Healthy Places - Schools

Why strive for a healthy school?
Why is physical activity important for children?
How can schools encourage physical activity?
Why is nutrition in schools important?
What is Coordinated School Health?
What is Active Students, Active Learners?
What is the Safe Routes to School Program?
What is a shared used agreement?
What is Child Care Safe Siting important?
How can schools maintain air and water quality?
What is a green school?
What is an outdoor classroom?
Government partners
Additional resources
Helpful documents

There is more information on our TN.gov/HealthySchools Website.  Visit for indoor air, drinking water, head lice, green chemistry, environmental literacy and more about Healthy Schools.

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a federally funded program focusing on the benefits of ​children walking and biking to school.  It aims to improve safety for children and the community and provide opportunities to increase physical activity.  A model program integrates health, fitness, traffic relief, environmental awareness, and safety.  Safe Routes to School can be a great way to raise awareness about pedestrian safety around your school and community.  Celebrate Walk and Bike to School Day.  Your school may be able to apply for funding to participate through the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) Safe Routes to School Program.  

What is a shared use agreement?

A shared use or joint use agreement is a formal agreement between two government entities setting terms and conditions for shared use of public property or facilities – in this case indoor or outdoor school facilities.  These agreements provide communities more opportunities for healthy physical activity.  Some examples of shared use agreements would be:

• Allowing community access to outdoor school facilities like playgrounds or sports fields during non-school hours
• Allowing community access to indoor school facilities like a gymnasium during non-school hours
• Allowing third parties such as youth organizations or sports leagues to operate recreational programs at school facilities during non-school hours

There are several examples of shared use or joint use agreements available online.  One good source of more information is ChangeLab Solutions’ Model Joint Use Agreement Resources, another is Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Joint Use Agreements, and a third is Safe Routes to School National Partnership’s Shared Use of School and Community Facilities.

Why is Child Care Safe Siting important?

The places where children learn should be safe from pollution.  Chemical hazards are often more serious threats for children.  According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), children are more likely to suffer from adverse health effects due to environmental exposure for several reasons, such as:

• Children's developing bodies can be particularly sensitive to toxic exposure during certain critical growth stages, especially when children are exposed to chemicals known to cause developmental effects.
• Children weigh less than adults. As a result, when children and adults ingest or inhale the same amount of chemicals, children receive a greater dose than adults.
• Because children play outdoors more than adults, they are often more likely to come into contact with contaminated soils and to inhale greater amounts of airborne pollutants.

Therefore, the location of schools, day cares, and other child care sites should be assessed for past industrial uses and nearby environmental emissions.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry developed guidance to help communities safely site child care facilities.  The guidelines will be available soon.  The EPA’s School Siting Guidelines webpage provides voluntary School Siting Guidelines to help school make the best possible siting decisions.  The Center for Health, Environment & Justice published their Safe School Siting Toolkit to protect children’s health.

How can schools maintain air and water quality?

Maintaining a healthy indoor building environment is important to educational performance and achievement.  A healthy school maintains good indoor air and water quality and protects children from environmental exposures.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Healthy Schools, Healthy Kids Website provides information and resources for school officials, staff, teachers, health care professionals, parents, and students to help maintain and improve environmental quality in schools.  EPA’s website covers topics from air and water quality to chemical management and idling buses.

The EPA’s Indoor Air Quality in Schools webpage provides information and resources to maintain and improve indoor air quality in schools.  Proper maintenance of heating, cooling, and ventilation (HVAC) systems is key to maintaining good indoor air quality.  Controlling moisture and pests are important to minimize allergens from mold or insects.  Testing schools for radon and the use of carbon monoxide detectors near combustion sources like boilers, stoves, or water heaters can protect children and faculty from invisible dangers.  Using EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit will help ensure good indoor air quality in your school.

School indoor air quality is important for children with asthma.  Asthma is an inflammatory condition of the breathing airways caused by triggers such as allergens, irritants, and respiratory infections.  Symptoms of asthma include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or rapid breathing.  Asthma can be controlled by minimizing asthma triggers in the environment.  Keeping classrooms clean and well ventilated will help minimize asthma triggers.  As will avoiding the use of harsh chemical cleaners or pesticides.  Parents are encouraged to provide the child’s teacher and school nurse an asthma action plan.  The Nation Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has many resources for students, parents, faculty and custodians about keeping schools asthma friendly.  The Also visit CDC’s Tools for Asthma Control webpage.

Consuming enough fluids on a daily basis is important for children’s health. Water is a great choice because it doesn't contain the calories, caffeine, or sugar that may be found in other beverages, and water helps nearly every part of the human body function efficiently.  Drinking water quality is important in schools and child care facilities.  Proper maintenance of a school’s plumbing system is important to having good water quality.  Older buildings are likely at higher risk, though water quality should be monitored in all schools and child care settings.  Checkout EPA’s Water in Schools site for more information.

If you have a concern about air or water quality at a school or child care facility it is important to share your concern with a local representative such as teacher, principal, custodian or school nurse.

What is a green school?

A green school is a learning institution that reduces environmental impacts to improve learning conditions and lower operating costs.  Greens schools are a collaborative effort of students, teachers, parents, and policymakers.  Green schools often consider their environmental strategies on topics such as energy use, solid waste generation, indoor air quality, pest management, mold growth, laboratory waste, building renovation, and purchasing, healthy food, environmental stewardship, and sustainability.  There are many versions and resources available about green schools.  The U.S. Department of Education has a Green Ribbon Schools program recognizes schools, districts, and institutes of higher education that:

• Reduce environmental impact and costs;
• Improve the health and wellness of schools, students and staff; and
• Provide environmental education which teaches many disciplines, civic skills and green career pathways.

What is an outdoor classroom?

Outdoor classrooms follow the principle that children are learning everywhere and all the time.  Learning by experience helps children grow in motor development, social-emotional development, language development, and creative expression.  Learning outside helps children reconnect with Nature.  Outdoor classrooms aim to engage children’s needs and interests through a mix of activities. Outdoor classrooms can increase opportunities for physical activity.  Besides, some things can only be learned outdoors.

There are several outdoor classroom opportunities in Tennessee.  Project Learning Treeis a program of the American Forest Foundation that uses the forest as a window on the world, engaging the next generation of America's thought-leaders and decision makers. Project Learning Tree provides educators with peer-reviewed, award-winning environmental education curriculum resources that can be integrated into lesson plans for all grades and subject areas.  Project WET or Water Education for Teachers provides formal and non-formal educators with curriculum, materials, and training in water education for students K-12.  Project WET conducts teacher workshops, develops educational materials, and supports environmental education in Tennessee.