Healthy Schools Day Project Archive (to April 2017)

Project Description

Project Description

Reduce Radon…for our children’s health

On the occasion of the 5th annual Healthy Schools Day in Canada, CPCHE encourages parents, educators and others to take steps to ensure that children are not exposed to high levels of radon – a known risk factor for lung cancer –  in the places where they live, play and learn.

Radon is a harmful gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in the ground. Radon gas can move into homes and buildings through cracks or gaps in the foundation. Long-term exposure to high levels of radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in Canada. 

CPCHE and the Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF) recently conducted a survey among child care professionals about radon in child care settings. The survey results indicate low levels of awareness about radon, a keen interest in learning more, and a willingness to share information with parents about this important health risk.

Of the 145 respondents, 52 percent had heard of radon but don’t know much about it, and 24 percent had never heard of it. More than half (52 percent) indicated that the child care setting where they work had not been tested for radon.

“We in the child care sector have an opportunity to protect children from this harmful exposure by making sure that radon levels are at or below acceptable levels in child care settings,” says Don Giesbrecht, CEO of the Canadian Child Care Federation. “We can also help raise awareness among families about the importance of getting homes tested for radon. The survey results indicate that child care professionals are ready to step up and take action.”

“The health risk is clear and the necessary actions are straightforward.” says CPCHE’s Partnership Director, Erica Phipps. “Let’s give our children the best start towards lifelong health. Let’s act now to reduce this avoidable lung cancer risk.”

A simple do-it-yourself test kit, available at many hardware stores or on-line, can be used to find out if a home or building has elevated radon.

For more information, visit www.reduceradon.ca or contact Erica Phipps, Partnership Director, Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE), at erica@healthyenvironmentforkids.ca.

Project Description

CHEJ is hosting a conference call April 7, 2011 to continue the discussion on how we can address contamination problems in communities.  Join the call on Thursday, April 7, 2011 at 5pm (Eastern).  Focus: (1) report on priorities discussed at National Strategy Meeting.  (2) gain input from other stakeholders on contamination problems threatening children’s health and discuss possible solutions, and (3) determine next steps in the fight to improve children’s environmental health.

Join us Thursday April 7, 5pm (Eastern)

Call-in number (218) 862- 4123

Code: 293050

On Saturday, March 12 in Baltomore MD, CHEJ convened a National Meeting on Contaminated Schools.  We brought together leaders of community groups, labour unions, health experts, legal, and policy professionals to discuss existing contamination problems in communities that could harm children’s health and explore possible solutions.

For additional information contact Makia Burns,

Childproofing Our Communities Campaign Coordinator at (703) 237-2249 x21,  mburns@chej.org

Project Description

CPCHE, one of the founders of Healthy Schools Day in Canada (HSD), has released as its HSD project for 2014 a statement urging schools and day cares not to use antibacterial soaps. To read and use this statement go to: http://www.healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/news-info/back-basics-hand-washing-say-%E2%80%9Cno%E2%80%9D-antibacterial-soaps-schools

Say “No” to antibacterial hand soaps

CPCHE is encouraging schools and child care centres to discontinue the use of antibacterial hand soaps, including those containing triclosan.  Triclosan is known to interfere with normal hormone function in animals, and is suspected of similar effects in humans. Hormones control the way young bodies and brains develop, thus protecting kids from exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals is of paramount importance. In addition, doctors say not to use household antibacterial products because of concerns that these chemicals may be creating antibiotic  resistant germs.

CPCHE’s website contains important research and information on children’s environmental health:http://www.healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/

Project Description

CASLE will write a review of a new book, The Toxic Schoolhouse, which primarily covers recent history and status of Healthy School topics in the USA and Canada. It is published by Baywood Publishing Co. http://baywood.com , and is edited by Madeline Kangsen Scammell and Charles Levenstein.

CASLE will post the review on our website and notify our contact list. However, we encourage any to read the book in the meantime, and send us your comments if you will. CASLE is featured in one of the book’s chapters.

Project Description

CASLE receives excellent articles and research reports on topics relevant to Healthy School Environments and related child health.  CASLE’s project will last all year as we forward the best of these articles to partner organizations and individuals with this common interest.

Project Description

Vimy Ridge Academy began a voluntary Idle Free campagin for vehicles and buses around the school.  We posted detailed information about the health and environmental effects of car exhaust on the school’s website and had the students distribute the information to their parents.

Project Description

Health Canada’s Environmental Health Program in the Ontario Region (www.hc-sc.gc.ca) and CASLE (Canadians for A Safe Learning Environment) are joining efforts to raise youth awareness about chemical and environmental health risks (Indoor Air and Radon) and actions to take to reduce those risks in order to prevent unnecessary health impacts over their lifetimes and the lives of their future children.

Background

There is increasing evidence that exposure to environmental health risks before conception, before birth, and in early childhood can lead to various development problems and chronic diseases such as asthma. There is also evidence that early prevention, can help reduce these risks. Moreover, teaching young people about how to prevent these exposures may have a significant impact on the health of Canadian youth and the health of their future children.

Although Health Canada has successful ongoing programs to educate Canadians about these facts, many Canadians remain unaware of the positive impacts this knowledge can have on their health, their future children’s health, and the health of their environment.

How Can More Canadians Learn to Reduce these Environmental Health Risks ?

• Links to Health Canada’s information on preventing environmental impacts on human health have been added to the Healthy Schools Day website, http://healthyschoolsday.ca/
• Similar information and links have been added to several resource sections on CASLE’s main website, casle.ca, such as to the Classroom Materials section, Children’s Vulnerability section, Environmental Health section, Indoor Air Quality section, and the Learning and Health Effects section.

We hope that the schools across Canada will take advantage of these opportunities, as we feel strongly that the online content will not only help build environmentally sustainable schools, but also build future leaders.

Health Canada’s research and publications on Environmental Impacts on Human Health, and on how to prevent such harm, are available at www.hc-sc.gc.ca and through these specific links:

Hazardcheck publication- http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/healthy-living-vie-saine/environment-environnement/home-maison/hazard-risque-eng.php

Radon – http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/radiation/radon/index-eng.php

Indoor Air Quality – http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/air/in/index-eng.php

Outdoor Air Quality – http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/air/out-ext/index-eng.php

Environmental Health Publications –  http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/index-eng.php