Children as agents of change : A scalable model for school-based indoor air quality monitoring and engagement.

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McGill, Grainne and Farooq, Muhammad Zaeem and Moreno-Rangel, Alejandro and Sharpe, Tim (2026) Children as agents of change : A scalable model for school-based indoor air quality monitoring and engagement. In: Indoor air 2026: Enhancing Wellbeing in Existential Challenges, 2026-06-14 - 2026-06-18, Singapore Management University.

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Abstract

Children represent a critical audience for indoor air quality (IAQ) interventions, both due to their physiological vulnerability and their capacity to influence behaviours within households and communities. This paper presents a novel, school-based citizen science programme designed to embed real-time IAQ monitoring within primary and secondary education in Glasgow, UK, while fostering environmental literacy and civic engagement. Participating pupils were provided with low-cost IAQ sensors for home use, primarily placed in bedrooms to reflect high occupancy periods. Real-time data access was enabled through a smartphone application, facilitating interpretation. Pupils also received tailored educational resources, including “Junior Air Quality Scientist” kits featuring data diaries, ventilation audits, and environmental scavenger hunts, designed to encourage inquiry-based learning and promote understanding of pollution sources and mitigation strategies. Recruitment and consent processes were facilitated by teachers, and activities were embedded within the existing curriculum. The initiative was complemented by city-wide public engagement activities, including an IAQ demonstrator co-developed with the Glasgow Science Centre, a science festival scavenger hunt, and a school poster competition. These activities aimed to extend learning beyond the classroom and increase visibility of indoor air issues. Preliminary findings suggest the approach successfully enhanced pupils’ understanding of IAQ and supported ntergenerational dialogue on environmental health and behaviours. The model demonstrates a viable framework for deploying distributed sensor networks through educational channels, offering both data acquisition and behavioural co-benefits. Planned next steps include scaling the approach through a city-wide sensor ‘rental bank’ and the co-development of an interactive dashboard to support school benchmarking.

ORCID iDs

McGill, Grainne ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8716-9567, Farooq, Muhammad Zaeem ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6520-2096, Moreno-Rangel, Alejandro ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6405-4233 and Sharpe, Tim ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4275-5351;
  • Item type:Conference or Workshop Item(Other)
    ID code:96732
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    17 June 2026
    Published
    Subjects:Fine Arts > Architecture
    Department:Faculty of Engineering > Architecture
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:08 Jul 2026 15:14
    Last modified:03 Sep 2026 00:05
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/96732
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