Connecticut Schools Lead the Nation for Healthy Indoor Air

Two out of eleven national Special Achievement Awards were received by Connecticut associations during the Tools for Schools National Symposium in Washington D.C. this past December. The Ridgefield Public Schools District and Philip Apruzzese of the Connecticut Education Association were among the national honorees for their successful implementation of EPA’s Tools for Schools Indoor Air Quality program.

All of the winners demonstrated significant commitment, passion and dedication to ensuring the health and wellness of students and staff, and in doing so have left a lasting impact their school systems and communities.

With more than 53 million children spending a significant portion of their day in the classroom, poor indoor air quality can pose health risks in schools for both students and staff and lead to asthma attacks, decreased performance or diminished concentration.

“A healthy learning environment is vital to ensuring a good education for our region’s children,” said Robert Varney, regional administrator of EPA’s New England Office. “New England is fortunate to have such dedicated individuals working to achieve healthy indoor air quality, helping their districts to become national leaders.”

The three-day, December symposium highlighted school districts effectively using Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) management programs. Additional events focused on the latest environmental health research and information on such topics as: radon, mold, asthma management, maintaining ventilation systems for good IAQ, ’green’ cleaning products and practices, and the stand-out components of high-performing schools.

A study recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about half of the nation’s schools have IAQ management programs in place and that 86 percent of those schools relied on EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) program to guide their actions.