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Healthy Schools Act Requirements Reminder: Training

 August 2024

The start of a school year is a great time to make sure staff are up to date on the Healthy Schools Act annual training!

Online Training for School and Child Care Center Staff:

School and child care center staff who intend to apply a pesticide must first complete a Healthy Schools Act training course and annually thereafter.  DPR offers free, online training courses in English and Spanish on the DPR Healthy Schools Act training website. The courses provide training in IPM and the safe use of pesticides in relation to the unique nature of schoolsites and children's health. Choose a course that best matches your job duties. Complete one course to meet the requirement.

Group Training Kits for Schoolsite Staff:

This kit is designed to train staff together in a group setting and includes two different DPR courses to choose from. School and child care center staff may request a Healthy Schools Act group training kit by emailing: school-ipm@cdpr.ca.gov. Request a new kit if you're using one that's two years old or older.

Training for Pest Control Businesses:

If your pest control business (PCB) is hired to apply a pesticide at a schoolsite, individual pest control operators need to complete a one-hour Healthy Schools Act training course. They must take the course before applying a pesticide and once per license renewal cycle thereafter. DPR offers a free, one-hour Healthy Schools Act online training course on the DPR Healthy Schools Act training website. Other DPR-approved courses can be found on the Third Party Approved Courses list. PCBs must verify with the third-party course host if the course is open for enrollment and meets continuing education requirements.

About DPR Training Courses:

Each course meets the Healthy Schools Act annual training requirement. School and child care center staff can choose which course best matches their job duties. Complete one course to meet the training requirement.

Basic Integrated Pest Management for the Classroom and Office Environment

This course is designed for classroom and office staff who want to understand the basics of integrated pest management (IPM), but may not do schoolsite pest management themselves. This course is available in English and Spanish.

Basic Integrated Germ Management 

This course is designed for child care center staff who use antimicrobial pesticides, like surface sanitizers and disinfectants, to manage germs as part of their regular job duties. This course is available in English and Spanish.

Best Pest Management Practices Around Children 

This advanced-level course is designed for people who make pest management decisions or provide pest control services at schools and child care centers. This course may best fit IPM Coordinators, groundskeepers, and pest control operators. Upon completion, course takers receive one hour of CE credit for DPR and Structural Pest Control Board pest management licenses. This course is available in English.

What is IPM?

Integrated pest management, or IPM, is a safer, more sustainable strategy you can use everyday. IPM focuses on a variety of pest prevention and non-toxic or least-toxic pest management techniques to effectively solve pest problems. IPM strategies use practices that exclude pests so they can’t cause problems and use pesticides only as a last resort. By using integrated pest management practices, it’s possible to effectively, safely, and more sustainably manage pests at your school or child care center while protecting staff, children, and the environment. 

Follow DPR's social media outlets throughout the year to learn more!

Questions? Contact Us:

Please contact the Department of Pesticide Regulation’s School & Child Care Integrated Pest Management Program by emailing school-ipm@cdpr.ca.gov. For additional information about the School & Child Care Integrated Pest Management Program please visit DPR’s website. 

Who We Are

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation protects human health and the environment by fostering safer and sustainable pest management practices and operating a robust regulatory system to monitor and manage the sale and use of pesticides across the state. DPR’s work includes registering all pesticides sold or used in California, conducting scientific evaluation of pesticides to assess and mitigate potential harm to human health or the environment, investing in innovative research to encourage the development and adoption of integrated pest management tools and practices, monitoring for pesticides in the air and water, conducting outreach to ensure pesticide workers, farmworkers and local communities have access to safety information, and enforcing pesticide regulations in coordination with 55 County Agricultural Commissioners and their 500 field inspectors.