Tag: climate change

🍃**THROWBACK | When My Voice Became Part of Puerto Rico’s Climate Policy Record**

Maria Santiago ValentinLeave a comment

🌿 THROWBACK | When My Voice Became Part of Puerto Rico’s Climate Policy Record

Some moments in our professional journey become more meaningful with time.

Today, I look back with gratitude and pride on the opportunity I had to testify before Puerto Rico’s Committee of Experts and Advisors on Climate Change (CEACC) during the public hearings on Puerto Rico’s Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation, and Resilience Plan.

What makes this moment particularly meaningful is that my testimony was officially documented in a Government of Puerto Rico public record. It represented the intersection of several dimensions of my life’s work: education, environmental advocacy, climate justice, community empowerment, and my enduring connection to Puerto Rico.

In my testimony, I emphasized several principles that continue to guide my work:

🌎 Climate action must include environmental justice. Communities experiencing the greatest vulnerabilities must have a meaningful voice in climate planning.

🏝️ Puerto Rico’s communities must be at the center of resilience planning. Climate resilience is not only about infrastructure—it is about people, health, education, livelihoods, culture, and community capacity.

📚 Education is a climate solution. Building climate literacy empowers young people, educators, families, and communities to understand risks and participate in solutions.

🤝 Community voices belong at the policy table. Effective climate policy requires collaboration among government, educators, scientists, community organizations, and residents.

🌱 Mitigation, adaptation, and resilience must be connected to equity and opportunity. Climate strategies should strengthen communities while protecting Puerto Rico’s natural resources and future generations.

Looking back, I recognize this testimony as part of a much larger trajectory.

I am especially grateful that this contribution is preserved in an official government document. It is a reminder that our voices, our expertise, and our lived connections to our communities can become part of the public record and part of the policy conversation.

Education. Environmental justice. Climate action. Community resilience. Puerto Rico.

📄 Read the official Government of Puerto Rico document containing my testimony:
Puerto Rico Climate Change Public-Hearing Report — CEACC

Our voices matter. Our communities matter. And our participation in shaping a more resilient future matters.

#Throwback #ClimateJustice #EnvironmentalJustice #PuertoRico #ClimateAdvocacy

A look at USGBC’s biggest update in years LEED v5 — from the team at Calm and Mindful LLC

Maria Santiago Valentin

LEED v5: The Quick and Friendly Rundown

So here’s the deal with LEED v5 — USGBC just dropped its biggest update in years, and it’s honestly worth knowing about even if you’re not a builder or architect.

The headline number? Roughly 50% of a project’s certification score is now tied to decarbonization (Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry, 2025). That’s half the whole scorecard focused on cutting carbon across a building’s entire life — embodied emissions in materials, day-to-day energy use, refrigerants, even transportation (One Click LCA, 2026). Basically, carbon isn’t a bonus category anymore. It’s the main event.

But LEED v5 isn’t just about emissions math. There’s a real focus on human and ecological health too, with about a quarter of the new credits centered on occupant well-being, equity, and healthier, more transparent spaces for the people who actually use these buildings (BuildingGreen, 2025). It’s a nice reminder that buildings are for people first.

Then there’s resilience. Every single LEED v5 project now has to complete a climate resilience assessment, helping teams spot hazards early, understand risk, and protect the ecosystems around them (Facility Executive, 2025). As USGBC’s Sarah Zaleski put it, people want buildings that cut emissions, manage climate risk, stay healthy, and protect the natural world around them all at once (Facility Executive, 2025).

Put it all together and LEED v5 is basically USGBC connecting the dots between carbon, health, and resilience instead of treating them like separate checkboxes. Registration is already open, so this isn’t some future concept — it’s happening now (Construction Owners, n.d.). Pretty exciting stuff, honestly.

References

Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry. (2025, May 8). USGBC launches LEED v5 with focus on decarbonization and health. https://www.awci.org/about/announcements/usgbc-launches-leed-v5-with-focus-on-decarbonization-and-health/

BuildingGreen. (2025, June 18). LEED v5 is here. https://www.buildinggreen.com/feature/leed-v5-here

Construction Owners. (n.d.). USGBC launches LEED v5 for healthier, resilient buildings. https://www.constructionowners.com/news/usgbc-launches-leed-v5-for-healthier-resilient-buildings

Facility Executive. (2025, May 5). USGBC launches LEED v5. https://facilityexecutive.com/usgbc-launches-leed-v5/

One Click LCA. (2026, March 13). LEED v5 launches with a focus on LCA & embodied carbon. https://oneclicklca.com/en/resources/articles/leed-v5-launches-with-a-focus-on-lca-embodied-carbon

Diagram showing LEED v5 Platinum green building elements including integrative process, location, sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy, materials, and transportation
Key components of LEED v5 Platinum certification for sustainable buildings

Celebrating a decade of Calm and Mindful LLC- women led family owned business.

Maria Santiago Valentin

Calm and Mindful LLC: Partnerships, Progress, and Measurable Impact

Calm and Mindful LLC continues to serve as a model of visionary collaboration, bringing together education, sustainability, wellness, and community empowerment under a unified mission. Through strategic partnerships and evidence-informed initiatives, the organization has strengthened its national and global reach, turning shared values into measurable, real-world outcomes that enhance individual and collective wellbeing.

Advancing Sustainability through Strategic Alignment

In 2025, Calm and Mindful LLC took a significant step forward by being accepted into the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Clean Corridor Coalition (C3), a program that unites organizations working toward clean energy, workforce development, and sustainable infrastructure. The C3 listing (NJDEP, 2025) marked a milestone in the company’s sustainability portfolio, validating its commitment to environmental stewardship and inclusive innovation.

Through this partnership, Calm and Mindful LLC has contributed to regional sustainability initiatives that integrate environmental resilience with economic opportunity. Projects under this collaboration emphasize workforce readiness for the green economy, resilience training for emerging professionals, and educational programs that promote the intersection of wellbeing and ecological mindfulness. These efforts align with the organization’s philosophy that sustainability is not merely an environmental goal—it is a pathway to social equity and holistic health.

Strengthening Education through National Collaboration

Education remains the cornerstone of Calm and Mindful LLC’s mission. Between 2022 and 2025, the organization partnered with the Federal U.S. Department of Education and the Top Opportunity Project to address the growing national demand for qualified STEM educators. This partnership reflects a forward-looking response to systemic needs in teacher preparation and science/technology education equity.

Together, these institutions co-developed a policy-focused white paper and an eight-module online professional learning course for educators. The materials present research-backed strategies for curriculum design, classroom equity, and educator wellness—ensuring that teachers are equipped not only with instructional expertise but also with resilience tools to navigate the complexities of today’s classrooms. This initiative has served as both a learning resource and a policy influence, reinforcing the importance of cross-sector collaboration in shaping the future of education.

Through ongoing collaboration with national and community-based partners, Calm and Mindful LLC has positioned itself as a trusted liaison between educational innovation and practical implementation. The organization’s approach highlights how professional development can drive systemic change when grounded in evidence, inclusivity, and empathy.

Empowering Families and Youth through Community Partnerships

Calm and Mindful LLC further expanded its community-centered mission through a productive partnership with the Latino Institute of New Jersey, founded by Mr. William Colon. This strong alliance reflects the organization’s belief in culturally tailored education and bilingual empowerment.

Together, they facilitated a series of bilingual workshops addressing stress management, school violence prevention, harassment, and bullying. These interactive sessions—designed for parents and guardians—helped bridge communication gaps between schools and families while promoting emotional literacy and positive coping strategies. The workshops provided parents with accessible tools to build safer, compassionate community environments and to support youth development from a place of empathy and empowerment.

The results were both immediate and enduring: increased family engagement in school activities, improved parent-teacher collaboration, and greater awareness of social-emotional wellbeing in educational settings. In this partnership, Calm and Mindful LLC has demonstrated the measurable impact of localized education—showing that lasting change begins with strong, informed, and supported families.

Expanding Global and Local Awareness

Beyond its local initiatives, Calm and Mindful LLC continues to collaborate internationally with organizations that share its commitment to peace, sustainability, and gender equity. Key engagements with Women’s Federation for World Peace International (WFWPI), NGO-CSW/NY, Climate Generation, the World Bank, and the Franklin Public Library underscore the organization’s role as both a convener and a contributor to global discourse.

These collaborations provide meaningful platforms for dialogue on climate action, gender equity, and peacebuilding—themes that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through workshops, community dialogues, and educational events, Calm and Mindful LLC has fostered an environment where policy discussions translate into citizen action, and global principles are adapted into local contexts. Whether through youth climate education or gender-responsive training, the organization’s impact continues to ripple outward—connecting local communities with global frameworks for justice and sustainability.

A Record of Measurable Action and Shared Vision

The success of Calm and Mindful LLC’s partnerships lies not only in their breadth but also in their depth. Each collaboration is guided by an evidence-based framework that prioritizes measurable outcomes—such as stronger educator retention, improved community wellness, or expanded environmental literacy. Through continuous evaluation and participatory feedback mechanisms, the organization ensures accountability and impact across every initiative.

Ultimately, Calm and Mindful LLC’s story is one of collective progress. By aligning its expertise in education, sustainability, and wellness with the strengths of public agencies, nonprofits, and local communities, the organization has proven that partnership is one of the most powerful strategies for social transformation. Calm and Mindful LLC’s commitment to responsive, mission-driven collaboration continues to set a standard for organizations dedicated to advancing opportunity, inclusion, and meaningful systemic change.

References

  • New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (2025). Clean Corridor Coalition (C3) Teaming Partners List.https://dep.nj.gov/wp-content/uploads/drivegreen/12.31.2025-c3-teaming-partners-list.xlsx
  • U.S. Department of Education & Top Opportunity Project (2022–2025). STEM Educator Workforce Development Collaboration Materials.
  • Latino Institute of New Jersey, Mr. William Colon (2024). Bilingual Parent Engagement Workshops Reports.
  • Women’s Federation for World Peace International (WFWPI), NGO-CSW/NY, Climate Generation, The World Bank, Franklin Public Library (2023–2025). Collaborative Dialogue and Educational Programming Initiatives.