Advocating for Healthy Schools – the Boston Urban Asthma Coalition's Healthy Schools Platform

Using data from school environmental audits collected in 2004 - 2005, the Boston Urban Asthma Coalition released a report in 2006 showing that those students attending the schools ranking worst on three major environmental factors for asthma (mold, pests, and leaks) also had high asthma rates. The schools with the highest percentages of problems were often located in the lowest income areas. To address the link between schools and asthma, BUAC develop a healthy schools advocacy platform. In the four year of advocating for healthy schools for all, BUAC has garnered a lot of community support for its work and succeeded in changing how the Boston Public Schools addresses environmental problems - all schools receive annual air quality inspections, all schools use green cleaners and most schools have an integrated pest management plans. BUAC has also encountered some barriers – economic and strategic. The success and challenges of BUAC's Healthy Schools Campaign will be explored in this talk. Other similar efforts across the country will be reviewed with recommendations on how healthy housing advocates can work together on national policy change.