NEA Denim Day Oct. 2

Join the NEA Denim Day Team and make a contribution to support the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

Wear denim on Oct. 2 and visit www.DenimDay.com for resources and ideas on how to coordinate a team, make a donation or purchase apparel. Or, go to the NEA page directly at www.neahin.org/teamnea.

The coalition's grassroots advocacy has increased federal funding for breast cancer research by more than $2 billion, created a system of health care for underserved women and launched innovative educational programs.

Funds for change

Two New York school districts and two Boards of Cooperative Educational Services were winners among 422 grant applications for the national Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative.

Awards go to Broome-Tioga BOCES, Binghamton, $1.4 million; Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES, New Hartford, $1.46 million; Sodus Central School District, Sodus, $732,000; and Union Springs Central School District, Union Springs, $1.43 million.

The program is an effort of the U.S. departments of Education, Health and Human Services and Justice to support schools in creating safer and healthier learning environments and to address mental health education, violence prevention, drug prevention and behavioral issues. Visit www.ed.gov/programs/dvpsafeschools/index.html or www.sshs.samhsa.gov for details.

Back-to-school tool

The Center for Health, Environment & Justice has created a free guide to keep toxic plastics off the back-to-school shopping list.

The CHEJ guide to PVC-Free School Supplies tells how to find out about the most common back-to-school supplies made out of polyvinyl chloride plastics — such as lunchboxes — and learn about safer alternatives.

The guide can be downloaded at www.chej.org. There is also a wallet-sized version for shopping convenience.

Take action for school nurses

The American Federation of Teachers is promoting union action to get money for more school nurses.

At www.aft.org, under "help support school nurses," union members can click on a letter asking Congress for grant money for states to improve the ratio of school nurses to students.

The letter notes, in part, that 10 percent to 20 percent of the nation's 52 million students have chronic social, emotional or other health problems, and 5.6 percent of all students receive prescription medications during the school day.