Our Goals:

1.) Raise public awareness regarding pesticide safety, pesticides in and around schools and laws regarding pesticides

2.) Empower youth through environmental education, artistic creativity and civic participation

3.) Ensure safe and healthy educational learning facilities for our school children 

Background
Important Laws
Subjects Covered
School Participation
Student Projects
Program Staff
 
 
 

Background
LEAN has been working to protect the health of Louisiana communities for many years.  Now our organization is focusing on our future, our school children.  

Throughout the U.S., pesticides are being used in and around schools.  These chemicals are being used to control pests and to curb sanitary and health problems.  Through the years citizens and public officials have come to realize that the exposure of our youth to these chemicals may cause harmful effects.

Reasons why we are concerned with pesticides in schools:

1.) Even at low levels of exposure, pesticides can adversely affect the health of humans. 

2.) Children are more vulnerable to pesticides than adults

3.) Public officials have found it important enough to pass key legislation restricted pesticide application around schools and developing plans for the use of pesticides in schools.
 
 

Important School Pesticide Laws
1.) All schools in Louisiana must have an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan that involves many different techniques for reducing pesticide use in schools.

2.) All schools must have a parent registry for students who may be sensitive to pesticides.

3.) Application of any pesticides must be 8 hours before any students or staff will be in the area.

4.) Agricultural spraying of pesticides by planes cannot be done within 1000 feet of any school grounds during regular school hours. 
 
 

Subjects Covered
1.) Pesticides
Definintion of pesticides
Uses of pesticides
Affects of pesticides on people,  youth and the environment
Toxics

2.) Laws
School Pesticide Laws
Integrated Pest Management Plans (IPM)
Right to Know Act

3.) Art and Science
The history of art and science
How art and science can be combined
Basic Art Instruction

4.) Civic Participation
How to work with public officials
 

School Participation
Details of the program:
The program will last 6 weeks
Will be mainly an after-school program
We will make visits from once to twice a week
Each visit will be from one to one and a half hours
We will require activities to be done outside of our visits

Teacher Participation
We require one teacher from the school to act as the sponsor
The teacher will help students understand the material and keep them focused
The teacher will also help in activities given to the students outside of our visits
We encourage the teacher to keep the program running after the 6 weeks program is over
An appropriate stipend will be given to the teacher for helping the program run smoothly
 
 

Student Projects
Students will use the information they have received from the LEAN program staff to create art projects that express their ideas about pesticides and environmental issues.  

The projects will be done with various artistic media that will be provided by LEAN.  

At the end of the 6 weeks program, the projects will be presented to the school, parents and public officials.

All the school groups that participated in the program will meet up for an end of the year get together to share their projects with each other.
 

LEAN Pesticides Program Staff
Mary Lee Orr
Executive Director, LEAN

Andy Allen
Pesticide Program Coordinator

Albertha Hasten
School Program Liason

Phil Read
Art and Science Instructor

Wilma Subra
Technical Advisor