Orrville K-12 School District Enrolls in IWBI’s WELL Portfolio Program

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Funded by local business Serpentini Chevrolet Buick of Orrville, Orrville School District will apply WELL across the district in support of the health and well-being of its students and staff

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) announced today that the first K-12 school district has enrolled in the WELL Portfolio program, graciously funded by Serpentini Chevrolet Buick of Orrville. Through this donation, Serpentini will enable the Orrville School District in Ohio to support the health and well-being of its students, teachers and broader community through use of the WELL Building Standard.

“Our buildings, and everything in them, should work to enhance, not compromise the health of the people who occupy them. As we consider our return to the classroom following the COVID-19 outbreak, our communities should feel reassured that these spaces are doing exactly that for our children, the teachers and staff who nurture them, and future health and well-being of our communities,” said IWBI Chairman and CEO Rick Fedrizzi. “Using WELL is one way to do that, and Bob Serpentini has empowered the Orrville School District to pave the way for schools everywhere who are looking for strategies that can help schools with prevention and preparedness, resilience and recovery in these unsettling times.”

See related article: Oxford Properties achieves WELL Health-Safety Rating across global office portfolio

WELL is a performance-based rating system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of our buildings that impact health and wellness. WELL prioritizes clean air and water, access to healthy food, natural daylight, and design elements that encourage physical activity. WELL also incorporates strategies that focus on mental health and community engagement. Largely focused on preventative measures, WELL can be especially critical at the elementary school level, promoting healthy behaviors for children that can nurture a lifetime of healthy habits.

By applying the world’s leading health-focused building standards, Orrville School District will use strategies based on the latest scientific evidence to improve the places and spaces where our children learn and thrive,” said IWBI President Rachel Gutter.

Some specific enhancements to the physical spaces could be – better air filtration, more water stations, more finely tuned thermal comfort and better lighting solutions. The use of the right materials and supplies that promote health, not compromise it. WELL also includes design features that encourage more movement throughout the day, lots of attention to nourishment guidelines, options for quiet spaces and access to nature both visually and literally. “Taken together the science says this improves health, productivity, concentration, a sense of well-being and happiness,” said Gutter. “Don’t we want all of these things for our kids?”

When asked about the initiative, Bob Serpentini was very excited. “We started discussing the possibilities toward the end of 2019. With the understanding that there is nothing more important to parents than the health of their children. Obviously with COVID-19, this has been magnified even further,” said Serpentini. “We have been in this community for 40 years, and we understand the kids walking the halls of those schools are the future of Orrville. That really makes this an easy decision.”

The school district has three K-12 buildings hosting about 1,600 kids, making WELL Portfolio the ideal tool for schools looking to enhance the performance of every building and improve health, wellness and productivity for all students and staff.

Superintendent Jon Ritchie noted, “We’re excited about the WELL Building initiative for the benefit of our students and staff. We are blessed to have business leaders such as Bob Serpentini who are so committed to the health and well-being of the community!”

Source: International WELL Building Institute