Healthy Environments in Connecticut Schools
Poor indoor environmental quality in schools is a major public health issue both nationally and in Connecticut. Our Department has been working closely with other agencies and organizations to address this problem. One important strategy is to encourage schools to implement the Environmental Protection Agency's Tools for Schools (TfS) program.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health (CTDPH), along with a number of agencies and organizations formed a consortium - Connecticut School Indoor Environment Resource Team (CSIERT) - to promote the Tools for Schools Program.
The website for CSIERT is http://www.csiert.org/
Does your school district have an active Tools for Schools (TfS) program?
Click on the TfS Connecticut School Districts Map below to see what districts have implemented the program.
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Harvard report School for Health illuminates how the school building influences student health, thinking and performance
School Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) – The Basics
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IAQ Backgrounder (EPA)
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Parent’s Guide to School IAQ Opens in a new window (Healthy Schools Network)
- Environmental Health Curricula
- Tips for Teachers to Keep Your Classroom Clean & Healthy
- Health and Achievement (EPA)
- How Students Can Play a Role in the TfS Program
- Teacher Resources and Lesson Plans (EPA)
- Casey's Clean Air Week (A children's book on air quality)
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Public Act 03-220 - An Act Concerning Indoor Air Quality in Schools
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Public Act 09-81 - An Act Concerning Green Cleaning Products in Schools
The Tools for Techs Program was initiated with pilot funding from the American Federation of Teachers and the CT State Department of Education with two goals in mind: the development of trade-specific checklists and the enhancement of the walkthrough training program so that teams from Technical High Schools could address the control of emissions from the technical trades.
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Tools for Improving your IAQ IQ (Article-Science Scope)
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A Statewide Multiagency Intervention Model for Empowering Schools to Improve Indoor Environmental Quality (Article-Journal of Environmental Health)
For More Information on Healthy Environments in Connecticut Schools, see the following Resources: