Construction on Innovative Environmental and Climate Science Education Hub at Millennial Tech Middle School Begins

Construction on Innovative Environmental and Climate Science Education Hub at Millennial Tech Middle School Begins

SAN DIEGO (September 17, 2025) - A trailblazing Climate Action Design Lab and campus transformation are officially underway in the heart of Chollas View.

On Wednesday, San Diego Unified School District leaders joined Millennial Tech Middle (MTM) and Lincoln High School students in a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on the MTM Whole Site Modernization project with a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Climate Action Design lab.

The event, which took place during the 40th annual National Pollution Prevention Weekand ahead of World Cleanup Day, included performances by the Lincoln High cheer team and band, along with a self-programmed drone demonstration from MTM STEAM students.

"Both National Pollution Prevention Week and World Cleanup Day remind us of the importance of taking care of our environment," said San Diego Unified Superintendent Dr. Fabi Bagula. "This Climate Action Design Lab will bring those lessons home, integrating outdoor learning with classroom discovery and empowering students to take action."

Offering an extension to Earthlab, an outdoor classroom and living lab, the STEAM Climate Action Design Lab facility will feature two lab rooms, an outdoor atrium, and support spaces.

The project also incorporates a student services facility that will serve as the main campus entryway, a gymnasium and multipurpose building, a student-use playfield, a locker room addition, solar panels, security enhancements, a reconfigured parking lot, hardscape, landscape, and sidewalk replacements.

"Our new campus will inspire them to succeed and pursue futures in science and sustainability even more than they already have," said Nicola Labas, Principal of Millennial Tech Middle School.

The new student services facility will include a lobby, student support offices, collaborative work spaces, and a renovated parking lot that will include solar panels, a student drop-off and pick-up area, visitor parking, and a separate area for staff parking. Secure perimeter fencing will be installed campus-wide to direct visitors to the main campus entryway. The new gymnasium and multipurpose building will include scoreboards and bleachers. The softball field will include backstops and dugouts. Funding is made available through local bond funds, approved by voters to improve San Diego Unified schools.

Once complete, the STEAM Climate Action Design Lab will integrate continued partnerships with Groundwork San Diego and UC San Diego's Center on Global Justice. Along with MTM, Groundwork partners with six additional schools in the Lincoln Cluster, including Lincoln High School and Johnson, Encanto, Webster, Horton, and Chollas Mead elementary schools.

"This partnership is so crucial to teaching Lincoln cluster students lifelong skills that can encourage them to become leaders in climate action," said Board of Education Trustee Dr. Sharon Whitehurst-Payne. "Teachers are also benefiting from the partnership because they provide the curriculum with Groundwork, and Groundwork comes up with hands-on projects based on that curriculum. It's a win-win for education."

An exciting step forward in the San Diego Unified School District's commitment to innovative STEAM education, the STEAM Climate Action Design Lab will be the first dedicated climate action lab. It also serves as the blueprint for future STEAM initiatives where classroom learning and real-world application intersect.

Additionally, San Diego Unified continues to expand STEAM opportunities through a drone program that engages students across all grade levels in computer science and related fields. MTM has emerged as a leader in this work, helping ensure that students are prepared with both the technical and problem-solving skills needed for future-ready careers.

Construction on the lab and campus transformation is expected to be completed by late 2027.