects?
Was there an Energy Savings Improvement Plan (ESIP) in place, or did that come later?
Talk to us about some of the renewable energy & energy efficiency projects you’ve done in Newark.
How does the District track and monitor its energy usage?
The District has earned awards for its energy conservation work. Tell us about those awards.

Camden - Possible Questions for Ms. Brown:

You and I first met around 2015, and at that time we were helping the school district comply with NJ recycling laws. You had to collaborate with your staff and Aramark staff in order to get the kitchen areas compliant. Talk to us a little bit about what it took to get recycling going in the Camden school nutrition department.

Compton - Possible Questions for Mr. Ali:

Thanks to your influence, in 2020 & 2021, one of your vendors – Engie – sponsored the cost of paid internships with the Go Green Initiative for students from all four Compton high schools. Talk to us about the value you place on paid internships for your students.
In 2020, the students learned about helping students and staff conserve energy at school. They were ready to implement what they learned on campus, but COVID prevented that. What role do you think high school students can play in helping the District save energy?
In 2021, the students learned about new California legislation requiring schools to recycle & compost. How would you like to see those students help the District comply with that legislation?

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Sustainability Successes

Camden - Possible Questions for Ms. Brown:

Tell us how CCSD’s Breakfast After the Bell program works on your various campuses.
One of the other Sustainable Jersey for Schools action items that CCSD worked on this year is called “Promote Locally Grown Foods.” In Camden, NJ in particular, why do you feel like its valuable to promote locally grown foods?
CCSD participates in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Talk to us about that program and how it benefits students.
You also participate in the Farm to School program. Tell us about that program and how it has benefitted Camden students.
What are some of the ways that your work in school nutrition becomes a learning opportunity for the students?
Why do you think it’s important to involve the School Nutrition Department in school district Sustainability Plans?

Compton - Possible Questions for Mr. Ali:

As recently as 2017, several Compton Unified schools were Energy Star Certified, meaning they were in the top 25% of all U.S. K-12 schools in terms of energy efficiency. GGI staff is currently working with the District Green Team to update the energy & water usage data for all Compton Unified schools in the Energy Star Portfolio Manager, and a report will be generated for the Supt and School Board.

Energy and water are expensive utilities. As a school board member, what information will you be looking for when the report comes out?

If the District is able to save money on energy and water, how will that benefit Compton students?
Many CUBE districts are in Environmental Justice communities that bear a disproportionate burden of environmental pollution. How do you think CUBE might help its members protect their students from environmental pollution while they are at school?

Newark - Possible Questions for Superintendent León:

In 2020, while the whole world was focused on the pandemic, Newark did something truly remarkable. That year, every single Newark public school earned Bronze certification in the SJS program. Talk to us about how that was possible, and what you and your team had to do to make that happen.
In 2022, you did it again! Every NBOE school earned Bronze certification in the SJS program and a few schools are now Silver certified. Talk to us about the process the District went through to achieve that success.
How do you think your sustainability work has impacted students?

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Role of District Green Team & Sr. District Leaders

Compton - Possible Questions for Mr. Ali:

In 2021, the GGI received a grant to expand services to Compton from just student internships to working to help the District create a District Green Team. Talk to us about the role you played in helping to initiate that work as a school board member.
The Compton Unified District Green Team is currently evaluating the number of recycling & composting bins and the custodial supplies that will be needed to properly handle waste, recycling and compost. Leaders of the Facilities & Child Nutrition Services Departments are using GGI training to complete this work. As a school board member, what role do you foresee playing in helping the District acquire the necessary infrastructure to comply with state laws?
Once the District Green Team has secured the proper bins, the school site councils at each school will be trained by the GGI and will train their students and staff to properly sort their waste, recycling and compost. As a school board member, what are some of the ways you and your fellow Board members might support this work?

Newark - Possible Questions for Superintendent León:

For several years now, NBOE has had a District Green Team. Tell us about who serves on the District Green Team and how the team helps support NBOE schools in their sustainability journey.
Why is there so much support for sustainability at the highest levels of your school district?
Newark is a large, urban school district, and you’ve really paved the way for other urban school districts to follow. What are your thoughts on the importance of sustainability in urban school districts?
The Go Green Initiative has been working with NBOE since 2013. How do you feel like our partnership has aided NBOE staff in their sustainability work?

Camden - Possible Questions for Ms. Brown:

During the 2021-22 school year, the Camden City School District (CCSD) formed a District Green Team to meet some new sustainability goals. Tell us a little bit about the CCSD District Green Team…who serves on the team and what were your goals this year?
How was it helpful to have a District Green Team that was comprised of people from many different departments?
Every single school in the Camden City School District earned Bronze certification in the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program this year! Talk to us about how the District Green Team worked together with the Go Green Initiative staff to make that happen.

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Tools & Resources

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Who Should Serve

On the District Green Team?

CNS Director

Asst. Supt. of Instruction

Student Leaders

Reps from Each School Site

Cabinet

Senior Leaders

School Business Officer

Facilities/MOT

Purchasing

Union Leaders

Head Custodian

3rd Party Consultant

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Roles & Responsibilities District Green Team

Guide school site Green Teams through policy implementation

School Site Green Team Training Monitoring for Compliance

Centralize purchasing, contracts and labor issues that pertain

Appropriate Board Policy Budgetary Impact Implementation Goals/Timeline

Advise the Superintendent on:

Advise

Guide

Centralize

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Who Should Serve on a School Green Team?

Principal (Administrator)

Teacher

Custodian

Student

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Roles & Responsibilities School Site Green Team

Assess campus needs pertaining to District Green Team’s Goals & Priorities

Coordinate with District Green Team on infrastructure, budget, labor needs to fulfill District Green Team’s Goals & Priorities

After the Site Green Team is trained, train faculty, staff and students

Assess

Coordinate & Report

Train (ongoing)

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