Green Hills Elementary School has been officially recognized as a regional leader in environmental stewardship, highlighted by winning San Mateo COE’s 2024 Sustainable and Climate-Ready Schools Challenge and its historic achievement as the first school to receive the City of Millbrae Green Business certification. Our school was also recently honored with a 2026 California Green Ribbon Schools award in the “bronze” category.

The school’s success is a testament to its deep commitment to integrating sustainability into every aspect of campus life, driven by a highly engaged student body and strong community partnerships.

A cornerstone of the school’s success is the Green Team, a dedicated group of nearly 20 students led by two teachers and the principal. This team doesn’t just learn about the environment; they actively manage the school’s resources, taking on vital responsibilities such as proper garbage sorting and composting, as well as creating educational presentations for the entire student body. This hands-on approach has effectively shifted the school’s overall environmental culture.

In a critical effort to reduce vehicle pollution and promote active transit, Green Hills also led the way by launching Millbrae’s first walking school bus program, setting a powerful example for other local schools to follow.

The school has used strategic partnerships to bring major environmental projects to fruition. Collaborating with local high school students, Green Hills piloted a sustainable foodware program that successfully reduced reliance on single-use plastic by offering only the necessary utensils and napkins, rather than pre-wrapped packets.

Infrastructure improvements have also been a focus, with Eagle Scouts, students and volunteers helping to rebuild garden beds, construct a tri-bin composting station, and successfully install four rain barrels after a community workshop. These rain barrels now capture rainwater for the school garden, conserving water and reducing stormwater runoff simultaneously.

Furthermore, environmental literacy is a core component of the curriculum, with teachers implementing lessons using resources from organizations such as Ten Strands and Seed to Solutions, complemented by school-wide Earth Day celebrations.

These collective efforts underscore Green Hills Elementary’s successful model for not only reducing its waste footprint, but also for educating the next generation of environmental leaders.