Green Schools Conference 2026 Recap

February 2026

BPRC was thrilled to host a session on “Building Meaningful Community Partnerships for Green Schools” at this year’s Annual Green Schools Conference in San Diego, California, and it was standing room only! Over 60 people attended the session, which focused on strategies for co-governance in order to achieve ambitious government programs.

When government leaders and grassroots coalitions take shared responsibility for policies and programs, we not only achieve our goals, but we ensure these wins are durable and politically popular. Lauren Bianchi, Green Schools Organizer at the Chicago Teachers Union, shared the amazing work of Chicago Teachers Union Foundation and their Healthy Green Schools coalition to win ambitious commitments in both their union contract as well as through a recent school board resolution. Ryan Cook, CFO/Treasurer at Columbus City School District, highlighted the district’s first-ever policy commitments to transition to 100% clean energy, their first approved solar project, and how parent, student and community advocacy were key to achieving these milestones. Morgan MacMillan, Energy Sustainability Program Manager for Salt Lake City School District (SLCSD) discussed the district’s continued project implementation of their sustainability action plan and how, as a new staffer, community partnerships not only grounded her in the long history of green schools work in Salt Lake City, but also helped her navigate clean energy policy changes at the federal level.

Participants walked away with real-world examples of community-government partnerships that go beyond “input” and involve shared ownership of program implementation and outcomes. We concluded the session with district leaders and community organizations reflecting on their own experiences and brainstorming tactics to help deepen these collaborations back home. The session was moderated by BPRC Senior Program Director Chelsea Watson.