CS-1249(G)
Career Exposure and Environmental Education Grant:
A Partnership with SFUSD's John O'Connell High School
Blair Randall, Arts and Education Program Manager
Carmen Iton, Youth Programs Analyst
Community Benefits, External Affairs
June 13, 2023
1 2
Background
• John O’Connell High School is an SFUSD pathway high school in the Mission D
istrict which focuses on project-based learning and real-world applications of concepts in order to best prepare students for post-secondary education and living wage careers.
• The SFPUC has partnered with John O’Connell High School since 2017 to c
onnect students with innovative project-based learning curricula centered on the real-world water, power and sewer operations of the SFPUC, as well as to provide awareness of careers at the SFPUC. This is accomplished through an SFPUC-focused teacher externship, SFPUC guest speakers and fieldtrips to SFPUC sites.
3 Summary of Proposed Action
4 • Seek approval of CS-1249(G), a grant which enables SFPUC to partner with John O'Connell High School to bring environmental education and career exposure to SFUSD students.
• The grant is for $375,000 with a duration of 2 years.
Utility Purpose
SFPUC Mission
Our mission is to provide our customers with high quality, efficient and reliable water, power, and sewer services in a manner that is inclusive of environmental and community interests, and that sustains the resources entrusted to our care.
Strategic Plan
This partnership supports the SFPUC’s Strategic Plan goal of raising awareness about the utility sector among SFUSD students and positioning the SFPUC as an employer of choice by making career paths visible to the community.
Environmental Justice Policy (2009)
Community Benefits Policy (2011)
Racial Justice Resolution (2020)
5 Program Goals
This grant enables the SFPUC to work directly with John O’Connell High School to achieve shared overarching goals:
1. Provide teachers with the resources to build innovative, integrated c
urricula centered around the water, power and sewer operations of the SFPUC, environmental stewardship and utility careers.
2. Build student awareness of careers generally, and specifically those which oper
ate the SFPUC’s water, power and sewer systems.
3. Deepen student learning of environmental stewardship and provide ex
posure to the environmental stewardship professionals at the SFPUC. 6 Experiential Student Learning
Students touring the ‘Living
Machine’ at 525 Golden Gate Ave
11th Grade Public Service Pathway class
visiting the College Hill Learning Garden for a
tour and a career panel with SFPUC employees
11th Grade Building
Construction and Trades
Pathway class visiting the
SEP Headworks project
Academic Year 22-23 Highlights. 157 students experienced SFPUC centered curricula with 8 fieldtrips and tours of SFPUC assets.
Experiential Student Learning
8 9th Grade Students Visiting Camp Mather and
the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
Teacher Externship
• Over the past 5 years, the SFPUC has
hos
ted 40+ John O’Connell High School
teachers for a weeklong, paid
externship to study SFPUC operations
and career paths.
• Over the course of the externship,
t
eachers develop innovative, standards-
aligned lessons which incorporate
water, power and sewer concepts.
• The teacher externship is an essential
s
trategy to facilitate student learning. 2022 Teacher Externship after presenting their integrated lesson plans at the College Hill Learning Garden 9
Learning about the work of an
SFPUC Watershed Keeper
An SFPUC Watershed Keeper
speaking to a 9th Grade Biology
class at John O’Connell High
School about the Crystal
Springs reservoir
SFPUC Employees across divisions
participate in a career panel for John
O’Connell High School students
Learning From SFPUC Employees
Academic Year 22-23 Highlights: 6 SFPUC subject matter experts presented at John O’Connell High School and 5 served as guest judges for student capstone project presentations.
Thank You
11 DEPARTMENT
External Affairs
AGENDA NO.
6 MEETING DATE
June 13, 2023
AGENDA ITEM
Public Utilities Commission
City and County of San Francisco
Calendar: Regular Calendar
Contract/Project Manager: Blair Randall
Award Career Exposure and Environmental Education Grant CS-1249(G) to San Francisco Unified School District
Summary of Proposed
Commission Action:
Award Grant No. CS-249(G), Career Exposure and Environmental Education Grant to San Francisco School District, to fund public - utility related educational programs at John O’Connell High School in an amount not-to-exceed $375,000 and with a term of two years.
Background: Starting in 2017, the S an Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has invested in a partnership with San Francisco Unified School District for career exposure opportunities for students at John O’Connell High School through engagement with teachers, students, and administrative staff to offer water, wastewater, and power related curricula, field trips, work-based learning internships, and guest speakers.
This grant program seeks to increase awareness of environmental themes and eco -literacy concepts important to SFPUC and to increase career exposure and awareness opportunities for San Francisco Unified School District students.
The SFPUC Strategic Plan calls for an investment in education and workforce strategies through the Effective Workforce Goal: "We attract, retain, and develop an effective workforce, reflective and supportive of our communities, that consistently delivers high quality s ervices to stakeholders." These efforts will help raise awareness about the utility sector, civil service careers, and concepts of environmental stewardship among
Francisco Unified School
District students.
This grant coincides with existing priorities identified by San Francisco Unified School District's newly updated “ Goals and Guardrails” plan, which outlines their intentions to partner collaboratively with the City in an effort to advance the D istrict’s goals of increasing the number of students involved in internship opportunities by 20% and increasing the number of students involved in college and career readiness programming from 57.5% Agenda Title: CS-249(G), Career Exposure and Environmental Education Grant Commission Meeting Date: June 13, 2023
in 2020 to 70% by 2027. San Francisco Unified School District’ s JOHS is well- positioned to support SFPUC and San Francisco Unified School District in the development of stronger career pathways for students across a variety of critical SFPUC -related career pathways.
Scope of Contract: The Grant Agreement outlines tasks developed to meet the joint goals of John O’Connell High School and San Francisco Unified School District to equip students with knowledge relevant to the SFPUC and utility industry and to make those students aware of opportunities to move into SFPUC careers. The SFPUC and the San Francisco Unified School District share five overarching goals that guide this partnership:
1. Foster student awareness of career opportunities in the utilities industry;
2. Provide students with real-world connections to SFPUC staff and work -based learning experiences related to the SFPUC;
3. Provide teachers with the opportunity to build connections, knowledge, and excitement around work-based learning and integrated curriculum related to career skills;
4. Inform students of internship, trainee, pre -apprentice, apprenticeship, and entry- l
evel job opportunities; and
5. Improve the quality and rigor of project-based curriculum at John O’Connell High School
To meet these goals, San Francisco Unified School District and SFPUC will collaborate on the following tasks:
1. Alignment of Lower Division Math and Science concepts with SFPUC concepts;
2. Alignment of Upper Division curricula with advanced
SFPUC concepts like environmental stewardship and
infrastructure development;
3. Teacher development through professional development opportunities like the SFPUC Teacher Externship;
4. Incorporate partnership with SFPUC into 8 th grade
recruitment activities;
5. Coordinate transportation services needed to support field trips;
6. Coordinate between John O’Connell High School Tech 21 advisory board and SFPUC infrastructure bureau to raise student awareness of career opportunities; and
7. Participate in quarterly program evaluation meetings, track program metrics and report on program impact biannually.
Funding and Costs: Funding Source: This grant will be paid for with a combination of Effective Workforce, Youth Employment Addback, and Operating Agenda Title: CS-249(G), Career Exposure and Environmental Education Grant Commission Meeting Date: June 13, 2023
funds. The grant amount is based on the cost of deliverable execution.
Total Not-To-Exceed Grant Amount: $375,000
Schedule: Estimated Notice-to-Proceed Date: July 1, 2023 Estimated End Date: June 30, 2025
Duration: two years
Environmental Review: This action does not constitute a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines s ection 15378(a) because there would be no physical change in the environment.
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
City and County of San Francisco
RESOLUTION NO.
WHEREAS, The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is facing a workforce gap and is committed to diversifying its workforce strategies through engagement with high schools in San Francisco to become an employer of choice; and WHEREAS, The SFPUC values education and workforce development as core components of its Community Benefits Policy; and
WHEREAS, The SFPUC is equipped to provide valuable exposure to students regarding career awareness and projects in the water, power, and sewer industries; and WHEREAS, The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is committed to providing hands-on work experience and project-based learning to its students as part of its “Goals and Guardrails” plan; and
WHEREAS, SFUSD’s John O’Connell High School has an emphasis on trades and skills development, and is uniquely positioned to support SFUSD ’s “Goals and Guardrails ” plan to increase career readiness; and
WHEREAS, It is necessary to procure the services of qualified SFUSD staff at John O’Connell High School to provide specialized Water, Power, Sewer related concepts to students to increase awareness of careers paths in the utility sector; and WHEREAS, The estimated cost of SFPUC’s share to fund the eligible expenses within the program is $375,000; and
WHEREAS, This action does not constitute a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines section 15378(a) because there would be no physical change in the environment; and
WHEREAS, The program is anticipated to begin on July 1, 2023 and end on June 30, 2025 and the duration of this contract is two years; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Commission hereby awards Grant No. CS-1249(G), Career Exposure and Environmental Education Grant, to SFUSD to provide environmental education and career exposure curricula to John O’Connell High School students; and authorize the General Manager to execute a grant with SFUSD for an amount not-to-exceed $375,000 and with a duration of two years.
I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was adopted by the Public Utilities Commission at its meeting of June 13, 2023.
Secretary, Public Utilities Commission