40 States Plan to Participate in ED-GRS 2013

40 States Plan to Participate in ED-GRS 2013  A whopping 40 state departments of education have indicated that they intend to nominate schools to USED for the second annual recognition award.  Schools cannot apply directly and must be nominated by their state education agency. State participation is voluntary and may depend on hearing from interested schools.    ED-Green Ribbon Schools Inspire Other Schools   At the inaugural ED-GRS awards ceremony, 78 honored schools were given an important homework assignment. Each school was challenged to return to its community and adopt a future green school. Several 2012 ED-Green Ribbon Schools have already begun to work with schools in their communities>>>.  Attend a Free Green Strides Webinar Series Session  Hundreds are tuning in to learn how to reduce their schools’ environmental impact and costs; improve health and wellness; and provide effective environmental literacy, including STEM, green careers, and civics. Find over 40 webinars scheduled on these topics through summer 2013 on our Green Strides Webinar Series page. Environment Grants from The Lawrence Foundation  The purpose of this funding is to support programs that focus on the environment, education, or human services. The application deadline is November 1st. For more information, see >>>   Where do I obtain information on ED-GRS applications?  Your school must be nominated by your state department of education and cannot apply directly to the U.S. Department of Education. Inquire with your state authority if you are interested in applying for its nomination.  Most states will publish their selection processes in early fall. The Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Grant Program  This program gives small grants to schools, nature centers, and other non-profit places of learning for a stewardship project. Project goals should focus on enhancement of an appreciation for nature, must emphasize involvement of students and volunteers in all phases of development, and increase the educational value of the site. The deadline is October 15th.  Applications and information can be found here >>>. Green Ribbon’s Director Accepts Secretary’s Golden Apple On Aug. 29, ED honored the recipients of the Secretary’s Awards Program, including ED-GRS Director and Facilities, Health and Environment Liaison Andrea Falken. "I was honored to accept the Golden Apple on behalf of the states, stakeholders, federal agencies, sponsors and, of course, schools, that worked so hard in the pilot year,” said Falken.  “School facilities, health, and environmental practices help to ensure healthy, productive, and high-achieving students. It was an award for the whole nationwide, multi-sector, intergovernmental ED-GRS team!"    Upcoming Event: NAAEE 41st Annual Conference The North American Association of Environmental Education will host this year’s conference in Oakland, CA from October 9-13.  See more information>>>   Worldwide Day of Play, Oct. 6 and Grant Opportunity On the 9th annual Worldwide Day of Play, Nickelodeon turns off all programming to inspire kids to get out and play. Join the movement and host a local Worldwide Day of Play event and enter the I Wanna Play! Giveaway to win a custom Nickelodeon Playground worth more than $100,000 or $10,000 to help enhance a play project. More information >>>

Webinar: Identifying the myths and realities of head lice infestations - October 4, 2012

Presenting a brand-new webinar...

Head Louse Infestations: Evidence-Based Strategies and Best Practices for Tackling Head Lice A must-attend event for school nurses dealing with real and presumed lice, misinformed parents, school officials, and misguided policies REGISTER NOW  YOUR PRESENTERS:   Richard J. Pollack, PhD, IdentifyUS LLC   Joan Edelstein, DrPH, RN, Coordinator, School Nurse Credential Program,        California State University, Sacramento  As a school nurse, a significant part of your job includes managing the controversies, misinformation, policy issues, and fear surrounding one of the most common childhood maladies: head lice. Because parents and school officials exaggerate the importance of head lice and their impact on public health, you probably spend a lot of time on search-and-destroy missions to eradicate head lice from your school. But these expectations are often misguided and counterproductive and, as a result, divert you from other responsibilities of your job.  If you think you're spending too much time identifying head lice and other pests, diagnosing infestations, enforcing "no-nit" or "no-louse" exclusion policies, and providing information and guidance to parents and students, you're not alone. These policies, frequently based on folklore and marketing ploys, can perpetuate an unwarranted fear of head louse "outbreaks." But by providing more up-to-date, evidence-based information to school health personnel, and the students and parents they serve, you'll be better able to make more appropriate decisions about and pursue effective action against head lice. School nurses like you must be equipped to guide and educate your school community on best practices for identifying and managing pediculosis (infestations of head lice). But do you know how to separate the latest myths from the realities of head lice? What steps should you take to evaluate the problem in your school? What's the best way to deal with anxious parents and school officials? And how can you contain infestations while minimizing exposure to potentially hazardous treatment options? Get answers to these questions and more when you register to attend the latest SchoolNurse.com webinar, "Head Louse Infestations: Evidence-Based Strategies and Best Practices for Tackling Head Lice" on Thursday, October 4, 2012. Listen as two prominent experts on head lice and other pest infestations show you how to identify and judge the viability of head lice and their eggs. You'll learn how to provide better guidance to parents and school officials on louse management and policy issues. And you'll come away with ideas to help your school reduce its reliance on inappropriate treatments, enhance attendance rates, and develop better relations between parents and school officials. Register today to guarantee your place at this essential learning session. And remember that your entire team can participate with you when you register. We also encourage you to invite school-board and other school officials, PTA members, parents, school-board, and anyone else with the potential to influence the policies and procedures regarding the management of head lice infestations in your school. SCHOOLNURSE.COM WEBINAR AT A GLANCE: DATE:    Thursday, October 4, 2012 TIME:     2 p.m. EDT; 1 p.m. CDT; 12 p.m. MDT; 11 a.m. PDT PLACE:  Your telephone or speakerphone and computer COST:    $99 per site non-subscribers  ($129 after 9/21/12)               {$49 per site to subscribers of School Health Alert newsletter} TO REGISTER: Click here or call 1-866-370-7899 toll-free For one low price-just $99 (through 9/21/12; $129 thereafter)---you, your staff, parents, and other school officials can take part together in this fast-paced, insightful webinar. Best of all, you'll be able to connect personally with our speakers when we open things up for questions from the audience. Here are just some of the questions you'll get answers to during this in-depth 90-minute conference: What is the medical and public health significance of head lice? How can you determine if a child has been infested by head lice? How should a presumed infestation be evaluated, and by whom? What can school nurses do to help guide policy changes in schools, and how can they ensure the success of those changes? How are head lice transmitted and what can you do to prevent transmission? What is the risk of an infested child to other students and how can you reduce that risk? Is there a "best" method for treating an infested child? What are the safest and most effective products available to treat infestations? And which ones no longer work? What is the significance of nits and can they be transmitted? No-nit and no-louse policies: Do they really work? ...and much more! Your webinar registration includes: A site license to attend the conference (invite as many people as you can fit around your speakerphone at no extra charge) Downloadable PowerPoint presentations from our speakers The opportunity to connect directly with the speaker during the audience Q&A session  Register Now!  Or for more information, call us toll-free at 1-866-370-7899.  Distinguished Presenters         Richard J. Pollack, PhD is President and Chief Scientific Officer at IdentifyUS, LLC where he provides pest identifications and guidance services. Dr. Pollack has consulted with a range of health/public health, housing, education organizations as well as businesses worldwide. His advice is sought by manufacturers as well as packagers and providers in the pesticide, pharmaceutical, and food industries. He offers guidance on pest control to property management companies, owners, tenants, the hospitality industry, residential schools, hospitals and other health facilities, as well as for legal counsel. He has inspected dwellings for municipal agencies and private pest control companies and served as an expert witness in legal challenges. Dr. Pollack has identified tens of thousands of real and presumed pests for medical professionals and the general public. He served as a public health entomologist at the Harvard School of Public Health for 22 years where he engaged in research and provided instruction on diverse pest species both locally and internationally. He was also a research associate professor in the Department of Biology at Boston University and maintains an appointment with that institution as well as with Tufts University. Dr. Pollack earned degrees in Entomology (B.S.) from Cornell University, Medical Parasitology (M.Sc.) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Parasitology (Ph.D.) from the University of Pennsylvania.     Joan Edelstein, MSN, DrPH, RN has extensive experience as a clinician and educator in maternal/child health as well as community health. She is the Coordinator of the School Nurse Credential Program at California State University, Sacramento and was a Professor of Nursing for 22 years at San Jose State University. From 2005 to 2008, Dr. Edelstein worked for the Alameda County Public Health Department in a jointly funded position with the Oakland Unified School District as Health Services Coordinator. During that time, she researched and presented an evidence-based head lice policy to the board, which was accepted and has become a model policy both nationally and internationally. This policy change received coverage on NPR and serves as a model no-exclusion policy for those wishing to change district policy to one that is evidence-based. Dr. Edelstein has presented internationally on changing lousy policies in school districts. She received her MSN in pediatric nursing and PNP certification from Yale University, and received both an MPH and DrPH in maternal/child health at UC Berkeley School of Public Health.  Register Now!

September School IPM 2015 eNewsletter

The September School IPM 2015 eNewsletter features the following articles: Don’t Invite Pests to Breakfast, US School IPM “Report Cards” Show Progress, and Make IPM Fun and Educational.

http://www.ipminstitute.org/school_ipm_2015/Sept12_eNewsletter.htm            

If you have not done so already, please consider signing up for the monthly School IPM 2015 newsletter mailing list to:

·         Learn how you  can reduce pesticide use and pest complaints by more than 70%!

·         Create a successful IPM program with no long-term increase in pest management costs.

·         Learn strategies for managing  pests all year:

o   Fall – stinging insects

o   Spring – ants

o   New pests – bed bugs

·         Improve your ability to educate and gain cooperation from key staff  including maintenance, custodial and food service.

Signing up is easy.  Email your name and contact information to: newsletter@schoolipm2015.com