Millions of children and adults across the nation spend their days in school buildings, and they need safe, healthy environments to thrive, learn, and succeed. This book explores the school environment using the methods and perspectives of environmental health science. Though environmental healht has long been understood to be an important factor in workplaces, homes, and communities, this is the first book to address the same basic concerns in schools. The editors are physicians and educators trained in pediatrics, occupational and environmental medicine, and medical toxicology, and the authors are experts in their fields drawn from across the United States and abroad. Each section of the book addresses a different concern facing schools today. In the first six sections, the various aspects of the school environment are examined. Chapters include the physical environment of the school, air quality issues, pest control, cleaning methods, food safety, safe designs of playgrounds and sports fields, crime and violence prevention, and transportation. In the last two sections, recommendations are made for school administrators on how to maximize the health of their schools. Appropriately evaluating the school environment, implementing strategies to address children and adults with disabilities, emphasizing health services, infectious disease prevention and recognition, and occupational health for faculty and staff are all addressed. The entire book is evidence-based, readable, generously illustrated, and practical. An indispensable resource for parents, school staff, administrators, government officials, and health professionals, this book is for anyone who cares about the health of our schools.

Author Bio: Christine Organ grew up in a small town in Wisconsin. She is a double-Badger, having earned both her B.A. and J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She currently lives in suburban Chicago with her husband, two sons, two dogs, lizard, and fish. A pragmatic believer and hopeful optimist, Christine writes about faith, love, and the human condition. She writes at www.christineorgan.com and has appeared on Headline News (a division of CNN). Her work also appears on Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, Patheos, Mamalode, and RELEVANT. Endorsements/Reviews: "Gifted in the use of delightful analogies, Organ transforms even the messiest moments of everyday life into windows opening outward toward grace, wonder and miracles. -- Margaret Placentra Johnston, award winning author of Faith Beyond Belief: Stories of Good People Who Left Their Church Behind "Christine Organ not only talks about faith and spirituality, she lives it, digging into each experience with a contagious curiosity and passion." --Michelle DeRusha, author of Spiritual Misfit: A Memoir of Uneasy Faith

Schoolwide Physical Activity: A Comprehensive Guide to Designing and Conducting Programs offers K-12 teachers and administrators the tools to plan and administer programs that go beyond PE class. These activities are integrated in the classroom, on playgrounds, in before- and after-school programs, in intramural programs, and in community programs.