EPA School IPM Fact Sheet 2012 Grantee: Colorado State University Expanding Verifiable Integrated Pest Management in Colorado and Utah Public Schools Increasing School IPM in Colorado and Utah by 25 Percent

EPA School IPM Grant Fact Sheet
2012 Grantee: Colorado State University

Expanding Verifiable Integrated Pest Management
in Colorado and Utah Public Schools

Increasing School IPM in Colorado and Utah by 25 Percent

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OOPERATIVE EXTENSION

Overview

Funding Awarded: $248,000

IPM in Schools/Surveys/Outreach/Educational Materials/Training and Workshops/Success Criteria

Although few states in the inter-mountain west have established school Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
programs, Salt Lake City School District and Denver Public Schools are models. This grant will assist school
districts in training personnel and establishing policies to implement IPM.

To prepare selected school districts for a transition to IPM, Colorado State University will work in conjunction
with Utah State University to initiate a two-year project to improve school district-wide communication and
outreach, increase IPM awareness and readiness, and initiate program development. The overall goal of this grant is
to increase the number of students impacted by IPM programs from 4 to 25 percent.

The funding will also spur collaborations between stakeholders, including government agencies, school district
pest control coordinators/managers, regional private and nonprofit entities, local and state public health
professionals, and landscape and pest control professionals.

The adoption of IPM practices will lead to a healthier environment for Colorado and Utah students, school
staff, and communities surrounding the schools.

Objectives

• Improve environmental and human
health by increasing the number of schools
with verifiable school IPM programs in
Colorado and Utah by 25 percent.

Support activities and projects that promote
awareness, adoption, and dissemination of
school IPM.

Demonstrate best practices and provide
training for IPM in 2 school districts in each
state.

Evaluate decision-making tools to
substantiate costs of school IPM.

Increase diffusion of verifiable school IPM
(outreach, sustainability, transferability).

Collaborate with other states on
methodology and outreach methods.

Increase adoption and implementation of
school IPM through collaboration with
partners and stakeholders.

Programs & Activities

I Outreach Activities:

Conduct webinars, conference calls and face-to-face meetings.

Publish news articles, posters, identification guides, educational materials, monthly newsletters,
Pest Press fact sheets and YouTube videos.

Use electronic methods to increase accessibility to educational materials.

Establish advisory committees and partnerships with pest management professionals.

EPA's Environmental Stewardship Branch promotes environmental stewardship to protect human health and the environment through information
exchange, education and promotion, technical assistance, and grant opportunities. For more information, visit httn://www.epa.gov/nestwise/

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Programs and Activities (continued)

Information Gathering and Sharing and Knowledge Transfer:

Conduct surveys of Colorado and Utah school districts regarding current pest management
practices and assess readiness to implement IPM.

Conduct focus groups of selected schools.

Update iPestManager software tracking and reporting tools and pilot test.

Perform onsite assessments in selected schools.

Link efforts with land-grant universities and IPM Coordinators.

Training: Two, one-day workshops in each state; training with facility managers and
Environmental Risk Officers in Front Range school districts.

Desired Outcomes

To support the expansion of verifiable school IPM in Colorado and Utah school
administrators, teachers, health, landscape, and pest management professionals.

Collaborative relationships created and strengthened to foster IPM.

Improved strategies to understand school readiness, and increased awareness of IPM in

school community.

Increased attendance and greater community diversity at state IPM meetings.

Increased commitment and intention to implement IPM in school community.

School staff with increased IPM strategies and capabilities.

Two school districts in each state considering IPM policies.

Schools and/or districts with appointed IPM coordinators.

Educational information and effective methods shared between Colorado and Utah.
Increased understanding and awareness of costs of
implementing IPM.

Communication tools for school IPM partners and
stakeholders to strengthen/develop collaborative
relationships.

Increased awareness, knowledge, and skills to
implement IPM in school communities.

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