Merced Union High School District (MUHSD) focuses on conservation and preparing its students for green careers. In 2016, MUHSD’s Green Technology and Energy Conservation (GTEC) students collaborated with the California Conservation Corps to perform energy audits on all district campuses. Students used data from energy audits to advocate for the school board to add on-site solar to all seven campuses. With the information presented by the students, the district decided to install parking area solar panels for each school under a power purchase agreement (PPA) with no upfront cost to the district. Prior to COVID-19, school gardens provided cafeterias with fresh fruits and vegetables and fresh eggs raised by Future Farmers of America students. During the pandemic, the district donated approximately 800 pounds of harvested produce to rescue missions and food banks to help those in need. Currently, personnel from multiple departments around the district are collaborating on a Green That School project supporting the development of a school in Africa, Kenya’s Daraja Academy. The team is using the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools application as a template to guide their work in creating a campus that is environmentally sustainable,encourages Science,Technology,Engineering, and Math (STEM) innovations, and uses greener technologies.
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