As the holiday season moves into full swing, we thank our friends for supporting our work. We now ask you for $50 dollars on Giving Tuesday to help us win more victories for children’s health in schools. Here’s how we put your money to use:
- A global effort on indoor air quality: This fall, Healthy Schools Network joined more than 170 leaders from 30 countries in the new Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air. The commission aims to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) by creating a Global Framework for Action. Our active engagement will make school indoor environments a priority for this powerful commission.
- Prioritizing schools in MAHA: Over the summer, HS Network organized a campaign to put school environmental health at the center of the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) strategy for children’s health. We’re not done yet. Federal agencies are seeking our input on next steps. We will continue pushing to prioritize federal support for healthy school environments as part of the MAHA strategy.
- A stunning early Senate success on EPA funding: This summer, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to continue funding key EPA programs (indoor air, school environmental health, and children’s health). This was an early victory, but our work isn’t finished. We need to demonstrate support for the legislation as it moves through Congress. Your donations will help us fight for these vital EPA programs.
For donating just $50 on Giving Tuesday, you’ll help a proven, award-winning, and influential voice for healthy children and healthy schools AND you’ll continue receiving NewsSlice, technical resources, and webinars, and targeted opportunities to get involved. THANK YOU!
After 50 Years, IDEA Now at Risk
Fifty years ago, Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The law requires public education to be available to all eligible children with disabilities, ensuring that they receive special education and related services. It was a giant leap forward for access and equity for school children with disabilities, including children suffering from the effects of long COVID. But IDEA is at risk. Read this excellent article by our friends at the National Education Association to see how IDEA is threatened by funding cuts and chaotic federal reorganizations. IDEA needs the support of parents, teachers, and advocates.
Webinar: Holiday Shopping for Safer Children’s Toys
Black Friday, November 28, kicks off the holiday shopping season. Plastic and metal toys can contain dangerous chemicals. For this year’s holiday shopping, find and buy less hazardous products to use at home and school.
- See our Green Cleaning and Healthy Products collaborative for chemical policy in schools at https://healthyschools.org/green-cleaning-healthy-products/.
- See the webinar Protecting Our Future: Low-Cost, No-Cost Tips to Prevent Chemical and Heavy Metal Exposures When Selecting Toys sponsored by the Children’s Environmental Health Network’s Eco-Healthy Child Care® (EHCC) program, to be held December 3, 2025, 12 noon eastern time. Register here.
Environmental Protections Under Attack
As we reported at the end of July, the Senate appropriations committee has pushed back on the Trump administration’s reckless cuts to EPA funding. But that hasn’t stopped the Trump administration’s efforts to cripple the agency. The agency proposed removing millions of acres of streams and wetlands from protection under the Clean Water Act, a step that would have devastating impacts on water quality. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has said that “at least half” of President Trump’s efforts on deregulation might focus on EPA. The proposed regulations came the same week that the administration proposed weakening the Endangered Species Act and to massively increase coastal drilling. Healthy Schools Network is closely allied with environmental groups across the US in opposing environmental rollbacks.
