In New Orleans, students at Ask Wonder Explore (AWE) are learning more about the air they breathe through real-time air quality data in their classrooms.
AWE, a STEM microschool and nonprofit for children ages 5 to 12, is teaching its students about poor regional air quality and how it affects their health (1). With the support of the Foundation for Clean Air’s Clean Air for Kids Grant, AWE is installing IQAir AirVisual air quality monitors to track pollution levels inside and outside its classrooms. Students are also receiving a hands-on education on the science of air quality and why it matters in their community.
Living and learning in Cancer Alley
AWE was founded by Dr. Samantha Kreuscher or “Dr. Sam,” a former New Orleans public school administrator with 16 years of experience.
Grounded in the belief that education should nurture ingenuity and curiosity, Dr. Sam developed AWE in 2020. After watching traditional schooling not work for more than half of her students—and seeing her own child struggle with anxiety around standardized testing and the disruptions of COVID-19—she set out to create a different kind of learning environment.
"We curate experiences for young minds to be creative, to become entrepreneurs, and to be able to problem-solve situations that we put them in, and also within their own sphere," Dr. Sam explained.
Where students are learning these lessons matters a great deal. Air pollution is a daily reality for students in southern Louisiana. While living in “Cancer Alley,” a stretch of land between New Orleans and Baton Rouge lined with hundreds of factories, AWE’s students are exposed to poor air quality that exacerbates health conditions like asthma, allergies, and sickle cell disease (2)(3)(4).
Recent research has found that Cancer Alley is even more polluted than federal estimates. When a team of researchers from Johns Hopkins University drove a mobile air-monitoring lab between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, they found that cancer risk levels were higher than previously understood. Pollutants like ethylene oxide, a volatile organic oxide (VOC), ranged from .9 to 11.6 times higher than EPA estimates in 14 of 15 measured areas (5).
Bringing air quality into the classroom
AWE has installed air quality monitors in and around its classrooms, providing real-time measurements of PM2.5, PM10, temperature, and humidity. These monitors allow students, teachers, and staff to track pollution levels throughout the day.
Just as they had previously done during a two-year water quality project, students can now observe how air quality changes after recess, during weather shifts, or over time, connecting the data to their own health and daily activities.
Students can further analyze the data, compare it to outdoor conditions, and explore how environmental factors impact their well-being. This raised air quality awareness can then become an integral part of their STEM education.
Keeping kids safer indoors and outdoors
The monitors can also help keep kids – some of whom are immunocompromised –
better protected from air pollutants during poor air quality days. Though outdoor recess and activities are essential for both imaginative play and learning opportunities, knowing when air pollution is present enables staff to make informed decisions about rescheduling outdoor time when needed.
“If we see that there's particular times of day where there's a higher instance of poor air quality, then we could adjust when we have our recess time,” Dr. Sam explained.
When indoor air is cleaner, students can also focus better in a more comfortable environment.
When indoor air is cleaner, students can focus better in a more comfortable environment.
“If they feel better, then they're going to be able to experience higher levels of joy and then therefore higher levels of learning and also greater levels of attendance."
Research supports Dr. Sam’s strong commitment to bringing clean air into the classroom. In a study of 36 Salt Lake City, Utah schools, researchers confirmed that even low levels of air pollution can reduce school attendance (6). And a 2025 study published in Buildings found that student health and academic performance can be significantly improved through good air quality combined with the correct indoor air temperature and humidity (7). Those factors played an even greater role in student performance than lighting conditions.
From classroom curiosity to community change
Ask Wonder Explore’s initiative is making air quality data accessible to students. That’s challenging them to ask questions and think critically about their environment.
“We talk a lot about how in order to change society’s systems, you have to have scientific data to back up the claims that you’re making in order to get legislative support.”
“We talk a lot about how in order to change society’s systems, you have to have scientific data to back up the claims that you’re making in order to get legislative support,” said Dr. Sam.
Air quality data is helping support AWE’s goal of building a culture of awareness and responsibility. Students become active participants in understanding and addressing air pollution.
In New Orleans, where industrial pollution has long been a challenge, AWE’s work with the Foundation for Clean Air may play a crucial role in public health and community engagement. The school is setting an example for others, as students and teachers demonstrate how real-time data and emerging solutions can drive change in the community. It’s a step toward a future where communities like New Orleans are both aware of air quality and equipped to respond to it.
Conclusion
Air quality monitoring empowers AWE’s educators to respond to air quality events, better safeguarding their students’ health while they learn.
AWE’s teachers are also dedicated to bringing hands-on scientific learning experiences to their students. By making air quality data a part of daily learning, AWE is guiding the next generation of citizen scientists to think about the role air pollution plays in their daily lives and is inspiring young minds to find solutions to the region’s persistent pollution challenges.
