AISD hosts its first Environmental Stewardship Conference from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at Small Middle School, 4801 Monterey Oaks Blvd. The conference—part of an innovative partnership with Small’s annual Greenfest celebration—encourages sustainability on AISD campuses and in the community.

The conference, which will teach sustainability practices, is free and open to students, staff members, families and community members.

Lucia Athens, chief sustainability officer for the City of Austin, is the keynote speaker for the event. For more than two decades Athens has served as a leader in the green building and sustainability movement. She is the author of “Building an Emerald City: A Guide to Creating Green Building Policies.”

Following the conference, attendees are invited to join the kid-friendly Small Middle School Greenfest, which features live music, food and a showcase of AISD's green schools. The cost of the festival is $10, which supports the CSMS Green Academy.

AISD teachers who attend the event will earn professional development credits. Seating is limited for these sessions, so guests are encouraged to register now.

Each campus in AISD has a designated campus green team that helps to develop Campus Improvement Plans through the support of the Campus Advisory Committees. Small Middle School was a founding member of the Green Ribbon Schools and was awarded the Green Ribbon badge in 2010-11. Highland Park Elementary was the most recent AISD school to be awarded the Green Ribbon School badge.

For more information, visit http://www.austinisd.org/advisory-bodies/esac/esac-conferences or call 414-2668.