Clean air and youth!

Poster competition raises air quality awareness in Scotland

Air Monitors sponsored a competition among Scottish schools as part of an initiative to raise awareness of air pollution issues around the time of the Clean Air Day in June and during the Year of Young People. Environmental Protection Scotland (EPS) coordinated many of the air quality events and staff from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) contributed by running a series of programmes with schools across Edinburgh.

Prior to the competition, the schools utilised SEPA’s national ‘Learn About Air’ teaching package; a dedicated primary and secondary teaching resource for learning about air quality and the things that can be done to help improve the air we breathe. The module fulfils the ‘people, places and the environment’ section of the social studies element of the Curriculum for Excellence for second level pupils. It can also be used to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of Keep Britain Tidy’s Eco-Schools Award scheme.

Following the week-long learning activities, schools submitted posters, promoting solutions such as encouraging active travel, cycling and walking to school. The winning poster from each school has now been printed and is on display at the schools’ gates.

Commenting on the posters, SEPA Principal Air Scientist, Dr Colin Gillespie said: “We were very impressed with the quality of the posters, and it was very gratifying to see the level of understanding of the key issues that they displayed.”

Jim Mills from Air Monitors said: "As a company dedicated to air quality monitoring, we were delighted to sponsor this excellent initiative, which will help the next generation to better understand the sources and effects of air pollution and most importantly, how they can do their bit to improve air quality.”

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