EPA resources tackle school safety and health issues, from IAQ to pests to waste

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just announced a revamped web area of school safety and health resources for teachers, school administrators, school nurses, custodians and facility managers: Healthy School Environments.

School administrators, facility staff, custodians, and school nurses:

You’ll find information on ensuring school buildings are safe and healthy for our children, who are more vulnerable to environmental health threats.

Assess your school’s environmental health and access easy ways to improve your school’s indoor air quality, manage pests safely, reduce waste and use chemicals safely — including cleaning supplies and materials that might be found in art and science classrooms — and manage asthma to reduce teacher and student absenteeism.

Teachers:

You’ll find environmental education curricula, checklists to make your classroom a healthy environment, and tips for using disinfectants safely (e.g., children should never apply disinfectants, including disinfectant cleaning wipes).

Get educated about school hazards: 

Learn about potential environmental health threats that could be in and around your school. Keep students safe from extreme heat, wildfire smoke, lead, PCBs and more.

School funding opportunities: 

Check out EPA’s children’s health funding opportunities page to see funding announcements for school stakeholders, childcare centers, and other children’s environmental health projects.