What is it about?

Nowadays, indoor air quality is a major public health issue: we spend nearly 85% of our time in enclosed environments, yet indoor air can be up to eight times more polluted than outdoor air. Indoor air pollution can come from various sources that emit significant amounts of pollutants. The health consequences vary (olfactory discomfort, headaches, allergies, and even chronic diseases such as asthma), and children are particularly sensitive to this because their bodies are still developing. That is why it is important to raise their awareness and show them that it is possible to remedy this in a fun way.

For schools in the cross-border area that wish to participate, a Challenge will be offered to two classes of pupils aged between 6 and 11 per school. 

This challenge will feature various highlights during the 2026–2027 school year:

• An initial workshop (≈ 1 hour between September and December 2026) will focus on raising awareness of IAQ, using appropriate educational materials. Each class will receive an educational kit containing a sensor and access to real-time IAQ monitoring, as well as a tool for recording impressions of the IAQ in the classroom. This will enable pupils to try to improve their IAQ over the course of the year.

• A second workshop (≈ 1.5 hours between January and May 2027) will provide an opportunity to discuss the interim results and carry out a creative task: building a simplified purification system.

• An awards day (in June 2027) will bring together all participating schools. During this day, we will reward, for example, the school with the best IAQ, the greatest improvement, or the best communication initiatives taken by pupils to share their ideas with other pupils and/or parents at the school.

If you are interested or would like further information, please do not hesitate to contact:

Emeline MOYON : emeline.moyon@cerema.fr

Cécile CAUDRON : cecile.caudron@cerema.fr