Project Objective and Evolution
What Did Participation in the Project Involve?
Each school included in this pilot project received:
3 indoor air quality sensors installed in various classrooms to monitor key environmental parameters such as CO₂ levels, particulate matter (PM), temperature, and humidity;
1 outdoor air quality sensor, placed in the schoolyard to measure ambient air quality in the surrounding environment;
A digital display monitor, installed in a visible location, showing real-time data and tailored recommendations based on the air quality readings.
What Did Participation in the Project Involve?
- Each school hosted a hands-on workshop where students helped build portable traffic light-style CO₂ sensors. These devices use color indicators (green, yellow, red) to show whether classroom ventilation is needed, depending on the CO₂ concentration.
The educational component of the project included:
Interactive environmental education sessions, where students learned about:
the importance of protecting the environment;
the impact of air pollution on human health;
practical actions for cleaner air;
how individuals can contribute through responsible consumption and natural resource conservation.
Project Objective and Evolution
The initial aim of this project was to raise awareness and monitor indoor air quality in schools, focusing on the concentration of CO₂ (carbon dioxide) as a key indicator of ventilation and health safety.
Through the process, we learned that monitoring alone is not enough. In the second phase of the project, we pivoted and developed portable traffic light-style sensors that change color depending on the CO₂ level in the room.
This visual and interactive approach proved highly effective—students became much more engaged, and we were pleasantly surprised to see both teachers and school principals actively using the devices to check the air quality in classrooms, offices, and even their own homes.
Community Impact
Our project doesn’t end at the classroom or school level.
Every sensor installed in a school becomes a real data source, contributing to the wider "Drop of Air" network—an open, citizen-driven initiative active in dozens of communities across Romania.
The collected data can be used for:
monitoring neighborhood air quality;
raising awareness within the local community;
supporting dialogue with local authorities about better ventilation in public buildings, urban mobility, or green spaces.
Expanding the "Strop de aer" Network
Suggested Activity:
Community Air Map: students and teachers identify other key locations in their town or neighborhood (e.g., kindergartens, parks, bus stops) where sensors would be helpful → contributing to the expansion of the "Strop de aer" civic network.
Key Message:
“A classroom project can grow into a community movement.”
Best Practices
Thanks to the workshops and environmental education sessions, we opened the door to environmental science education for many science teachers. Chemistry, physics, geography, and biology teachers showed great enthusiasm, often competing to invite us to their classes to teach students how technology can be used to detect and understand pollution through real-time physical and chemical compound measurements.
Feedback and Interest
The feedback was overwhelming. We received numerous invitations to continue these lessons even outside the official project frames, such as "The Air in Our School" or the national "Green Week" program.
Next Steps
Recruit and train Air Quality Ambassadors to help spread knowledge and reach students and teachers who haven’t yet had the chance to participate.
We believe the mobile CO₂ sensors are a powerful awareness tool, helping both students and teachers understand the importance of proper ventilation in classrooms and other indoor spaces.
Additionally, data collected from the installed sensors can help identify:
classrooms with poor or inconsistent ventilation,
labs prone to humidity or mold risks,
and study spaces where airborne virus transmission is more likely due to stagnant air.