Children's Health Month

Healthy Communities, Healthy Children

October is Children’s Health Month!

The Environmental Protection Agency celebrates Children’s Health Month!  Throughout the country, the agency hosts and participates in a number of activities and events to raise awareness about children’s environmental health. As part of the Agency’s mission to protect human health and the environment, it is clear that addressing environmental protection and human health needs in communities is imperative.

This year’s theme, Healthy Communities, Healthy Children, highlights EPA’s commitment to work with communities to ensure every child has a safe place to live, learn and play.

Presidential Proclamation -- Child Health Day 2016.

On October 13, 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Children Health Protection recognized the 2016 Children’s Environmental Health Excellence Awardees at the Children’s Environmental Health Network’s inaugural Children’s Environmental Health Day Event

Below are some of the events taking place throughout the country.

Children's Health Month Events:


Alaska

For more information on events contact Gretchen Stewart at stewart.gretchen@epa.gov.

Children’s Environmental Health Summit

The Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) is hosting their Children’s Environmental Health Summit to bring scientists, Alaska Native community and Tribal leaders, health care professionals, policy makers, parents, teachers, and children’s advocates together to discuss the latest science and develop recommendations to protect the health of children at the top of the world. The summit will be the first event in the history of Alaska to bring together health care professional to address the disproportionate exposure of Alaska’s Tribal children to toxic chemicals before and after birth that are linked to a host of serious medical problems that include neurodevelopmental issues, childhood cancer, endocrine disruption and birth defects.

Learn more at: http://www.akaction.org/alaska-community-action-on-toxics-is-pleased-to-invite-you-to-the-2016-childrens-environmental-health-summit/

Date: October 5 and 6, 2016

Location: Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, Alaska


 

Georgia

For more information on events contact Wayne Garfinkel at garfinkel.wayne@epa.gov

Georgia National Fair
The Georgia Healthy Homes Coalition and the Georgia Rural Healthy Housing Advisory Board, with support from the EPA’s Region 4 Children’s Environmental Health Program, are collaborating to coordinate a children’s health event at the Georgia National Fair. Each day, the exhibit will focus on addressing healthy housing principles which include pesticides, lead poisoning, green cleaning, indoor air quality, energy efficiency and other information to improve the health of children and their families in and around the home. The Georgia National Fair showcases Georgia’s Agribusiness and promotes the agricultural achievements of Georgia’s youth.
Date: October 6 -16, 2016
Location: Georgia National Fair, Perry, Georgia

Braselton, Petit Le Mans Road Race
The EPA will participate in the Petit Le Mans Road Race to educate children and their parents about children’s environmental health and ways to protect themselves from harmful exposures. 
Date: September 30 and October 1, 2016
Location: Braselton, Georgia

Atlanta, National Fire Prevention Week
The EPA will set up an exhibit booth at the Atlanta Airport in support of National Fire Prevention Week.  Information on children’s environmental health will be distributed to the public.
Date: October 3 – 5, 2016
Location:  Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Atlanta, Classroom Programming in Proctor Creek Elementary Schools
The EPA is conducting Educational and Environmental Health Programming at M. Agnes Jones and Grove Park Elementary Schools.  Students in grades 4th and 5th will rotate between stations, and receive information on asthma triggers, water protection, soil sampling, fish contamination, and lead. 
Date: October 4, 2016 
Location: M. Agnes Jones and Grove Park Elementary Schools in the Proctor Creek Community in Atlanta, Georgia

Decatur, Classroom Programming – Science Saturday
The EPA is conducting STEM Environmental Health Programming for Bouie Elementary and Browns Mill Elementary Schools in Decatur, Georgia. Science Saturday is designed to get students excited about science at a young age.
Date: October 15, 2016
Location: Bouie Elementary and Browns Mill Elementary Schools in Decatur, Georgia

Atlanta, Classroom Programming – Scott Elementary
The EPA is partnering with YELL Academy to conduct STEM Environmental Health Programming for Scott Elementary in Atlanta, Georgia.  Yell Academy has a mini grant from the Captain Planet Foundation.  This event will be conducted during the afterschool program and will reach kids in grades K-5.
Date: October 20, 2016
Location: Scott Elementary in Atlanta, Georgia

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Illinois
For more information on events contact Maryann Suero at suero.maryann@epa.gov

Kane County, Healthy Places Coalition Business Partner Project
Throughout the month of October, Kane County (IL) Healthy Places Coalition Business Partner Project will work with approximately 18 home improvement stores to educate consumers about the need to use lead safe work practices for DIY projects. Informational materials will also be available in libraries throughout the county during October.

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Maryland
For more information on events contact Prentiss Ward at ward.prentiss@epa.gov

Baltimore City Health Fair
Baltimore City is partnering with Morgan State University to host a citywide event to promote Children’s Health Month and educate the community of Baltimore about children’s health and environmental justice. EPA is partnering with Baltimore public health organizations and communities to showcase materials and interventions to protect children from environmental exposures.  There will be exhibits focusing on children’s health issues, training workshops, and games for the kids. 
Date: October 29, 2016
Location:  Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD

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Tennessee
For more information on events contact Wayne Garfinkel at garfinkel.wayne@epa.gov

National Lead Education Week
The EPA and the City of Memphis will be conducting Children’s Health programming on lead prevention during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.
Date: October 23, 2016

Tennessee

EPA Region 4 is partnering with the Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH) to host a lead educational event called soilSHOP, offering free lead screenings to raise awareness about lead hazards in urban soils, and providing information on reducing lead exposure around the home. The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department will conduct blood lead testing and counselling for children identified with elevated blood lead levels.

Date: October 22, 2016

Location: Eastside Elementary School, Chattanooga, TN

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Texas
For more information on events contact Paula Selzer at selzer.paula@epa.gov

Dallas Training Event
Dr. Bret Roth, a Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit associate from the University of Texas Southwestern, in Dallas will address Region 6 stakeholders at the annual Quality Assurance/Quality Control training and conference. The presentation will focus on childhood exposure to pesticides.
Date: October 18, 2016

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Washington, DC

Children’s Environmental Health Excellence Award
EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection will recognize awardees who have made a significant impact to increase the number of health professionals who can address children’s environmental health concerns.  Awardees will be recognized at Children’s Environmental Health Network’s (CEHN)Exit inaugural Children’s Environmental Health Day event on Oct 13, 2016, in Washington, DC.

Lead Poisoning Prevention and Screening Forum

The Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and the Environment (MACCHE) in partnership with the Department of Health Care Finance and the Department of Energy and the Environment will hold a forum for pediatric providers to learn more about lead exposures, testing and different options for lead screening.  Lois Wessel, RN FNP, of MACCHE will be speaking on the challenges clinicians face in getting families to screen children. Interested in attending? RSVP by emailing dc.providerreps@xerox.com.

Date: October 25, 2016 - 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location:  Xerox State Healthcare, 750 First St NE, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20002

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Other Events

  • The Federal Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality will host the Towards Healthy Schools: Reducing Risks to Children webinar from 1 -4:30 p.m. today, October 12. Host Claire Barnett will discuss this national report. To register, please visit https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5046348630631852034.
  • The Federal Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice will host the webinar From Home to School and Back Again: Creating Safe and Healthy Environments for Children on Thursday, October 13 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm. EPA representatives will discuss the benefits of effective coordination between environmental justice and children’s health, provide an overview of initiatives to address lead exposure and share information about reducing childhood exposures. For more information and to register, please visit http://bit.ly/2d6WTXD.
  • As part of its ongoing Grand Rounds Webinar series, the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSU) will present the webinar School Environmental Health: Why It Matters and What to Look For on Wednesday, October 19 at 1:00 pm. Presenter Luke Gard will discuss the connection between school indoor environment and student health and academic performance, particularly for asthmatics. For additional information, including webinar reference documents and to register, please visit http://bit.ly/2d765u2.

Learn More

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