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A HEALTHY TURNOUT FOR HEALTHY SCHOOLS DAY 2008 School personnel, parents, advocates, and agencies united nationwide on April 28th for National Healthy Schools Day – an annual event sopnsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Collaborative for High Performance Schools, and others to promote and celebrate healthy and green school environments. The events were coordinated by Healthy Schools Network, a national environmental health organization that does research, education, and advocacy to ensure that every child has a healthy, clean learning environment that is in good repair. Thirty-two events across the nation raised awareness about important issues related to healthy school environments and the impact these environments have on student health and performance in school. Local and national events included webinars, health fairs, letter-writing campaigns, Healthy Schools Heroes Awards ceremonies, and workshops on healthy school design and children’s environmental health. The events took place in twelve different states including Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, California, and Pennsylvania. One Pennsylvania group called “Green Grannies and Friends for Clean Air and Healthy Kids” wrote letters to the editor and educated the public with handouts advocating for healthy indoor air quality. In New York, resolutions were passed in both the Senate and Assembly recognizing April 28th as National Healthy Schools Day in New York. With 54 million children in the nation’s 120,000 schools, efforts to create healthy school environments are essential to the wellbeing of America’s children. The variety and creativity of events on National Healthy Schools Day demonstrates that with commitment, we can all make a difference on the many fronts affecting student health and performance. So, save the date April 27, 2009 and plan an event for your school to get healthy!
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