Los Altos High School

Since 2009, Los Altos High has built a culture where parents, teachers, students, and administrators are invited to lead school greening efforts. The school’s Green Team environmental club partnered with local nonprofit GreenTown Los Altos to create an anti-idling campaign and organize community e-waste collection events. The Green Team brings a rolling composter directly to the quad area to collect food scraps from students at lunchtime. The Parent Teacher Student Association Go Green Sustainability Committee provides reusable dinnerware and sustainability ideas to school groups for large events. In 2017, Los Altos High School built a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold-certified classroom building with xeriscaping, bioswales, and solar panels. On-site solar meets approximately 55 percent of electric needs, combined with battery storage units to balance the load and cut peak energy demands during the day. The school provides electric vehicle charging stations to teachers and staff at no cost. Los Altos High also encourages alternative modes of transportation by enacting parking policies to encourage carpooling and providing storage for bikes and skateboards. The school also lobbied the city to prioritize bike and pedestrian routes over cars and parking. To improve health and reduce stress each quarter, students enjoy yoga in the quad, service animals on campus during finals week, and support for mindfulness activities during class time.

Application (PDF)