Friday, November 30, 2012

Webinar: The Path to Healthier, Happier, Smarter Kids in Texas: The Schoolyard Classroom

Join us on Thursday, December 6, for an exciting webinar on the schoolyard classroom! Texas Children in Nature is partnering with REAL Schools Gardens in Dallas/Ft. Worth and National Wildlife Federation to host a state-wide webinar on December 6th for Texas educators.

The free webinar, The Path to Healthier, Happier, Smarter Kids: The Schoolyard Classroom, will include the research supporting outdoor education, the importance of a team approach, outdoor classroom possibilities, instruction, professional development considerations and the components for long term success.
Featured speakers include Irene Pickhardt of Texas Education Agency, Lisa Webber of STEMscopes at Rice University as well as administrators and educators from successful ISD programs across the state.
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Webinar: The Path to Healthier, Happier, Smarter Kids: The Schoolyard Classroom
Date: Thursday, December 6th, 4:00 p.m – 5:15 p.m. Central
Cost: Free
RSVP today!

http://online.nwf.org/site/Calendar?id=106521&view=Detail

SchoolDude University 2013



SchoolDude University 2013
Annual Conference for SchoolDude Clients
Registration is now open!


Join us April 20-24 in Myrtle Beach for SchoolDude University 2013. We’ve been working hard to make this year’s event better than ever. With more than 175 new sessions, you will hear from peers and industry experts from around the country share insight and proven best practices for success.
Join more than 1,000 of your peers to receive:

  • Specialized sessions for professionals working in K-12 districts and higher education institutions
  • Unlimited training with our award-winning Client Services team
  • Exclusive networking events and opportunities
This year the focus is all on your success, and finding new ways to help you maximize your SchoolDude investment. Register today for SchoolDude University 2013.
 
Your treasure awaits!

Birds and Bats: Pest Management Tips for the Educational Environment - Facility Masters Webcast on 12/13 @ 12pm EST



The next Facility Masters webcast will be on December 13 from 12:00-1:15pm EST, and the topic is Birds and Bats: Pest Management Tips for the Educational Environment

Join us for this free webcast to learn corrective actions, inspections and preventive measures to reduce factors contributing to bird and bat nuisance issues.

If you’d like to attend or to receive the webcast recording, simply register online at:  https://cc.readytalk.com/r/977nsxloncj0

Speakers:
  • Paul Duerre: Environmental Specialist – Killeen ISD, TX
  • Lynn Braband: Senior Extension Associate – NYS Community IPM Program at Cornell University
  • Roger Young: Executive Director – Facility Masters 

Please forward this invitation to any of your colleagues who might be interested in joining us for this informative webcast.

If you have any IPM related documents or best practices you’d like to share with the listserv, please reply!

You can also access IPM related resources in the Facility Masters Resource Library:  http://www.facilitymastersonline.com/resources/environmental-issues-and-risk-management/

Related resources include:
·         Batty About Bats - Resource and IPM Guide - Guidelines for managing issues with bats, including biology of bats, IPM recommendations, rabies prevention and more.  (From The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension)
·         Management of Nuisance Birds - Presentation outlining nuisance breeds, related issues, and IPM recommendations. (From The IPM Institute)

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

School IPM Newsletter in Wisconsin



A school IPM article recently appeared in the Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) newsletter. 


Thanks to Jen Everhart and Wisconsin CESA Region 10 for promoting school IPM in Wisconsin!

Attention School-Based Asthma Management Programs: Gain National Recognition Today!

banner image: http://www.asthmaawards.info/
Call for Applications for all School-Based Asthma Management Programs
New this year! The U.S. EPA is seeking school-based asthma management programs to apply for the U.S. EPA National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management, the nation’s highest honor for comprehensive asthma management programs.   
Apply today if your school-based asthma program:
  • Addresses environmental triggers as part of a comprehensive asthma program.
  • Promotes healthy indoor learning environments in schools that improve the lives of those with asthma.
  • Fosters high-performing collaborations with a diverse set of partners to improve asthma management in schools.
  • Demonstrates results in improved academic performance based on asthma control strategies implemented in the school. 
Apply Now
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Celebrating ExcellenceGet inspired! Watch the video above to hear past award winners share their experiences about the application process and how their programs have benefited from this prestigious honor.
Deadline: February 12, 2013, 11:59 p.m. EST
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Contact UsDo you have questions?
Check out the FAQs or email
EPALeadershipAwards@asthmaawards.info. 

Who Is Your 2013 Healthy Schools Hero?



Who Is Your 2013 Healthy Schools Hero?


Contact: Ellie Goldberg, M.Ed., healthykids@rcn.com 

Attn:  Science educators, STEM advocates, professionals in public health, school health, environmental health, facilities management, IAQ, IPM, health and safety, lab safety, school security, emergency and risk management, asthma educators, first responders, school administrators, nurses, advocates, parents and students.

Do you know someone whose sense of responsibility, inspirational leadership, and exemplary persistence and courage protects children from school hazards and unhealthy school conditions?
Send your hero's name, email/phone #, and your hero's story by February 10, 2013 to 

Ellie Goldberg at healthykids@rcn.com 
Lessons Learned. Lives Saved. 
The Healthy Kids Healthy Schools Hero Award was created as an annual opportunity to tell the story of the 1937 Texas School Explosion and to inspire leadership and partnerships to protect children from the chemical hazards and unhealthy conditions in today's schools. (HEROES 2012 - 2004)  


March 18, 2013 is the 76th anniversary of the 1937 Texas School Explosion. The 1937 Texas School Explosion was the worst school disaster in American history. It was a gas explosion that killed more than 300 people, mostly students, just minutes before the end of the day in their new state-of-the-art public school. No expense had been spared except when it came to safety.

The story of the 1937 Texas School Explosion needs to be part of our national legacy because the decision-making that led to the 1937 explosion is the same type of decision-making in too many schools today. The story can inspire us to break the silence about school hazards and to prioritize the values and technical skills we need to live safely with 21st century chemicals and technology. 

Send your 2013 hero's name, contact information, and your hero's story by February 10, 2013 to Ellie Goldberg at healthykids@rcn.com
Photo (E. Goldberg,2005): Cenotaph Commemorates Memory of Those Who Died in School Blast March 18, 1937

Ellie Goldberg, M.Ed.
www.healthy-kids.info
617-965-9637

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

EPA Releases Integrated Pest Management Plan for Schools


US EPA released its strategic plan for school IPM this week, detailing the Agency’s leadership role reducing pest and pesticide risks to children and staff.  EPA has committed to creating a clearinghouse for existing tools and information, increasing demand for school IPM by working with state agencies, school-related professional associations and others, and creating a center of expertise for school IPM based in Dallas, Texas.  The Agency has also committed to growing four stakeholder-led working groups that have advocating for and supporting adoption of high-level IPM in schools since 2007 with funding from EPA, the USDA Regional IPM Centers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others.  EPA’s strategic plan can be downloaded from http://www.epa.gov/pestwise/ipminschools/strategicplan.pdf   To learn more about the stakeholder-led effort, visit http://www.schoolipm2015.com.