CLICK to find contacts in EPA offices around the country. Protecting children’s health and advancing environmental justice are critically important goals for EPA. EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment requires us to pay special attention to the vulnerabilities of children and we seek continued progress in reducing their exposure to the environmental hazards they encounter in their daily lives.

School environments play an important role in the health and academic success of children. Children spend 90% of their time indoors and much of that time is spent in school. Unhealthy school environments can affect children’s health, attendance, concentration and performance, as well as lead to expensive, time-consuming cleanup and remediation activities. Ensuring the America’s children, especially those in underserved communities, have healthy environments in which to learn and play is a major part of the work being done across the Agency.

The agency offers guidance and tools to help states, districts, schools, teacher, parents, and students create or enhance productive, healthy learning environments. Also, the agency has contacts in EPA regional offices around the country to help address school environmental health practices and concerns.

There are many ways to create healthy school environments beyond what you can find on this website. The Extra Credit for a Healthier School section provides information on student curricula you may use as well as EPA and other partners' initiatives to engage the community in activities to improve children's health and safety.