In This Issue

• HSC News: Green Clean Schools; HSC's New Staff
• Program Updates: Environmental Justice in Austin; School Nurse Advocacy Day
• Recent Blog Entries: Student-Designed School Lunch; Tools for Schools; Get Your Farming On

HSC News

Support Green Cleaning in Illinois
Common-Sense Guidelines Need Final Stamp of Approval

Last year, with your support, HSC brought together a coalition to successfully advocate for a law requiring green cleaning in Illinois schools.

To create the guidelines for green cleaning, the law created a taskforce that brought in a broad range of experts – those representing public health, education, environmental, government and corporate interests – and invited the public to share input. The result is a set of guidelines that are comprehensive, health-based and cost-effective for schools to implement. Now, these guidelines are going through the legislature for a final review.

We believe that, due to the open process and the common-sense approach, the guidelines will sail through the committee. However, we need to make sure that our legislators hear from supporters of green cleaning to ensure that the guidelines get this necessary final stamp of approval.

Send a letter of support to the Lt. Governor's office to let them know you support green cleaning in Illinois schools »

Together, we can make Illinois the second state in the nation to protect students from exposures to toxic cleaning chemicals in schools.

HSC Welcomes New Staff!

HSC is pleased to welcome two new staff members and a new intern!

Dr. Susan Kurland recently retired as principal of Nettlehorst Elementary School, where she made healthy eating and active lifestyles a priority throughout the school. At HSC, Dr. Kurland will work with principals to implement effective wellness strategies.

Alicea Miller joins HSC as our new development associate. She holds a bachelor's degree from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs and has worked with organizations including the Donors Forum, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and the United States Department of State.

Dennis Fiser joins HSC as our intern working on wellness and farm-to-school issues. Dennis recently graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in environmental studies and is pursuing a career in sustainable food systems.

We’re delighted to welcome our new colleagues!

Plus: HSC is seeking Interns and a Charity Athletics Coordinator »

Program Updates

Austin Women Move Forward for Environmental Justice in Schools

A parent leader shares information about healthy school environments at an environmental health / environmental justice training in Austin.

Women from the Austin-Wide Parent Network completed the first phase of their Environmental Health / Environmental Justice Leadership Training hosted by HSC and COFI. The training included information on building a team and conducting school environmental assessments to evaluate the pesticide use, indoor air quality, cleaning and recycling practices in schools.

Because Chicago has one of the highest rates of asthma in the country, the group decided to take closer look at indoor air quality and preventable measures to improve it. Upon completion of their assessments and initiation of an indoor air quality project, each school represented will earn a Green Flag from the Center for Health and Environmental Justice.

More importantly, through the leadership of the women involved, the schools will become places where children – especially those with asthma – can breathe easier every day.

Join Us for School Nurse Advocacy Day April 17

HSC and the Illinois Association of School Nurses invite you to join us in Springfield on Thurs. April 17 as an advocate to improve school health for students and staff throughout Illinois. We will convene in Springfield at 11 a.m. and will wrap up at 3 p.m. We are looking to school nurse leaders to come out with us to Springfield – and feel free to bring a friend! Questions? Contact Mark Bishop or call (312) 419-1810.

Learn more or register online »

Recent Blog Entries

HSC's staff experts discuss news stories and new developments every week at the HSC Blog. Stop by and leave a question or comment. And while you're there, enter your email address for automatic delivery on days when a new blog entry has been posted. Here's a look at some of our recent posts:

Get Your Farming On | guest blog by Dennis Fiser
Fresh fruits and vegetables are just what school cafeterias need, and all the better if fresh produce can be purchased from local farms. But even though "locally grown" is all the rage, there are surprisingly few farms growing food for people to eat. Much of our farmland is filled with corn for animal feed, food additives and biofuels, along with soybeans for biodiesel, food additives, and animal feed – which doesn’t sound very appetizing. So here I am, working at HSC on farm-to-school policies; but what is there to do when there simply aren’t many local farms growing food, and even fewer which can supply enough ingredients to feed the thousands of Chicago students who eat school lunch every day? . ... Read more

Student-Designed School Lunch Served throughout Chicago Public High Schools | by Jean Saunders
For culinary students at Chicago Vocational Career Academy (CVCA), the long-awaited day has finally arrived! Today, the students’ menu of red beans and rice with smothered cabbage and candied carrots will be served at all high schools in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system. High school students around the city will enjoy a healthy meal that CVCA students created to meet high standards for nutrition, taste and presentation.
... Read more

Another Great Tool at the "Tools for Schools" Conference: The Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools | guest blog by Bill Thompson
Last month I attended the EPA "Tools for Schools" Conference, where I had an opportunity to hear from people from across the country as they discussed their concerns and strategies for addressing indoor air quality in schools. After the seminar, many attendees told me they had no idea green cleaning was so easy to implement. ... Read more

"The garden provides a whole new canvas for inquiry."
- John Garland, assistant director of child nutrition for IDEA public schools, on the role of school gardens in promoting wellness and academic exploration, as quoted in The Monitor

Charity Athletics Coordinator
HSC is seeking a part-time Project Manager to oversee and grow our charity athletics program | More

Make a donation
You have the power to help make healthy schools a reality through a gift to HSC or a donation in honor of a friend, family member or a child in your life! | More

School Nurse Leadership Training: Improving Your School’s Environmental Health
Feb. 5
The Healthy Schools Campaign, in partnership with National-Louis University and the University of Illinois at Chicago, is sponsoring a 3-part training series for school nurses | More

View all events »

A+ for Energy Grants
Deadline: Mar. 7, 2008
Grants of $5,000 or $10,000 available to classroom teachers for creative, innovative programs | More

Zero Waste Schools Composting Grants
Deadline: Feb. 15, 2008
Grants to begin food waste composting and waste reduction initiatives at school | More

Free Energy Savings Guide for Schools
Features tools needed to reduce energy consumption in buildings by as much as 30 percent. | More

Schools Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Resources and key findings from a meeting on how schools can reduce greenhouse gas emissions | More