A publication of the Association of California School Administrators

Every classroom a green classroom

In Santa Cruz County, student-driven climate action projects link curriculum and community

By Amity Sandage | March | April 2026

Amid accelerating climate change, biodiversity loss, and increasing social inequities, schools are uniquely positioned to be catalysts for hope and change. In Santa Cruz County, educators are working to leverage that potential through an environmental literacy and sustainability initiative focused on green schools as the context for meaningful, engaging instruction across all content areas.

The Santa Cruz County Office of Education has been supporting green school leaders to inspire and transform campuses and communities since 1997, when it began providing regional support through California Department of Education’s California Regional Environmental Education Community (CREEC) Network. Those efforts have since grown to include programs like the Teacher Leadership Institute for Sustainability (TLIS), which empowers TK-12 educators to integrate environmental literacy, outdoor learning and student-driven action into their everyday teaching. According to participant survey data, 99 percent of participants report increased capacity to integrate sustainability education and action into their curriculum. Likewise, 96 percent report connecting with local community partners to increase student access to outdoor learning and stewardship opportunities.

“This has helped me feel more resolved to focus on change-making and action in classroom projects, as well as make more connections between the classroom and greater community,” shared 6th grade teacher Allison Seletzky.

This is not simply about adding a “green day” here or there. TLIS is designed to build a countywide network of teacher-leaders who can shift the entire culture of schools, from siloed systems of curriculum to holistic stewards of place. Through the creation of Green Classroom Profiles, the Institute documents how teacher leaders walk the walk: planning, implementing, reflecting and sharing their work. Administrators like Superintendent Chris Schiermeyer at San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District have taken note. Their district added environmental literacy as one of the primary goals in their Local Control Accountability Plan.

What does this look like in schools? Below are snapshots of three exemplary projects — each at different grade levels — that illustrate how teacher leaders are making a tangible difference in schools and in their broader communities.

TK-5th grade: Clothing and book swap At Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary, teacher-leaders Kelly Liebenthal (TK) and Monica Einaudi (2nd grade) initiated a “swap” project under the Science & Gardening Emphasis program, integrating reuse, waste reduction and community engagement.

What they did:

In fall, students learned about the impacts of rejected clothing and presented the problem to the school community along with an invitation to a solution: a winter coat swap event.
In December, they organized a “Winter Wear Clothing Fair” where families donated over 130 clothing items. About 90 items found new homes.
The event was such a success that they decided to create another swap. The “Pages and PJ’s” family literacy event centered on a community book swap: approximately 600 texts went home with students.
As the events became part of the school culture, a warmer-weather clothing swap was planned with the addition of a textile-mosaic art project involving the school’s art teacher and a local author.

Impact:

Students and families experience reuse in action, reducing waste, fostering reuse culture, and strengthening the notion that “what I already have can serve someone else.”
Literacy and community ties are reinforced via the book-swap component. Students choose from donated books, enhancing access and excitement around reading.
The project extends beyond the school walls to the local community. Families, authors, art teachers, and supporting partners are involved.
Students are empowered. They are not passive recipients of knowledge on sustainability; they become actors. As noted by one second-grade student, “It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can make a BIG change!”

Why it matters:

This project illustrates a core principle of green schools: Sustainability education is not a standalone “unit,” but a real-world, student-driven action that links classrooms, school culture, and community. It shows how young learners (K–2) can engage meaningfully in sustainability practices. Principal Carlo Albano is an alumni of the Teacher Leadership Institute from his classroom teaching days and has supported his entire staff to join the TLIS. Together they have created the Science and Garden Emphasis Program and grown to be a model green school in the county.

6th-8th grade: Campus greening project Another dimension of “green schools” is the transformation of the school grounds and infrastructure themselves into living learning spaces. Sixth grade science teacher Erin Petersen Lindberg’s school greening project at Branciforte Elementary exemplifies how curriculum, campus and community converge.

What the project involves:

Engaging students in reflection on how they feel in green spaces and learning about the impacts of nature connection on health and wellness.
Assessing the school campus for greening opportunities — for planting native species, creating outdoor classrooms, establishing pollinator gardens — and engaging students across grades to plan, design, plant, monitor and reflect on the greening work.
Linking this campus change to curriculum: students study plant science, ecology, climate adaptation (shade, urban heat reduction), even social justice (access to green space) as part of the project.
Engaging families and community in the greening work (planting days, raising awareness of benefits of green spaces, creating signage).

Impact:

The physical environment of the school improves, with more greenery, shade, ecosystem services (pollinators, habitat), beauty and calm.
Students become stewards of their campus — they see the school as belonging to them, and one they can improve.
Outdoor learning spaces support social-emotional learning, engagement, sense of place, and deeper science/STEAM integration. One student in a TLIS-supported project said: “Spending time outside has really helped my mental health.”
The greening becomes a visible symbol of the school’s commitment to sustainability — inviting broader culture change.

Why it matters: This project shows how “greening” is not an add-on, but integral: campus = classroom. It aligns well with TLIS’s notion of “Every Classroom a Green Classroom.” It also brings equity dimensions: enhancing the built environment in schools can improve outcomes, especially in underserved communities.

11th-12th grade: Urban heat islands and civic engagement In a climate-changing world, educators are increasingly turning their attention to social vulnerability and equity, leading straight to the problem of urban heat islands. Satina Ciandro’s project at Watsonville High School ties environmental science to civic engagement — connecting students to real-world issues and civic responsibility via the school’s “Seal of Civic Engagement.”

What the project does:

Students map their school neighborhood or district for heat island effect: e.g., measuring surface/air temperature variations, tree canopy cover, impervious surface.
They analyze correlations with social factors: demographics, historical land practices, access to shade, health outcomes, cooling resources.
They design interventions, such as suggestions for increasing shade trees, cool-pavement, and community partnerships.
They educate and engage community stakeholders and local government as they present findings and propose solutions, earning the State Seal of Civic Engagement.

Impact:

Students gain science knowledge (climate change, urban systems, ecosystem services) and social science/civic literacy (equity, data, advocacy).
The project develops student agency. Students identify a real local challenge and propose actionable solutions.
It connects classroom to community. Mapping, data-collection, presenting to decision-makers, and advocacy all become part of the learning.
The school culture shifts. Civic engagement becomes a natural extension of environmental stewardship.

Why it matters: This project demonstrates how sustainability education can be transformational, not just environmental — but also social and civic. It aligns with the ambitious vision of green schools: moving from “doing green” to “being green,” integrated into curriculum, culture and community.

The systemic impact: Building a green-schools movement Taken together, these projects illustrate how a sustained model professional learning program is catalyzing green schools progress in Santa Cruz County, not just isolated projects. Here’s how.

1. Teacher-leaders as change agents: Through TLIS, teachers become empowered to lead change in their schools. They move from isolated curriculum to designing and implementing meaningful, contextual, action-based learning. The Institute envisions a “countywide network of teacher leaders with a shared vision for environmental literacy and sustainability education.” More than professional development, it’s leadership development.

2. Capturing and sharing impacts: Teachers create Green Classroom Profiles that document their diverse projects across grades and content areas. By making these profiles public, other teachers, schools, and districts can see what’s possible and adapt practices.

3. Curriculum + environment + community: The model is intentionally holistic, connecting sustainability frameworks, standards-aligned instruction (including NGSS), outdoor learning, and community partnerships.

4. Embedding culture change, not just a one-off: Because the projects unfold over time, include reflection and accountability, and connect to school culture and community, they begin to shift how schools view themselves. As principal Albano says of their green school transformation: “I believe that in five years our school will be a beacon, a model of 21st century education that is surrounding students with opportunities to learn outside … and our adults look at every single student as a leader of today and tomorrow.”

5. Reaching all grades, all content areas, entire district footprint: TLIS explicitly invites TK-12 educators in all content areas (science, English, ELD, library, specials). The aim is not to silo green schools into just science classes, but to infuse sustainability across disciplines and school-wide operations.

6. Equity, hope and agency: The Institute emphasizes student voice, agency, and hope — not doom-and-gloom. One teacher remarked: “This program gave me what I have been looking for … a way to give students hope and empower them to make change.” That dimension is critical: in communities facing environmental and social stressors, empowering youth to act is essential.

Tips for administrators: Taking steps toward greening your schools If you are a school or district administrator (principal, curriculum director, facilities manager, sustainability coordinator), the experience of Santa Cruz County offers concrete lessons. Here are actionable tips, drawn from the model of TLIS and the projects above — linked to the Green Classroom Profiles mindset. 1. Cultivate teacher-leaders and give them space

Identify educators with passion for sustainability or outdoor learning, and invite them into leadership roles (e.g., as part of a “green team” or cohort).
Provide time and professional-learning space (such as a summer institute, follow-up sessions, community of practice) so they can plan, reflect and collaborate — similar to TLIS’s design. (teacherleadershipinstitute.santacruzcoe.org)
Ensure they have access to mentorship and community partners, and financial support for field trips — TLIS cites community-based environmental education partners as key to adding capacity to green classroom projects.

2. Start small but build momentum

Encourage pilot projects (like the swap at SCG) that are manageable but meaningful: e.g., a zero-waste event, a campus pollinator patch, a book/clothing swap.
Celebrate success and share widely within your school and district — this builds buy-in and culture change.
Use the “Green Classroom Profile” concept: Ask teachers to document their journey — question, investigation, action, reflection. Those shareable stories inspire others to join in.

3. Embed sustainability into curriculum, not just as an add-on

Encourage teachers to connect action projects to academic standards (e.g., NGSS, ELA, ELD, math) and content areas–for example: mapping heat islands (science/math), book swap (literacy/social studies), garden planting (biology/engineering).
Connect to local context: watershed project, urban heat islands, local community partners — this makes the work relevant and sustained.

4. Leverage the school campus as a living laboratory

Support greening of the physical campus: native gardens, pollinator beds, outdoor classrooms, shade structures, raingardens, composting systems, etc. (as seen in Erin Petersen Lindberg’s project).
Connect facilities, operations, and grounds staff with teachers and students — greening is not only classroom work but also infrastructure and maintenance.
Use the campus improvements both as environmental service (cooling, habitat, shade) and as instructional resources (students monitor species, measure temperature, track growth, etc.).

5. Link to community, equity and civic engagement

Encourage projects that include community participation: families, local businesses, nonprofits, city agencies. For example, the book and clothing swap at SCG engaged families and authors; the urban heat islands project engaged students in civic data and advocacy.
Frame projects around justice and equity: e.g., how urban heat affects underserved neighborhoods, how diverting food waste supports families.
Recognize civic engagement as part of the green schools movement — not just “going green” but “being community-connected.”

6. Monitor, reflect and share impact

Collect simple data: number of students involved, reduction in waste, number of trees or plants planted, temperature difference, community participants, etc. A cohort of 40 teacher leaders directly impacts more than 1,400 students plus even more people when projects benefit and educate the broader community.
Build a platform (website, newsletter, event) for sharing Green Classroom Profiles so that teachers and administrators across the district can learn from each other.
Celebrate milestones and communicate them to the school community: student quotes, visuals, before/after photos, partner testimonials. These build momentum and inspire support.

7. Integrate into strategic planning and culture

Link green schools initiatives to your school or district’s strategic plan, LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan) or other broader goals (e.g., student wellness, equity, climate resilience).
Ensure sustainability is not one teacher’s hobby but part of your school identity: signage, school greening committee, budget line, annual events.
Encourage sustainability to be a generational habit rather than a one-time project.

Turning every classroom into a green classroom The large-scale policy-driven solutions to climate change and environmental problems often feel distant from the daily life of students and classrooms. Yet, a community of inspired teacher leaders reminds us that schools are microcosms of change, and that when educators and students become agents of that change, the ripple effects are powerful. From an elementary school clothing and book swap at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary, to transforming a school campus into a living laboratory, to high school students mapping urban heat islands and engaging in civic action — the examples above show how sustainability, learning, and community can intersect. These aren’t extracurricular “green clubs”; they are the beginning of integrated, action-based, curriculum-rich pathways for student voice, agency and stewardship. For administrators and educational leaders, the takeaways are clear: start with human capital (teacher leaders and students), give them support, ground projects in your local context, link to curriculum and campus, partner with community, monitor impact, and embed the work into school culture. The TLIS model demonstrates that a systemic, countywide green-schools movement is not only possible — it is already underway. In the spirit of hope, empowerment and purpose: every classroom can be a green classroom; every student can be a steward, every teacher can be a changemaker. Your school can be next! Amity Sandage is the environmental literacy coordinator for Santa Cruz County Office of Education. Learn more at santacruzcoe.org/educational-services/environmental-programs.

Photo courtesy Santa Cruz COE