Education Law

Celebrate School Building Week

BoardBuzz wants to remind its readers of an important event taking place this week: School Building Week.  Our nation?s children spend the majority of their waking hours in a school.  School Building Week provides a great opportunity to draw national attention to the importance of well planned, healthy, high-performing, safe and sustainable schools in order to enhance student learning and community life. 

School Building Week is an annual program supported by the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) and the CEFPI Foundation & Charitable Trust in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Association of REALTORS®, American Institute of Architects, and more than 35 other organizations. This year?s event features a  weeklong celebration of school facilities, including the School of the Future design competition; an historic look at schools through children’s eyes; a focus on excellent schools that serve as centers of community; and a variety of community, state and national events. 

In addition, yesterday, National Healthy Schools Day was celebrated to remind everyone of the importance of promoting healthy and green school environments for all children through the use of the EPA?s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)Tools for Schools Program.  Research shows, for instance, that 25% of chemicals in the cleaning products used in schools are toxic and contribute to poor indoor air quality, smog, cancer, asthma, and other problems.  And asthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism!

According to the CEFPI , School Building Week is a time when schools and school districts may engage in activities and celebrations that channel various partners – students, parents, policymakers, legislators and others – to consider the role the school building plays in the educational process and in the current and future vitality of communities. BoardBuzz knows that through this event, there is an opportunity to create effective learning environments that reflect a given locality’s unique assets and needs, and that strengthen neighborhood life as a resource of education, health and human services for students and community members alike.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on April 27, 2010 (boomark / email).