What is HEAL?

HEAL is a two-year project, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to build the knowledge and capacity to improve school environments for students in districts that are most burdened by asthma, extreme heat, and COVID-19. HEAL is a project of Health Resources in Action and the Massachusetts Asthma Action Partnership, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Children’s Environmental Health. HEAL is created in partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).

 

HEAL Purpose: School Environments, Health, and Academic Achievement

Some of the benefits of a healthy school environment can include:

  • Better attendance,

  • Improved academic performance,

  • Improved focus and physical stamina,

  • Enhanced student and staff productivity,

  • Fewer restrictions on participation in physical activities, and

  • Fewer symptoms and medical emergencies for asthma.

HEAL aims to foster knowledge and build capacity to improve environmental health conditions within MA schools where students are most burdened by asthma, COVID-19, and extreme heat. HEAL is using, and enhancing, MAAP’s Clearing the Air Toolkit as a basis for the project.

HEAL Online Training Series

Overview

HEAL partnered with the Northeastern University School Health Academy (NEUSHA) to publish nine online learning modules based on policy and practice areas from the Clearing the Air Toolkit. Through the series, school nurses complete modules focused on best practices and practical applications that help them and other key partners create asthma-friendly learning and work environments in their schools and districts.

The nine module topics consist of:

Contact hours for school nurses

The series is split into 3 parts - school nurses who complete each part on NEUSHA’s platform will receive contact hours. Completing the entire series would provide school nurses with a total of 6 contact hours.

Where can I access these if I don’t need contact hours?

All nine modules are readily accessible for free public consumption on Health Resources in Actions’ Vimeo page, linked below.

We encourage everyone to share these modules with anyone who might benefit from them!

The HEAL Learning Cohort

What does this project entail?

HEAL provided five school districts with high burden of pediatric asthma rates and asthma inequities a mini-grant of $7000, training, technical assistance (TA), and peer learning support during the 2023-2024 academic year to plan and/or pilot one short-term action/policy to address environmental health conditions in one or more district school. In addition to the stipend given to plan these practices and/or policies, our team will provide a Certification of Completion for school staff who complete educational learning modules and cohort activities and hopes to be able to provide Continuing Nursing Credits. (See HEAL Learning Series below).

What could implementing these actions/policies look like for participating school districts?

  • Organizing a de-clutter day,

  • Developing a policy around extreme heat,

  • Longer-term research to support an application for federal and/or state funding to improve indoor air quality,

  • Or more! The choice will be made by the project participants from your district/school.

The following districts were invited to apply:

Priority Districts: Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Southbridge, Springfield, and Worcester

Gateway Cities: Attleboro, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Leominster, Malden, Methuen, Peabody, Pittsfield, Quincy, Revere, Taunton, and Westfield