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Think about your school building and the area right around it. What environmental health factors could be addressed at your school? For example, think about standing right next to or behind your school bus. Do you want to stay there? Why or why not?
What is environmental health? Watch the video below to learn more.
Explore
One thing that can make your school building more healthy is to use green cleaning products. Often, individuals or groups do not want to switch to green cleaning products because they think they are not as effective (even though they’re healthier for the environment and don’t have hazardous chemicals in them that can harm humans).
Devise an experiment to compare the effectiveness of a green cleaner (like a vinegar and water mix) with a traditional cleaner. If you are stuck, ask your teacher for the Green vs Conventional Cleaners experiment writeup. Try it out. What were your results? How could you use what you learned to convince your school custodian to make the switch?
Covid-19 has changed the way some people think about cleaning. Watch this video. What do you think?
Engage
You can help improve the indoor environmental health of your school building. Check out these ideas then make your own plan.
Open the windows. Get some fresh air into your classroom! What is air ventilation? Why does it matter? Learn more here!
Select plants that are best for cleaning the air.
Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum 'Vittatum') are easy to grow and great at cleaning the air. They also produce baby spider plants at the ends of aerial shoots. Before long, every classroom in your building will have its own spider plant!
What do you think will happen when Wastebusters tests green cleaning products? Watch this video to find out.
Do you know what kinds of cleaning products your school's custodial staff uses? If they aren't using green products, how could you convince them to switch? The Green Cleaning and Healthy Products website can help with posters, PowerPoints, Toolkits and Resources!
Lighting is a good place to start, but you can also ask questions about other mechanical systems in your school.
One simple thing to do is to wipe your feet before you enter the building!
This program will help your teacher to recognize, adopt, and implement practices that keep teachers and students focused, alert, and ready to learn.
Indoor air quality can cause significant troubles for students and staff. EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit can help schools identify problems and find solutions.
How do you use EPA's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Toolkit? Find out in this video:
Learn about these four schools and see what they're doing to improve their indoor air quality:
If renovations or new buildings are in the future plans, talk with school administrators about sustainable building practices or using sustainable products. Ask them to consider:
- Polished concrete floors are much more environmentally friendly than tile floors that need to be waxed with hazardous chemicals each year.
- Solar panels can provide clean energy for your school. Often, there is grant money to do this.
- Energy-efficient heating and cooling systems will save energy and water. They will save money as well!
- Safe drinking water systems are also important for the health of students and staff. Ask how often the water is tested.