Environmental Internet Resources Children

Find National and State Environmental Internet Resources Children

Green Squad – www.nrdc.org/greensquad

Environmental Internet Resources Children-A website co-developed by Natural Resources Defense Council and Healthy Schools Network for middle-schoolers to help them investigate the school environment. Find the environmental problems, compare them to your school, and use the fact sheets to improve the environment at your school. There is also a Parent-Teacher Room and virtual library to help with the investigation. Or visit www.healthyschools.org/kids and learn how you can use your school newspaper to report on environmental conditions.

Kids for Saving Earth – www.kidsforsavingearth.org
A website to help students and teachers learn about toxics that harm children and the environment.

American Academy of Pediatrics – www.aap.org
This medical site covers many child health issues, as well as providing resources on education, advocacy, research and publications.

American Association of School Administrators (AASA) – www.aasa.org/healthyschoolenvironments.aspx
AASA began its work on healthy school environments and indoor air quality in 1992 and continues to work with school districts across the nation to elevate the importance of a healthy school environment. Poor indoor air quality is a serious risk to children’s health and academic performance. To prepare schools for children, this program promotes holistic improvements to the school environment, while educating students and staff.

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) – www.aft.org
This site contains abundant information on school environments, including fact sheets on indoor air quality, asbestos, and mold, as well as a “Healthy Schools” newsletter offering guidelines to parents and staff about environmental problems in schools, providing the latest research and school success stories.

American Public Health Association – www.apha.org/
brings together researchers, health service providers, administrators, teachers, and other health workers in a unique, multidisciplinary environment of professional exchange, study, and action. See policy on healthier schools #200010

Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) – www.aoec.org
is a non-profit organization that is committed to improving the practice of environmental and occupational health through information sharing and collaborative research.

Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units(AOEC) – www.aoec.org/PEHSU.htm
Agency for Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are supporting a network of units linked through the American Occupational and Environmental Clinics to provide education and consultation for health professionals, public health professionals and others about the topic of children’s environmental health. Services are often initiated regionally or can be coordinated across the network. Requests can be directed to local PEHSUs or to the AOEC office.

Beyond Pesticides/Nat’l. Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides – www.beyondpesticides.org
Advocacy, information, and resources on a wide range of pesticide issues, including sample School IPM policies.

Center For Disease Control And Prevention – WWW.CDC.GOV

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recognized as the lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people – at home and abroad, providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships. Look for links to specific diseases, environmental health, and occupational health.

CDC/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry – ATSDR has placed special emphasis on children in conducting its health studies and other activities. The agency has conducted or funded large studies to assess whether the infants of mothers who live near hazardous waste sites are at higher risk for various birth defects or other adverse health outcomes (e.g., small for gestational age). Some of these studies found an increased risk for neural tube defects. Several studies also showed an increased risk for musculoskeletal and heart defects. ATSDR is using geographic information systems (GIS), a spatial analysis approach, to estimate the number and sociodemographic characteristics of public and private elementary and secondary schools located on or near the approximately 1,550 National Priorities List (NPL) or Superfund hazardous waste sites in the United States.

CDC/Division for Adolescent and School Health – Healthy Youth
CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) seeks to prevent the most serious health risk behaviors among children, adolescents and young adults. To accomplish this mission DASH implements four strategies-identify; synthesize and apply research; enable constituents; and evaluate. DASH funds state agencies and national organizations to develop and administer selected school health programs.

CDC/National Center for Environmental Health – CDC’s National Center for Environmental Healthstrives to promote health and quality of life by preventing or controlling those diseases or deaths that result from interactions between people and their environment.

CDC/National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) – NIOSH Safety Checklist Program for Schools
Administrators, coordinators, and teachers know that their schools should comply with Federal or State Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations…. This Safety Checklist Program can help … bring schools into compliance…. In one easy-to-read source, the Safety Checklist Program provides information needed by schools to maintain safe classrooms, shops, and labs for teachers and students in career-technical education. HSN note: NIOSH does not protect children/students, but may afford some protection for adult employees.

Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN) – www.cehn.org
This site provides much useful material on children’s health including national reports on policy and research issues, educational programs, publications, and other links.

Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) – www.chps.net
provides resources – in many cases, free resources – to schools, school districts and professionals about all aspects of high performance school design, construction and operation. CHPS develops tools that help make schools energy, water and material efficient, well-lit, thermally comfortable, acoustically sound, safe, healthy and easy to operate. These resources include a well-respected six-volume best practices manual, training and conferences, a high performance building rating and recognition program and other tools for creating healthy, green schools.

Environmental Health News – www.environmentalhealthnews.org/

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – – www.epa.gov/
Healthy School Environments – www.epa.gov/schools/
EPA Children’s Health Protection – yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/homepage.htm
EPA Healthy SEAT- www.epa.gov/schools/healthyseat/ 
EPA Tools for Schools Program – www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/
EPA Indoor Air Quality- http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ –
Espanol – http://www.epa.gov/iaq/espanol.html
EPA School Chemical Cleanout Campaign- http://www.epa.gov/SC3/
Provides the latest information on children’s health and environmental hazards, including research, publications, health programs, news items, and links to over 50 other organizations. Go to Children, IAQ, Asthma, Molds, Radon, or Schools for more detailed information.

Healthy Child Healthy World – http://healthychild.org/ HEALTHY CHILD HEALTHY WORLD is the national leader protecting children’s health and well-being from harmful environmental exposures through education and prevention strategies. Healthy Child educates parents, supports protective policies, and engages communities to make wise choices and responsible decisions to create healthy environments where children and families can flourish.

Healthy Kids: The Key to Basics – www.healthy-kids.info

Provides information designed to promote health and educational equity for students with asthma and other chronic health conditions.

Institute for Children’s Environmental Health – Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative –www.iceh.org/LDDImembers.html – An educational organization working to ensure a healthy, just and sustainable future for children and the planet. The primary mission of ICEH is to foster collaborative initiatives to mitigate environmental exposures that can undermine the health of current and future generations.

Institute for Health and Environment – www.albany.edu/ihe

Promotes interdisciplinary research among faculty of the University at Albany and other local academic and research institutions who have interest in the broad area of environmental science, ecology, environmental policy, environmental health, environmental law, geographic information systems, hazardous waste management, occupational health, risk assessment, management and communication, urban environmental health and the social and psychological aspects of environmental pollution in regard to human behavior.

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities – www.ncef.org
and click on “healthy school environments” for the most current resources. A service sponsored by the US Department of Education that provides information on planning, designing, funding, and maintaining schools.

National Education Association (NEA) – www.nea.org
This site provides the latest information on issues pertaining to public education and children, from classroom sizes to environmental conditions, focusing on issues such as how the conditions of schools affect teaching and learning. Ask your state NEA office about NEA’s grassroots Healthy Schools Caucus.
NEA Health Information Network (HIN)- http://www.neahin.org/

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) – www.niehs.nih.gov
The federal NIEHS, part of the National Institutes of Health, achieves its mission through multidisciplinary biomedical research programs, prevention and intervention efforts, and communication strategies that encompass training, education, technology transfer, and community outreach. Provides fact sheets and pamphlets on environmental hazards, such as lead and air quality, and illnesses, such as asthma, facing children in schools. Includes scientific research and studies on children’s health, as well as the latest news and events.

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) – http://www.nrdc.org/
uses law, science, and the support of members nationwide to protect the planet’s wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things, safeguarding the Earth: its people, its plants and animals and the natural systems on which all life depends.

Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, US Department of Education –www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/index.html

Pesticide Database of the Pesticide Action Network– www.pesticideinfo.org
Includes current toxicity and regulatory information for about 5,400 pesticide active ingredients and their transformation products.

Physicians for Social Responsibility – www.psr.org
Includes “Healthy Children – Toxic Environments” report. Provides abundant information and resources on school environments and its effects on children’s health, emphasizing children’s vulnerability to environmental threats, results from exposures, and roles of other agencies and organizations.

US Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights – www.ed.gov/ocr
Provides information on civil and educational rights of children and adults with disabilities, which can include health impairments such as Asthma, Diabetes, Epilepsy, Chemical Sensitivities, and other disorders.
State-Based Healthy Schools Advocates

(California) Green Schools Initiative – www.greenschools.net The Green Schools Initiative works to catalyze and support “green” actions by kids, teachers, parents, and policymakers to eliminate toxics, use sustainable resources, create green spaces and buildings, serve healthy food, and teach stewardship.

Connecticut Foundation for Environmentally Safe Schools pollutionfreeschools.org
In July 2002, a group of concerned citizens, parents, educators environmentalists and health professionals from across Connecticut formed a grassroots organization called “The Canary Committee”. They referred to themselves as the “The Canary Committee” because their core members had suffered from the debilitating health effects caused by sick schools. Among their ranks were parents of sick children whose illness had been directly linked to environmental conditions in their schools. The Canary Committee was founded on the belief that far too often the discovery and remediation of indoor pollution was not occurring until after the health of school occupants was already harmed.

Illinois Healthy Schools Campaign www.healthyschoolscampaign.org The Illinois Healthy Schools Campaign is a not-for profit organization with over 90 endorsing organizations whose mission is to advocate for policies and model programs that allow students and staff members to learn and work in a healthy school environment. Programs in food quality, green cleaning, air quality, and more.

The Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health- and the Massachusetts HEALTHY SCHOOLS NETWORK c/o www.masscosh.org

Serving eastern and central Massachusetts and dedicated to improving health and safety conditions in the workplace through technical assistance, training and education.

New Hampshire Partners for Healthy Schools
(NHPHS) have established the NH Healthy School Environments program to help school districts improve their indoor and outdoor environments and the health of their students and staff.
www.nhhealthyschoolenvironments.org

New Hampshire Partnership for High Performance Schools (NHPHPS) — Environment. Health. Economics.www.nhphps.org/ whose mission is to maximize the number of high performance schools built in New Hampshire over the next decade and is inspired by the success of other states and communities; provides direct support to communities involved in planning, renovating, expanding or upgrading school facilities.

New Jersey Education Association
www.njea.org/issues-and-political-action/health-and-safety

New Jersey Work Environment Council/Healthy Schools Program
www.njwec.org/healthyschoolenvironments.cfm
WEC is one of the few non-governmental organizations in New Jersey addressing health and safety hazards of schools, and the only organization working with school employees to prevent hazards associated with renovation and construction work. Poor indoor air quality, asbestos, dust and pests are some of the hazards that can harm the health of school occupants.

New York City and State – see below

Oregon Environmental Council at http://www.oeconline.org/

Oregon Healthy Schools Roundtable Report (June 28th 2001)

Washington State Healthy Schools Roundtable Report (September 2002)

New York Partners and Resources

Advocates for Children of New York, Inc. – www.advocatesforchildren.org & www.Insideschools.org

a supplementary website designed for New York City parents and others interested in public schools; profiles on schools, letter writing tools.

American Academy of Pediatrics District II- http://www.aapdistrictii.org/ Provides members with the best tools, skills and knowledge to remain the best qualified health professionals in the field.

Civil Service Employees Association – www.csealocal1000.org
Workers who join together for solidarity and share a common goal; to negotiate with employers from a position of strength. This site provides career resources, member benefits, contract administration, legislative up-dates and health and safety advocacy.

Clean NY – http://www.clean-ny.org/

The Council of School Supervisors and Administrators- http://www.csa-nyc.org/

Environmental Advocates of New York – http://www.eany.org/
Provides important information on current legislative priorities and environmental bills, including a monthly newsletter covering government initiatives, campaigns, environmental reports, and health topics, such as pesticide use in NYS.

For a Better Bronx – http://www.forabetterbronx.org/fabb/ Learning Disabilities Association of New York State – http://www.ldanys.org/ Non-profit organization that f promotes the education and general welfare of individuals with learning disabilities.

New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) – www.nycosh.org
Focuses on the public’s right for a safe and healthy workplace, providing material on asbestos, indoor air pollution, and potential illnesses. Includes a resource center, and a technical assistance hotline to address questions.

New York League of Conservation Voters- http://www.nylcv.org/ NY LCV works to ensure environmental protection is a top priority among all elected officials.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation – http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/42920.html
New York State has adopted a statewide schools and neighbor prior notification of pesticide use, indoors and out of doors for public and private schools, and outdoors for residential neighbors.

New York State Department of Health – Center for Environmental Health – http://www.nyhealth.gov/environmental/

New York State New York State Congress of Parents and Teachers (PTA) – http://www.nyspta.org/

New York State United Teachers – www.nysut.org/
Dedicated to improving not only working conditions, but also professions; united in a common commitment to improve the quality of education and healthcare for the people of New York. This site provides current education legislation, effective teaching programs, nurse and health professional news, and health and safety research center.

Sallan Foundation – http://www.sallan.org/index.php This organization works to advance information about greener cities.

United Federation of Teachers- http://www.uft.org/

WE ACT for Environmental Justice – www.weact.org

West Harlem Environmental Action – www.weact.org –
education, advocacy and programs to improve environmental protection, safeguard public health and secure environmental justice in communities of color.

Wellness in the School – www.wellnessintheschools.org/ is a grassroots organization that promotes children’s environmental health, nutrition and fitness within the New York City public schools.