The Los Angeles County Office of Education recently hosted the Green Schools Leadership Summit, bringing together leaders from school districts, charter schools, community organizations and LACOE staff to advance the shared vision of a sustainable future for education. Sponsored by the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation (GLAEF), the summit provided an opportunity to preview LACOE’s draft Environmental Sustainability Action Plan and to gather valuable feedback from attendees.

With support from GLAEF, LACOE has been developing a comprehensive Environmental Sustainability Action Plan designed to coordinate, integrate and elevate sustainability efforts across the organization. Anchored in the Green Schools National Network (GSNN) GreenPrint framework, the Action Plan was shaped through significant input from staff and educators. More than 200 LACOE staff members shared their perspectives through surveys and focus groups, and draft goals have been developed across four key impact areas: Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, Culture and Climate, and Facilities and Operations. The Action Plan is slated for completion in fall 2025 and will align directly with LACOE’s Strategic Plan.

LACOE Superintendent Dr. Debra Duardo welcomed attendees with a personal message about her hope to leave a green and healthy earth for her children. David Den Hartog from the Green Schools National Network emphasized the central role of equity, noting: “We can’t get to sustainability or regeneration without equity. Everyone is both a leader and a learner. Together, we must shift the system.”

The summit highlighted the importance of student leadership in the sustainability movement. Gissel, a student from the Environmental Charter High School’s Lawndale campus, shared how her school serves as the only green space available in her neighborhood. She said she learned that she can make a difference but that she has to take action—with empathy and with community.

District leaders also shared best practices:

• Dr. Jay Greenlinger spoke about the Oak Park Unified School District’s efforts to connect sustainability with student wellbeing, from Meatless Mondays and No Waste Wednesdays to serving culturally inclusive meals like bibimbap and halal options. The district has phased out pesticides and rodenticides, embraced greener building practices, and designed schools that blend indoor and outdoor spaces.

• Anthony Quan with LACOE’s STEM Science Unit shared how Arcadia Unified School District showcased its long history of environmental leadership, from rain barrels and recyclable turf at Arcadia High’s stadium to its umbrella student-led environmental group, EVERGREEN, which fosters cross-generational sustainability learning.

• Quan also shared how El Rancho Unified School District highlighted gardens and chickens at its middle schools, plus gardens at every elementary school, reflecting the community’s agricultural heritage and giving students hands-on opportunities to connect academics with the environment.

In addition to hearing from keynote speakers and panelists, participants joined small-group discussions to share ideas and explore ways to integrate sustainability into their own work. These conversations will help refine LACOE’s Action Plan while deepening the County’s collective approach to green leadership.

The Green Schools Leadership Summit underscored LACOE’s commitment to building a more sustainable future for education. With the input of students, educators, partners and the community, LACOE is laying the foundation for a greener, more equitable and more sustainable future for all.