Region 5

Featured Region 5 Resources:

Wisconsin - Green Schools Program
The Wisconsin Green Schools Program is a web based, voluntary program available to all K-12 schools across the state. The program encourages teachers, staff and students to work together to use the school, grounds, and community as learning tools to help teach sound environmental practices and promote environmental sustainability. A wide variety of environmental topics are addressed.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Green Schools Program
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/greenSchools

EPA Guide to Protecting Children's Health in Schools
Software tool developed by EPA Region 5 and Purdue University provides information on hazards found in schools, inlcuding a virtual tour of a school, the potential effects of those hazards on children's health, planning tools, case studies, and lnks to resources to help schools prevent and fix environmental problems.
Source: EPA Region 5 & Purdue University
http://www.epa.gov/seahome/child.html

Illinois EPA Green Schools Checklist: Environmental Actions for Schools to Consider
This web site provides environmental improvement strategies for addressing: energy usage, solid waste generation, indoor air quality, pest management, mold growth, water consumption, laboratory waste, building renovation and purchasing in schools.
Source: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Pollution Prevention
http://www.epa.state.il.us/green-illinois/green-schools/index.html

EPA Region 5 - Pollution Prevention Toolbox
Contains tools for helping teachers integrate Pollution Prevention into the classroom.
Source: EPA Region 5 - Pesticides and Toxics Office
http://www.epa.gov/reg5rcra/wptdiv/p2pages/toolbox.htm

Illinois Teaching Learning Knowing the Facts About Mercury
This Illinois Department of Public Health website contains information about mercury, geared to various audiences: teachers, students and parents.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health
http://app.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/mercury/Default.htm

Green Clean Schools
Healthy Schools Campaign has published the first-ever multimedia how-to guide to help schools adopt cleaning programs that encourage the use of green products, equipment and practices in schools.
Source: Healthy Schools Campaign
http://healthyschoolscampaign.org/campaign/green_clean_schools/

EPA Regional and State Asbestos Contacts
List of asbestos contacts in the EPA Regional Offices and the States.
Source: EPA - Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/regioncontact.html

Minnesota Indoor Air Quality
This page provides Minnesota's Indoor Air Quality planning model for schools.
Source: Minnesota Department of Education
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/schools/index.html

Wisconsin Mercury in Your Home, School and Lake
This Web site describes the effects of mercury on humans and animals and ways to prevent mercury exposure.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Environmental Education for Kids
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/earth/mercury.htm

Wisconsin Vocational Institutions, Colleges and Universities: A Self-Assessment Guide to Waste Prevention, Education and Management
This guide provides you, the manager of your school or university's hazardous waste programs, with information to reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated in your school. The purpose of the guide is to provide a step-by-step method for you to evaluate your hazardous waste records, review current management practices, analyze alternative processes, and determine which waste minimization strategies will work for your school.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Hazardous Waste Minimization Program
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/cea/publications/pubs/sw252.htm

Illinois State Board of Education
School construction pages contain information on a range of health, safety, financing and other issues.
Source: Illinois State Board of Education - School Construction and Facility Division
http://www.isbe.state.il.us/

Indiana's 5-Star Environmental Recognition for Day Care Facilities
Program to identify and recognize "green" day care facilities. Includes a multi media self assessment that includes air, water, safety, hygiene, etc.
Source: Indiana Department of Environmental Management
http://www.IN.gov/idem/kids/5star/index.html

Indiana Department of Environmental Management Parents and Teachers Page
This Web site contains a wealth of information, including information on how to obtain curricula and educational resources, how to protect children from environmental threats and improve environmental health in the classroom, and how and where to obtain grants and awards applications.
Source: Indiana Department of Environmental Management
http://www.IN.gov/idem/visitors/teachers.html

Minnesota Mercury-Free Zone
This Web site describes Minnesota's efforts to make its schools mercury-free by 2003.
Source: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/programs/mercury-free/

Ohio Mercury Awareness for School Teachers
There have been several incidents involving mercury spilled in schools, school buses, or school property that cause alarm and require cleanup. Sometimes mercury comes from inside the school, and sometimes mercury is brought into the school from the community. Mercury that is spilled or spread through a school creates an immediate health issue, and may require expensive cleanup and monitoring.
Source: Ohio Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Pollution Prevention
http://www.epa.state.oh.us/opp/schoolt1.pdf

Ohio Mercury Spill Fact Sheet for Schools
Fact sheet from the Ohio Department of Health answering questions such as: What Is Mercury? How Is Mercury Used? Why Should I Care About Mercury Spills? How Does Mercury Get Into My Body? How Can I Prevent Mercury Spills? What Can I Do If There Is A Mercury Spill? Who Should I Call For Cleanup Advice?
Source: Ohio Department of Health - Health Assessment Section
http://www.epa.state.oh.us/opp/merc_school_FS.html

Michigan Mercury Pollution Prevention Home Page
This Web site describes the problems associated with mercury in schools and pollution prevention techniques to eliminates these problems.
Source: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality - Pollution Prevention
http://www.michigan.gov/deq/1,1607,7-135-3585_4127_4175---,00.html

Minnesota - Investigating Mold in Minnesota Public Schools
This Web page summarizes the main messages of the Recommended Best Practices for Mold Investigations in Minnesota Schools and provides additional public health advice on mold in schools. This "best practices" guidance document was created by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to assist public school staff in investigating the causes of indoor mold concerns and in finding cost-effective solutions.
Source: Minnesota Department of Health - Indoor Air Unit
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/schools/mold.html

Wisconsin School Facilities Survey
This Web site provides access to the Wisconsin State Superintendent study of the physical condition and capacity of the public schools and their suitability for use as public schools that was submitted to the Legislature.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
http://www2.dpi.state.wi.us/facsrvy/

Michigan Schools and Asthma
Parents, students, and school staff will find important information about how asthma can be controlled at school and at home.
Source: Michigan Asthma Communication Network - American Lung Association of Michigan
http://getasthmahelp.com/intro_schools.asp