Stop school pests: A national IPM standard training program

The National School IPM Working Group Joint Steering and Advisory Committee is made up of a diverse group of professionals who are working to improve children’s environmental health through implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in K-12 schools throughout the U.S.  Working group members are primarily funded by grants and work on projects and programs that support IPM education and practices.

The goal of School IPM 2015plan is for every US public school to be practicing high-level IPM by 2015.  The term “high-level” refers to the high end of the IPM continuum, which describes the progression of pest management strategies from high-risk, reaction-based action towards least-risk, long-term prevention and avoidance of pest problems and pest-conducive conditions.  The continuum begins with a focus on monitoring and chemical suppression when pests approach unacceptable levels, and ends with a balanced system where pests remain at tolerable levels with minimal cultural and biological interventions (Balling 1994, Jacobsen 1997, eXtension 2010).  The key question for schools and other potential practitioners is then, “How much IPM are you doing?” rather than, “Are you doing IPM?”

Our Working Group’s challenge is to continue to coordinate efforts nationally and regionally to tackle the task efficiently and effectively by integrating school IPM into the roles and responsibilities of those tasked with school administration, health, maintenance, sanitation, design and construction, etc. We have undertaken this objective successfully in partnership with four regional school IPM working groups over the past seven years.

But where can you go for school IPM training materials or curricula? The number of information resource sites can be overwhelming. From a trainer’s point of view, spending valuable time sifting through hundreds of web pages and hard copy resources to construct training materials can be frustrating. Stop School Pests - A National Standard for IPM Training project was initiated to address the need for standardized, peer-reviewed training. Building largely on existing “best-of-the-best” material, the National Standard IPM Training program offer training materials that can be used across the country.

The program provides recognition to those that complete the training, either through a certificate or certification. Training modules will include general introductory materials as well as specific lessons for custodians, maintenance staff, nurses, teachers, administrators, grounds staff, facility managers, food service staff and pest management professionals. 

All learning lessons are evaluated by a Review Committee of 32 professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds including extension, government and non-governmental agencies. The resulting teaching and exam materials will be field tested in schools and refined pursuant to trainers and trainee criticism.