The Annual, National HEALTHY SCHOOLS DAY in CANADA – Journée des écoles saines du Canada is in April each year

Want to take part?  Need a few ideas to get you started? Plan ahead.

IDEAS for Healthy Schools Day Projects

• Train school principals in Indoor Air Quality issues and appropriate action. Use the new School Administrator’s Guide to Healthy School at: https://casle.ca/ArticleDetail/tabid/77/smid/413/ArticleID/165/reftab/56/t/School-Administrators-Guide-to-a-Healthy-School/Default.aspx

• Adopt Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) management plans.
• Implement the Tools for Schools IAQ Action Kit (see Health Canada, CASLE and the NB Lung Association websites for checklists and more)
• Create school-based projects such as:
  • A school fund raiser that sells safer water bottles and discourages plastic bottle use.
  • Make your school a vehicle idle-free zone.
  • Distribute flyers, badges, cards about Healthy Schools Day.
  • Create a display(s) or information fair about Healthy Schools Day topics
  • Classroom discussions or projects on Healthy School IAQ topics. Use the 21 lesson plans on the US National Education Association’s website: http://www.neahin.org/assets/pdfs/iaq_lesson_plans.pdf
• Hold Workshops or panel discussions on topics such as:
  • Children’s environmental health
  • Pesticide-free pest control
  • School Indoor Air Quality
  • Design and construction of healthy new schools
  • Choosing Less Toxic, healthy and green cleaning products for schools
  • Vehicle idle-free zones
  • Indoor mould growth and schools
• Write a letter to your school board or principal asking about their policies and practices regarding school Indoor Air Quality, Indoor mould removal, Safe Work Practices that protect children during renovations, and more.
• Write a Letter to the Editor on the importance of a healthy school.
• Have informed presenters give a web-based or a live talk(s).
• Give awards to those who have made significant contributions to creating healthier school indoor environments. (e.g., to school boards that replaced conventional cleaning products with third-party verified less toxic products.)
• Promote use of children’s environmental health list serves such as http://www.healthyschools.org/newsslice.html and cehncommunity-on@cehn.org, and web sites such as www.casle.ca, www.nationalhealthyschoolsday.org, www.lesstoxicguide.ca, and healthyenvironmentsforkids.ca.

• Click on the logos on the Healthy Schools Day web page to access information from the founding organizations.

Register your project (and view last year’s) at http://healthyschoolsday.ca/

IDEAS for Healthy Schools Day Projects List adapted from Planning Guide, www.nationalhealthyschoolsday.org, courtesy Healthy Schools Network, Inc.

Healthy School Environments don’t just Happen.  They need you!

Plan an event or project to mark Healthy Schools Day in Canada!