Everyone has a role to play in creating healthy, safe and sustainable learning environments for children. Each one of us can make an impact on schools where thousands of children, faculty and staff spend over 1,000 hours every year. Women for a Healthy Environment’s Healthy Schools PA program is designed to empower parents, students, educators, staff and administrators to take an active role in creating healthy school environments, providing tools, guides and other resources to bridge communities with their schools and effectively create an advocacy network capable of bringing about social and policy change throughout the school system.
Healthy Schools Pennsylvania
Program Overview
Why Healthy Schools?
Close to 2 million students are currently enrolled in public schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In addition to students, thousands of teachers and staff members spend about 9,000 hours a year in school buildings and on school grounds. There, they are exposed to environmental hazards including, but not limited to poor air quality, toxic building materials and pesticides. These health risks are discussed far too infrequently. Healthy Schools PA works to increase awareness of environmental health factors in school systems while supporting policies directly correlating to improved health outcomes and academic performance by engaging the school community.
Our Goals
- Serving as a central voice and hub for information across the region by engaging students, parents, community leaders and school district personnel.
- Increasing awareness in the school systems about environmental health factors.
- Providing samples of policies that directly correlate to improved health outcomes and academic performance.
- Developing a platform that connects organizations such as Parent-Teacher Associations, state agencies and non-government organizations to encourage collaboration.
1000 hours A Year Program
Science is clear: Lead and Radon impact children’s growth and learning, which is why WHE developed the 1000 Hours a Year Program. 1000 Hours a Year uses available grants to help schools, early learning centers and after-school programs in Allegheny County create healthier learning environments without the dangers of lead and radon poisoning. WHE’s Healthy Schools PA Program helps facilitate these grant agreements to ensure Centers are receiving the resources necessary to ensure children’s learning environments are healthy. Visit the Program’s website using the link below for more information.
Healthy Schools Recognition Program
While we realize making our schools healthier is its own reward, we also know it’s important to recognize and celebrate all schools and school districts who take positive actions toward improving the well-being of students and teachers. That’s why we created the annual Healthy School Recognition Program. Click for a list of Healthy Schools.
Healthy Schools Summit
The Healthy Schools Summit, held annually, brings together school stakeholders for an enriching and engaging co-learning opportunity to hear from industry experts, share lessons and community knowledge, collaborate on school health initiatives and take an active role in promoting green and healthy learning environments.
State of the Schools Report
In order to gain a better understanding of environmental health hazards facing the more than 330,000 students enrolled in public school districts across southwestern Pennsylvania, Healthy Schools PA – program of Women for a Healthy Environment – embarked on an extensive information gathering mission. The initiative entailed sending Right-To-Know requests to every public school district located in southwestern Pennsylvania’s 10-county region, and then scouring the information for detailed environmental data. The result is The State of Environmental Health in Southwestern Pennsylvania Schools, a first-of-its-kind report examining 13 specific environmental-related issues including radon, water quality, indoor air quality, artificial playing surfaces, cleaning products, construction projects, renovation projects, asthma rates, anti-idling signage, pest management, mold, and Poly-chlorinated-biphenyls (PCBs).
Healthy Schools Summit
How are school stakeholders coming together to realize our shared goal for green, safe and healthy schools for students and staff to return to? How are school leaders translating public health research into action to prevent the spread of COVID-19? What resources are available for our educators, nurses, parents, and students to respond to existing and emerging school health needs? Join us as we tackle these issues head-on with national, state and local experts at our bi-yearly conference.
Testimonials
"I just wanted to thank the both of you for the work you did this summer with Assemble. It was awesome having you join us as guests, and your expertise was really well received by the kids. I especially appreciated your ability to keep the activities and atmosphere fun while communicating interesting and relevant material!"
We just received our STEAM activity kits and I'm so blown away by the thought put into these and how they will help kids be able to think critically in the future... I love what you are doing and would like to be able to contribute in some way!
Our childhood asthma group would like to thank you again for all your help with providing us with awesome resources and information so that we could create the best solution possible.
The Healthy Schools Summit was a great event, You and your organization do such a great job. On Monday we will be sharing our success story with the school board. Thank you again for being the champion that you and the other women in your organization are to making the environment better for the future children of southwestern PA.
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