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indoor air quality in schools – Mr.B Blog
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indoor air quality in schools

College Dorms and Indoor Air Quality

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It’s almost August and I see all of the thousands of ads about college and getting your students ready for dorm life.  My thoughts go to a very small space shared by at least one other person (sometimes 3 or more). Seems like an indoor air quality nightmare. The institution your student has chosen is responsible to maintain the cooling and circulation systems in the actual residence halls. And, if they feel like that is not being done they should definitely bring attention to it. But, there are some things that they can do in their own personal spaces to improve the quality of the air they are breathing and stay healthier.  There are some studies that even suggest clean air improves study ability and retention.  Every little bit helps!

So, definitely invest in a good fan.  Circulating the air in the room and helping to keep excess humidity at bay is essential.  A cool comfortable study and sleeping environment will do wonders.

Perhaps, an investment in a good quality air purifier would be of some benefit as well.  Particularly this would be of benefit if your student suffers from asthma or severe allergies.  With all the different folks who will inevitably be in and out of dorm rooms, a purifier would most likely be a great help in keeping many germs/pollutants at bay.

If a purifier seems a little extreme, perhaps employing a few “air cleaning” plants in the space would be beneficial.  I realize some students would kill them immediately but there have to be some out there who could keep a low-maintenance plant alive without too much trouble.  The Spider Plant, Dragon Tree and Mother-In-Law’s Tongue are three that are easy to keep alive and great at helping purify the air.

I’m well aware that there are hundreds of things to think about when getting your student ready for college life. Just hope this little reminder about indoor air quality was helpful.

Sources: https://www.saycampuslife.com/2016/03/29/maintaining-optimal-air-quality-in-a-dorm-room  https://www.hgtv.com/remodel/interior-remodel/10-best-plants-for-cleaning-indoor-air-pictures

Back To School – What Can We Do to Improve Indoor Air Quality?

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So last time we discussed the fact that indoor air quality in schools can definitely affect our kids performance.  This time let’s take a look at what we can do to help improve the air quality inside our schools.  You are probably thinking you, personally, can’t do anything.  But, that would be incorrect.

First, just understanding that problems with indoor air quality can affect your student’s performance is ahead of the curve.  Since you are already aware it is time to take steps to do something about it.

Next, take what you already know and build on it. Do your own research or take some of what is here and spread the word.  Let other parents, teachers and administrators know what you know.  Chances are pretty good that they are already aware.  However, it is good for them to know that others are genuinely concerned about the issue.

After that, get involved.  Perhaps your school or school district has an IAQ team in place. Volunteer to be a part.  If not, you could be the one to get it started.  If your student has asthma or allergy issues its an even better reason to get involved.  Get your student involved also.  When students are concerned and involved in improving their learning environment it is a great catalyst to spur others to be involved.

The EPA is a great resource for what can and should be done to improve the indoor air quality in schools.  They even have a tool kit ready for your use.  The link is as follows:  https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools/guide-implementing-iaq-indoor-air-quality-iaq-tools-schools-action-kit

With all the information that is available we literally have no excuse to not be involved.  Let’s all do our part to make sure our kids have the best learning environments possible.

Back In School! What About the Indoor Air Quality There? Part 2

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back to school

In our last post we discussed many of the reasons that indoor air quality is important in our schools.  As stated we are now going to go further into what can be done to ensure that our schools maintain quality indoor air.

The EPA is very helpful in this area.  It’s as if they really do actually care about the air our students, faculty and staff are breathing.  In 2014 there was a survey taken by the National Center for Educations Statistics that discovered that the average age of our nations schools was 55, meaning they were built around 1959.  As you can imagine the standards for indoor air quality since that time have increased dramatically.  You can also imagine that  a great deal of our buildings are in need of improvement.

That being said, where do we start to make sure our kids are breathing the best air possible in their schools?  The first thing to do is to find out if your schools is even concerned with the indoor air quality.  Ask the question.  Once you’ve gathered that information, get involved.  Particularly if your child has allergies or is asthmatic this should be of concern to you.  Being vocal and wanting to be part of a solution or action plan is a great way to be involved in your local school and care for your child.  The EPA has many valuable resources including an  IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit that can give you helpful information to get you started.  Educating ourselves, our students our teachers and administrators will go a long way in helping improve the air quality. Of course, that’s just one place to look. I’m quite sure that there are many other valuable resources out there.

Bottom line is we all want the best possible air quality in our children’s schools.  The ways in which it can positively affect them are many.  Improving the air quality in our schools can have a positive impact on test scores, retention, attendance, teacher satisfaction and retention and even the overall energy efficiency of the building.

Of course, there is a lot that goes into achieving and maintaining high quality indoor air.  However, addressing the issue is the first step.  If you are thinking about it take the next step and ask the pertinent questions.

Here’s to better breathing for our kids at school!

Source:  https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools/take-action-improve-indoor-air-quality-schools