This is not a healthy schools’ moment, but a healthy schools’ movement.

Executive Summary

Healthy Schools by Design synthesizes research at the intersection of K-12 educational design and public health research. It highlights a holistic definition of what makes a healthy learning environment for students and a productive workplace for teachers and staff. This white paper aims to empower school stakeholders by providing key environmental and social considerations during decision-making as well as integrating potential strategies throughout the building for new and existing buildings.

Creating a healthy school environment requires early and ongoing conversations about health needs and priorities. This document serves as a conversation starter – helping to identify critical questions and opportunities within your K-12 school facility.

Why keep reading?

As we modernize our K-12 building portfolio, we have the opportunity to support higher educational outcomes, integrate emerging technology, promote physical and mental health, and adapt to new pedagogy for teaching. For decades, we have focused on one environmental crisis after the next (asbestos, lead, air quality). To end this cycle, we must be driven by research and policy advancements to act holistically. Without one commonly agreed upon definition for a “healthy school”, this report identifies over 20 factors to support a tailored healthy K-12 facility approach. With more than 100 strategies to put this research into action, the authors hope this becomes a catalyst for your community.

We are the generation of the healthy schools’ transformation. This is not a healthy schools’ moment, but a healthy schools’ movement.