Cleaner Air for Urban School Grounds

Reducing Toxic Air Emission Risks Among Urban Children via Rochester City School District Action

Background

As mobile air toxics comprise an enormous 56% of air toxics in the Rochester region, and as those toxics more significantly effect urban youth, the Rochester CARE program made an immediate and strategic reduction of mobile air toxics on urban school grounds (and surrounding neighborhoods) by retrofitting seven diesel regrigerator trucks owned and operated by the Rochester City School District (RCSD).

The retrofit was coupled with creative, mobile educational messages regarding mobile air toxics that was put directly on these same trucks, to make these trucks travelling teaching tools in City neighborhoods. Part of this program involved a design competition for elementary school students to create educational messages about air pollution to display on the sides of these trucks.

The District has, in addition to reducing emissions through retrofits, also worked with the drivers of these trucks to reduce the amount of idling on school grounds and surrounding neighborhoods.

Student Art Contest

The RCSD also undertook a student art contest in early 2006 to challenge students to develop messages about air pollution that may be printed on these trucks.