Community of Practice Meeting

CTE - Green Energy Careers (Posibly explore cohorts by region) What if students could graduate ready to lead in the clean energy transition? This session explores how Career and Technical Education (CTE) can serve as a powerful pathway to prepare students for high-demand jobs in clean energy, sustainability, and climate resilience. We’ll highlight innovative programs and partnerships that blend hands-on learning with real-world impact equipping students not only with technical skills, but with a sense of purpose and possibility in shaping a more sustainable future. Speakers 👤 Dan Hinderliter – Associate Director of State Policy at Advance CTE, where he leads work on modernized Career Clusters, the Green in CTE strategy, and technical assistance for high-quality CTE nationwide. 👤 Mason Pashia – Partner (Storytelling) at Getting Smart Collective, shaping the organization’s media on futures thinking, sustainability, and arts education through blogs, podcasts, and publications. School Partner Spotlight Vista Grande High School (NM) with Jim Smith + Adel Kosanke on CTE, internships, and their UNM–Taos partnership.

Digital Sustainability: Small Digital Choices, Real Environmental Impact Get ready for our January Community of Practice focused on an often overlooked area of school sustainability: our everyday digital practices. We’ll explore how common digital actions (from emails and cloud storage to video meetings) carry environmental impact, and why intention matters more than perfection when using technology more sustainably.

Leading with Nature: Biomimicry for Systems Change - Part 1 "What if the natural world could teach us how to lead, innovate, and transform our schools? This session launches a two-part series exploring biomimicry as a powerful framework for leadership, problem-solving, and whole-school transformation. Together, we’ll examine how principles inspired by nature can guide us toward more resilient systems, creative solutions, and sustainable school cultures, from classrooms to district leadership. Join us as we tap into nature’s genius to imagine what’s possible for education.

Leading with Nature: Biomimicry for Systems Change - Part 2 In Part 2 of our biomimicry series, we move from inspiration to application.Building on the foundations of nature-inspired leadership and systems thinking, this session dives deeper into how biomimicry can drive real change in schools from classroom practices to campus operations and culture. Through real-world examples and interactive dialogue, we’ll explore how educators and leaders are applying biomimicry principles to solve complex challenges, foster innovation, and guide whole-school transformation rooted in sustainability and resilience. Come ready to imagine, design, and lead with nature as your mentor.