A Deeper Shade of Green:
Berkeley Unified School District Sustainability Plan
We are excited to announce the passage of the BUSD Sustainability Plan! The Plan is a comprehensive effort to:
- reduce the environmental footprint of schools
- promote environmental literacy
- save money that can be put to better use in the classroom
Implementation of this Plan will have numerous benefits, including addressing climate change, saving money and supporting students’ social and emotional learning.
Sustainability Committee
We are forming a District-wide sustainability committee and are looking for interested individuals. If you have expertise or the passion and a little bit of knowledge, we want you.
There are eight categories of interest in our Sustainability Plan: Green Buildings and Materials, Transportation, Water, Energy, Waste, Food, Schoolyards, and Eco-literacy and Nature Based Learning. We established objectives for each category in the Sustainability Plan. The Committee will help us develop the objectives.
If you are interested in applying to be on the committee, please email sustainability@berkeley.net. Please include your area of interest and/or expertise. We will contact you prior to the first meeting which is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 at 6:00 pm. We look forward to hearing from you!
About Us
Facilities Maintenance Manager Stephen Collins has been with Berkeley Unified School District since 2006. Prior to this, Stephen was the Director of Engineering for a large property management company in San Francisco. Over the last twenty years, Stephen has been passionate about and committed to green and sustainable practices. He co-authored the sustainability plan for Berkeley Unified School District and is leading its implementation. Over the last five years, he has attended Green Technology’s Green California School annual conference, and he is a Bay-Friendly Qualified Landscape Design Professional.
Our Partners
Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI) is a nonprofit that builds leaders to drive climate solutions. For over 20 years, SEI has created sustainable communities through scalable programs and models. Its flagship programs (Energize Schools, Energize Colleges, School of Environmental Leadership, and Climate Corps) integrate climate education, training, and career development. From young students to emerging professionals to communities, SEI programs engage local talent to directly address their community’s sustainability goals by leading projects with measurable environmental, economic, and social benefits.
We would like to introduce Sofia Peltz, our new Sustainability Coordinator who has partnered with us from Strategic Energy Innovations. She recently graduated from Bard College where she received a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Before joining our team, Sofia coordinated and facilitated an ethnography which featured key leaders in Puerto Rico’s sustainable agriculture movement. Previously, Sofia participated on Bard’s Harvesting Justice team, a student lead program that made weekly visits to assist Hudson Valley farmers. Sofia will be helping us develop and implement our eight-part Sustainability Plan. She is excited to continue her work in sustainable program development and begin a new partnership to help create a zero waste district.
Get involved in our efforts!
You can contact your school’s Green Team or send an email to “Striving for Zero Waste” and Sustainability Coordinator Sofia Peltz: sustainability@berkeley.net.
We hope that you support BUSD’s commitment to healthy, green school buildings and grounds and hands-on environmental and outdoor education.
Resource Page for Schools and Green Teams