Five Leading Organizations Unite to Launch Healthy Schools for Healthy Kids Summit

WASHINGTON, D.C. — June 30, 2026 — Five leading national organizations announced today they are joining forces to convene the Healthy Schools for Healthy Kids Summit, a first-of-its-kind national gathering focused on advancing a health-first vision for America’s schools.

The summit – convened by the Healthy Schools Network (HSN), the Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN), the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), and The Center for Environmental Policy at American University’s School of Public Affairs (CEP)– will bring together leaders from public health, education, research, policy, industry and philanthropy to address one of the most consequential challenges facing our schools: ensuring every child has access to a healthy school environment.

“Healthy schools are foundational to healthy children, thriving educators and strong communities,” said Jen Lemon, Acting Executive Director of Healthy Schools Network. “This summit will unite our diverse community of stakeholders to build a shared roadmap for making our schools healthy places to learn and grow.”

Millions of students attend schools struggling with aging infrastructure, inadequate ventilation, exposure to environmental hazards and growing vulnerability to extreme weather and climate-related events. The average school building in the United States is approaching 50 years old, and research shows that the nation’s school infrastructure faces a massive underinvestment of $90 billion every year.

The consequences of these challenges are significant and wide-ranging. Poor indoor air quality alone contributes to asthma-related illness and approximately 14 million missed school days each year, undermining student health, attendance and academic performance.

“If we are serious about improving children’s health, we need to recognize and prioritize our schools as the critical public health environments that they are,” said Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, Executive Director of CEHN. “Every child deserves to learn in a school that supports their learning, health and ability to thrive. This summit is an opportunity to align leaders around practical, equitable and achievable solutions that put children’s well-being at the center of school policy and investment.”

The summit will bring together leading experts, advocates and policymakers to produce a forward-looking Health-First Agenda for America’s Schools, focused on school modernization, healthy materials, indoor air quality and ventilation, emergency preparedness and resilience, healthy lighting and acoustics, pollution prevention, remediation of legacy environmental hazards, technical assistance for schools and communities, and priority research needs. It will be a roadmap of actionable recommendations designed to align stakeholders around shared national priorities and accelerate progress toward healthier schools for every child in the country.

The Healthy Schools for Healthy Kids Summit will be held on August 5, 2026, at the KFF Barbara Jordan Conference Center in Washington, D.C. The event is proudly supported by the National Education Association, EWG and IQAir, whose leadership and commitment are helping advance healthier schools across the country. FacilitiesNet.com is the official media partner for the Healthy Schools for Healthy Kids Summit. To learn more and register, visit https://healthy-schools-summit.eventbrite.com.

What Leaders are Saying:

“For millions of children with asthma and allergies, school can be the difference between thriving and just getting by,” said Kenneth Mendez, President and CEO of AAFA. “A classroom with poor air quality isn’t just uncomfortable, it’s a barrier to learning. This summit is about fixing that, building schools that work for these kids instead of against them.”

“Children spend over a thousand hours each year in school buildings,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO of IWBI. “The quality of those facilities has significant and far-reaching implications for millions of students, affecting their health, well-being and learning. By bringing together leaders from across sectors, this seminal gathering will help create the momentum needed to transform how we design, operate and invest in our schools and our children’s future.”

“Universities have a responsibility to help bridge research, policy and practice,” said Daniel Fiorino, founding Director of the Center for Environmental Policy and Distinguished Executive in Residence in the School of Public Affairs at American University. “We are proud to support a summit that brings together diverse perspectives and expertise to develop actionable recommendations that can improve the daily lives of the more than 50 million people who go to schools every day.”

Children and their parents shouldn’t have to worry about the safety of their drinking water or the air they breathe while they’re at school," said Alex Formuzis, Senior Vice President for Communications and Strategic Campaigns, Environmental Working Group. "Creating healthier schools means addressing the environmental exposures that can affect children’s health and learning—from drinking water and indoor air quality to hazardous chemicals in school environments. We’re proud to support this summit and help advance practical solutions that put children’s health first.

About HSN:
Healthy Schools Network is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that all children learn and work in environmentally healthy and safe school environments. Healthyschools.org

About CEHN:
The Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN) is a national multi-disciplinary organization that for nearly 35 years has been leading the movement to protect children from environmental hazards and promote a healthier environment. CEHN is the voice of children’s environmental health in the nation’s capital–one that is uniquely informed by, and rooted in, pediatric and environmental health science. www.cehn.org

About the CEP:
The Center for Environmental Policy’s mission is to improve environmental governance in the United States by informing and educating future environmental leaders, while promoting innovative technology and policies that protect the air, water, land, and other resources on which our economy and lives depend. https://www.american.edu/spa/cep

About AAFA :
Founded in 1953, AAFA is the oldest and largest non-profit patient organization dedicated to saving lives and improving the quality of life for people affected by asthma and allergic diseases through support, advocacy, education, and research. AAFA offers extensive support for individuals and families affected by asthma and allergic diseases. AAFA is the first asthma and allergy patient advocacy group certified to meet the standards of excellence set by the National Health Council. For more information, visit: aafa.org.

About IWBI:
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the global authority for transforming health and well-being in buildings, organizations and communities. In pursuit of its public-health mission, IWBI mobilizes its community through the development and administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL), WELL for residential, WELL Community Standard, its WELL ratings and management of the WELL AP credential. IWBI also translates research into practice, develops educational resources and advocates for policies that promote people-first places for everyone, everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here. Media contact: media@wellcertified.com
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