FUHSD earned the 2026 gold level ranking for the Green Ribbon sustainability award, administered by the California Department of Education, superintendent Graham Clark said. The award is given to schools and districts that show notable efforts toward making on-campus facilities environmentally friendly, Clark said.
The award evaluates the district’s performance in the categories of facilities, environmental education and nutrition and wellness, Climate Collective lead teacher Kavita Gupta said.
This year’s award marks an increase in prestige, upgrading from the lower silver level received in 2023, Clark said. To earn it, the district has made various installments across campuses, like adding HVAC units and EV chargers.
“Every opportunity we can, when we’re remodeling or modernizing a facility, or when we’re building a new facility, we build it in the most energy efficient way we can,” Clark said.
Achieving the award was made possible by Climate Collective, a student-faculty collaborative organization responsible for advancing district-wide environmental education and sustainability, Gupta said.
“We are over the moon,” Gupta said. “[The students] are the ones who are really pushing this work forward. They want to learn more, and they really have drive. They want to know about the future. They’re anxious about climate change. To see them feeling like they have a voice, and being knowledgeable about something they value, is exciting for me as a teacher.”
The Climate Collective is students-first, yet they are built upon collaborations with people like teacher site leads and board of trustees members, co-site lead, junior Chloe Dahl said.
“They are really proud of the fact that we have a climate collective because it makes such a big difference in being acknowledged. It really validates our mission,” Dahl said. “It shows the district support for climate change and action.”
In support of Climate Collective’s vision for sustainability, the board passed Policy 6142.5. The policy asks them to implement a program for environmental education that teaches students how to preserve nature, Dahl said.
“I love that our district is open to these kinds of things,” Dahl said. “The fact that it was passed without a second reading shows that they’re confident in their decision.”
Through monthly meetings with members and administrators, Climate Collective effectively discusses sustainability efforts, board of trustees vice president Rosa Kim said.
The Green Ribbon Award allows students to feel encouraged to continue pursuing goals they have worked toward for district sustainability, Clark said.
“It’s not about just getting recognition,” Clark said. “For some people, that does motivate them, but it’s the thought that we’re doing the best with our district and our schools to be good stewards of the environment and use our natural resources wisely.”
Similarly, Kim said the award will keep driving the district to uphold and expand its sustainability commitment.
“This is an honor [that] we are recognized for our effort on climate action work,” Kim said. “That encourages us to be more exemplary as a school district in leading this work. It’s not the end, it makes us push more.”
