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To learn more about EPA's awards and download applications:
- National Awards Program Home
- Great Start Award
- Leadership Award
- Excellence Award
- Model of Sustained Excellence Award
- Connector Award
IAQ TfS Award Winners
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000
You can find local award winners. Use the national map, just click on your state.
Envisioning Excellence presents the Framework for Effective School IAQ Programs: Six Key Drivers -- guidelines that detail the organizational approaches and practices that are fundamental to school IAQ program success -- and presents five profiles to demonstrate how different school districts applied the Framework to create enduring IAQ programs. Learn more about this exciting tool.
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Are you a champion for improving school indoor environments and protecting children’s health through indoor air quality (IAQ) management? Are you an individual or part of an organization whose efforts have led to the successful implementation of IAQ management practices in schools in your community, region or state? Have you developed an innovative approach, tool or resource that has made a significant contribution to improved school IAQ? Have you mentored or helped your or others’ school/s or district/s implement effective and sustainable IAQ management programs? If so, EPA encourages you to apply for the National IAQ Tools for Schools Connector Award.
The National IAQ TfS Connector Award recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations promoting healthy IAQ in schools by taking action aligned with the IAQ TfS Framework for Effective School IAQ Management and in the spirit of the IAQ TfS Connector. The IAQ TfS Connector is the central communication and networking platform for the IAQ TfS Program, offering resources that foster mutual assistance and support in implementing IAQ management programs within the nationwide IAQ TfS Network. EPA’s Connector resources include a listserv, e-newsletters, special events, and other broad, national efforts to bring the IAQ TfS network together as a community. Winners of the National IAQ TfS Connector Award are individuals and organizations that demonstrate a significant dedication to student and staff health and wellness, and have taken steps to leave a positive, lasting impact on school buildings, staff and students and the entire community.
For guidance on award-winning activities and initiatives, please refer to the National IAQ TfS Connector Award application instructions (PDF, 10 pp., 68 K) | (DOC, 10 pp., 313 K) and read example profiles of award winners (PDF, 3 pp., 44 K).
We invite you to join us in demonstrating that effective IAQ management in schools can and does improve lives and create safer, healthier learning environments for our nation’s children. Below you will find all of the information required to submit an application.
Contents
- Benefits of the IAQ TfS Connector Award
- Eligibility Criteria
- Evaluation Process
- Instructions for Applying
Benefits of the IAQ TfS Connector Award
The National IAQ TfS Connector Award is a national symbol of individual and organizational commitment and excellence. The National IAQ TfS Connector Award winners will be publicly recognized at the EPA’s 10th Annual IAQ TfS National Symposium in Washington, DC, January 14-16, 2010, and will receive:
- An engraved IAQ TfS Connector Award plaque;
- A fully paid trip for an individual award winner or one representative from an award-winning organization to Washington, D.C., to receive the Award at the IAQ TfS National Symposium;
- One complimentary registration for the IAQ TfS National Symposium;
- Recognition on EPA’s Web site;
- National media attention in an EPA press release about the annual award winners; and
- A press kit containing press release templates, fact sheets, and contact information to increase visibility of the IAQ TfS Connector Award winner.
Recipients of the National IAQ TfS Connector Award are selected through a competitive process. To qualify for an award, the applicant must:
- Be an individual or organization whose efforts to promote healthy school indoor environments have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to improved indoor environments in schools and a commitment to improved student and staff health and productivity;
- Fully complete the Application Form; and
- Submit one written endorsement from an individual familiar with the depth and results of your work.
Eligibility Notes:
- If applicants receive funding from EPA Indoor Environments Division (IED) — either headquarters or regional funds — activities supported with these funds will not be considered for the National
IAQ TfS Connector Award. However, if there is an element of your initiative that was not dependent on EPA IED funding, or the EPA IED funding was used to seed a larger effort, please describe that in your narrative.
- Previous IAQ TfS award winners are not eligible to apply unless the application narrative describes activities different from those detailed in the previous award-winning application.
Eligible applicants will be evaluated on their ability to demonstrate a continued commitment to student and staff health as evidenced by:
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The activities you are conducting to improve IAQ in schools are aligned with the IAQ TfS Program Approach and the critical components that lead to program effectiveness (i.e., the Six Key Drivers of School IAQ Program Success); |
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The activities you are conducting reflect the spirit of the IAQ TfS Connector, the central communication and networking platform for the IAQ TfS Program; |
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Evidence that the initiative is achieving results (e.g., number of workshops given, number of schools involved, and any data relating to outcomes seen in the schools implementing new IAQ management approaches, such as attendance rates, visits to the school nurse, etc.); |
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Evidence that the activities could be replicable by others and/or that the program is sustainable; and |
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An endorsement by someone (preferably someone in the school system or that works closely with the system) very familiar with the applicant’s efforts and their impact. |
A panel of government experts in IAQ, EPA’s IAQ TfS Program, children’s health, health policy, and school-based environment, safety, and health issues will review the National IAQ TfS Connector Award applications. Applicants will be judged solely on the information provided in the application. In making award decisions, the panel will evaluate applications based on the degree to which the program addresses the National IAQ TfS Connector Award Evaluation Criteria (PDF, 2 pp, 48KB).
Download the Application and Helpful Tips PDF Version (10 pp., 68 K) | MS Word Version (10 pp., 313 K). You can use Adobe Acrobat Reader to fill out the form.
Note: If you use the auto form feature of these PDF files, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5 or above. Go to www.adobe.com 
to download the latest free reader.
As you complete this application, please note the following:
- The application is a fill-in form, which will allow you to save what you have filled in on your computer and submit it electronically via e-mail.
- A minimum font point size of 11 should be used.
- A complete application consists of the following:
- Part 1 (Contact Information): Page limit is one page using the form in the application
- Part 2 (Narrative): Page limit is four single-sided pages
- Part 3 (Endorsement letter): Page limit is one single-sided page
Complete application packages may be submitted:
Via E-mail: awardscoordinator@cadmusgroup.com
By Mail: IAQ Tools for Schools Awards Coordinator
c/o The Cadmus Group, Inc.
1600 Wilson Blvd., Suite 500
Arlington, VA 22209
Notification Process
Upon receipt of your application materials, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. This e-mail will provide further detailed information about when applicants should expect to learn of their award status.