Update #31: Start the School Year Right September 24, 2010 oEPA Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) IN THIS ISSUE: > News and Events > Prepare for a New School Year > IAQ Checklist: Back to School > Education Opportunity: A Roadmap to School Indoor Environmental Quality > Have Your Questions Answered! NEWS AND EVENTS • Become an IAQ Tools for Schools National Award Winner! Turn your application in today for EPA's competitive National Excellence, National Model of Sustained Excellence and National IAQ Tools for Schools Connector Awards. Don't delay! Apply by Oct. 8, 2010. • Encourage Your Students to Participate in the National Radon Poster Contest! The poster contest is a fun, creative and educational way to raise radon awareness. The top national winners will each receive an all- expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. Visit the Poster Contest website for more information. • Register for the 2011 IAQ Tools for Schools National Symposium! Join school teachers, administrators and nurses from across the country to share and learn best practices for implementing and sustaining school IAQ management programs. The Symposium will be held in Washington, D.C., Jan. 13-15, 2011. Reserve your spot today! • Come Visit the IAQ Tools for Schools Program on the Road! This fall, the IAQ Tools for Schools Program will have exhibits at two upcoming conferences—the 87th Annual Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) Conference and Expo in San Jose, Calif., and the 84th Annual American School Health Association Conference in Kansas City, Mo. If you are attending either of these conferences, come by and collect school-related IAQ materials! • Save the Date: Mark your calendars for EPA's Communities in Action National Asthma Forum, June 9-10, 2011, in Washington, D.C. Registration will open in late 2010. ACCESS PAST E-MAIL UPDATES ONLINE Can't find a past IAQ Tools for Schools Update in your e-mail inbox? No problem! Wish you could read past editions? You can! Visit the Update archive to access printable versions (PDF) of all past editions on the IAQ Tools for Schools website. JOIN THE DISCUSSION The IAQ Tools for Schools Connector e-mail discussion forum makes it easy to connect directly with your peers to share information and communicate online. Join today by sending a blank e-mail message to schools_iaq_connector- subscribe@lists.epa.gov. Then, check your e-mail inbox for your confirmation and membership details. ------- PREPARE FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR We often talk about the importance of starting the new school year "on the right foot." For most teachers, that means having lesson plans prepared, setting up the classroom to welcome students and, of course, making sure the classroom environment is conducive to learning. As research has proven, IAQ is an important element of an effective and safe learning environment—affecting student performance and productivity. With a busy and productive school year ahead of you, visit the IAQ and Student Performance website to learn how taking preventive steps now can lead to a fruitful and successful school year for you and your students. By implementing strategies offered in the IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit, everyone—teachers, administrators, nurses, facilities maintenance staff and parents—can play a role in preparing for the new school year and create a holistic approach to maintaining a healthy environment in your school. Firsthand experience: Click on the video below to hear how a school district has benefited from implementing and sustaining an IAQ management program based on the IAQ Tools for Schools Program. IAQ CHECKLIST: BACK TO SCHOOL Use the following back to school action tips to reinvigorate your school's IAQ management routine and to ensure the new school year is as healthy, productive and successful as possible! The IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit has checklists for each aspect of school IAQ management. You can download checklists in PDF or Word formats, which can be tailored to fit your school's needs. Conduct a Walkthrough of Your Classrooms. Use the IAQ Tools for Schools Teacher's Classroom Checklist as a guide to ensure that your classrooms are clean and safe for your students. Notify facilities staff if you notice any signs of mold, moisture or other problems. Control Asthma Triggers. Vacuum carpets and keep fabric-covered items clean to eliminate dust mites, which may trigger asthma and allergic reactions. Keep cockroaches and pests out of the classroom by eating food only in designated areas and keeping it stored in airtight containers. Ensure Adequate Ventilation. Properly operating heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are vital for maintaining good IAQ. To guarantee sufficient airflow and eliminate sources of moisture, keep all items off of HVAC units. Use the Ventilation Checklist as a reference when checking for pollutant sources. Walkthrough Inspection Checklist ------- • Speak with School Nurses about Tracking lAQ-Related Symptoms. By using the Health Officer/School Nurse Checklist to record reliever medication usage by children with asthma and identify other lAQ-related symptoms, your school nurse may be able to help identify environmental issues in your school. Tracking data can also help evaluate your school's successes by implementing safe and effective IAQ management strategies. • Engage Parents All Year Long. Use newsletters or website updates to communicate about your efforts to ensure a clean, safe learning environment. Encourage parents to ask questions about IAQ and learn more about how the health of the school buildings can contribute to improved academic performance. EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY: A ROADMAP TO SCHOOL INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Interested in gaining more insight about indoor environmental quality and how to create a safe learning environment this school year? Register for "What's Your IEQ? A Roadmap to School Indoor Environmental Quality," a course offered by the National Education Association's (NEA's) newest online resource, the NEA Academy. This course enables you to assess your knowledge about indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and helps you identify, prevent and resolve environmental quality problems in your classroom. Modeled after the IAQ Tools for Schools Program guidance, this course is intended for schools and other educator workplaces. Course topics include the basics of IEQ and what factors affect it, the negative health and performance consequences of poor IEQ, common contaminants and hazards and how to organize effectively to resolve IEQ issues. At no cost to NEA members, the course is designed for teachers of all grade levels (K-12). Non-NEA members can also obtain course access by making a request to a local or state NEA affiliate. Register today, and make a commitment to creating a healthy and safe learning environment for your students! For more information, watch a video entitled "What's Your IEQ? A Roadmap to School Indoor Environmental Quality." HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED! Is there a topic you want to see covered in an IAQ Tools for Schools Update? Need more information or have a quick question? Do you have suggestions for a webinar, an Update feature, or are you simply curious about an IAQ topic and would like more information? If so, send us an e-mail at IAQTfSConnector@cadmusgroup.com. Share YOUR news and events! Send us information to share with the school IAQ community. It could be featured in the next Update. E-mail your news to IAQTfSConnector@cadmusgroup.com. The IAQ Tools for Schools Program is a comprehensive resource to help schools maintain a healthy environment in school buildings by identifying, correcting, and preventing IAQ problems. Learn more about the IAQ Tools for Schools Program at www.epa.gov/iaq/schools. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) ------- |