Healthy School Program-Tools for Schools

Tools for Schools

What is Tools for Schools?

Tools for Schools is a flexible and practical program that enables school environmental teams to identify and resolve simple air quality issues.

The Tools for Schools Action Kit was created by Health Canada , based on the program of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The New Brunswick Lung Association’s (NBLA) Healthy School Program uses the Action Kit as its basic building block and reference, and has added simplified checklists, a video, and several optional environmental health initiatives.

Tools for Schools is designed to give schools the information and skills they need to manage air quality in a low-cost, practical manner. Tools for Schools is based on proven, scientific methods for preventing, understanding and solving indoor air quality problems.

The Tools for Schools Action Kit arms a team of school partners, ideally – a custodian, a teacher, an administrator, a parent and a student, with the information to prevent potential indoor air quality problems, and the ability to identify and efficiently manage them should they occur.

Supported by Lung Association expertise, Tools for Schools can:

Save money by preventing indoor air quality (IAQ) problems from developing into expensive repairs.
Help prevent bad publicity and tensions between schools, parents and the community.
Decrease the potential for short and long-term health problems for students and staff.
Reduce student and teacher absenteeism and improve the overall learning environment.

The Tools for Schools Action Kit includes hands-on materials schools will need to prevent and/or manage existing air quality problems.

To download a copy of the Canadian version of Tools For
Schools, please click here

You may also be interested in the American Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) IAQ Design Tools for Schools. This document complements the IAQ Tools for Schools program and involves information on school design, construction and renovation. Click here to download this EPA document.