Environmental Health at School: Ignored Too Long

Healthy Schools Network, Inc., Albany NY

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Environmental Health at School: Ignored Too Long Conference The proposed conference, Environmental Health at School: Ignored Too Long, will be an innovative exploration of child-specific health and learning outcomes that result from environmental health exposures in school buildings or on or near school grounds, how to address children with suspected exposures, and how to prevent or reduce hazards in schools. We will bring together researchers, policy experts, individuals from relevant local, state and federal agencies and community advocates. We already know that environmental factors impact the health of children and influence their achievement and attendance. We already know that no federal or state agencies tracks or monitors risks or exposures, and we already know that none of the states or localities has a comprehensive program to undertake these activities and which can serve as models for others. Therefore, we will use the expertise of participants working under the guidance of a facilitator who has experience in discussions about environment and human health issues, to develop a set of recommendations for a suite of environmental public health activities and for expanded research. Recommendations will target: how to accelerate work to reduce or prevent environmental health hazards in schools, how to assist children at risk or with suspected exposures in schools, and how to benchmark upstream prevention activities. Among the specific issues are: how pediatric environmental health experts might assist state and local agencies with onsite inspections of schools, and how to overcome perceived barriers to research and to new policies. We will produce a report, with detailed recommendations for new research, policies and practices. This will be disseminated widely to participants, researchers, agencies, funders, public health organizations, educational associations, and others. Papers will be written and submitted to appropriate scientific journals. Participants will describe the results of the conference in presentations at other meetings around the US. The meeting will create new collaborations among diverse parties, which will expand and deepen collective understanding and strengthen the movement for environmental health at school.