Across the US, 7.4 million children are exposed to wildfire smoke annually. Children are one of the most susceptible populations to the health effects of air pollution, seen in changes in lung function, lung development, and existing respiratory disease exacerbation. Recent evidence also shows the mental health effects of wildfire smoke exposure, with children exhibiting symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other “internalizing symptoms” up to one year after exposure. School programs have been effective in implementing interventions to address obesity, suicide, sexual health, and other public health concerns. As exposure to air pollution in home environments can vary greatly between children, schools are a common ground among youth to reduce exposure to both wildfire smoke and other airborne pollutants. We partnered with five high schools in Colorado to implement a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project where youth learn about air quality, collect and analyze air quality data, and create and implement interventions to better prepare and protect their school community from exposure to airborne pollutants. YPAR is a youth-led, adult-guided approach to involving youth in research projects from start to finish, allowing youth to voice their experiences, develop research skills, and be agents of change. In this presentation, we will cover our approach and lessons learned from the first three years of the project, and discuss emergent themes from interviews with teachers and administrators engaged in our project. Our preliminary results revealed that teachers were enthusiastic about their students learning about air quality through this project, but were concerned about engagement and commitment, as the students who typically get involved are high achievers with several other commitments on their plates. To address these concerns, we will discuss strategies to increase student engagement through project-based learning and student incentives (i.e., Seal of Climate Literacy).
