Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative |
The American Lung Association® Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative (AFSI)
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The funding for the development of the Toolkit was made possible with a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Adolescent and School Health cooperative agreement number U58/CCU220205.
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The Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative is a powerful public health project that has the potential to positively impact the millions of American students with asthma. Its success relies on collaborative efforts among schools, community agencies and leaders, and a planning process that considers virtually every factor that can influence its success.
The revised edition of the Asthma Friendly Schools Initiative (AFSI) Toolkit is now available.
The Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative Toolkit is a planning tool based on real-life activities that have been used in schools throughout the United States to create comprehensive asthma management systems. The Toolkit is based on the premise that a successful Asthma Friendly Schools Initiative must be grounded in a structured planning process that includes community planning, coalitions, community wide input, resources, and support. The toolkit presents a framework and provides the tools for community organizations and schools to assess the school’s needs, including review of current capabilities and opportunities to strengthen infrastructure, education, and support to ensure that children with asthma are healthy, in school, and ready to learn.
The toolkit is intended for use by community organizations as they collaborate with schools. Each community, coalition, organization and school is different and will need to design a custom long-term planning process based on their particular needs. The Toolkit is designed to allow and encourage groups to design a planning process and steps that are specific to their community needs and resources. All resources provided to guide local planning are based on real-life experiences among schools and coalitions. The process and details in the Toolkit provide in-depth planning and activities that are complementary to the Center for Disease Control’s Strategies for Addressing Asthma within a Coordinated School Health Program.
The Toolkit is currently available in English and Spanish.
For more information contact:
Lynne Manley, Director
Childhood Asthma Programs
lmanley@lungusadc.org
202.785.3355, ext. 247
Asthma-Friendly Schools Toolkit (PDFs) 
At the end of each section of the toolkit, there are sample materials that can be used. You may download these samples and use them for your own community.
Click here to download the entire toolkit. Click on the title of each sample document to download just that document.
- Master Planning - Introduction
- Action Step 1: Organize Stakeholders
- Action Step 2: Conduct a Needs Assessment
- Action Step 3: Create 5-Year Plan
- Action Step 4: Develop Year 1 Workplan
- Recommended Components: Identify and Track All Students with Asthma
- Use an Asthma Action Plan for All Students with Asthma
- Assure Immediate Access to Medications as Prescribed
- Use Standard Emergency Protocols
- Provide Special Services for Students Most Affected by Asthma at School
- Facilitate Linkages with the Medical Home and Referrals to Medical Provider
- Provide a Full-Time Registered School Nurse All Day, Every Day, for Each School
- Assure Access to a Consulting Physician/Healthcare Provider
- Educate All School Staff
- Educate All Students
- Educate Parents of All Students
- Proactively Maintain Healthy Indoor Air Quality
- Assure Tobacco-Free Buildings and Grounds
- Provide Smoking Cessation Services for Students and Staff
- Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Techniques to Control Pests
- Manage Students’ Exposure on High Outdoor Air Pollution Days
- Encourage Full Participation When Students are Well
- Manage Physical Activity for Students with Asthma
- Provide Options for Modified Activity as Indicated by Student’s Asthma Action Plan
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