How Can I Get My Child’s School To Be Greener & Safer?

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How Can I Get My Child’s School To Be Greener & Safer?

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Tuesday, September 06, 2011

by Janelle Sorensen, Chief Communications Officer, Healthy Child Healthy World

When my husband and I toured schools to find the one we wanted to enroll our daughter in, I’m sure I was silently voted one of the strangest parents ever. Why do I feel I was secretly endowed with this title? Because every room and hallway we were taken through, I sniffed. A lot. And, according to my husband, I wasn’t terribly discreet.

I didn’t have a cold or postnasal drip. And, I’m not part bloodhound. I was simply concerned about the indoor air quality. My daughter was prone to respiratory illnesses and I wanted to be sure the school she would be attending would support and protect her growing lungs in addition to her brain. For many air quality issues, your nose knows, so I was using the easiest tool I had to gauge how healthy the environment was.

Back then, I was part of a very fringe minority of parents concerned about toxics in our everyday environments. Today, the movement is much larger and there are many more opportunities for creating cleaner, greener, safer school environments. Here are just a few:

Global Green USA Green School Makeover Contest. Global Green USA is working to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn in a healthier, greener school. Their Green School Makeover Competition, as presented by Pureology, gives you the chance to help a school in your area by nominating it for a Green School Makeover. Go to Green School Contest to enter your school (by September 30th) and learn more. In December 2011, Global Green will announce one grand prize winner to receive $65,000 to renovate their school, plus approximately $65,000 of in-kind technical assistance, and fourschools will each receive $2,500 towards their green school renovations.

Whole Kids Foundation School Garden Grant Program. The newly established Whole Kids Foundation has launched the School Garden Grant Program initiative to educate students on healthy eating habits, sustainability conservation and community awareness. The organization has teamed with Whole Foods Market and FoodCorps to provide grants of $2,000 to grant school garden wishes throughout the U.S., UK and Canada. To date, they have raised more than $708,000 for the School Garden Grant Program! Do you know a school in need? Applications will be accepted through December 31, 2011. Visit Whole Kids Foundation for more details.

Episencial 2011 Green Your School Grant Preschool Program. Episencial has partnered with Ecomom, CleanWell, Revolution Foods and Eco-Kids to offer more than $30,000 in green goods and funds through the 2011 Green Your School Grant Preschool Program. For more information, visit Episencial.

Woolly School Gardens. Woolly Pockets is helping plant modular gardens at schools across the nation through their Woolly School Gardens program. Schools just need to have one teacher or manager to oversee the program, a sunny wall or fence and $1,000 to get their own outdoor garden. The garden comes complete with 50 Woolly Pockets, do-it-yourself hardware and instructions, premium soil, organic seeds, compost tea, a planting chart and gardening manual and Nutrition and Garden Curriculum Lessons. For schools that don't have the budget, Woolly provides easy fundraising suggestions and an online fundraising platform that schools may use to raise funds for their garden. Their goal is to help thousands of more schools land their own gardens over the next year. Learn more at Woolly School Gardens.

More Resources:

Teens Turning Green Project Green Challenge - The Project Green Challenge seeks to engage high school and college students across the country and inspire them to transition “from conventional to conscious,” via a 30-day green lifestyle Challenge.

National Walk to School Day - This year Healthy Child is supporting EveryBody Walk http://everybodywalk.org/ and National Walk to School Day because walking (or biking) is not only great for promoting health, but it’s also a way to reduce air pollution created by vehicle exhaust. Walk more. Pollute less. Breathe easier!

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution - Get the facts, find support, and start a campaign to improve your school’s food using the tools and resources the Jamie Oliver Foundation has developed.

Healthy Schools Network - This national non-profit is working to create healthier school environments for all children. They coordinate a coalition of over 400 partners, provide a wealth of information and referral services, and coordinate the National Healthy Schools Day every April. Host your own event to raise awareness of the issue and launch a local effort to improve school environments.

The Green Flag Program - The Center for Health, Environment and Justice coordinates this student-led program to make schools healthier places to work and learn. This flexible three-step program will help you advance your schools environmental behaviors and become a shining example to others. Achieve recognition for all the good work your school already does, and improve your program with the support of teachers and field experts across the country.

Do you have any resources, opportunities, or tips to share?

Posted by Stephanie Holleman on 01/13/2012 at 07:54 PM

Here is a great letter template for anyone trying to get schools to cut down on the sugar treats and rewards given out during school hours.

January 5, 2012
To School Board of Education,
My name is (Parent Name), a parent of three students in the (School Name) Public Schools District. I am writing today to voice my concerns about the frequency of sugar treats given to my children during school hours by teachers and other parents.
On a weekly basis my children are given sugar rewards from teachers, birthday treats from other students and/or sugar treats at class parties all of which I’m not in favor. These treats are not healthy and they send the wrong message to children. As a parent that promotes healthy foods, I feel that these sugar rewards are going against the values I’m teaching my children at home. I ask you to reconsider your policies regarding rewards and party days.
The Michigan Department of Education Nutritional Standards agrees that sugar treats and rewards should not be given during the day. I’m concerned that the Nutritional Standards found on http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,4612,7-132-2940_2955_2959_58773—-,00.html are not being followed by the Schools District. Teachers are sending regular notes home asking parents to send candy to school for rewards and party days.
According to the Michigan Department of Education, sugar rewards from teachers are not recommended.
“Foods and beverages should not be used as rewards or discipline for academic performance or behavior unless the reward is an activity that promotes a positive nutrition message (i.e. guest chef, field trip to a farm or farmers market).”
Source: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Michigan_Nutrition_Standards_Approved_10.12.10_338356_7.pdf
Healthy reward alternatives can be found at:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/Rewards_368809_7.pdf
Find healthy alternative for party days here:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/Parties_368808_7.pdf
Find healthy alternative for birthdays:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/Birthday_Celebrations_368807_7.pdf
According to a Department of Education Nutrition Representative other school districts in Michigan have taken action and have successfully made these State recommended nutritional guidelines mandatory including Alma Public Schools, Belding Schools, and Roscommon Area Schools.
If you decide that a gradual change in this area would be best you could designate up to ten days a year where these rules don’t apply. The Ontario Ministry of Education Nutritional Guidelines policy states:
“EXEMPTION FOR SPECIAL-EVENT DAYS: The school principal may designate up to ten days (or fewer, as determined by the school board) during the school year as special-event days on which food and beverages sold in schools would be exempt from the nutrition standards outlined in this memorandum.” Source: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/150.html
Although I would prefer that no candy/sugar treats be given out at school, I believe that once a month would be a step in the right direction and a huge improvement.
I ask that the (School Name) Public Schools take action by taking these guidelines seriously and making these standards mandatory not recommended. I guarantee that many parents would appreciate these changes and for the ones that don’t, it would be a great learning opportunity for them to learn the negative impacts of sugar in young children’s diets. These guidelines are also expected to become mandatory in a few years and I believe that the sooner we take action, the better we will be prepared when they do come into effect.
Thank you for considering these positive changes for our children and please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.
Sincerely,
Parent Name

Posted by Sarah on 09/11/2011 at 05:55 AM

I applaud the your efforts on this topic of greening our children’s schools!

I’d also like to share that the EPA has a Tools for Schools Kit. This kit helps schools form a task force to improve indoor air quality. I’m just getting our task force started but I thought that it was a useful resource to share!
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/

I also just learned of a National Healthy Schools Day.
http://www.psea.org/healthyschools/

Posted by Lisa Frack, EWG on 09/09/2011 at 02:52 PM

Some great resources here. Another is:

A year or so ago EWG tested school cleaning supplies and along with releasing our results, we put together a number of tools for parents to work with their schools to make the switch the greener cleaning products - including sample letters, etc… Hope it’s helpful! Lisa

Posted by kelly searcy on 09/06/2011 at 02:54 PM

I feel exactly the same way; slighty feeling snobbish as people look at me wondering why I care so much. I wonder why they don’t! Then I feel quite compelled to tell about it.

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