School community members are calling on district leaders to address climate change, yet administrators often lack the resources or capacity to respond. With climate emergencies increasing every year, each costing schools time and money, district leaders have no choice but to respond.
What is the Sustainable and Climate Ready Schools Partnership Network?
The San Mateo County Sustainable and Climate Ready Schools Partnership Network supports school district leaders in addressing their community needs to be climate-responsive and prepare for a changing environment in a way that increases their capacity and resources. Through the network, school districts will work collaboratively with a range of organizations who will offer technical assistance to help districts transform their campus facilities and operations to be green and climate-ready. Example technical assistance includes:
- Consultative Services and Coaching: Provide background and overview (includes policies and expectations), share best practices, identify needs and assets, and problem-solve together.
- Training and Professional Development: Deliver training and professional development for a wide variety of stakeholder audiences including faculty, staff, leadership teams, students, parents, and community partners.
- Assessment and Strategic Planning: Give baseline or benchmark assessments as well as support for the development and implementation of strategic plans that focus on the big picture or on specific focus area efforts.
- Project Management: Support or direct the management of green facilities projects.
- Networking: Connect school stakeholders to relevant community-based partner organizations, utility companies, funding agencies, or other school leaders in San Mateo County.
Why Participate?
Why build sustainable and climate-resilient school communities? According to the Green Schools Alliance, schools that adopt climate adaptation and mitigation strategies can:
- Prepare students for the future economy
- Increase student participation and engagement
- Improve student academic outcomes
- Create a stronger sense of community
- Reduce absenteeism by improving student and staff health
- Reduce consumption and waste
- Save on energy, water, and other operational costs
- Experience higher teacher retention and lower health costs
Step One
Fill Out an Intake Form
School districts that are interested in receiving technical assistance are encouraged to fill out a district intake form to help the network understand their strategic goals and identified needs.
Step Two
Meet to Determine Needs
Leaders will meet virtually with staff from the County Office of Education and Office of Sustainability to discuss the intake form and the various services available to the district.
Step Three
Receive Technical Assistance
School district leaders will meet on a regular basis with network experts who can address their specific needs. Needs and opportunities will be reassessed as the year progresses.
Interested in signing up? Click on the button below to fill out an intake form, which will be used during a one-to-one meeting that will focus on understanding your district's needs and goals for meeting state requirements and expectations across facilities and operations, as well as preparing your community to be resilient from climate disruptions. Also, email elsi@smcoe.org or Julie Hilborn (jhilborn@smcoe.org) in order to schedule your first meeting.
Meet Our Network Partners
Countywide Partners with Multiple Focus Areas:
- San Mateo County Office of Education
- San Mateo County Office of Sustainability
- San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services
- City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG): Regionally Integrated Climate Action Planning Suite (RICAPS)
Countywide Partners with Select Focus Areas:
Other Relevant Partners:
- Higher Education: San Mateo County Community College District, Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Project (ECCLPS), Stanford
- Government Agencies and Commissions: San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, San Mateo County Youth Commission, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), Bay Area Air Quality Management Board, California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and CalRecycle
- Local Non-Profits and Citizen Action Groups: Burlingame Citizens Environmental Council (CEC), Menlo Spark, Sustainable San Mateo County, Thrive Alliance’s Environment & Sustainability (E&S) Thrive Action Group (TAG), Rotary Club
- State and National Non-Governmental Organizations: Center for Ecoliteracy, Drawdown, Green Schoolyards America, Green Schools National Network, One Planet Schools (Bioregional’s One Planet Living), Strategic Energy Innovation (SEI), U.S. Green Building Council - Center for Green Schools, Ten Strands and the California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI)
Julie Hilborn
Coordinator, Environmental Literacy and Sustainability
Email: jhilborn@smcoe.org
Phone: (650) 802-5406