It’s completely invisible, but ignore it and you may put the health of everyone in a school at risk: Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) can affect the comfort and health of students and staff and impact concentration, attendance, and student performance. Students and staff in schools that have poor IAQ–which is often caused by mold, dander, certain cleaning agents, and tobacco smoke–are at an increased risk of short-term health problems, such as fatigue and nausea, as well as long-term problems like asthma. In fact, poor IAQ is a common trigger for asthma, one of the leading causes of school absences. Improving IAQ and creating a healthy environment is of utmost importance for students to learn and thrive.
It has come to BoardBuzz’s attention that the deadline for applying for the prestigious, competitive Environmental Protection Agency’s Indoor Air Quality, Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) awards is Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009, just a month away. The program was initiated to recognize schools’ commitment to promoting good IAQ to improve students’ health – not to mention the “side” benefit of enhancing student and staff performance!
There are several awards associated with this program: two that are non-competitive and are awarded throughout the year and three that are competitive and awarded at the EPA IAQ symposium in January 2010. Here are the categories:
Non-competitive awards:
- The IAQ TfS National Great Start Award recognizes schools and districts in the U.S. that are just beginning to implement the IAQ TfS program.
- The IAQ TfS National Leadership Award recognizes schools and districts in the U.S. that have shown significant progress in implementing an IAQ management program.
Competitive awards:
- The IAQ TfS National Excellence Award is presented to U.S. school districts that have exemplary IAQ programs and have demonstrated exceptional commitment to IAQ management in schools. This is one of EPA’s highest IAQ awards.
- The IAQ TfS National Model of Sustained Excellence Award is presented to U.S. school districts that have demonstrated and maintained ongoing exceptional commitment and achievement to IAQ management in schools and have institutionalized comprehensive IAQ management practices.
- The National IAQ Connector Award is presented to individuals and organizations whose outstanding, innovative actions and initiatives have supported improved school indoor environments.
Nearly 80 schools and school districts have been awarded the National Excellence awards. Will yours be next?
For more information on the program as well as applications and innovative ideas on improving IAQ in your districts, BoardBuzz encourages you to visit EPA’s IAQ TfS website.
And to learn more about the importance of indoor air quality for student health and learning as well as the work NSBA has been doing to prevent tobacco use and improve asthma management among students, visit NSBA’s school health programs website.
