Healthy Indoors LIVE Show 4-1-21: The Health of Our Schools with Claire Barnett and Mansel Nelson

Joining us this week are Claire Barnett, Founder & Director of the Healthy Schools Network, and Mansel Nelson, Institute of Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) to talk about indoor environmental issues in our nation’s schools and the upcoming National Healthy Schools Week which begins on April 6, 2021.

Claire L. Barnett, MBA, Founder and Executive Director, grew Healthy Schools Network from its roots in New York into the nation’s premier voice for children’s environmental health at school by advancing a comprehensive policy agenda, fostering state and local environmental health coalitions across the country, and securing landmark reforms in states and federally. A social entrepreneur, she previously reported for TIME Magazine in New York City, administered rural New York health services, and assisted Adirondack Park communities with sustainable development. She shifted her focus to children’s environmental health in the aftermath of her child’s pesticide exposure at school. Barnett has an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (health systems finance) and a BA from Mount Holyoke College. In 2017, she was honored to receive three national awards: the William K. Reilly Award for environmental leadership and innovation from American University School of Public Policy; the US EPA Indoor Air Quality Champion Recognition; the David P. Rall Award for contributions to public health through science-based advocacy from the American Public Health Association at its annual convention in Atlanta.

Mansel A. Nelson, MS has served with the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP), which is hosted at Northern Arizona University. Mansel’s formal education included Chemistry and Chemical Engineering for twenty-two years. Prior to his service with Northern Arizona University, Mansel served in the US Army Chemical Corps for 14 years and taught community-based chemistry on the Navajo Nation for 6 years. As a Project Director, Mansel’s mission is to help prepare Native American students for careers involving the application of science, mathematics, science and technology to issues impacting tribal communities, such as healthy homes, clean air and clean water. Mansel is also the lead instructor for Indoor Air Quality / Healthy Homes / Healthy Schools courses provided by ITEP.