Young children are very vulnerable to pesticides. For this reason, indoor and outdoor pesticide applications at Vermont schools should be minimized. The Vermont School IPM program helps schools to minimize their use of pesticides.

A “Vermont Certificate of Achievement Award for Environmental Health” was created for Vermont schools meeting certain criteria, with the award given out to deserving schools by the Vermont Governor each May. This award is given to schools implementing among other things, an IPM plan for pest management. This event is publicized around the state. The Vermont School IPM program serves as a resource to Vermont schools for IPM solutions, pest identification and information on pesticides and non-pesticide alternatives.

Since the award’s inception, 14 schools in Vermont have earned the Certificate of Achievement Award. In 2006, 8 additional schools in the state earned this award (i.e., a 57% increase) by addressing 4 different criteria for environmental health including “adoption of an IPM plan for pest management.” By earning the Certificate of Achievement, the schools demonstrated and documented the adoption of IPM practices in their schools by emphasizing clutter removal, caulking, pest exclusion, sanitation, and other tools to control pests without resorting to sprayed pesticides. Although many schools use IPM practices without documentation and participation in the program for various reasons (typically budgetary), this program in 2005-2006 documented the decreased exposure of approximately 2,500 school children in Vermont to pesticides both in and outdoors at schools. The total of 22 participating schools represents about 9,000 Vermont school children that are exposed to fewer pesticides in schools.