Resources for Parents and Personnel, Schools and Childcares, and their Communities
Climate: Children & Schools
- US EPA Protecting Children’s Health During and After Disasters flood, heat, wildfires/ash
- US EPA Preparing for and Responding to Natural Disasters (including schools)
- US GAO Disaster Recovery: School Districts in Socially Vulnerable Communities Faced Heightened Challenges after Recent Natural Disasters (2022)
- Extreme Heat: Tips to Keep Kids Safe When Temperatures Soar, American Academy of Pediatrics (for parents, home settings)
- New York State Extreme Heat Action Plan, 2024, includes educational facilities
- US Department of Education, All-Hazards Approach When Planning for Emergency Incidents
- Healthy Schools Network Resources on Disasters and Schools, includes 9/11, Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill, Super Storm Sandy, Presentation on “Climate Disasters at School: Who’s in Charge?”
- Healthy Schools Network Resources on Common Health Hazards in Schools, lead, radon, asbestos, mercury, pesticides, PCBs
Indoor Air
- US EPA Preventing the Spread of Respiratory Viruses(2024)
- US EPA Creating Healthy Indoor Air in Schools
- US EPA Resources for Parents, Students, and Healthy Indoor School Environments, includes health symptoms
- US EPA Typical Indoor Air Pollutants, mold, radon, lead, CO
- Parent’s Guide to School Indoor Air Quality, 6 pp, classic reference in the field of children’s environmental health at school, written by and for parents; contains the basics of school IAQ, simple steps, what to ask for/look for, and what to do if no one listens and your child is still sick. Healthy Schools Network, © 1997, 2003, 2012.
- US EPA IAQ Design Tools for Schools
- US EPA School Siting Guideline, 2011
- US Government Accountability Office (GAO) K-12 Education: School Districts Frequently Identified Multiple Building Systems Needing Updates or Replacement (2020)
- AIR JUST AIR: Clean Air in Schools Summit Report, Healthy Schools Network © 2024
- COVID, Climate, Children and Schools Summit Report, Healthy Schools Network © 2020
Asthma
- Workplace/School Model Fragrance-Free Policy
- Asthmagens Database, Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics. Select “Display All Asthmagens” to view the complete list of substances reported as asthmagens by occupational asthma experts.
Mold
- Mold and Dampness in Schools: 2 pp, outlines how to use the NIOSH Mold and Dampness Assessment Tool, Healthy Schools Network, © 2019
- Dampness and Mold Assessment Tool- General Buildings, National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- Mold in Schools, US Environmental Protection Agency
Cleaning and Disinfecting
- Green Cleaning Can Help Schools Safely Open: February 2021 School Business Affairs magazine, reprinted with permission of the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO).
- US EPA Six Steps for Safe and Effective Disinfecting
Common Health Hazards in Schools, Other Helpful Guidance
- Calming the School (Building) Environment, Collaborative for High Performance Schools, 2022
- School Renovation and Construction: What You Need to Know to Protect Child And Adult Environmental Health: 6 pp, detailed steps that all schools should take to protect occupants in buildings under renovation; highlights compliance with model NYS regulations © 2000, 2012
- Safer Pest Control: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Schools