Update #5, August 6, 2008 Having problems viewing this message? Read it online Add us to your address book! Indoor Air Quality Tools Program Indoor Air Quality flAQ) INDOOR AIR QUALITY TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS UPDATE News & Events . Wehinar: How to Write Your IAQ TfS Award Winning Application, Wednesday, August 27, 2008, from 3:00 - 4:00 PM ET. Back by popular demand, this Webinar will not only teach you about the IAQ TfS Awards Program and how to write an award- winning application, but will also provide ample opportunity to have your questions answered by past IAQ TfS award winners and communication experts. Cfliclk here to register today! . The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Council of Educational Facility Planners (CEFPI) share the goal of addressing indoor air quality when designing, building, and maintaining school facilities to ensure the health, safety and performance of students and staff. Register today for the 85th annual CEFPi Conference and Trade Show that will be heid in the heart of downtown San Diego September 29 - October 2, 2008. Back to Top LEED™ and CHPS®: Promoting Healthy, High Performance Buildings and Students High performance schools are energy- and resource-efficient, environmentally sound, long- lasting, and most importantly, designed with the health and performance of occupants in mind. Research has shown that a building's design, which defines everything from the amount of daylight entering a room to the quality of the indoor air, has significant effects on occupants. Perhaps the most important factor in performance is IAQ, which has been directly iinked to one's ability to concentrate, retain and recall information, and other performance indicators, incorporating this knowledge into your school's short- and long-term school design ------- and renovation plans is essential to ensure the longevity and sustainability of school buildings and the health and performance of occupants. The U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) green-building and high-performance rating systems represent the national "gold standard" as methods for green benchmarking and improving building—and building occupants'—performance. Read on for two profiles of schools taking their building performance to a new level, one using USGBC's LEED for Schools and another using the CHPS program. LEED School: Clearview Elementary; Hanover, PA Clearview Elementary was awarded Gold certification in March 2004 by the USGBC. The 43,000-square-foot, two-story schoolhouse maintains superior IAQ through a floor-mounted, air-diffusing system that responds to changes in temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels. Because air comes through the floor rather than vents in the ceiling, the fresh air is closer to the breathing zone of students and teachers. Learn more about how Clearview promoted IAQ as part of their healthy, high-performance school design. "Indoor Environmental Quality should always be one of the greatest points of focus when it comes to greening our schools. What could be more important than maintaining the health and well-being of our children? For both new and existing schools, there is so much that we can do to improve the quality of the air our students, teachers and staff breathe in for six or more hours a day. Tools for Schools is a valuable resource for identifying incremental steps we can take to make our schools healthier, more productive places to learn and grow."- Rachel Gutter, Schools Sector Manager for the USGBC CHPS School: Alder Creek Middle School; Tahoe, CA Tahoe Truckee Unified School District's Alder Creek Middle School opened in the fall of 2004 as a CHPS demonstration school. To ensure the school's indoor air supported students' performance, the school used cost-effective, recycled content, sometimes even working with manufacturers to modify their products so that the design would meet the strict CHPS Criteria for material performance. Thinking specifically about indoor air quality, the school district used certified low-emitting paint, carpeting, fiberglass insulation, ceiling tile, and no-wax linoleum flooring. Learn about other considerations Alder Creek took to ensure superior IAQ. "With the increasing rate and severity of childhood respiratory illnesses leading to more frequent student absences annually, IAQ in classrooms ------- should be given a top priority. EPA's IAQ TfS program brings straightforward solutions to IAQ problems that can significantly improve the health and performance of students nationally."- Kristin Heinen, CHPS Assistant Director Back to Top Featured Resources . To learn more about LEED and CHPS, come to the 'New Options for Creating High Performance Schools' session at the IAQ TfS National Symposium: December 4 - 6, 2008, in Washington, DC. . IAQ Design Tools for Schools is a web-based guidance to assist school districts, architects, and facility planners design and construct the next generation of schools with improved IEQ. . The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) recently updated its listing of state policies that promote healthy, high performance school design and construction. Read descriptions of state policies that establish requirements, provide incentives, or create guidance in this area at www.eli.org/Proqram Areas/healthy schools/. Back to Top Tell Us What You Think Is there a topic you want to see covered in an IAQ TfS Update? Need more information or have a quick question? Send us an e-mail at SchoolslAQConnector@cadmusqroup.com. Back to Top Contact Us or Subscribe If you would like more information about any of the topics discussed in this Update or would like to subscribe to EPA's IAQ TfS Updates, please send an e-mail to SchoolslAQConnector@cadmusqroup.com. The IAQ TfS 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 TfS Program at www.epa.gov/iaq/schools Back to Top » Forward this e-mail to a friend. View EPA's privacy and security notice. Stop receiving messages from EPA's Indoor Air Quality Program. 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