EPSRC IAA Indoor Air Quality in Primary Schools Project delivers first workshops in schools

The EPSRC IAA Indoor Air Quality in Primary Schools Project team has designed and delivered a number of workshops with pupils from Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 to discuss what they know about buildings and sustainability as a way to empower them to take actions that foster good indoor environment in sustainable ways.

Indoor Air Quality in Primary Schools is an interdisciplinary impact project that aims to support Councils and primary schools in maintaining good indoor environmental conditions in classrooms and indoor spaces. It also aims to produce learning resources for children and teachers and guidance for schools and councils to maintain good indoor environmental conditions classrooms and indoor spaces.

The first stage of workshops, ‘Building Doctors’, included hands-on activities where pupils used monitoring instruments to develop numeracy skills and explore concepts about building performance. The workshop activities and resources were tailored to the knowledge, abilities and skills of different age groups and the complexity of concepts related to building performance, indoor environment and comfort in buildings and energy in buildings. These practical STEM workshops  encourage children to practice numeracy skills. Children produced materials such as drawings, tables, crafts and charts as part of the workshop and used monitoring devices to explore concepts about building performance using their own schools as Living Labs. Extended activities are being undertaken by pupils after the workshop which will be followed by a second stage of workshops to be delivered in February and March.

The project team is planning an event in spring to present key highlights and findings of this project and discuss with teachers, schools, representatives from Councils who work on building monitoring, management and performance and education about how the lessons learned can support ongoing efforts of schools and councils to promote good indoor environment in classrooms in sustainable ways and foster sustainability education among primary school children.

If you would like to know more about this project or would like to take part in future activities, please contact Dr Zapata-Lancaster.