Help Prevent a Leading Cause of School Absenteeism -- Attend EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Symposium
September is back-to-school month, and as stated in a September 6, 2007 NPR Morning Edition article, it is the peak month for asthma attacks that send children to hospital emergency rooms. According to NPR, experts call it the “September epidemic.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifies asthma as a leading chronic illness among children and youth in the United States; on average, in a classroom of 30 children, about 3 are likely to have asthma. This chronic condition is also one of the leading causes of school absenteeism. In 2003, an estimated 12.8 million school days were missed due to asthma among the more than 4 million children who reported at least one asthma attack in the preceding year.
The EPA's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) Program is a nationwide initiative to help school officials assess, resolve, and prevent IAQ problems and reduce exposure to asthma triggers and other harmful pollutants in school facilities. Mold, re-circulation of contaminated air, restricted fresh air intake, and pest infestation can create poor indoor air quality and trigger asthma and allergic sensitivities among students and staff.
This year's IAQ TfS Symposium will take place December 6-8, 2007 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC. The Symposium highlights efforts schools can take to implement IAQ TfS and maintain a healthy school environment and is open to school officials, administrators, facilities and operations personnel, teachers, parents, students, and anyone else with an interest in IAQ in schools.
The symposium provides an opportunity to 1) learn the latest research linking school indoor air quality to student health and performance; 2) participate in problem-solving discussions with peer faculty; 3) share best practices for launching and maintaining successful IAQ management programs; and 4) celebrate the 2007 National Excellence Award and National Model of Sustained Excellence Award winners.
The National IAQ TfS Awards Program
The EPA’s IAQ TfS Awards Program was initiated to recognize schools and school districts that have demonstrated a strong commitment to improve children's health by promoting good indoor air quality (IAQ). EPA provides a series of national-level awards to schools and school districts just beginning to implement comprehensive IAQ management plans and also to those who have mature, sustainable, district-wide IAQ programs.
As the stature of the awards increase, so does the value gained by each recipient in terms of improved IAQ and improved health and performance of faculty, staff, and students. EPA has presented National Excellence awards to nearly 80 schools and school districts in recognition of their dedication to improving IAQ. For more information about the Awards Program and to download award applications, please visit http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/awards.html. The EPA advises that all applications and supplemental materials for the 2007 IAQ TfS National Excellence Award must be postmarked by October 8, 2007, in order to be evaluated.
For additional information and/or to register for the Symposium, please visit www.iaqsymposium.com.
To learn more about asthma management in schools, request an “Asthma 101” Packet or check asthma related web links from NSBA’s School Health Programs, visit www.nsba.org/schoolhealth.
Sources: EPA’s website (Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Symposium and National Awards Program); “NIH: Create Action Plans to Control Kids’ Asthma,” Allison Aubrey, NPR, Morning Edition, September 6, 2007; and CDC’s Healthy Youth Website.