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Call for Healthy Schools Heroes 2009
Do you know someone whose sense of responsibility, inspirational leadership, and exemplary persistence and courage protects children from school hazards and unhealthy school conditions?
I created the Healthy Kids Healthy Schools Hero Award as an annual opportunity to remember the 1937 New London Texas School Explosion (
http://www.NLSE.org) and to study its lessons. In 1937, the explosion killed over 300 people, mostly children, but no one was held responsible because the Court of Inquiry concluded that "
school officials were just average individuals, ignorant or indifferent to the need for precautionary measures, where they cannot, in their lack of knowledge, visualize a danger or a hazard." (Court of Inquiry, 1937.)
The story of the 1937 Texas School Explosion needs to be part of our national legacy because more than 72 years later, too many children attend schools where explosives and other hazardous materials in labs, closets and store-rooms and other safety code violations are routinely ignored.
By nominating a Healthy Kids Healthy Schools Hero you can help make March 18 an annual
Healthy Schools Heroes Day dedicated to bringing the Lessons of the 1937 Texas School Explosion to our nation's schools and celebrating the heroes whose leadership saves children's lives.
The Heroes Award is part of a campaign to promote citizen awareness and responsible leadership to protect children from hazards in schools. See
WHAT YOU CAN DO .
The Healthy Schools Hero Award winner will be announced in March, 2009. You can join with education, environment, health and safety organizations and networks to celebrate your local Healthy School Hero on March 18, on National Healthy Schools Day 2009 (
April 27, 2009), and at special events that promote child health and safety throughout the year.
Lessons of History The disaster resulted in a law requiring that a warning odor be added to natural gas, thus saving millions of lives all over the world.
However, other important recommendations of the 1937 Court of Inquiry have yet to be implemented in most 21st century schools:
1) schools need technically trained administrators for modern school systems,
2) schools need to do rigid inspections and more widespread public education about avoiding and managing hazards, and
3) schools need a comprehensive, rational safety code.
For school activities and resources and to help promote March 18 as
National Healthy Schools Heroes Day go to
WHAT YOU CAN DO .
Heroes 2008
Hero 2007
Heroes 2006
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