Apply for EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Awards

June 25, 2009 - Want your school or school district to be honored for its commitment to improve children’s health by promoting good indoor air quality (IAQ)?  Apply for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) IAQ TfS Awards. 

Currently, the EPA offers three competitive awards:

• The IAQ TfS National Excellence Award, presented to school districts that have shown exceptional commitment to IAQ management in schools;
• The IAQ TfS National Model of Sustained Excellence Award, presented to school districts that show ongoing exceptional commitment and achievement in maintaining healthy educational facilities while institutionalizing comprehensive IAQ management practices; and 
• The new National IAQ TfS Connector Award, presented to individuals and organizations whose outstanding, innovative actions and initiatives have supported improved school indoor environments. 

The deadline to apply for these competitive awards is September 30, 2009.  The winners will be honored during EPA’s annual IAQ for Schools National Symposium being held on January 14-16, 2010, in Washington, D.C.  The Symposium brings together more than 500 school board officials, administrators, architects, school nurses, teachers, facility managers, school and health association members, parents, and other leaders.  At the symposium, participants have the opportunity to share best practices to launch and maintain successful IAQ management programs; learn what the latest research and technical knowledge on IAQ means for their schools; and participate in problem-solving discussions and make connections with peers and model programs. 

The EPA has presented National Excellence awards to approximately 80 schools and school districts in recognition of their dedication to improving IAQ.  EPA’s IAQ Awards webpage includes brief descriptions of IAQ programs  that were implemented by award recipients from the years 2000 to 2008. 

The EPA also has two non-competitive awards designed to recognize schools and districts that are on their way to achieving sustainable IAQ management plans: the Great Start and National Leadership awards.  Applications for those awards are accepted year-round. 

To apply for the awards and/or obtain additional information, please visit EPA’s IAQ Awards Program webpage or contact the IAQ TfS Awards Coordinator at awardscoordinator@cadmusgroup.com.

Source: EPA's IAQ Awards webpage.