PCSD

The Start of Ideas

July 22, 2025 by PCSD

Who did you meet with today?

Today we met John Sun, who is the CEO for Blueprint, and then we also met Eric Sussman, who is someone who sits on the board of directors for Blueprint.

Where do they work? What does the company do?

John Sun, who is the CEO for Blueprint, helps creates facilities for charter schools that don’t have those resources and makes sure they get fair treatment.

Eric Sussman is on the board of directors of Blueprint but is also a professor at UCLA and owns several companies.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

I learned the importance of sending an email correctly, reaching out for opportunities in both career and personal lives, being able to have a great relationship with the people around me both in business and personal, and being able to communicate well. Also I learned how businesses are formed but also maintained while expanding but being able to maintain the ideal and core of that business. I understand the importance of creating a network and how to create a network both using LinkedIn but also just reaching out through email for internship opportunities.

What insights did you gain into the field of real estate development?

Some of the insights I gained from the field of real estate development are that it’s a very long process, but also takes multiple groups of people working together, like the first contracting agreements between the person buying, the developer, and landowner, the process of being able to find people that you can work with and who are trustworthy.

What did you find the most interesting about the field after today?

I found it interesting that we were able to have conversations with people who are successful in their professions, and also their advice on how to get into that profession. Also, I enjoyed learning about going through the process of college to internship to work, all the stages and how to get from one place to another. The one thing I found very interesting is what Eric Sussman said about how to find your job with the circle chart that he explained.

📸: Estrellita Segundo, Summer Intern

Interns meeting board director Eric Sussman

Four interns standing in front of large window in an outdoor patio — John Sun talking about his experience at Blueprint

Four interns and CEO at boba shop — John buying the interns boba

KLE Foundation Supports Charter Growth in Austin with Grant to Blueprint

June 17, 2025 by PCSD

We’re excited to share that Blueprint has been awarded a generous grant from the Austin-based KLE Foundation to support charter school growth and high quality charter seats in Austin and Central Texas over the next two years.

With this new funding, Blueprint will provide comprehensive, hands-on support to mission-aligned charter schools across Austin/Central Texas—especially those serving historically under-resourced communities.

Our work will focus on:

Strategic facilities planning
Feasibility and financial affordability assessments
Full project management services, from site search, to design, to construction
Direct facility investment

One of the schools already benefiting from this expanded support is Cedars International Academy in Austin. Blueprint is working with Cedars to secure a long-term facility solution that will allow them to grow and better serve their students and families.

“Austin is home to incredible charter schools doing life-changing work. With KLE’s partnership, we can support more of them in building long-term, sustainable facilities that reflect the quality of education they deliver every day,” said Eric Kot, Executive Director, Texas.

KLE’s support strengthens our ability to partner with schools early in their growth journey, helping them find and fund the right facility solutions.

We’re grateful to the KLE Foundation for believing in the power of high-quality public charter schools—and in Blueprint’s mission to dismantle systemic inequality in education.

Together, we’re building more than schools. We’re building futures.

Blueprint is a non-profit, full-service real estate development firm working side-by-side with charter school partners to expand access to high-quality educational opportunities in under-resourced communities.

To learn more about Blueprint: Blueprintfutures.org

Building Greener Schools: How Blueprint Integrates Sustainability into Every Project

April 21, 2025 by PCSD

At Blueprint, we believe that designing for students means designing for the future. From reducing our carbon footprint to improving air quality and conserving natural resources, we see school facility projects as an opportunity to ensure environmental responsibility.

Sustainability Is Not an Add-On—It’s Built In

Our approach to sustainable design starts at the earliest planning stages. We collaborate with school leaders to understand their values, priorities, and long-term goals, then weave in eco-friendly strategies as it makes sense for their site, budget, and students. Whether it’s installing solar panels, integrating water-saving features, or prioritizing natural daylight, we ensure that sustainability is more than a checklist.

One of the most powerful tools we have in our climate toolkit? Adaptive reuse.

Adaptive Reuse: Preserving the Past, Protecting the Future

Adaptive reuse—the renovation and repurposing of existing buildings—is a major carbon reduction strategy. Instead of starting from scratch and generating tons of construction waste, we work to breathe new life into old buildings. This dramatically lowers the environmental impact of a new school facility while preserving community history.

A standout example is our project with Impact | Commencement Bay Elementary in Tacoma, WA. The school is located in the historic John Rogers Elementary building, originally constructed in the early 1900s and one of the first reinforced concrete elementary schools in the state. By repurposing the structure, we avoided the emissions and material waste associated with demolition and new construction, all while delivering a beautiful, modern campus that serves 600 students in grades TK–5.

Learning Through the Environment: Schools Where Sustainability Shapes the Curriculum

For some of our partners, sustainability goes beyond the facility—it’s embedded in the mission of the school itself. Two standout examples are Environmental Charter Middle School in Gardena and Golden Charter Academy in Fresno, where environmental education is a core part of the student experience.

Environmental Charter Middle School – Gardena, CA
ECMS doesn’t just teach students about sustainability—it lives it. The campus is designed as a hands-on learning lab, featuring organic gardens, aquaponics systems, on-site composting, and rainwater harvesting. Students are engaged in environmental stewardship every day, whether they’re tending to drought-resistant native plants, working in the bike shop, or learning about resource conservation through the school’s low-flow fixtures and smart irrigation systems. The design supports their mission to develop future leaders who will protect and sustain the environment.
Golden Charter Academy – Fresno, CA
Golden Charter Academy was built with a vision: to create a learning environment that fosters environmental justice and deepens students’ connection to the natural world. From day one, the facility is being designed with green building strategies and energy-efficient features, continuing their focus on a curriculum centered on environmental science and outdoor learning.

These schools exemplify how sustainable design and environmental education can work hand-in-hand to create transformative, mission-driven learning environments.

Green by Design: Partner School Highlights

Beyond adaptive reuse, many Blueprint-supported projects incorporate sustainable features designed to conserve energy, manage resources, and promote eco-conscious learning environments:

Citizens of the World LA – Silverlake Middle School
Built with long-term sustainability in mind, this campus uses sensor lights and water faucets to minimize energy and water waste.
Ánimo Venice Charter High School – Venice, CA
Designed with solar panels and sustainable materials, this school reflects a commitment to clean energy and thoughtful construction.
Lodestar – Oakland, CA
A severely damaged field was transformed into durable turf to reduce water use. The school also added solar panels and ample bike storage to encourage green commuting and clean energy use.

Building Toward a Better Future

We know that today’s students are tomorrow’s environmental leaders. That’s why we’re committed to helping our school partners build campuses that reflect their values—not just educationally, but environmentally, too.