Healthy Schools

NEW RESOURCES!

School Siting Reports:

FIFTY STATE SURVEY OF SCHOOL SITING LAWS, REGULATIONS AND POLICIES
This paper, created by Rhode Island Legal Services with funding from the EPA, surveys state laws, regulations and policy guidance documents regarding the siting of schools on sites contaminated by toxic substances, summarizing their key provisions and listing in an appendix the legal citations for each authority referenced in the survey.

School Location Matters--Preventing School Siting Disasters

By Steven Fischbach, Lois Gibbs and Stacey Gonzalez

This article was first published in 39

Clearinghouse Review

Support Healthy Schools - Use the Environmental Checklist

Health, parent, environmental and civic organizations across the country developed the School Environmental Checklist and Resource Directory to raise public awareness about the need to take precautionary action on school environmental health issues.

The School Environmental Checklist includes 10 basic questions which parents, teachers or students can answer by walking through their school. Using the Checklist, they can identify environmental problems and help fix any problems with a precautionary action plan.

CHEJ's Childproofing Our Communities campaign and BE SAFE Network, Coalition for Healthier Schools, Learning Disabilities Association of America, National PTA and other groups developed it to encourage communities to address school environmental issues that may pose a threat to children's health. The Checklist lists questions about pesticide use, food safety, toxic cleaning products, indoor air quality and other environmental hazards and has a Resource Directory with solutions to make our schools healthier places.

We encourage you to take a "School Environmental Checklist Tour" of your school! If your school already takes proactive measures to ensure the environment is safe, you can perform this Checklist to demonstrate how your school excels!

BE SAFE Healthy Schools Brochure - View this brochure to learn more about school environmental hazards. pdf version or html version

"Current News Articles" (click on it at left top) allows you to view media coverage on the Checklist and school hazards. The Calendar lists the 21 school tours and media activities in 14 states since September 2004. The National Media Statements includes quotes from the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ), Coalition for Healthier Schools, National PTA, Beyond Pesticides, Children's Health Environmental Coalition, Learning Disability Association of America and others.

Learn more about groups working on Healthy Schools.

The Green Flag School Program is a comprehensive educational kit that provides students with opportunities to conduct investigation through hands-on exploration of issues affecting their school. Students employ research skills to develop and make presentations, and achieve tangible goals with educational and environmental benefits. The program teaches cooperative learning by encouraging a team approach to problem solving. You can learn more at www.greenflagschools.org/

Beyond Pesticides
BE SAFE Minnesota
CHEJ's Childproofing Our Communities

Community Action to Fight Asthma
Eco-Action
Generation Green
Healthy Schools Network
Institute for Children's Environmental Health
National PTA

Contact Stacey Vaeth Gonzalez, Childproofing our Communities Coordinator at the Center for Health, Environment & Justice at 703-237-2249 ext. 21, or sgonzalez@chej.org for help in using the Checklist at your school or for additional resources and guidance.