For more than 80 years, CEFPI has been in the vital business of improving the places where children learn. Today we have an opportunity to create effective learning environments that reflect the community's unique assets as well as its needs; serve as a resource of education, health and human services to students and neighborhood members alike; and, strengthen community life.

The CEFPI Foundation & Charitable Trust declares April 27-May 1, 2009 to be School Building Week. We urge all communities and their school districts to recognize the importance of school buildings as a key component in the education process and the vitality of the communities they serve.

• Teaching and learning requirements must be the driving force in planning, designing, constructing and equipping educational facilities.

• The condition of school buildings must be improved worldwide. Every student deserves to learn, and every teacher deserves to teach, in a healthy, high performing, safe and sustainable facility.

• Schools should be sustainable spaces for lifelong learning, serving as centers of community.

• Successful schools are the result of effective and efficient planning that utilizes the total resources of the community.

• School districts can provide high quality learning environments that also enrich their communities – promoting economic development, improving environmental health and revitalizing neighborhoods.

• Effective learning environments should lend dignity, respect and pride to students, teachers, staff and the surrounding community. Superintendents, boards of education, community leaders, legislators and policy- makers must take a proactive role in raising community awareness of the condition of school buildings and how to improve those facilities.

• We believe it is incumbent upon all of us to improve the places where children learn.