Improving Air Quality in Kansas Schools and Daycares Project

Since children spend a significant portion of their time in daycare and school buildings, it is important for these spaces to be as safe and healthy as possible. Indoor air quality is linked to learning and school performance. This project aims to develop an innovative and practical decision-making tool for Kansas schools and childcare facilities that will help mitigate indoor air pollution, reduce childhood respiratory diseases, increase school attendance, and enhance overall school achievement.

The project creates evidence-based support tools and action steps that school decision-makers can implement in response to rising outdoor air pollution, thus protecting the indoor air where Kansas children learn and play.

In 2008, asthma accounted for an estimated 14.4 million lost days of school among children nationally (American Lung Association 2010), which is consistently associated with worse academic performance. As a result, students with asthma may be more likely to experience poor academic outcomes (Meng et al. 2012).

The air quality at schools and daycares in Kansas can be impacted when outdoor air is poor due to weather conditions, range burning, wildfires, or proximity to heavy traffic areas or industrial sites.

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement 97791901 to Wichita State University Environmental Finance Center. The contents of this flyer do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned.