WHAT: Building on the Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air’s landmark launch of the Global Framework for Action, Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and Co-Chair of the Global Commission, will speak at the upcoming UN Side Event on Healthy Indoor Air in Schools: Every Breath Shapes Learning.
Hodgdon’s remarks will deliver an urgent call to action, encouraging leaders to deliver on a forward-looking "health-first agenda" for educational institutions worldwide, leveraging the Global Framework’s roadmap to drive systemic improvements in indoor air quality across learning environments.
IWBI was at the heart of convening the inaugural Healthy Schools for Healthy Kids Summit, a first-of-its-kind national gathering held in Washington, D.C. this past summer. Now, Hodgdon will urge leading experts, advocates and policymakers to continue efforts to produce a forward-looking health-first agenda, focused on school modernization, healthy materials, indoor air quality and ventilation, emergency preparedness and resilience, healthy lighting and acoustics, pollution prevention, remediation of legacy environmental hazards, technical assistance for schools and communities, and priority research needs.
“The ultimate measure of a school building is whether it supports the health, well-being and learning of the people inside it.” – Rachel Hodgdon, IWBI
WHO:
- Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, International WELL Building Institute; Co-Chair, Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air
WHEN: Thursday, September 24, 2026, 8:00 - 9:30 AM ET
WATCH LIVE: UN Web TV - https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1h/k1hyad24qc
About the International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the global authority for transforming health and well-being in buildings, organizations and communities. In pursuit of its public-health mission, IWBI mobilizes its community through the development and administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL), WELL for residential, WELL Community Standard, its WELL ratings and management of the WELL AP credential. IWBI also translates research into practice, develops educational resources and advocates for policies that promote people-first places for everyone, everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.
International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL EP, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Equity Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Coworking Rated, WELL Residence, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.
For final remarks and interview requests, please contact:
Yan Tai
SVP, Communications
International WELL Building Institute
[email protected]
