Healthy Schools Campaign

How Healthy Is the Air on the Yellow School Bus?

by Austin Sears, HSC intern

When I was little, riding the bus was one of my absolute favorite things about going to school. I grew up in a suburb of Chicago, so school buses were extremely common in our community. In the United States, 24 million children ride school buses daily. On average these children spend an hour and a half on the bus on a given day. School buses are a great resource for families that do not live within walking distance of their schools. 

School buses provide students and their families with a great transportation option, but they also emit a large amount of air pollutants. One thing that many people often don’t know is that the pollutants can be present in the cabin of the bus, sometimes at much higher levels than in the air outside. This is an issue that we have talked about before, but I read a recent study that detailed the performance of retrofit systems, something that I will get to a little later. The biggest question here, though, is how does this happen?

Pollutants enter the cabin in a few different ways. When the bus is idling, particularly when doors and windows are open and the buses are lined up waiting for children to board, the wind carries harmful pollutants into the bus. Cracks or faulty seals on windows, doors and other parts of the bus also allow particles to enter the cabin both when the bus is both idling and in motion. If the bus does not have any form of filtration system installed, the soot is then easily carried into the cabin. There are ultrafine particles that are present in the exhaust that are particularly harmful because they easily penetrate lung tissues and enter the circulatory system. Children are especially vulnerable, as they take  more breaths per minute than adults and because their respiratory systems are not fully developed. Children are also exposed to these pollutants for seven and a half hours a week, for the entirety of the school year. 

So what can be done about this? While there is no perfect solution to this problem, here are a few things that can be done to clean up the air in and around buses: 

• Retrofitting buses by installing a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) to the exhaust pipe can limit the amount of particulate matter being released by the bus. This is the most effective method of filtering the exhaust, as this filter captures 90 percent of the soot emitted. 
• Another type of retrofitting is to install a Closed Crankcase Ventilation Filter (CCVF), which prevents emissions from the engine compartment from entering the bus through cracks and openings in windows and doors. The two filtration systems are most effective when used in conjunction with one another, though it is possible to retrofit a bus with only one of the options. 
• Limiting the amount of idling done near schools by both buses and other vehicles by vehicles close to parked buses, especially when buses have windows and doors open. By turning off the vehicle completely, the driver saves gasoline while also limiting the amount of pollutants being released into the air.

Now that you have all of this information, what can you do with it? There are some things that you can do in your own communities to reduce the amount of particulate matter children breathe on a regular basis:

• Encourage parents, students, teachers, and community members to install no idling signs in and around schools to cut down on the amount of harmful emissions in the vicinity of the school. 
• Encourage schools or school districts to apply for both state and federal no-match funds that could be used to purchase the filtration systems needed to limit the amount of pollutants entering the bus cabin and the ambient air around the bus. 
• Bring up the issues at parent/teacher conferences, to principals or superintendents, or to the PTA. Let others know that there is money available to make this happen at little to no cost for the school. 

If you are in Illinois, we have connections to a number of organizations that are working on this issue. Check out the Campaign to Clean Up Diesel Pollution, a coalition of more than 80 organizations, including Healthy Schools Campaign, led by the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago and Citizen Action/Illinois. If you have any questions about air quality or the clean diesel campaign, you can contact Jonathan Doster at Citizen Action/Illinois.

On a national scale, numerous groups are working diligently to spread the word about the air quality in and around school buses. For instance, the EPA has a Clean School bus Program, the Clean Air Campaign backs a No-Idling Program, and the Union of Concerned Scientists has conducted extensive research about the buses being used in all 50 states. There are also regional efforts in New Jersey, New Hampshire, Cleveland, Southwestern Ohio, New York City, and Georgia, to name a few.

But these organizations cannot do all of the work by themselves -- they need your help! Is there a clean diesel, retrofit, or no idling initiative in your city or state? Have you helped implement any of these programs in your area? Tell us in the comments section of this post. We'd love to hear about efforts in your area!

Spotlight on Food for Life Partnership: Promoting Healthy Eating in England's Schools

by Austin Sears, HSC intern

Here at Healthy Schools Campaign, we love reading about the things that people are doing to create healthy school environments for children. It is always interesting to see how other places address student health and wellness. BBC recently published an article about an England-based organization, Food for Life Partnership (FFLP), that is currently making a difference in the way that people think about and interact with food.

FFLP puts emphasis on consuming seasonal, local and organic food and provides resources on ways to cook and grow fresh food. The organization encourages student, parent and community organizations to get involved in growing food locally and finding healthy ways to prepare it. FFLP awards school achievement at three different levels, encouraging those involved to continue working to reach the highest possible distinction.

The University of West England (UWE) analyzed 48 elementary schools out of the 3,600 participating elementary and middle schools involved with FFLP. Their findings showed that more than one third of the schools that were analyzed were given an outstanding review by Olfsted (an organization that inspects and regulates school services to document positive changes), compared to the 17.3 percent that received an outstanding review prior to joining the FFLP. The study also found that the percentage of children eating five servings of vegetables a day increased from 16 to 21 percent after their schools joined FFLP. Of the parents surveyed by UWE, 45 percent told researchers that their families were consuming more vegetables.

Here is a particularly striking excerpt of the article from FFLP director Libby Grundy:

“The UK has the highest rate of childhood obesity in Europe, with almost a quarter of adults and about one in ten children classed as obese, and a further 20-25 percent of children overweight.

The UWE evidence shows that our programme has made a positive difference to improving diet and this in turn is having a knock-on effect on behaviour and attainment."

Organizations like FFLP make it possible for families to work with schools to encourage health and wellness in the everyday lives of children, while also working to improve academic performance and behavior. What better way to engage students in healthy eating than to include them in the growing and cooking process? 

One important part of the FELP approach is something that we've seen work here in our own efforts: bringing together stakeholders from throughout the school community to make a difference for kids' health. Mat Jones, senior lecturer in health and social policy at UWE, said:

"It brings together students, teachers, cooks and parents in a shared mission. This holistic approach appears to make a lot of sense for children who are encouraged to take their learning from classroom to dining hall and into their homes.

"Evidence of positive outcomes - for health, environmental awareness, wider learning and parental involvement - highlights the potential of joined-up action in schools."

Kudos to FFLP for their successful efforts to promote healthy eating in schools and beyond!

Air Pollution: How It Affects Student Health and Academic Performance

By Austin Sears, HSC Communications Intern

Today, many environmental issues are front and center in our minds. Recycling bins are almost as common as trash cans and reusable shopping bags have become increasingly popular. However, there is one issue that we can’t see and often gets pushed to the back of our minds: air pollution and its effects on our health. And while air pollution undoubtedly affects us all, children are particularly vulnerable and suffer disproportionately from the impact of dirty air.

A recent article published by Health Affairs draws attention to air pollution and its link to student health and academic performance. The study focused on public schools, the levels of pollution in the areas surrounding them and how these factors affect students. The findings showed that many schools in Michigan were located in places with high levels of air pollution coming from industrial sources. The study also found that while 44 percent of white students in the state were affected, 82 percent of African American students and 62 percent of Latino students were affected, results that show that children of color are more at risk than other students.

Here are some more of the study's findings:

"...schools located in areas with the highest pollution levels also had the lowest attendance rates (a potential indicator of poor health) and the highest proportions of students failing to meet the state’s educational testing standards.  

A recent survey of Michigan school superintendents verified that land availability and cost are a major consideration in school siting decisions. When the superintendents were asked to rank various considerations in school boards’ decisions about where to locate new schools, the two most important considerations were the availability of land and whether the school district already owned the land.

Half of the states, including Michigan, do not require any evaluation of the environmental quality of areas under consideration as sites for new schools, nor do they prohibit siting new industrial facilities and highways near existing schools. This makes it likely that new schools will be built in undesirable locations to keep the cost of land acquisition down."

One of the most significant points that Health Affairs highlights is the vulnerability of our children. Children have little to no say in where they live, and even less say in where they attend school. Parents often cannot afford to move to a different city or send their children to a different school, so it is up to our leaders in government to address site analysis and make changes to ensure that both schools already in use and schools that will be built in the future will be safe for our children. Pollution causes a number of adverse health effects, including childhood asthma, and this study shows that pollution affects children in Latino and African American communities more than their peers.

We know it’s not possible to pick up and move your school to a cleaner location; so as a concerned parent, what can you do? While there are not panaceas, there are a few things you can do.

First, while it’s hard for one school to affect outdoor air pollution, you can have an impact on your indoor environment and make sure the air inside your school is as clean as possible. Consider developing a school indoor environmental quality (IEQ) team to address issues. Many free tools are available to help establish IEQ teams, such as the EPA’s Tools for Schools Action Kit. Working with other parents, teachers, students and administrators, we can take action to limit pesticide use, green the cleaning programs, or improve ventilation within the school building.

Second, let’s get proactive on school siting. Work in your community or your state to make sure there are siting guidelines that will limit the exposures that can happen with a highly polluted site. Visit the  Child Proofing Our Communities guidelines for school siting recommendations. 

Finally, if your school district is going to build a new school, get involved and make sure your community understands the importance of school siting. Let your voice be heard and educate school boards, principals, teachers and anyone else that will listen about siting and the effects that it can have on your children.

Together, we can take action to ensure that our nation's schools are healthy and safe.

Fifth Annual Parent Summit: A Celebration of Five Years of Health and Wellness Successes

By Austin Sears, HSC Communications Intern

On May 18, I had the opportunity to attend the fifth annual Parents United for Healthy Schools Parent Summit. Other than the HSC staff and myself, more than 200 parents representing wellness teams from all across the city of Chicago attended this exciting event.

Parents look on as the Target/ACF Ensemble performs.

The morning started with a soulful performance by the Target/ACF Ensemble, which set a positive tone for the rest of the summit. Standing in the auditorium, you could feel the energy generated by passionate people united for a common good: improving the health and wellness of children.

Rochelle Davis, president and CEO of Healthy Schools Campaign, welcomed the group of outstanding parent wellness teams with warm words of appreciation. Jesse Ruiz, vice president-elect of the Chicago Board of Education, approached the podium and talked about the importance of the work Parents United has done. Ruiz mentioned that “we need to support" Parents United in their efforts because they “know what their communities and families need.” Jesse Ruiz was then presented with over 5,000 signed petitions in favor of Breakfast in the Classroom, Chicago Public Schools's new program to bring breakfast to all elementary students in the distict.

Jesse Ruiz is presented with over 5,000 petitions in favor of Breakfast in the Classroom.

While the focus of the event was on the parents, we also honored two students who exhibited leadership in employing wellness strategies and asked them each to share their stories. We recognized nine outstanding new school wellness teams and thanked seven Chicago school wellness teams for their ongoing efforts and recognized them as wellness heroes.

Parents from Perez School accept their Wellness Hero award. 

Mary Richardson-Lowry was recognized as a School Wellness Champion for her commitment to student wellness during her tenure as president of the Chicago Board of Education. The occasion also highlighted the successes of the Go for the Gold campaign and encouraged wellness teams not already involved to join in helping schools meet the HealthierUS School Challenge, the program that First Lady Michelle Obama is urging schools to take on.

Mary Richardson-Lowry (center) accepts her Wellness Champion Award.

Everyone was encouraged to get up and move in an exercise activity led by the parents from Eli Whitney School. The activity showed that a few minutes of physical activity can be fun while also elevating the heart rate to stay healthy The day came to a close with dancing and a lively performance by Son Del Viento, a Chicago-based Latin band.
 

Parents from Eli Whitney School encourage audience participation in their exercise activity.

This event was significant in that it recognized the achievements of parents across the city of Chicago in advocating for healthy food and physical activity in schools over the past five years. More than 1,000 parents are now actively involved with Parents United and are dedicated to changing the future of school food and fitness for their children.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend such a powerful event! The stories told by parents and students alike were inspiring. I can't wait to see what other positive changes come about because of the work that Parents United does!

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Plus! To check out one parent's story of supporting Calamenca School's success in establishing recess as part of the school day, click here!