Honoring Exceptional Efforts to Protect Our Children
Children's Environmental Health
Excellence Award
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Excellence Awards
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6.1 million children have asthma1. About
430,000 American children (approximately 2 percent) ages 1-5 had elevated levels of lead in their blood in
1999-20002. According to the World Health Organization, more than 33 percent of disease in children under
the age of 5 is caused by environmental exposures.
The 2005 Children's Environmental Health Excellence Awards
recognized the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units
(PEHSUs) for providing pediatric environmental health training
to clinical trainees and serving as a resource to communities
regarding pediatric environmental health concerns. The
2006 Awards honored the Ashkin Group, LLC, a nationally
renowned consulting firm, for using the marketplace to drive
voluntary changes that reduced the health and environmental
impacts associated with the cleaning industry. Their efforts
inspired the Chicago Public Schools to adopt a districtwide
policy to promote green cleaning.
How have your efforts made a difference in protecting
children from environmental health hazards?
To honor outstanding efforts to protect this and future gener-
ations of children, EPA is now accepting applications for the
2007 Children's Environmental Health Excellence Awards.
Applications are due on June 15, 2007, and winners will be
notified in mid-August 2007.
The Children's Environmental Health Excellence Awards
recognize ongoing and sustainable dedication to, and
notable leadership in, protecting children from environmental
health risks at the local, regional, national, and international
level. Winners will be honored at a reception in Washington,
DC, in October 2007, receive the right to use the Children's
Environmental Health Excellence Awards logo, be recognized
on EPA's Web site and in a press release, and have photos
taken with a senior ERA official.
Excellence Award Categories
The Excellence Award winners will be selected through a
competitive process. Up to three awards will be given in each
of the following categories:
Building Health Professional Capacity
Corporate Leader
Promoting Healthy School Environments
Science Achievement
1 EPA Asthma Facts, Indoor Environments Division, Office of Air and Radiation, EPA 402-F-04-019, May 2006.
2 EPA, America's Children and the Environment, Second Edition, 2003, p. 53. See http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/publications.htm.
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You must apply under ONLY ONE category. If you have
multiple activities that fall under separate categories, please
submit separate applications for each.
Application
Your application must provide the
following information:
1. Name of your organization or affiliation;
2. Program/project name, or author(s) name(s) exactly
as you would have it appear on an award;
3. Name of main contact (person who applied or is
being nominated and will receive all correspondence);
4. Address;
5. Phone number and fax number;
6. Email address;
7. Web site (if any);
8. Award category; and
9. Narrative and references (see evaluation criteria under
each category).
For the Science Achievement Award please provide
the following additional information:
1. Title of scientific article;
2. Journal citation (must be 2006 or newer);
3. Abstract; and
4. Source of funding for research.
Please email your application, along with all supporting
materials, to OCHPapplications@icfi.com by June 15,
2007. Although submitting your application electronically
is the preferred way, should you need to send a hard copy,
please mail it to the following address:
ICF International, Inc.
Attn: Children's Health Awards Coordinator
1725 Eye Street, NW Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: 202-862-1200
Fax:202-862-1144
Your organization's logo:
Please provide both a color and a black-and-white version
of your organization's logo in EPS, JPEG, or TIFF format that
will allow for a printable resolution of 300 dpi at a size of 4
inches. Please provide the logo electronically when you email
your application. In the event that your organization is chosen
for an award, this logo will be included in the Excellence
Awards Ceremony materials. Logo files meeting the above
specifications will allow us to present your organization's
mark at optimal quality.
Note: Winners will be announced in August 2007.
Protecting Children
for generations to come
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Parents rely on pediatricians, pediatric nurse practitioners, community health workers, and other health profes-
sionals for information related to environmental exposures and children's health yet most health professional
education programs devote few hours to teaching such information. The purpose of the award for Building
Health Professional Capacity is to recognize efforts to increase the number of health professionals who can
address pediatric environmental health concerns3.
Evaluation Criteria
The award winner(s) for Building Health Professional Capacity will be selected based on the following criteria:
Program/project increases the number of health professionals who are able to address the broad
spectrum of children's environmental health issues in their practices,-in the institutions where they work,
in their communities, and in academic settings.
Program/project will help health professionals understand, diagnose, and develop prevention messages
for the full spectrum of children's environmental health issues they encounter.
Provide results and outcomes data that support the effectiveness of the program/project.
1. Program/Project Design (30 points)
Please explain how your program/project addresses the following issues (limit narrative to 400 words):
Describe the goals, objectives, and outputs of your program/project related to children's environmental
health protection.
Discuss how the goals and objectives increase the ability of health professionals to address children's
environmental health issues.
Discuss how your program/project will help provide a basic understanding of pediatric environmental
health issues to targeted health professionals.
2. Results (40 points)
Please explain how your program/project measures success using the following criteria (limit narrative
to 400 words):
Describe your program/project results related to children's environmental health (both quantitative
and qualitative).
Discuss how you evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of your program/project.
3 EPA's Indoor Environments Program also sponsors the National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management competition spe-
cifically to recognize health plans and health care providers for their leadership in addressing management of environmental triggers as part
of their comprehensive asthma management programs. For more information, visit: http://www.asthmaawards.info/
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Discuss how your program/project had, or is having a direct or indirect effect on reducing children's
environmental health hazards.
Discuss the resources (including people and funding) for the program/project and address whether they
provide a good return on the investment.
Discuss whether and how your program/project findings could be shared with others in the field and how
the program/project could be replicated.
3. Supporting Materials (is points)
To support your narrative, include collateral materials developed under your program/projectnews articles,
journal articles, Web site links, photos, brochures, fact sheets, posters, etc.with your application.
4. References (ispoints)
Submit two letters from individuals or groups outside your immediate organization discussing your efforts to
protect children from environmental health risks. Letters should specifically address how your program/project
makes you a leader in the field of children's environmental health protection.
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Corporate Leader
Industry and business leaders recognize that protecting the environment and safeguarding children's health
makes good business sense. Such visionary leaders are taking actions to promote healthy environments for
children. The purpose of the Corporate Leader Award is to recognize these actions and the positive impact
they are having on the health of our children.
Evaluation Criteria
The Corporate Leader Award winner(s) will be selected based on the following criteria:
Implementing and maintaining an active program/project to protect children from environmental health
risks for a minimum of 1 year.
Provide evidence of commitment of senior managers to maintaining an active program/project.
Provide results and outcomes data that support the effectiveness of the program/project.
Complying with relevant EPA regulations for the past 5 years (applicants will undergo a
compliance screen).
1. Program/Project Design (so points)
Please explain how your program/project addresses the following issues (limit narrative to 400 words):
Describe the goals, objectives, and outputs of your program/project related to children's environmental
health protection.
Describe how you identified your target audience (if applicable) and why.
Discuss the relationship of your goals and objectives to the target audience (if applicable).
Discuss the relevance and scope of your program/project to children's environmental health.
2. Results (40 points)
Please explain how your program/project measures success using the following criteria (limit narrative to
400 words):
Describe your program/project results related to children's environmental health (both quantitative
and qualitative).
Discuss how you evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of your program/project.
Discuss how your program/project had, or is having, a direct or indirect effect on reducing children's
environmental health hazards.
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Discuss the resources (including people and funding) for the program/project and address whether they
provide a good return on the investment.
Discuss the involvement of senior management and the level of support they provide to the
program/project.
Discuss whether and how your program/project findings could be shared with others in the field and how
it could be replicated.
3. Supporting Materials (is points)
To support your narrative, include collateral materials developed under your program/projectnews articles,
journal articles, Web site links, photos, brochures, fact sheets, posters, etc.with your application.
4. References (is points)
Submit two letters from individuals or groups outside your immediate organization discussing your efforts to
protect children from environmental health risks. Letters should specifically address how your program/project
makes you a leader in the field of children's environmental health protection.
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Promoting Healthy School Environments
Children spend a significant portion of their time in schoolsmore than in any other environment other than their
homes. Risks to children and staff in schools may include environmental concerns such as outdoor and indoor
air quality4, chemical management, pest control, lead hazards, asbestos, mold, drinking water, and school bus
idling among other safety and health issues. The siting, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of
school facilities all play a critical role in managing these risks. EPA has developed a free, comprehensive software
program, Healthy School Environments Assessment Tool (HealthySEAT), to help states and school districts5
establish and manage comprehensive voluntary school facility assessment and improvement programs. The
purpose of this award is to recognize the most successful efforts by school districts and states to create healthy
learning environments for children using HealthySEAT or a comparable system.
Evaluation Criteria
The award(s) for Promoting Healthy School Environments will be selected based on the following criteria:
Implementation, by a state or school district, of an ongoing, comprehensive school facility health and
safety assessment and improvement program using HealthySEAT or comparable system for tracking
school environmental health and safety conditions and improvements.
Provide evidence of commitment of senior school officials to maintaining an ongoing health and safety
assessment program.
Provide results and outcomes data that support the effectiveness of the assessment and
improvement program.
1. Program/Project Design (so points)
Please explain how your program/project addresses the following issues (limit narrative to 400 words):
Describe the goals, objectives, and outputs of your school facility assessment program as it relates to
protecting children's environmental health.
Describe how the assessment program operates, including frequency of routine facility assessments,
specific topics addressed during assessments, how problems or deficiencies are addressed, and how
staff conducting assessments are identified and trained.
Discuss how your assessment program is sustainable.
4 EPA's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program manages an awards competition specifically for programs addressing indoor air quality.
For more information, visit: www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/iaqtfsawards.html.
5 The term "district" means any institutional system for managing multiple schools, whether they are public, private, tribal, charter, or
some variation.
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2. Results (40points)
Please explain how your program/project measures success using the following criteria (limit narrative to
400 words):
Describe your program/project results related to children's environmental health (both quanti-
tative and qualitative).
Discuss how you evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of your school facility assessment and
improvement program/project.
Discuss how your program/project had, or is having, a direct or indirect effect on reducing children's
environmental health hazards in schools.
Discuss the resources (including people and funding) for the program and address whether they provide
a good return on the investment.
Discuss whether and how your program/project findings could be shared with others in the field and how
your program/project could be replicated.
3. Supporting Materials (is points)
To support your narrative, include collateral materials developed under your program/project such as your
HealthySEAT assessment checklist, summary reports developed using HealthySEAT, news articles, journal
articles, Web site links, photos, publications, etc. with your application.
4. References (is points)
Submit two letters from individuals or groups outside your immediate organization discussing your efforts to
protect children from environmental health risks. Letters should specifically address how your program/project
makes you a leader in the field of children's environmental health protection.
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Science Achievement
Scientists, environmental and health managers, health professionals, and policy makers need to know more
about environmental factors and whether they are harmful, harmless, or helpful to children's health and devel-
opment. Recent research has contributed greatly to our understanding of how environmental exposures early
in life may lead to childhood diseases or diseases later in life. The purpose of the Science Achievement Award
in Children's Environmental Health is to recognize science leaders for their contribution to the body of peer-
reviewed children's environmental health literature.
Evaluation Criteria
Describe what gap(s) in knowledge the research in the journal article addresses and why this is important
to better understanding or improving children's environmental health.
(30 points)
Describe how the research results complement the existing scientific knowledge (i.e., database) on
the topic in the context of children's environmental health. How do the results compare to other
available research?
(30 points)
Discuss how new knowledge might lead to improvements in children's environmental health.
(30 points)
What is the potential application of the research results by EPA (or another regulatory agency) in efforts
to protect children's health?
(10 points)
And remember, for the Science Achievement Award, please provide the following additional information:
1. Title of scientific article
2. Journal citation (must be 2006 or newer)
3. Abstract;
4. Source of funding for research
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2007
Children's Environmental Health
Excellence Award
Ten years ago Executive Order 13045 directed each Federal agency to
"make it a high priority to identify and assess environmental health
risks and safety risks that may disproportionately affect children"
and "ensure that its policies, programs, activities, and standards
address disproportionate risks to children that result from environ-
mental health risks or safety risks". Since that time agencies at all
levels of government, citizens, organizations, and business leaders have
taken steps to protect children from environmental harm.
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(1107A)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
PRESORTED FIRST CLASS
POSTAGE AND FEES
PAID
USEPA
PERMIT NO. G-35
Recycled/Recyclable
:ed with Vegetable Oil Based
Inks on Recycled Paper
(Minimum 50% Postconsumer)
Process Chlorine Free
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