Help Promote Healthy School Environments for Children and School Personnel: Celebrate National Healthy Schools Day
April 30th is National Healthy Schools Day – An opportunity for schools and communities to get involved in the important issue of ensuring that children and school employees have environmentally safe and healthy learning environments that are clean and in good repair.
National Healthy Schools Day is sponsored by the Healthy Schools Network, Inc. and co-sponsored by other organizations such as the Collaborative for High Performance Schools and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. On that day, nationwide events that educate the community, parents, and school decision makers will be highlighted. The day’s main goal is to make people aware of the need to maintain existing and design new school buildings that promote health and learning.
Persons responsible for existing school buildings need to make sure, for instance, that leaks are prevented and stopped and that floors and frequently touched surfaces are washed with green cleaning products. Also, that the presence of asbestos, radon, lead, arsenic, mercury, and persistent organic pollutants such as PCBs be controlled and removed. And those in charge of school buildings that are being designed need to ensure that there are safe outdoor learning and play areas; that the design prevent dampness indoors and that products containing persistent or bio-accumulative toxics not be used.
National Healthy Schools Day can be celebrated in several ways, including, but not limited to: developing and implementing policies for school environmental quality within schools or organizations; adopting IAQ management plans; demonstrating green cleaning or IPM practices and products; holding workshops and conferences on children, the environment, and health and Healthy High Performance Schools; and celebrating mayor/city council, governor/state legislature National Healthy Schools Day proclamations or policy initiatives.
Other ways to participate include: writing a letter or paying a visit to principals or facility directors and asking about cleaning products, pest control products, or school repair needs; visiting a teacher or school nurse to learn how many children use asthma inhalers at school; holding a forum with students or PTA/PTO on healthy school environments; walking around local schools to check if water stains, cracks in outside walls, broken widows or steps, and overflowing dumpsters are problems that need to be addressed; and writing letters to editors on the importance of a healthy school.
To obtain information on partners that can help plan events as well as event ideas and sample letters to the editor or schools, please visit the Healthy Schools Network, Inc. at www.healthyschools.org or contact (202) 543-7555 or info@healthyschools.org.
Source: “Celebrate National Healthy Schools Day,” Examples of Events and Guidelines, Healthy Schools Network, Inc., 2007.