Congratulations to the 2021-22 Standout Leaders!
THANK YOU to Peninsula Clean Energy for their ongoing sponsorship of the financial award for this program!
Learn more about the 2021-2022 winners and standout leaders here.
Learn more about winners from previous years when this program was referred to as the One Planet Schools Challenge: 2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19, 2017-18.
About the Challenge
The purpose of the San Mateo County Sustainable and Climate Resilient Schools Challenge is to identify students, teachers, administrators, and community members who are leading meaningful change in the Campus, Curriculum, or greater Community, and to recognize them for their impact towards creating a sustainable future.
Challenge Structure
Select a Category
SMCOE's sustainability recognition and awards program is built around focus area topics that draw from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) and One Planet Living Framework. Please choose one of the topical categories or one of the general categories to submit achievements to be considered for recognition.
General Categories
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Ecological Footprint |
Climate Resiliency: Mitigation |
Climate Resilience: Adaptation |
Topical Categories
We have laid out 9 topical focus areas that aim to highlight different aspects of creating a sustainable and resilient school Community, Curriculum, and Culture. Please choose one as the focus of your submission. If you feel that your submission fits in with more than one category, you may want to apply under one of the general categories.
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Food Systems |
Land-Based Ecosystems |
Sustainable Watersheds |
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Sustainable Transportation |
Carbon Neutral Energy |
Zero Waste and Consumption |
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Air Quality |
Green Building and Grounds |
Marine Ecosystems and Shoreline |
Select a Pathway and Level
Once an Analysis Lense is selected, there are three pathways in which a stakeholder may submit achievements to be considered for Sustainable and Climate Resilient Schools recognition:
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Campus and Operations |
Curriculum |
Community Awareness and Action |
Within each pathway there are three-tiered achievement levels in which a stakeholder may submit achievements to be considered for recognition:
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Entry Level: Beginning stages of a cultural shift within the school community.
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Mid Level: Culture shift is underway and gaining traction within the school community.
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Full Integration Level: A complete culture shift has been established within the school community and beyond and is demonstrated with commitment across multiple categories.
How to Participate
Eligibility
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This program is open to both public and private PK–12 schools within San Mateo County
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Submission can be made from any stakeholder in a school community: administrators, faculty and staff, students, parent volunteers, community partners, etc.
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There can be multiple submissions from any school site
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If an activity is repeated in future years, leaders must submit each year to earn ongoing recognition
Submission Process
The submission process for the 2022 Challenge will be announced in spring 2022. All submissions will follow the four-step process below:
Step 1: Overview
In no more than 250 words, provide a description of the action taken. Include information about WHAT took place, HOW it went, and WHO was involved. Additionally, explain how the effort aligns with equity and justice, and/or health and wellness:
- Equity and Justice: When explaining the connection to equity and justice, applicants should include how the effort reached a diverse audience (consider race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status), and/or provided access to groups of students in an equitable manner. Other justice related connections might be if the actions reduced the impact of this community on environmental justice issues (how can we reduce our impact) OR how to reduce the impact on an especially hard hit community.
- Health and Wellness: Explain how this effort enhanced the wellbeing and happiness of all stakeholders in the school community and beyond.
Step 2: Learning
In no more than 150 words, provide a reflection on what the sustainability champions and/or community learned about environmental, social, and economic sustainability by taking this action. If this was classroom curriculum, explain what the students learned and how you know they learned.
Step 3: Evidence and Impact
Upload evidence of the action that took place. These may be in the form of photos, flyers, testimonials, etc. Additionally, for mid-level and full-integration levels, provide impact metric details.
Step 4: Next Steps
In no more than 250 words, provide an overview of what steps will be taken by the school, student, and/or teacher to ensure that the momentum and knowledge gained from the project will carry through. Submissions with the strongest clear steps forward will be considered for a financial award (up to $500) which will be put towards implementing the plan for next steps.
Other Recognition Programs
SMCOE’s SCRS Challenge allows leaders from school communities to build a portfolio of achievements, which can later be utilized in regional, state, and federally sponsored recognition and awards programs, such as: