Each year, Green Technology recognizes leaders and organizations whose vision and action are advancing sustainability, equity, and innovation across California’s schools, colleges, and public institutions. The following award recipients exemplify the creativity, collaboration, and commitment that define our state’s environmental leadership.
With the assistance of the Deputy Superintendent for Public School Instruction, Abel Guillén, and Director of School Facilities and Transportation Services Division for the California Department of Education, Juan Mireles, we presented the categories for recognition at the 2025 Green California Schools & Higher Education Summit recently held on November 13th, 2025 at the Pasadena Conference Center in Pasadena, California:
- Higher Education
- K-12 School
- Environmental Champion (2)
- Teacher
- Environmental Literacy
- School District
- Pioneer
HIGHER EDUCATION
The Matador Move Out & Move In Program
California State University, Northridge
At California State University, Northridge, the Matador Move Out & Move In Program was created as the university’s first circular reuse initiative—one that’s simultaneously advancing waste reduction, student equity, and climate action. During the 2025 move-out cycle alone, the program collected and redistributed more than 12,700 pounds of clothing, food, dorm essentials, and appliances that would otherwise have gone to landfills. Through thoughtful coordination with student housing, parking services, and the Zero Waste Team, these materials were redirected to the CSUN Food Pantry, Matty’s Closet, local nonprofits, and community ‘Buy Nothing’ groups. When the fall semester began, nearly 800 pounds of recovered dorm supplies were reissued to incoming residents, providing meaningful financial relief for first-generation and low-income students. By using digital Tracking tools like Zabble and Smartsheet, CSUN built a model of operational efficiency that operates with minimal storage or budget yet delivers measurable climate benefits. The initiative has saved resources, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and fostered a culture of care and stewardship across the campus. CSUN’s program now serves as a replicable model for other CSU campuses, illustrating how community-driven zero waste strategies can scale without heavy infrastructure investment.
CSU Northridge’s leadership proves that when sustainability is linked to student well-being, entire institutions can evolve toward more equitable and resilient futures.
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Pittsburg Unified School District
Pittsburg Unified School District (PUSD) has one of the most ambitious district-wide electrification and resilience transformations in California. PUSD’s work exemplifies how local innovation can set national standards. The district is transitioning its entire transportation and operations fleet to electric power—buses, trucks, and maintenance vehicles alike—creating a living model of decarbonized infrastructure. At the heart of this effort is a pioneering Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Vehicle-to-Building (V2B) project that enables the district’s fleet to both draw and return energy. This means school buses can serve as mobile power plants—charging during off-peak hours and sending energy back to campuses during outages or to the regional grid during peak demand. When completed, Pittsburg Unified School District will be one of only two districts in California, having this capability and among the first nationwide, to implement full V2G capabilities. The strategy combines forward-thinking technology adoption with smart funding leverage. Through coordination with the California Energy Commission, PG&E, and regional clean energy partners, the district is maximizing grants and utility incentives to minimize costs while achieving large-scale carbon reductions.
The district’s vision also extends to resilience: during emergencies, the district’s bus yard will act as a renewable microgrid, supplying dependable power to schools and the surrounding community. This initiative positions Pittsburg Unified School District as both a climate leader and a public safety asset—demonstrating that sustainability and preparedness are inseparable. This approach offers a roadmap for other districts to electrify operations, strengthen grid stability, and integrate climate action directly into their educational mission.
ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY
Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (AEOE)
The Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (AEOE) has become a unifying force for California’s environmental education community. AEOE’s leadership is helping build a statewide system where every child—regardless of zip code—can access nature-based learning that fosters environmental literacy, inclusion, and stewardship. Through AEOE’s network, thousands of educators from classrooms, outdoor schools, community centers, and science programs connect and collaborate. AEOE launched the Environmental Educator Certification Program, now credentialing nearly 140 educators and establishing professional standards that elevate the entire field. AEOE’s annual conference and regional meetups, build professional learning communities across the state, expanding their reach to more than 250 educators. Recognizing the power of technology to democratize access, AEOE developed the eeCourses series—online, university-credit courses covering Climate Literacy, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and Accessible by Nature: Designing Environmental Education to Support All Learners. These courses, enable educators in every corner of California to build capacity and share best practices. Through this hybrid approach of digital connectivity and in-person mentorship, AEOE is reaching hundreds of thousands of students annually.
AEOE’s work underscores that environmental literacy is essential to California’s future workforce, climate resilience, and civic engagement. By empowering educators, they ensure that California’s leadership in sustainability education will continue for generations to come.
TEACHER
Starr Nagdev
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District
A passionate educator and sustainability leader, Starr Nagdev is proof that transformative change often begins in the classroom. Within the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, she has mobilized students, teachers, and parents around a shared mission of environmental responsibility. As chair of the district’s Sustainability Committee, Nagdev has built bridges between operations and education, launching programs that make sustainability a daily practice rather than a distant goal. Her student-run lunch recycling program empowers student leaders to teach peers about sorting and composting food waste, an initiative now adopted in multiple elementary schools. She created a Padlet-based sustainability resource hub for teachers, coordinated district-wide Green Week celebrations, and developed hands-on garden projects that connect environmental science with nutrition and ecology.
Her stewardship extends to communications, she manages the district’s Sustainability Instagram account, amplifying youth voices and sharing success stories. Through persistent advocacy and partnership, Nagdev helped her district earn a Bronze-level Green Ribbon Schools award and set a trajectory toward Silver and Gold. Her leadership demonstrates how teacher-driven programs can spark system-level change and nurture a new generation of climate-conscious students ready to lead.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPION
Seeley International Americas
The Seeley International Americas team is redefining what low-carbon HVAC innovation looks like in California’s educational facilities. Through an advanced demonstration at Evergreen Valley High School in San Jose, Seeley partnered with the East Side Union High School District to evaluate the performance of its CW Hybrid rooftop unit—a system integrating Indirect Evaporative Cooling (IDEC) with DX heat-pump technology. The goal was clear: to help the district move toward full electrification and decarbonization while improving classroom comfort and indoor air quality. Results from the 36-page field study were striking. The CW Hybrid unit achieved up to 66 percent overall energy savings compared with the baseline gas-heated rooftop unit when natural gas conversion was included. It delivered twice the classroom air changes of the standard system—meeting and exceeding CDC ventilation guidelines—without incurring an energy penalty. In cooling mode, the system’s compressor consumed 71 percent less energy than the baseline, while maintaining thermal comfort throughout the season. Although CO2 and peak-power impacts were not directly measured, similar projects indicate that reductions in both are strong co-benefits of this hybrid approach. These results confirm that combining IDEC and heat-pump cycles can substantially cut operating costs and emissions while enhancing indoor air quality and student well-being. At the heart of the CW Hybrid is Seeley’s proprietary Micro-CORE heat-exchange module, which handles roughly 85 percent of annual cooling loads without engaging the compressor. This design slashes peak demand by more than 70 percent, aligning perfectly with California’s grid-reliability goals and incentives for load flexibility.
Seeley is a critical technology partner for school districts seeking to comply with statewide decarbonization policies while maintaining cost-effectiveness. By demonstrating measurable performance gains in a real-world classroom, Seeley International Americas is showing that advanced HVAC design is not only a path to cleaner air—it’s a cornerstone of climate resilience and student health in California schools.
SCHOOL
Helix Charter High School
Helix Charter High School has proven that students can lead the way in transforming school sustainability. The Helix Sustainability Action Plan is an initiative that integrates curriculum, campus operations, and community engagement under a student-empowerment model. This approach turns classrooms into living laboratories, where students serve as researchers and advocates—conducting energy audits, analyzing consumption data, and implementing conservation measures. By integrating eGauge submeters, students monitor electricity use in real time, linking lessons in physics and environmental science directly to school operations. The program’s success earned Helix national recognition through the Renew Our Schools Energy Reduction STAR Competition, where students competed against other schools to achieve the greatest savings. The school also received a $130,000 Golden State Pathways Grant, funding new Environmental Sustainability Pathways focused on sustainability careers. These efforts culminated in adoption of a formal, board-level sustainability policy and being the first public high school in San Diego County to be a Power 100 Champion through San Diego Community Power with 100% renewable energy powering the campus all throughout the day! The Student Office of Sustainability and Environmental Club will continue to lead campus operations through data-informed initiatives, aiming for an additional 5–10% reduction in electricity use by 2026. Continued partnership with San Diego Community Power’s Power 100 Program will achieve 100% renewable electricity sourcing, reducing Helix’s carbon footprint and modeling a scalable transition for other schools.
Their work exemplifies the future of education in California—experiential, interdisciplinary, and community-driven.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPION
Inland Regional Energy Network (I-REN)
The Energy and Environmental Programs for the Inland Regional Energy Network (I-REN) have built a model of collaboration that’s reshaping how California’s Inland Empire approaches energy equity and efficiency. Launched through a partnership among the Western Riverside Council of Governments, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, and the San Bernardino Council of Governments, I-REN represents more than 4.7 million residents across diverse urban and rural communities. I-REN delivers programs that merge local expertise with state policy alignment, accelerating decarbonization through education, workforce development, and direct incentives. The Public Sector Program assists agencies in planning and implementing energy retrofits; the Codes and Standards Program advances local government compliance and innovation; and the Workforce Education & Training Program prepares new professionals for clean-energy careers.
To date, I-REN’s Cash for Kilowatts initiative has identified $4.9 million in incentives, achieved more than 70 million kWh in lifetime savings, and deployed 48 Energy Fellows embedded in public agencies. I-REN also spearheaded the state’s first multilingual, no-cost energy-code training series, ensuring accessibility for contractors, architects, and
municipal staff. The Inland Empire once seen as an underserved region in the clean-energy landscape—is now a powerful example of regional collaboration driving equitable climate solutions.
PIONEER
George Garcia
Education Programs Consultant
California Department of Education
Since 2019, George Garcia has transformed California’s Green Ribbon Schools (CA GRS) program into a nationally recognized model for sustainability in education. Through his vision and persistence, participation has doubled, with nearly 50 schools applying in 2025. Garcia’s tiered recognition framework—Bronze, Silver, and Gold—ensures inclusivity by meeting schools wherever they are on their sustainability journey. Beyond recognition, his approach emphasizes mentorship and continuous improvement. He established the Achievers and Applicants Network and the Technical Advisor Group, connecting experienced Green Ribbon schools with newcomers seeking guidance. In partnership with Ten Strands, he also developed a comprehensive digital toolkit that provides templates, case studies, and planning resources.
These supports have enabled schools to integrate environmental stewardship, health, and equity into their daily operations rather than treating them as add-ons. Through Garcia’s leadership, California’s Green Ribbon Schools program now serves as the national benchmark for integrating education, sustainability, and equity. His work has strengthened collaboration across state agencies and nonprofit partners, ensuring that every applicant has access to technical expertise and resources. Through clear guidance, mentorship, and thoughtful program design, George has helped districts embed environmental stewardship, health, and equity into daily school operations. His efforts have made California the national benchmark for sustainable school initiatives, proving that when educational excellence and environmental responsibility intersect, the result benefits students, communities, and the planet.
The importance of these awards lies in their ability to inspire and motivate individuals, organizations, and communities to adopt sustainable practices and technologies. By recognizing and honoring the efforts and achievements of sustainability leaders, the awards create role models and showcase success stories that can drive further progress. The awards also provide a platform for networking, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among stakeholders, fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility for environmental stewardship.
Overall, the Leadership Awards play a vital role in promoting and accelerating the transition towards a more sustainable future.
Congratulations to all 2025 award recipients!!
Thank you to our Sustainability Champions for your continued support!
