October 1

World Water Monitoring Challenge
World Water Monitoring Challenge is an international education and outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of local water bodies. Water quality information can be incorporated into classroom curriculum, giving students a hands-on opportunity to learn about surface and ground water monitoring, aquatic macro-invertebrates, and watersheds and how they function. Find out more!

Take Action!
Teachers find out more about Water Education. Visit Arizona Project WET-Water Education for Teachers for more information.
ADEQ will provide you with free water quality monitoring kits to conduct water monitoring events for your class, school or troop. Email us at ADEQ’s Office of Children’s Environmental Health for more information or call (602) 771-2231.

October 2

Healthy Schools and Childcare Facilities
ADEQ is sponsoring a recognition program to help Arizona schools become environmentally healthy and provide a safe learning and teaching environment.

Get started and download this checklist to be used by school principals, or their designees, to certify to ADEQ that the school has taken action to safeguard its students, faculty, and other personnel against environmental pollutants and other potential environmental risks.

Submit the checklist to ADEQ’s Office of Children’s Environmental Health and if your school can certify that it meets 14 of the 22 criteria on the checklist, it will be designated as an Arizona Environmentally Healthy (AEH) school and receive an ADEQ certificate. For more information, email us or call (602) 771-2231

Take Action!
Learn more about Healthy Child Care and Healthy Schools.
View the brochure for Sensible Steps to Healthier School Environments.
Learn about the environmental factors that impact school siting decisions. View the Voluntary School Siting Guidelines

October 3

Promote Food Safety
Wash fruits and vegetables under running water before eating and peel them whenever possible to reduce dirt, bacteria, and pesticides. Trim fat from meat and skin from poultry and fish.

Take Action!
Get more food safety tips at Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

October 4

Provide Children Safe Drinking Water
Call your local public water supplier for annual drinking water quality reports. Have private water wells tested annually by a certified laboratory. Learn more about water quality.

Take Action!
Download these helpful resources!
Drinking Water Best Management Practices for Municipal Water Systems
Drinking Water Best Management Practices for Schools and Child Care Facilities

Additional Resources:
ADEQ Safe Drinking Water information
Arizona Department of Health Services information
Extreme Weather and Flood Safety information
U.S. EPA Information

October 5

Protect Children from Contaminated Fish
It is important to eat a balanced diet, including fish. Avoid eating fish with high levels of mercury and other contaminants.

View the Arizona Fish Consumption Advisories
View the U.S. EPA National Advisories
Visit ADEQ for additional information on water quality

Take Action!
Read the Draft Advice on consuming fish for pregnant women and children.
Get engaged and provide your comment on fish consumption guidelines from EPA and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Submit your comments starting Wednesday, June 11, 2014.

October 6

Remove Hazardous Waste from Your Home
Find out where potential household hazardous waste can be found in your home. Learn more about hazardous waste and how to properly handle them.

Take Action!
Check for local Household Hazardous Waste collection events in your area.

October 7

ADEQ’s Children’s Environmental Health
U.S. EPA Children’s Health information

Take Action!
Help children stay fit and fight childhood obesity. Visit www.letsmove.gov

October 8

Reduce Exposure to Outdoor Air Pollution
Find out when air pollution is high in your area.
Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation whenever possible. Limit children’s outside activities when the Air Quality Index (AQI) rises to unhealthy levels. Receive text message alerts on high pollution advisories from ADEQ by subscribing here.

Take Action!
What type of day is it and what should you do?
Ask your school to participate in ADEQ’s Air Quality Flag Program

Spread the Word! Please Don’t Burn Wood on No Burn Days! Subscribe to receive Maricopa County's No Burn Day Alerts.

View the videos from our No Burn Day video contest.

For more information on air quality click on the links below:
Air Quality Information
Maricopa County
Pinal County
Pima County

October 9

International Walk to School Day
A great way to reduce traffic and air pollution! This event has been part of a movement for year-round safe routes to school. Thousands of schools across the U.S. and in more than 40 countries worldwide celebrate walking to school today.

Take Action!
Register your Walk to School event.

October 10

Grow Your Own Food
Even a small garden is good for children, good for everybody. Planting a backyard or school garden with kids is a good way to connect with nature and a great way to have a ready supply of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Help Kids Eat Healthier Food
Feed your kids more fruits and vegetables, less sugar and fewer carbonated beverages and processed foods. Have regular family meals. Be a role model by eating healthy yourself!

Take Action!
Find out how to eat healthier and participate in the Healthy Schools Campaign

Join the University of Arizona School Garden Program.

Find out more about Arizona's School Garden Program Guidelines.

October 11

Take Action!
Download the ADEQ School Chemical Management Toolkit
Learn more about proper Chemical Use and Management
Learn about Green Cleaning in Schools
Register for free Healthy Childcare Training
Review green cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing toolkit slides

ADEQ Event
The Office of Children's Environmental Health will be attending the Arizona Association for Pupil Transportation Conference in Cottonwood and train new school bus drivers on the school bus idle reduction program. 

October 12

Protect Children from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Check fuel-burning appliances, furnace flues, and chimneys yearly. Never use charcoal grills indoors. Never swim by the tailpipe of a boat, especially while the boat is running.

Take Action!
Boating Safety Carbon and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Learn more about Carbon Monoxide

October 13

Test Your Home and Schools for Radon
Radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. Test your home or school for radon. Test your home for radon with a home test kit. Fix your home if your radon level is 4pCi/L or higher.

Take Action!
Learn more about Radon

Test Your Home and Schools for Asbestos
Check insulating materials to ensure they remain intact. Don’t disturb them, but check for signs of wear.

Take Action!
Learn more about Asbestos
U.S. EPA Information

October 14

Take Action!
Avoid Heat illness at Schools
The Heat Illness Prevention School Project is a toolkit created by the Arizona Department of Health Services in response to a Center for Disease Control report published in 2010. The report found that heat illness during practice or competition is a leading cause of death and disability among U.S. high school athletes Read the report here (MMWR, 2010). Within this group, teenagers ages 15-19 are at greatest risk for heat-related illness. The goal of the toolkit is to educate students, school staff, athletic coaches, and parents regarding heat-related illness and prevention. The Heat Illness Prevention School Project aims to reduce the number of heat-related illnesses in schools.

October 15

Take Action!
Replace mercury thermometers with digital or mercury-free thermometers.
Safely dispose of mercury thermometers and household mercury. Check here for your nearest hazardous waste collection site.
Learn more about the environmental effects of mercury.
Find out which products we buy that contain mercury.

ADEQ & Tempe High School Partnership Event
The Office of Children's Environmental Health will attend Tempe High School's celebration of joining the ADEQ Air Quality Flag Program. 

October 16

Protect Children from Mold
Fix moisture problems and thoroughly dry wet areas such as carpets, walls, and ceiling tiles within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth.
Fix leaky plumbing and other water problems in your home.

Take Action!
Learn more about mold.
U.S. EPA Information

October 17

Prevent Mercury Exposure and Clean Mercury Spills Safely at Schools
Open windows and never sweep or vacuum mercury or pour it down the drain.

Take Action!
Find out how you can make your school a mercury free zone.
Find out more about mercury in schools.
Learn more about handling mercury spills.

October 18

Protect Children at Lakes
Learn more about Arizona lake water quality.


Take Action!
Find out how which Arizona lakes have fish advisories.

October 19

Take Action!
School Facility Managers- Register to receive a bi-monthly newsletter.
Watch this video of Integrated Pest Management environmental health specialists inspecting school facilities

Lead Poisoning Prevention Week -- October 19-25, 2014
“Lead Free kids for a Healthy Future” underscores the importance of the many ways parents can prevent lead's serious health effects.

October 20

Take Action!
For information and resources
Asthma Fact Sheet
Learn more about Asthma
Asthma in schools
Improving Health in Communities and Schools

It’s National School Bus Safety Week
School districts across the country will be observing National School Bus Safety Week October 20–26, 2014. With this in mind, schools are invited to participate in the National School Bus Safety Week.

Take Action!
Kids Activity: Have students ask their bus drivers and parents to take the pledge! Download the bus driver and parent pledge cards

October 21

Reduce Children’s Exposure to Diesel Exhaust
Encourage schools to stop unnecessary bus idling, retrofit buses, and replace the oldest buses in the fleet.
Learn more!

Take Action!
Create your school vehicle emission reduction program using our free, ready-to-use, downloadable materials. Use "as-is," or modify for your own anti-idling campaign

Join the Program!
Schools can get a free no-idling sign while supplies last! ADEQ aims to partner with all Arizona schools. Help us protect public health and improve our air quality.
Email us at ADEQ’s Office of Children’s Environmental Health for more informationr or call (602) 771-2231 to register your school as a 2014-2015 participating school.

October 22

Protect Children from Secondhand Smoke
Until you quit, choose to smoke outside! Don’t smoke or let others smoke in your home or car.

October 23

October 24

Take Action!
Get tips and education resources about Arizona and regional specific sources of lead exposure

October 25

Improve Indoor Air Quality in Schools
Make sure school heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems are working properly.
Learn more about indoor air quality.

Take Action!
Help your school by implementing the IAQ tools for schools program in your school to improve indoor air quality.

October 26

Prevent Asthma Attacks
Work with a health professional to develop an asthma management plan. Learn what triggers your child’s asthma and eliminate or reduce exposure to those allergens and irritants.
Learn more about asthma. For local events and resources check out the Arizona AsthmaCoalition for more information.

Take Action!
Help your school by sharing this athletic training program designed to help P.E. teachers and coaches manage athletes and kids with asthma.

October 27

Reduce Your Use of Plastic Bags and Bottles

Take Action!
Pack children’s school lunches in reusable bags and give them a reusable bottle for water at lunch and during sports practices.

October 28

Keep Our Air Breathable

Take Action!
Encourage fitness, reduce traffic and reduce air pollution all at the same time. Instead of driving, carpool children to school and after-school activities, have them walk, bike or use public transportation.

Kid’s Activity: To check the air quality flag color today Click HERE.
DOWNLOAD Winter in the Desert Coloring Book

What type of day is it and what should you do?
Ask your school to participate in ADEQ’s Air Quality Flag Program Click HERE for details.

What is your air quality? Click on the links below to find out.
Air Quality Information
Maricopa County
Pinal County
Pima County

Learn more about the Air Quality Index (AQI).

ADEQ Activity:
Office of Children’s Environmental Health will host a table at the Desert Botanical Garden for EarthFest Educators Night. For more information please visit Arizona Forwards Events.

ADEQ’s Northeast Arizona Community Liaison will give a water quality presentation at Alchesay High School in Whiteriver, Arizona.
ADEQ will also assist with a hands on water testing exercise to compare the quality of area surface waters. The event will be from 7:35 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. For more information email us.

October 29

Help Children Avoid "Nature Deficit Disorder"

October 30

Lock it Up!
Kids act fast and so do poisons. Install child-proof safety locks on kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Store pesticides and other chemicals in a locked cabinet; never put them in other containers that kids can mistake for food or drink.

Take Action!
If a child or adult is poisoned, call poison control at 1-800-222-1222.
For more information go to American Association of Poison Control Centers.

October 31

Take Action!
Student Activity: Homework resources and school project ideas.

Teacher Activity: Learn about How Your School Can Become A US Green Ribbon School

More for Teachers:
Check out Australia's recycling curriculum for some great ideas on recycling.
For Teacher, Student, and School Sustainability Education & Curriculum, check out the Green Education Foundation.