School Flag Program

Did you know air pollution is a trigger for asthma?  Did you know children, including teenagers, are especially sensitive to the harmful effects of air pollution?  What is your plan of action when the air quality is poor?  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a program to help you.  You are invited to participate in the School Flag Program, an easy and inexpensive way to help your school and surrounding community know the air quality conditions each day.

Schools in the Flag Program raise a brightly colored flag each day that corresponds to the air quality forecast. Based on the color of the flag, teachers and coaches can modify outdoor activities when the air quality is unhealthy.

You can find more information about the program at www.airnow.gov/schoolflag.   Four easy steps (explained in the Coordinator’s Handbook) will get your flag program started:

   1. Purchase set of flags (cost is generally less than $100).

   2. Educate and inform the school and community at the start of the program (sample article included).

   3. Subscribe to a free email service (www.enviroflash.info) to obtain the daily air quality forecast and fly the corresponding flag.

   4.   Know what actions to take when the air quality is unhealthy (recommendations/actions chart included).

EPA highlights participating schools on the School Flag Program website and recognizes them with an official membership certificate.

For more information or help getting the program started at your school, please contact  rogers.donna@epa.gov.  If your school already has a school flag program, register at http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.schoolflagprogram and they will highlight  your school on the EPA website and send you a membership certificate.