PVAC and Environmental Health and Safety Consultant Lynn Rose met with school district, local health department and other health agency staff in advance to explain the program and offer education on the links between IAQ, health and academic performance.  

Key Messages

• Improved IAQ leads to improved attendance and improved academic performance
• Some districts only do emergency maintenance and not the preventative maintenance required to maintain healthy air
• Many IAQ issues are preventable

Presentation

•  PVAC Breathing Easy School Indoor Air Quality Program Kickoff (Slideshow)

Handouts

• PVAC Breathing Easy Curriculum 2013- 2014
• Tips for a Healthy Classroom (classroom poster)
• Indoor Air Quality Background: The Basics*
• EPA IAQ Tools for Schools Step-By-Step Guidance*
• The Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Approach: Providing a Framework for Success
• Student Health and Academic Performance Quick Reference Guide*
• Why do IAQ Tools for Schools? Connecticut IAQ Tfs Success Stories *
• Hartford Public Schools *
• Blue Valley School District *

Online Resources:

Many of these resources above are also available online at the EPA's Tools for Schools website:

• Creating Healthy Indoor Environments in Schools,  http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/
• Managing Asthma in the School Environment, http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/managingasthma.html
• EPA Tools for Schools National Symposium Presentation--Fresh Air: Optimal HVAC Management for Improved Health
• Providing Better Indoor Environmental Quality Brings Economic Benefits:Research Paper, https://escholarship.org/content/qt3nm8g3fm/qt3nm8g3fm.pdf
• Energy Savings Plus Health: Indoor Air Quality Guidelines for School Building Upgrades  http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/energy_savings_plus_health.html

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction- Making the Case for a School IAQ Program
2. Environmental Management System
3. IAQ and Ventilation Assessment
4. Moisture and Mold
5. IAQ During Renovation
6. IAQ Testing and Standards
7. Radon
8. Hazardous Building Materials and Possible Alternatives for School Districts
9. Integrated Pest Management
10. Green Cleaning