WCPSS Given Award for Creating Healthy School Environments
August 28, 2008 – Cleaner air, fewer reports of problems, and well-trained school staff in place to troubleshoot concerns are just a few of the benefits to having successfully launched the indoor air quality program, Tools for Schools within our district two years ago.This week, that success was formally recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when it recently congratulated WCPSS for its effort to effectively manage indoor air quality issues through the Tools for Schools implementation. On August 26, the Wake County Public School System received the 2008 Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Leadership Award. This award is given to school systems that demonstrate a high level of commitment to improving the learning environment and is a measure of the quality of Wake County’s program.
“This award acknowledges our school system’s commitment to providing safe learning environments by actively taking steps to reduce exposure to air pollutants in schools,” said Sneha Atwal, director of WCPSS Environmental Health and Safety.
Tools for Schools Participants: Northwoods Elementary Wilburn Elementary Lufkin Road Middle Fuquay-Varina Middle Wakefield Middle Lacy Elementary Morrisville Elementary Oak Grove Elementary |
EPA Award Letter (3.4 MB Acrobat File) |
2008 Leadership Award |
“Poor indoor air quality can lead to a variety of health problems including asthma and potentially affect a student's comfort, concentration, and performance level. Our number one priority is to ensure that our school buildings are a healthy place for students to learn,” she added.
Tools for Schools is an EPA program that provides schools with air quality training kits and helps them form on-site teams that learn about indoor air quality, potential health risks associated with exposure and how to look for signs of indoor air quality issues such as mold and other problems during routine inspections. Wake County’s Tools for Schools program is facilitated by the WCPSS Environmental Health & Safety Department.
“The schools that participate in Tools for Schools feel more empowered because they are better informed,” said Christina Larkins, Environmental Health & Safety administrator. “Since putting it in place, the number of work orders we receive has dropped at schools that have the program because teams are identifying and fixing the root cause of the problem and not just treating the symptoms.”
The program started as a pilot in Fall 2006 at three schools. In 2007, WCPSS received the EPA’s Great Start Award. Currently, Tools for Schools is underway at eight schools with the goal of expanding the program to every school in the system.