Environmental Education

For more information on Environmental Education, visit:

Environmental Education Improves Our Everyday Lives
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Education Web Site

Featured Environmental Education Resources:

Healthy School Environments Assessment Tool (HealthySEAT)
HealthySEAT is a new software tool from EPA designed to help school districts conduct voluntary, customized self-assessments of their school facilities for environmental, health, and safety hazards.
Source: EPA - Office of Air and Radiation - Indoor Environments Division
http://www.epa.gov/schools

EPA Municipal Solid Waste
Recycling is a series of activities that includes collecting recyclable materials that would otherwise be considered waste, sorting and processing recyclables into raw materials such as fibers, and manufacturing raw materials into new products.
Source: EPA - Office of Solid Waste - Office of Solid Waste
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/recycle.htm

Energy Star Assesment of Building Performance
The assesment of a school's building peformance is a rating system that is used by EPA's national energy performance rating system to see if a school (K-12) may be eligible for ENERGY STAR.
Source: EPA - Energy Star
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=evaluate_performance.bus_portfoliomanager

LEED for Schools
The LEED for Schools Rating System recognizes the unique nature of the design and construction of K-12 schools. Based on the LEED for New Construction rating system, it addresses issues such as classroom acoustics, master planning, mold prevention and environmental site assessment.
Source: U.S. Green Building Council
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1586

Mercury Assesment for Schools & Communities
This checklist is designed to assist in identifying and locating mercury-containing products and equipment in schools. These products are typically found in the following areas: Science Labs, Facilities, Medical Offices, Home Economics and Art Classrooms.

Source: The Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA)
http://www.newmoa.org/Newmoa/htdocs/prevention/mercury/schools/checklist.cfm

Washington -- Rehab The Lab Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County, Washington
Rehab The Lab is a free service to King County Schools to help them manage their hazardous chemicals. A site user can download fully scripted lesson plans for least-toxic chemistry labs, information on ways to reduce chemical stockpiles in biology labs, and a list of chemicals whose risks outweigh their educational utility. The program's long-term objectives include improving schools' chemical storage practices, reducing their hazardous waste generation rates and helping them incorporate practices and lesson plans that will reduce their chemical liabilities.
Source: Washington - King County Department of Natural Resources - Local Hazardous Waste Management
http://www.govlink.org/hazwaste/schoolyouth/rehab

Wisconsin - Green Schools Program
The Wisconsin Green Schools Program is a web based, voluntary program available to all K-12 schools across the state. The program encourages teachers, staff and students to work together to use the school, grounds, and community as learning tools to help teach sound environmental practices and promote environmental sustainability. A wide variety of environmental topics are addressed.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Green Schools Program
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/greenSchools

Illinois Teaching Learning Knowing the Facts About Mercury
This Illinois Department of Public Health website contains information about mercury, geared to various audiences: teachers, students and parents.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health
http://app.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/mercury/Default.htm

Indiana - IDEM E-Newsletter for Indiana Educators
This newletter provides information on a range of environmental topics which schools must address.
Source: Indiana Department of Environmental Management
http://www.in.gov/idem/schoolnews

Maryland Science Safety Manual
The development of this Science Safety Manual was a joint effort between the MD Science Supervisors Association and MD State Department of Education. The safe management, handling and disposal of chemicals is addressed in this chapter.
Source: MD State Dept Ed and MD Science Supervisors Association
http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/safety/chemicals.html

Massachusetts Recycling Page
This website links to a solid waste management resource guide for MA schools, providing activities for grades K-6 and 7-12. There are also links to classroom presentation, a manual for implementing school recycling programs, and frequently asked questions about recycling and wate management.
Source: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
http://www.state.ma.us/dep/recycle/schools.htm

National Microscale Chemistry Center
This website provides information about the National Microscale Chemistry Center, established in January 1993. Microscale chemistry is a means of choosing less toxic chemicals, and greatly reducing quantities of wastes generated.
Source: National Microscale Chemistry Center - Merrimack College
http://www.silvertech.com/microscale

Student Center
EPA's Student's Page provides information to help students learn about the environment and what they can do to help protect it.
Source: EPA - Office of Environmental Education
http://www.epa.gov/students/

Tox Town
An introduction to toxic chemicals and environmental health risks you might encounter in everyday life, in everyday places, including schools.
Source: National Institutes of Health - National Library of Medicine
http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/index.html

Chem Info Net
The Chem Info Net designed as a chemical health and safety resource for teachers, administrators, and service personnel. The site is an ongoing project and information will be added on a regular basis. The initial focus is on laboratory safety and chemicals used in the science curriculum. The information presented is based on current regulations and prudent practices. Local regulations may differ from National Standards. Please consult local and state agencies if standards or procedures are unclear.
Source: Maine School of Science and Mathematics - (aka Limestone Community School)
http://www.cheminfonet.org/

Connecticut Pollution Prevention in Institutions - Schools, Hospitals, Universities
This web site provides information about CT DEP's mercury reduction and chemical clean-out work with schools. There is also a link to available pollution prevention presentations for schools.
Source: Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection - Pollution Prevention Program - Office of Pollution Prevention
http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2708&q=323984&depNow_GID=1763&depNow

EPA New England's K-12 Schools Website
This site discusses efforts to improve coordination and integration amongst EPA's many schools related programs, and provides links to Regional topic specific web sites, such as: asbestos, diesel school buses, drinking water, environmental management systems, energy, indoor air quality, lead, mercury and teacher and student resources. Links to national websites are provided as well.
Source: EPA Region 1
http://www.epa.gov/ne/schools

EPA New England Teacher Resource Center
A compilation of environmental education curricula may be found at this site.
Source: EPA Region 1
http://www.epa.gov/ne/students/teacher/index.html

EPA New England Tools for Schools
Curriculum, case studies, and a map of Tools for Schools distribution and implementation may be found at this web link.
Source: EPA Region 1
http://www.epa.gov/ne/eco/iaq/index.html

EPA Region 7: Chemical Management and Usage
Proper chemical management is critical to preventing and/or controlling a variety of Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) issues within any facility. Understanding the materials present at the school will enable you to understand the issues associated with these substances. Properly recognizing and controlling the hazards inherent to these materials will enhance your ability to create a safe school with minimal environmental liabilities.
Source: EPA Region 7- Burlington Board of Health
http://www.epa.gov/Region7/education_resources/teachers/ehsstudy/ehs1.htm

Illinois -- Greening Schools
Greening Schools offers FREE technical assistance, workshops for teachers, administrators and facility managers, and on-line resources related to pollution prevention for all Illinois schools.
Source: Illinois Waste Management and Research Center
http://www.greeningschools.org

Inventory of Federal School Environmental Health Activities
This inventory was prepared by the Schools Workgroup of the President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children and includes descriptions of major school related programs and activities of EPA and other Federal departments and Agencies.
Source: EPA -- President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/Inventory.htm/$file/Inventory.pdf

Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools
The Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools (KGHS) Program is a new, voluntary effort to empower students and staff with the tools needed to take action and make their school operate at peak efficiency.
Source: Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools
http://greenschools.ky.gov/

Massachusetts Community Toxics Use Reduction in Schools
The TURN Projects on this site show how many Massachusetts school systems are creatively incorporating toxics use reduction into their policies and daily operations.
Source: Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute
http://www.turi.org/community/index.html

Minnesota -- IPM in Minnesota Schools
Contains a variety of resources on pest management in K-12 schools.
Source: Minnesota Department of Agriculture
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/ipm/IPMinSchools.html

New England Resources for Schools
This website provides links to the Regional schools topics page, hazardous waste fact sheets, examples of the types of environmental issues found in schools, and other links of interest to the schools community.
Source: EPA Region 1
http://www.epa.gov/ne/assistance/schools/index.html

Teacher's Page
EPA's web resources for teachers, including curricula, grants, awards, background information and other resources.
Source: EPA - Office of Environmental Education
http://www.epa.gov/teachers/

Kid's Page
U.S. EPAExplorer's Club web site for kids age 5-12
Source: EPA - Office of Environmental Education
http://www.epa.gov/kids/

EPA Region 2 Schools, Colleges, Universities Pollution Prevention Resources
Resources to assist schools, colleges and universities in gathering the information necessary to achieve, maintain, and go beyond compliance with environmental regulations. The site includes guidance, relevant documents, presentations delivered at several conferences, and a number of links related to environmental auditing, self-disclosure, regulations, pollution prevention, and a wide array of topics geared toward those involved in all aspects of environmental protection at academic institutions.
Source: EPA - Region 2
http://www.epa.gov/region02/p2/p2res.htm

Environmental Education
EPA's Office of Environmental Education builds partnerships in order to achieve the following goals: link environmental education (EE) to reform efforts, build the capacity of EE provider organizations, and catalyze research that examines EE's effectiveness in achieving environmental protection and education goals.
Source: EPA - Office of Environmental Education
http://www.epa.gov/enviroed