Celebrate National Healthy Schools Day

Moms Clean Air Force Celebrates National Healthy School Days

Nine of ten school occupants nationwide are women and children: in fact 56 million children and seven million adults, that’s 20% of the U.S. population, are in a school every day. More densely occupied than offices and in worse shape than prisons, school buildings are not what most people think about during Earth Week. Maybe they should.

Children need clean air outside, and they need clean air inside. US Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that half of schools have indoor pollution problems that are largely avoidable. And the Institute of Medicine recently reported that polluted indoor environments are already damaging the nation’s health and learning, and recommended preventing exposures indoors.

Our schools simply have not been designed, built, and operated to be environmentally responsible to the most vulnerable occupants - our children and women of child-bearing age. But, fortunately, for women and children, times are changing: both the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Education are encouraging state agencies and local schools to take action, and for good reasons. 

First, it makes sense, of course children need a healthy environment, and second, it saves money in the long run to prevent pollution, instead of remediating it later at enormous costs. And third, it’s good for education: healthy indoor environments boost attendance and achievement, and help with teacher recruitment, retention and productivity.

Los Angeles area schools need to do more and constantly be vigil when it comes to the health and well-being of our children and their teachers.  Providing information to teachers on how to play an active role in keeping their rooms healthy will go a long way in creating healthy classrooms.

Indoor actions by schools across the country include: moving to durable, hard surface flooring to make it easier to clean; removing water-damaged carpeting to reduce threats to indoor air; phasing in certified green cleaning products to reduce or eliminate toxic chemicals, and eliminating air fresheners and room deodorizers; disposing of old-outdated and hazardous chemicals to reduce the risks of spills and injuries; keeping food and pets out of classrooms to reduce pest infestations; and de-cluttering a classroom to make the room easier to clean at the end of the day. Topping this off with advanced energy efficient lighting and ventilating systems will add even more savings long-term.

On the Tenth Anniversary National Healthy Schools Day, Moms Clean Air Force thanks the schools that are working to make their learning environments a healthier and safer place for our children and teachers.  We urge all schools to focus on the health and well-being of the occupants as it makes decisions on cleaning and maintenance in the coming year.

For more information about the work Moms Clean Air Force is doing, please visit our website: www.momscleanairforce.org