BECOME A MEMBER! Sign up for TIE services now and start your international school career

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

WAB Campus Has the Cleanest Air in Beijing

By Chris Clark
15-Dec-16
WAB Campus Has the Cleanest Air in Beijing


All school buildings at Western Academy of Beijing are equipped with the highest grade air-filtration systems available, ensuring everyone breathes healthy air on campus. Despite improvement city-wide in recent years, Beijing still faces the challenge of outdoor air pollution.
The same medical-grade systems installed in the Elementary School and Early Childhood Center last year are keeping bad air out and pumping clean, fresh air into the HUB, Middle School and High School.
"The health and safety of our families at WAB has always been a priority," said Director Courtney Lowe. "Our parent community and staff took action in unique ways to continue providing the best school experience possible for everyone."
Staff groups began planning for the project in October 2015 and working with engineering advisors and members of the pharmaceutical industry to identify possible technical solutions. In December, parent groups organized their first monthly meetings to discuss deadlines for the project and how to put their plans in place. In February and March, the groups collaborated to select vendors for installation and testing, and in April 2016, the first systems were installed in the ES and ECC. Now the entire campus is equipped with the filters, and supporting measures are in place to maintain clean air in all school buildings.
WAB staff continuously measure the air quality index (AQI) inside all facilities throughout the day. Using handheld devices and white egg-shaped monitors visible in different areas of the school, WAB's AQI measures a daily average of 1 throughout campus.
But the school walls don't limit the reach of air-quality initiatives at WAB. Students and staff now ride on a fleet of brand new clean-air buses, ensuring a healthy trip to and from school.
"The support and action from our community in these projects is another shining example of the WAB spirit," Lowe said.




Please fill out the form below if you would like to post a comment on this article:








Comments

There are currently no comments posted. Please post one via the form above.

MORE FROM

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Elevate Student Voice & Choice in Diverse Learning Settings
By Lindsay Kuhl, Jane Russell Valezy, & Esther Bettney
May 2021

Increasing Student Autonomy Through Time and Place
By Tim Johnson & Tony Winch
May 2021