"We can't give up. It's too important." Health and safety stories from Canadian and U.S. schools.

Schools are supposed to be places where children learn and thrive; not where they, teachers, and other staff get sick. The hazards are many but recognition of those hazards is hard to come by in schools in Canada and the United States. The result can be an uphill fight for school-based organizations and unions. Representatives of four such groups, two each from Canada and the United States, discuss the hazards and their effects. They also have many-often unrecognized-successes and related lessons to share. These include taking comprehensive approaches, looking for broad sweeps and entrees, using building sciences and strategies of solid information, acting with respect and with persistence, including students and parents, going for green cleaners, and using participatory methods. The representatives build on these to discuss what else needs to be done. The ideas are underpinned by the creativity, dedication, and persistence evident in their work to date.