Kids grow and learn better in pollution-free schools vvEPA EPA Region 10 Healthy Schools News Serving Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Tribal Nations October 2022 October is Children's Health Month! October is Children's Health Month and each year EPA celebrates the importance of protecting children's environmental health in the places where children live, learn and play. Children are not little adults! Children are more vulnerable to environmental pollution and contaminants due to their behaviors and biology. Healthy school environments can affectthe attendance and performance of both students and educators. Here area few resources you can use to help make our learning environments healthier places. Children's Health Month Page Relaunch Check out our updated Children's eaith Month website - this is a great place to start, learn and share children's environmental health links and resources. Be sure to check out the new infographics! This year's Children's Health Month's theme is to protect children at all stages and in all communities. Childhood is made up of a sequence of stages, with each stage facing unique environmental risks. Here are the weekly themes for 2022: • October 1 - 8 : Maternal Health • October 9 - 15: Infants arid Toddlers • October 16 - 22: School Aged Children and Adolescents • October 23 - 29: National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW) October is Children's Health Month Protecting Children's Health at All Stages and in All Communities v>EPA New Children's Book on Air Quality, Wildfire Smoke & Asthma Why Is Coco Red? Why Is Coco Red? was just released. In this story, Coco and his chameleon friends learn about how wildfires can affect air quality and their health. This book is a sequel to Why Is Coco Orange? and both books are great resources for children, especially those with asthma, as well as their parents, teachers and caretakers. Please contact Bryan Fiedorczvk if you would like up to 3 FREE copies of Why is Coco Red? for your school library (while supplies last). Click on this link to our new Why is Coco Red? video to watch and listen to a narrated video at EPA's YouTube channel. ------- Safer Choice Cleaning Products for Schools EPA's Safer Choice program can help teachers arid school staff find products that perform and contain ingredients that are safer for children's health and their classroom and school environments. Check out the Safer Choice Fact Sheet for Schools for an overview of the program, why it is important for schools to consider safer products and a list of typical products reviewed. To help find specific products with the Safer Choice label go to the Safer Choice Products Search site. Nominate Teachers and Students for Environmental Awards Do you know any talented and dedicated students or teachers making a difference for a healthier environment in your community? Nominate them for a President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) or a Presidentia .'.novation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE). Participation in the PEYA program is frequently a life-changing experience for many of the young people and their project sponsors. For PIAEE winners, teacher awardees and their local education agencies will receive awards of up to $2,500 each for professional development in environmental education and to fund environmental educational activities and programs. Nominations are due January 11, 2023. 2022 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators Awardees This year we recognized two educators in Region 10: • Alfonso Gonzalez, Jr - 2022 PIAEE Winner - Chimacum Elementary School - Chimacum, Washington Mr Gonzalez is a 6th grade math and science teacher and initiated the Ocean Guardian School project that engages students in hands-on activities including fish trapping, benthic macroinvertebrate sampling, and water quality testing in a nearby creek. • Elsie Mitchell - 2022 Honorable Mention - Chief Leschi Schools - Puyallup, Washington Ms. Mitchell is a high school teacher at Chief Leschi Schools and the creator of the school's Natural Resources Career and Technical Education Pathway that includes innovative science courses. More details on the 2022 and previous PIAEE winners and honorable mentions are available on the PIAEE Winners site. ------- Check out our other sites for additional information and resources: • Past issues of EPA Region 10 Healthy Schools News: https://www.epa.gov/children/healthy-schoois-news-pacific- northwest • EPA Schools: www.epa.gov/schools • EPA Environmental Education: https://www.epa.gov/education • EPA Children's Environmental Health: www.epa.gov/children Your Region 10 Children's Health Team Bryan Fiedorczyk Children's Environmental Health Coordinator & Healthy Schools Coordinator Gretchen Stewart SEE, Children's Environmental Health & Healthy Schools Support Subscribe/unsubscribe: to be added to or removed from the distribution list, please email fiedorczvk.brva n@eDa.Gov with your request. Disclaimer: EPA has provided this material because it may be useful or interesting arid is being provided in a manner consistent with the intended purpose of the agency's mission. EPA cannot attest to the accuracy ofnon - EPA information provided by third-party materials or any other linked site. EPA is providing these materials for your reference. In doing so, EPA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications. ¦1 ------- |