(G04) Translating Healthy Schools Research into Action

The significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of indoor air quality in schools and the need for continued research on effective strategies to improve air quality in real classroom settings. In this session, school district staff and university research teams currently collaborating on school indoor air quality research will share key findings to support decision making around IAQ interventions in schools. Boston Public Schools and Boston University School of Public Health’s will discuss results of their study entitled, “Understanding indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and energy use in classrooms, and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 engineering controls”, utilizing data from the district-wide IAQ Monitoring Initiative. This study addresses how analysis of classroom level indoor environmental quality data can be transformed into action through short and long-term interventions such as investments in ventilation systems and behavior change through IAQ communications. Partners from University of Colorado, National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH), and Adams 12 Five Star Schools will share their research focused on identifying the effectiveness of easily accessible IAQ interventions in classrooms such as opening windows and using portable air cleaners. This research has significant impacts given the large numbers of schools that rely mainly on natural ventilation using windows and schools that do not have the capacity for costly, large scale HVAC replacements. Brian Dunbar, LEED Fellow and executive director of the Institute for the Built Environment at Colorado State University, will share results from a study in partnership with CSU and the Center for Green Schools looking at the rate of closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic at schools that are LEED certified and achieved Enhanced Indoor Air Quality credits. This research will also address how LEED certification and achieving indoor air quality credits impacted school leaders decision making and confidence in reopening schools during the pandemic. Following the presentations, Brian Dunbar will lead a moderated panel discussion with school staff and research teams about how school building designers and operators can implement improvements based on these recent findings. Presenters will also address how partnerships between research teams and schools can be most effective to drive change and create healthier learning environments.