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Air Sensors for Education and Community Engagement
Citation:
Ryder, O., S. Brown, R. Duvall, A. Clements, R. Freed, S. Batka, I. Young, T. Lavezzo, AND W. McCoy. Air Sensors for Education and Community Engagement. Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology Meeting (A&WMA), San Diego, CA, March 08 - 09, 2022.
Impact/Purpose:
New, lower-cost air sensors have become available to the public who are using the devices to learn more about air quality in their communities. A number of educational programs using air sensors have been develped that can help raise awareness of air quality, air pollution, and related topics. This talk will be presented at the Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology Meeting (A&WMA) and focuses on exisiting programs including Kids Making Sense Program which helps bring sensors directly to schools, the U.S. EPA sensor loan programs which make sensor technology available to communities, and programs with tribes to help build capacity. These projects help advance STEM education and citizen science/community involvement in research. Groups that would be interested or could apply this work include public libraries, museums, schools, communities (including ones with environmental justice concerns), state/local/tribal air agencies, EPA Regional Offices, other federal agencies, and academia.
Description:
Recently, air sensors have been used more frequently by the public to measure local air quality. Sensors are powerful exploratory tools which can help raise awareness of air quality, pollution sources, and the technology itself. Handheld air sensor technologies are especially effective for educational programs. This talk will cover examples of handheld fine particulate matter (PM2.5) sensors that have been successfully implemented in educational and community programs. These air sensors display local PM2.5 concentrations on an interactive map allowing participants to see how concentration levels change as they explore air quality in their community. The talk will highlight features of the sensor technology that make them suitable for educational settings. This talk will also discuss how communities can leverage sensor technologies through three existing educational and community programs. These programs include: 1) pilot air sensor loan programs established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at select branches of the Los Angeles Public Library System, tribal communities, and rural libraries, 2) the Kids Making Sense program used in over 300 middle and high school classrooms worldwide, and 3) = “build a sensor” maker kits (deconstructing the air sensor technology) used by tribal communities in California to enrich their maker space programs. With these example programs we will discuss community and school case studies that exemplify the impactful outcomes from these programs.