Now Recruiting Student Teams for the 2026-27 School Year!
About us
The Sustain OC Foundation is a charitable 501(c)3 nonprofit operated by Sustain Southern California. Using Sustain SoCal’s extensive professional ecosystem, the Sustain OC Foundation brings education, career development, workforce retention, and community engagement opportunities to Orange County high school students. Though the Sustain OC Foundation is supported by Sustain SoCal contacts, it is an entirely separate organization with its own EIN.
Connecting OC Students to professionals
The Sustain OC Foundation’s Sustainable Campus Challenge provides self-guided sustainability audit frameworks to local high schoolers so they can make impactful improvements to their campus energy, water, waste, transportation, and health systems.
Student teams conduct research, collect hands-on measurements, and survey their peers to understand sustainability weaknesses in their community. Once sustainability priorities are determined, students create a campus solution plan and Sustain OC Foundation staff match teams with actual experts in their field(s) of interest for feedback and mentorship.
Actual Results!
Timeline & Process
| Stage of Challenge | Deliverables | Due Date |
|---|---|---|
|
Join Now! |
Submit Intent to Participate & Schedule Intro Meeting |
Tuesday, December 15th, 2026 |
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Segments |
Deadline to Submit Module Responses *Teams must complete at least 3/5 to access a Mentor |
Friday, January 22nd, 2027 |
|
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Preliminary Solution Plan Due |
Friday, February 19th, 2027 |
|
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Competition! Mentor Matching & Solution Edits |
March – April of 2027 |
|
Program Alumni |
Students who participate in the Sustainable Campus Challenge may attend Sustain SoCal Professional Events. |
Ongoing! |
LOOKING TO DONATE TO THE SUSTAIN OC FOUNDATION?
Consider leading one of our modules on energy, water, waste, or transportation.
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